Plushly Coated and Popular Pomeranian
Who wouldn’t recognize this fluffy and adorable little breed when all its magnificence is shown in countless movies and TV repeatedly? This celebrity breed is the Pomeranian and it is on the American Kennel Club’s top 15 most famous breeds of America for 10 consecutive years. Today, the Pomeranian or Pom Pom is being adopted as a companion dog but it is also competitive in terms of agility, competitive obedience and ticks performance.
Evidence of this breed’s ancestors was found in Egypt as shown in various Egyptian paintings, sculptures and pottery inside the tomb of prominent people. Overtime, this breed was brought to the region of the now non-existent Pomerania, a place now occupied by Germany and Poland dividedly. It is in this place that the then 20 pounds Pomeranian-like breed was further refined to possess a luscious coat and a disposition befitting a city life.
The current Pomeranian size is due to the efforts of the English people to further downsize it to 3 to 7 pounds and make it more colorful. As the breed became a passably toy dog, it gained popularity all over Europe mostly among the royals such as Queen Charlotte and her grandchild Victoria. Other famous people who were known to own a Pomeranian were Mozart, Emile Zola and Marie Antoinette.
The Pomeranian is classified as a toy dog today and is of the spitz type. In Europe, its name is recognized as Zwergspitz meaning dwarf spitz in German. The name Pomeranian came from the Slavic root word Pomorze or Pomern which means “along the sea”.
As breeders describe it, the Pom Pom possesses a fox-like, baby-doll or pansy looking face. This may be attributed to its innately luminous, almond-shaped and intelligent eyes. The coat of this breed is beautifully luscious, long and soft and is often colored in white, black, brown, orange, sable, wolf, or white with colored markings.
The ancestors of the Pomeranian weighed 20 to 30 pounds but through an articulate breeding technique called the Mendelean theory, breeders have been able to turn this breed in to a light weight 3 to 7 pounds toy dog. This dog’s life expectancy, if properly taken care of and healthy, is 12 to 19 years. To help keep this breed at its prime, indulge it with daily walks or playtimes in order to keep its mind and physical state healthy.
The Pomeranian is innately friendly, playful and energetic; eager to learn and please its master and very loyal. These qualities make it a superb competitor in dog sport competitions and tricks performance. Unlike other toy dogs who constantly crave for attention and companionship, the Pomeranian is quite independent and can keep itself busy through curiosity, alertness and intelligence.
Grooming-wise, in order to keep this breed’s long and soft fluffs luscious, regular brushing and combing is needed. It also needs a regular dental check up and a daily ear and nose cleaning routine. The Pomeranian is a known hair-shedder therefore those who have allergies are not advised to own this breed.
