BREED PROFILE: POMERANIAN

Intelligent and eager to please, the Pomeranian is a wonderful lively dog, but you must be careful to let them know who is boss or you may find that your little pooch will become noisy and demanding. They require little exercise and are well suited to apartment life. With proper care, they can live to around 15 years of age.

The Pomeranian is a compact dog with a fox like face. The tail should be plume like - held high and draping over the back. Standard breed weight is 3 to 7 pounds. Their demeanor is lively and alert. They have a double coat – a soft undercoat and long harsh outer coat. The face has dark almond shaped eyes, small ears, a short muzzle and rounded skull with pronounced stop.

Todays tiny Pomeranians fit comfortably in your lap, but did you know the breed was once as large as 35 pounds? Cousins of the Spitz type dogs, Pomeranians once were at home in the arctic along with Huskies and Malamutes.

These vivacious lap dogs get their name from the province “Pomerania" which was located where Eastern Germany is now. Originally brought to England in the 1700’s, by Prince George III’s new bride, this larger version of the toy dog would not become popular until the late 1800’s when Queen Victoria brought home a 12 pound Pomeranian from Italy. The popularity of these tiny dogs spread quickly around the European upper class and the dog was soon bred down to it’s current size of about 5 pounds.

Many of the famous favored the Pomeranian including Michelangelo whose Pom would sit on a silk pillow while he painted the Sistine chapel, Martin Luther who mentioned his toy dog in his work, Mozart who dedicated and aria to his pet Pomeranian and Chopin who wrote the Valse des Petits Chiens for his girlfriends Pomeranian.

The Pomeranian does require a bit of special care, but nothing too drastic and you should be able to accomplish all you need in about ½ hour each day. Pomeranians have a double coat which can easily become matted. Daily brushing is a must and a weekly bath is recommended.

The dog’s eyes are another area where you should pay some special attention. Like most small dogs, discharge from the eye can accumulate causing staining and, sometimes a goopy mess. Clean the area around the eye daily (be careful not to get too close to the dogs eye). If the fur around the eye becomes stained, you can buy a special liquid that helps remove the staining.

Good dental care is vital for your Pomeranian. These dogs are prone to tooth loss and excess bacteria in the mouth which can be harmful to your dogs health. The best way to fight this is to get an enzymatic toothpaste that will help fight bacteria and brush your dogs teeth every day. Get a dental check up once a year and a scaling if your vet recommends it.

Some Pomeranians can have a knee slip out of place (luxating patellas) which may require surgery to correct.

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