The Pomeranian Dog

Breed Group: Toy

Weight: 3-7 lbs

Height: 8-11 inches

The Pomeranian is one of they toy breeds and weighs between 3 and 7 pounds (there are larger poms, and although not to the breed standard, they still make wonderful loving pets!). Intelligent and vivacious, these little dogs will steal your heart, but don't let them get away with too much as they must be properly trained or they will become too demanding. With proper care your Pom can live to about 15 years old. 
  

History

Did you know the Pomeranian was once a much larger dog that weighed around 35 pounds? A cousin to the spitz type dogs, this pampered lap dog once called the arctic home.

Bred down to it's tiny size over the centuries, the Pomeranian became popular in the late 1800's when Queen Victorian brought a 12 pound Pom back from Italy. This vivacious little dog soon became a favorite of European royalty and was bred to be even smaller until it reached the average of 5 pounds.

Historically, the Pomeranian has been fancied by many famous Europeans. Michelangelo had a little Pom that sat on a silk pillow and watched him while he painted the Sistine Chapel. Martin Luther, the great church leader had one of these little dogs that he mentioned often in his work. Mozart had a Pomeranian that he dedicated an Aria to and Chopin composed the Valse des Petits Chiens for his girlfriends Pom.
 

Overview

The Pomeranian is lively and eager to learn. They get along well with other household pets if given a slow and proper introduction. They make wonderful companions for families with older, well-behaved children and the elderly.

Character

The Pomeranian is a compact, active toy breed. They are intelligent, extremely loyal to their family, and loving. They are eager to please, gentle, and affectionate. They also exhibit an inquisitive expression and curiosity.

Temperament

The Pomeranian is confident, commanding, and outgoing. Due to the Pomeranians small stature they are not recommended for homes with small children as they may become temperamental. They make excellent guard dogs and will sound a bark when they sense danger.

Care and Grooming

Pomeranians are easy to care for but do need some special attention. They can be easily groomed in less than 1 hour a day, but I am sure you will want to spend much more time than that bonding with your pet!

Brushing your Pomeranian every day is a good way to bond with your pet as well as insure his coat is healthy and looks good. Poms have a double coat that can easily become matted so brushing is necessary. A once a week – or every couple of weeks – bath is a nice way to keep your Pom smelling and looking good! Don't forget to groom around his paws and tail area as well as clip his nails.

Unfortunately, Pomeranians can be prone to tooth problems. Tooth loss and bacterial buildup is not uncommon in these little dogs so you should take extra care to make sure your pet has the proper dental care. Brush your dogs teeth daily with a specially formulated enzymatic tooth paste that fights bacteria and have yearly dental checks and scaling if necessary. Tooth care is quite important to your dogs overall health as if bacteria is left unchecked in the mouth, it can spread throughout the dogs body and cause health problems for your pet.

The Pom'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 with a Q-tip (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.
 

Health Problems

Luxating Patellas or a knee that slips out of place is common in Pomeranians and in some cases this may require surgery. Many Poms suffer from hypothyroidism which can cause other problems and should be checked by your vet. Some Poms lose patches of hair as they grow older. This usually starts at the back and moves forward. If your Pom sounds like he is coughing then he may have a collapsing trachea which is not uncommon in this breed. An xray can determine if this is the problem and medication can be given to reduce coughing. Tooth loss and bacteria build up is a problem in Pomeranians as well as other small dogs.