About The Pomeranian

The Pomeranian is a breed of dog in the spitz family, named for the Pomerania region of Poland and eastern Germany, and classed as a toy dog breed because of its small size.

At an average of 3 to 7 lb (1.4 to 3.2 kg) according to AKC standards, the Pomeranian (Pom) is the most diminutive of the northern breeds.

The head of the Pomeranian is wedge-shaped, making it somewhat foxy in appearance. The ears are small and set high. Its tail is characteristic of the breed and should be turned over the back and carried flat, set high.

A "parti-color" PomeranianThe Pom's coat is its glory, two coats, an undercoat and a top coat; the first is soft, thick, and fluffy; the latter is long, straight and coarse. The undercoat is shed once a year by males, by intact females when they are in season, after delivering a litter, and during times of stress.

The AKC recognizes thirteen colors or color combinations: black, black & tan, blue, blue & tan, chocolate, chocolate & tan, cream, cream sable, orange, orange sable, red, red sable, and sable. The dogs that have 2 or more colors (usually mostly white, with others), are called "Parti-Color". The AKC also recognizes five "alternative" colors: Beaver, brindle, chocolate sable, white, and wolf sable.

One breed standard calls for a cobby, balanced dog. A cobby dog is as long or shorter than he is tall; try to picture him as a circle in a square. A balanced Pomeranian fits together logically and in proportion. For instance, a small, delicately boned Pom with a large head looks unbalanced because his head type doesn't match his body type. A balanced Pom displays legs in proportion to his body: neither so short as to make him appear dumpy nor so long as to make him look like he is walking on stilts.

This standard also calls for an expression that imparts great intelligence, showing that the Pom has an alert character and that he behaves accordingly. The pom's alertness makes him a superb watchdog.