GENERAL POMERANIAN INFORMATION
HISTORY Pomeranian originally were used as sled dogs and weighed about 30-35 pounds. The breed is thought to desecend from the Artic Spitz Dog. They are thought to originate from a providence of Germany called Pomeranian. Queen victoria started to breed them down to about 14-18 pounds. This size is still arround in some of the less desirable breeding lines.
But, because they have been bread down to the weight they are today you can get throwbacks which can be bigger (10 pounds or so) although in the better breeding lines it is very unusual for this to happen.
The breed was recognized by the English Kennel Club in 1870 and the American Kennel Club in 1900.
AKC STANDARD The Pomeranian should weigh between 3-7 pounds with 4-6 pounds being the ideal for show. They should have a fox-like expression with almond shaped eyes. They are described as a cobby dog, with a short back. They should have a double coat. Soft under coat and a courser outer coat which are called guard hairs which stand straight out on end. All colors are allowed.
For a more detailed description go to the AKC website.
KNOWN HEALTH PROBLEMS AND LIFE SPAN Like many Toy breeds the Pomeranian can have genetically known health problems, they include: Patellar luxation, open fonatanel, epilepsy, hypothyroidism, collapsable trachea's, c-sections on small females, and heart murmurs. A good breeder will know if any of these problems are known in the background of her lines. Pomeranians can live a very long happy life with good care sometimes as long as 20 years with an average of 14-17 years.
MAINTANANCE Pomeranians require frequent grooming because of thier double coat. Unspayed females will shed heavily after every heat and males shed anually. I reccomend hard dry kibble dog food to help maintain healthy teeth and gums. If needed, your vet can give your Pom a deep teeth cleaning.
Puppies often retain their puppy teeth and need to be removed by a vet.
shots need to be given on a regular basis. 3-4 sets of puppy shots prior to 4 months old, then yearly. They also need to be wormed every 6 months to a year.
