The Pomeranian Breed - What You Need To Know

Welcome to our Dog Breed series! 

Today Pet Hangout is talking about the wonderful Pomeranian.

General Description:

The Pomeranian is quite the perky breed.   Small in stature, they absolutely adore their humans and can be very affectionate.     They are quite comfortable getting exercise indoor or outdoors.  

With intelligence being their strong suit, they are a quick study with tricks and always aim to please and entertain you.   They are in the toy dog category. 

Overview:

The male and female range from 7 - 8 inches tall and 4.2 - 7.7 pounds.    Their life expectancy is anywhere from 12 - 16 years.   Their colors range from White, Black, Grey-shaded, Tan, Brown, and Orange.  They are famous for their extraordinary coat and plumed tail, high energy, and “big-dog” attitude.

A Pomeranian has tenacity and sometimes forgets that they are a tiny dog.   They have been known to confront very large dogs!   Given their high energy level, they do require a fair amount of exercise.      They are quite alert in character and exhibit an animated gate when walking.  

They are happiest connecting with their family and favorite humans.   Highly social and likes to be in the middle of the activity.    To ensure a non-agressive behavior, be sure to socialize very early in life with small children and other animals.

Profile of the perfect Pomeranian dog parent:

• Is willing to give your Pom at least 30 minutes of exercise/day.   This can be outside or indoor play (which makes it a bit easier when the weather is bad).
• You love to cuddle with your pup.
• Is willing to socialize your Pom with other animals and people.
• Is okay with keeping their coat brushed out and maintained.
• Monitors interaction with children to ensure they are not being aggressive with them.   
• Is willing to monitor them while they are outside to keep them safe from larger dogs, hawks, and other potential predators.

Questions to ponder before taking the leap with this dog:

• Will a lap dog get on my nerves?
• Am I okay letting this dog live inside 100% of the time?
• Can I brush my pup 2 - 3 / week?
• Will it be difficult to expose my pup to other people and animals for proper socialization?
• Am I okay with a potential “yelpy” dog?  Note:  proper training at an early edge can help control barking.

Pomeranian at a glance (score 1 - 10  1 = low/small; 10 = high/large)

Care Demand:  6

Social:  9

Good with children/elderly:   7 (if properly socialized at an early age)

Needs to be around humans:  8

Can be independent:  4

Likes to be around other animals:  5 - could go either way depending on their socialization with other animals  

Loud - barks often:   8 (work on training not to bark at everything when a puppy)

Destructive as a puppy:  6 (give lots of toys when you are away)

Destructive as an adult:  6

Health issues:  5

Life Expectancy:  9

Playful:    9

Needs lots of exercise:  6.5

Whiney grade:  4

Needs lots of grooming:  7

Amount of Food/Day:  4

Puppy Troubles: 6

More about the Pomeranian:

Notable Cool Facts:  They can be quite cocky and commanding.   One of the world’s most popular toy breeds coming in 22nd place out of 193 breeds.   Their foxy-like face appears to be smiling at you!    Because they are so alert, they make awesome watch dogs.    They are very happy in a variety of environments - from the city to the country.    

Marie Antoinette and Mozart owned Pomeranians.

History: They are a miniaturized version of the Spitz sled dogs of the Arctic.    Their name originates from Pomerania, where their much larger ancestors were bred down.    Queen Victoria fell in love with them in Florence, Italy, brought some home, and forever secured the breed’s famous popularity.   Affectionately referred to as the “Pom”, they are among the smallest of the Spitz breed.

Behavior (personality):

     Children -Poms are tiny and can be great with children if you teach the kids to be gentle.   Not recommended with toddlers or children who cannot comprehend how to be gentle with the dog.   

     Elderly - If trained properly and not too yelpy, could be a wonderful companion.

     Play - Very active, playful, and energetic.    Give intellectual toys to stimulate and challenge them too.

     Other Pets - Make sure the larger pets are gentle with your Pom.   If your Pom is properly socialized, they should enjoy their company.

     Strangers - Can sometimes be aggressive toward strangers.    Again, socialize your Pom as a puppy with other people.

    When in a new environment - It’s all about the socialization of your Pom as a puppy.   If this happens, they should be able to adjust to new environments just fine.    They are not necessarily timid and sometimes may be too overly confident.   Be sure to monitor and make sure their new environment is safe for them.

Care:

        Feeding -  A grown Pomeranian eats 1.25 - 2 cups daily depending on their size.   Normally, feed  .65 - 1 cup in the morning and once again in the evening.   Please choose a high-quality food with high protein.  This is very important for the healthy growth of your Pom.

        Grooming - At 2 - 3 / week.   However, will need to groom more often (brush daily) during the shedding seasons in the spring and fall.   This is when they change their coat.   You will also want to brush their teeth 3 - 5 times/week to get mouth bacteria down and their pearly whites shiny clean.

        Exercise - They need 1/2 hour daily.    They can get this by playing indoors with toys or going for walks with you.

        As a Puppy - As the puppy matures, they will need more exercise.   A good starting point is to provide 5 minutes of exercise/month of age.   For example, if your puppy is 4 months old, he should get 20 minutes of exercise daily

Common Health Issues:  

• luxating patellas (kneecaps slippage)
• hypothyroidism
• collapsing tracheas
• congestive heart failure
• seizures
• early tooth loss
• alopecia X (black skin disease)

Rescues/Clubs:  

• American Pomeranian Club is the only official AKC endorsed Pom club http://www.americanpomeranianclub.org/
• Follow this link to find rescues by state: http://www.americanpomeranianclub.org/rescue_contacts.htm

Breeders:

There are a lot of things to think about when searching for a reputable Pomeranian breeder.  

We encourage you to check out the Breeder Referral information (from American Pomeranian Club) to learn about reputable breeders.

It’s full of a wealth of information on questions to ask, things to look for, the different types of breeders, and all the good, bad, and ugly of the breeding world.     Educate yourself with the facts first before talking to a breeder for the love of the Pomeranian Breed!

You can also find a list by state of breeders in good standing with the American Pomeranian Club:  http://www.americanpomeranianclub.org/member_roster.htm

Watch this intro video on the Pomeranian!

Thinking about getting a Pom?

We want to hear from you - comment below!

Want to learn about other dog breeds?  Read about the Border Collie Dog breed, the Labrador Retriever dog breed, and the German Shepherd dog breed.