Information on Pomeranians...
The Pomeranian has been among the most popular of dog breeds...
***consistentently in the top 15 or higher in out of over 150 breeds ***
for the last 15 years
Description…
The Pomeranian is a tiny, fluffy dog with a wedge-shaped head and pointed erect ears. Some have faces that breeders liken to a fox…while others have a baby-doll, or teddy bear face. All have bright, dark, almond-shaped eyes with an intelligent expression. The nose is usually either dark or the color of its coat. The teeth should meet in a scissors bite. Pomeranians also boast a distinctive feathered tail that fans forward over the back. There is an abundant ruff around the neck and chest area. The profuse stand-off double coat comes in both solid and parti-colored markings. The males coat will be thicker than the females.
The Difference Between Fox Face, Baby Doll Face & Teddy Bear Face Pomeranians...
There is a clear difference between a Fox face, baby Doll face and Teddy Bear faced Pomeranian. However, it must be noted that there is only one Pomeranian breed.
Per AKC breed standards, The Pom's "expression is alert and may be refered to as fox-like" and faults (in AKC conformation events) include..."round domed skull & under shot mouth".
Therefore...it is the Fox face Pomeranian who fits the AKC's strict guidelines. You may then be wondering...Why are there Baby Doll and Teddy Bear face Pom's then?
The answer is because so many people crave a Pom with the "puppy look". To them...even once the dog has matured, they still have a dog that has the look of a puppy. These dogs can still be AKC registered...but just do not fit the conformation guidelines.
Temperament…
The Pomeranian is a lively little dog. Intelligent, eager to learn, very loyal to its family and makes a wonderful companion. The breed’s docile temperament and affectionate nature endure it to many. They are alert and curious…one of the most independent of the toy breeds. Its vivacity and spirit make it well-liked by many who would not usually care for toy breeds.
If properly introduced they usually get along well with other dogs and household animals without any problems. Pomeranians make great little watchdogs. They have a delightful nature and do not cling to their handlers. Proud and happy, they are good at learning new tricks, but need a firm hand. Pomeranians MUST KNOW the owner is boss or they will NOT listen. If your Pomeranian is given rules to follow, as to what they are and aren’t allowed to do…This will be a wonderful family companion.
Height, Weight…
Height 7-12 inches
Weight 4-7 lbs.
Health Problems…
Some blood lines are prone to dislocated knee-caps, heart and skin problems, and eye infections. Pomeranians are prone to early tooth loss…feeding a dry food is recommended to help keep their teeth and gums in good condition. The Pomeranian may ‘reverse sneeze’, which is a fit of gasping and snorting to remove fluid caught under the palate. This is not dangerous, but may frighten the Pomeranian and its owner; it should be handled by talking to the Pomeranian calmly and gently rubbing its throat.
Hypoglycemia... this is something we have lost puppies to...and we take this very seriously!
Pomeranians like many other toy breeds, are susceptible to a form of low blood sugar called Hypoglycemia. This happens when the blood sugar in the Pom's blood drops. Treatment is needed right away!
While this can happen to Pomeranians and immediate treatment is necessary, this does not mean that a Pom puppy will develop this. The majority of puppies will glide through this age and be fine.
However...since this is fatal without tratment, it is very important to know the signs of Hypoglycemia, to be able to quickly be able to restore your puppy back to health. While a small breed dog of any age can develpoe this, it most often is seen in young puppies from birth to 4 months old. This can be brought on by...
- Becoming stressed (going to thier new home, having too many people handle them)
- If the puppy uses up a lot of energy in a short amount of time (playing very hard)
- If the puppy misses a meal ( it is important to free-feed your Pomeranian untill the puppy is at least 3 months old or larger than 2 pounds. After that, if you should choose not to free-feed...then you should make sure that meals should be on time, all the time.
When these things happen, that small fat reserve is quickly used up and the Pom's body will then begin to take it's blood sugar for energy. It's then that Hypoglycemia may set in.
Prevention
Keeping stress at a minimum will help. A young puppy already has enough to handle. A newborn to 8 week old Pom puppy will already have had to handle...
- Being weaned from his Momma and seperated from his brother and sisters
- Having dew-claws removed
- Being de-wormed repeatedly
- 1st set of shots
And then from 8 weeks to 10 weeks the puppy has the stress of...
Entering the new environmenment of it's new home. It has to become accustomed to...
- New voices
- New scents
- New noises
- New diet (change in diet can bring this on...make sure to keep your puppy on the same thing the breeder was feeding untill at least 4 months old)
Signs of Hypoglycemia...
- Sad look on puppies face
- Weak and listless
- Stagger when trying to walk
- Fall down
Without treatment, the final signs will be...
- Lying down a lot in a sleeping-like condition. This will not actually be sleep... the puppy will drop deeper and deeper and may clench it's teeth in a seizure and have spasms
- The puppy will then go into a coma and eventually will more than likely die at this point.
Treatment
Give your Pom one teaspoon of the Dark Karo Syrup...if your dog is already unconscious, rub the syrup on the gums and under the puppy's gums and under the tongue. Keep your dog warm, as low blood sugar will cause hypothermia.
If you do not see an almost immediate improvment...You must get your puppy to a Vet right away!
Living conditions…
The Pomeranian is well suited for apartment living. They are very active indoors and will do ok without a yard. But are also fine if left outdoors in a fenced in yard…as long as they have ample housing to keep out of the heat and rain.
Life Expectancy…
About 15 years...But have been known to live as long as 20
Coat, Color & Grooming…
The Pomeranian has a soft, fluffy outer coat and long, coarse undercoat. Pomeranians can be black, blue, or chocolate, all with and without tan, and cream, orange, or red, all solid or sable. Other possible colors are regular sable, chocolate sable, wolf sable, ‘Parti-color’ (usually white with another color), white, beaver, or brindle. In other words, just about anything but pink with blue stripes. The male Pomeranian sheds once a year and the female sheds when in heat or after
giving birth (it's commonly referred to as blowing her coat).
Pomeranians lose their puppy coat at about 4 months old, and go through a stage sometimes referred to as the "Uglies". Not to worry, your Pomeranian will blossom in time, most coats come in around 9 months... though some take a bit longer. Also with this change you may see a change in the color of your Pom. This is normal and happens quite often in some colors. They may get lighter or darker as their adult coat comes in. The Pomeranian’s very long double coat should be brushed frequently.Shampoo when necessary.
Examples ***through photographs*** of the different stages or looks, that your Pomeranian will go through in the first year of it's life... Courtsey of "Willow Bow-Wow"
.
Origin & History…
Developed in the Prussian region…southern coast of the Baltic sea…in what is known today as present-day Northern Poland and Eastern Germany. The Pomeranian is believed to be originally descended from the ancient wolf-spitz type dogs which migrated from the northern areas of Russia and Sibera.
The majority of the Pomeranian’s development was done in the 8th century. It was bred for a thick coat and small size. Early Pomeranians weighed 20 - 30 pounds, and were used as guard and herding dogs. Most were black, white or cream in color.
Pomeranians became established as a breed in the eighteenth century when members of the English monarchy took a fancy to them. Queen Charlotte brought large white Pomeranians to England in 1761 when she married King George III.
They became a popular toy breed during the reign of Queen Victoria, who when visiting Florence, Italy in 1888, fell in love with a Pomeranian named “Marco”, and brought the dog back to England. The Queen is credited with advocating a trend toward smaller Pomeranians, resulting in the much smaller sizes of 3 -7 pounds seen today. She established her own kennel for their breeding… showing her dogs with some success making the breed very popular in England. On the day she died in 1901...the Queen requested that her favorite Pomeranian "Turi" , be brought to her bedside. Turi was lying beside her when the Queen died. Because Queen Victoria preferred smaller dogs, many breeders began selecting for smaller size. This is also the time during which new colors were introduced to the breed.
Pomeranians were shown in the United States in the Miscellaneous Class as far back as 1892, but regular classification was not provided until 1900. In 1911, the American Pomeranian Club held its first specialty show. Early American show winners tended to be more heavily boned than today’s Pomeranians.
Some Famous People Who Owned Pomeranians...
Marie Antoninette and Mozart owned Pomeranians, as did Michelangelo...whose Pomeranian was known to sit on a silk pillow while he painted the Sistine Chapel. Chopin wrote the Valse des Petits Chiens for his girlfriends Pomeranian. And Sir Isaac Newton...his Pomeranian once knocked over a candle on one of his important scientific works as he labored upon it.
.
2 1/2 Weeks Old
7 Weeks Old
8 Weeks Old
4 Months Old
5 Months Old
"The Uglies"
Seven Months Old, and her adult coat is just starting to come in...
Willow turned out to have a beautiful thick coat. I wish I had pictures to show you. But I decided to sell her not long after these last pictures were taken. I hope you get the idea though...and I will post a better set of examples in the future.
Examples ***through photographs*** of the extreme color changes that your Pomeranian "may" experience that first year as it's adult coat comes in...
Courtsey of "Chann" & "Hunter"
Most cases are not this extreme...but Poms are famous for changing colors that 1st year
Chann as a puppy
Chann a little over
a year old
Hunter as a puppy
Hunter a little over
a year old
