Pomeranian Dog Breed - Facts and Information

Appearance
Lets start the video with appearance. And when you look at Pomeranian, i am sure the first thing you will notice is its beautiful fluffy coat that comes in variety of colors. Some of them look literally like a fluffball with eyes.
The Pom has a dense doublecoat. The undercoat is soft and fluffy, while the outercoat is longer and harsher. And you can find these dogs in many many different colors and color combinations. For example the AKC officially recognizes 23 different colors. Some of the most popular are chocolate, sable, tan, white, cream, black, orange, brown, grey and fawn. And you can find them in almost any pattern possible.
Interesting fact definitely is, that many Pomeranians change the color as they grow. I will give you one typical example. Many of the young sable Pomeranians end up as a brown and white Pomeranians as they mature. But of course, not all the Poms will change the color.
Other than the fluffy coat, the Pomeranians share a lot of similarities with other Spitz dogs, which are fox like head shape, erect ears and fluffy plummed tail that flips over their back. And even the official FCI breed standard recognizes Pomeranian as a German Toy Spitz, so the similarities with all the other Spitzes is not coincidental.
And what about the size of Pomeranian? Well, their height is typically between 7-12 inch, which is 18-30 cm and weight is between 3-7 lbs, which is 1,5-3 kg. The fur around their head is puffed up making them look a lot bigger then they are. Once you will give them bath, you will see their real size. There are no extreme size differences between males and females.
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Temperament
The Pomeranian is a perfect companion pet, as they are typically very friendly, playful and lively. It is also very cheerful and pretty curious dog. They create a very strong bond with its favourite person and they want to do everything with them.
But despite their small size, this is pretty alert, watchful and relatively brave dog. They will most likely bark when they will see or hear something suspicious around your house. Many owners describe pomeranians as big barkers, so you should be prepared for that. But it is possible to teach them the quiet command and to reduce the barking. So even though they are tiny, they make good watchdogs. But of course, they are not guard dogs.
Great fact about the Pomeranians temperament is their eagerness to learn and intelligence. These are one of the fastest learning small dogs and they can learn all the different tricks and commands fast and easily. But they have pretty short attention span, so keep the training short, but regular. And you should train regularly with your Pom, as it will exercise their mind, which is as important as exercising the body.
Speaking of exercising the body, the Pomeranian is definitely not coach potatoe, but neither totally hyperactive dog. Some people call them pocket rockets, which means they will have short bursts of energy, when they will run and play like crazy, but after that, they will calm down. Few daily walks a day accompanied with some training and play sessions are enough to keep Pomeranians happy and healthy.
The Pomeranian is a perfect mix of adventurous little dog that will happily go on a longer walk with you, but also a cuddly companion that will happily rest on your lap.
These dogs can live with other dogs or pets in the family, especially if socialized together from the puppyhood. Pomeranian dogs are also very sweet and loyal towards children. But it is important to remember that this is small and fragile dog and the child should know how to behave towards dogs gently, so it does not unintentionally hurt the dog.
Overall, the Pomeranian is extroverted companion who loves to be in centre of attention and i can guarantee you, that you will never be bored with the Pomeranian.

History
It might be hard to believe this, but Pomeranians were not always these little fluffy companion dogs as we know them today. Early dogs of this breed were much much larger, weighing up to 30 lbs, which is 14 kg and they were used for herding.
We do not know much about their origin. They most likely descended from the German Spitz and they got their name after the region of Pomerania on the shore of Baltic Sea, where they lived in larger numbers. Most likely, they share similar ancestry with Arctic Spitz dogs, such as Samoyed, Norwegian Elkhound or Husky.
The history and development of Pomeranian is much better documented after they were brought into England. They were introduced to Great Britain by Queen Charlotte, but it was another Brittish queen, Queen Victoria, who made this breed super popular.
Queen Victoria was a big dog lover and she owned many different breeds and Pomeranians were one of her favourites. Queen Victoria especially loved and owned smaller Pomeranians, similar to the ones we have today. But back in the days, those small Victorian Pomeranians were considered as toy sized.
She started her own breeding program and it was Queen Victoria who developed Pomeranian into the breed we know today. And it was her who make this breed popular, not only in England, but also in other parts of Europe.
Queen Victoria was not the only famous person who fell in love with the cute Pomeranians. Other famous people include Michelangelo, Isaac Newton, Mozart or Teddy Roosevelt.
It is also worth mentioning that in 1912 two Pomeranians were among only three dogs to survive the sinking of Titanic. One, named Lady, belonged to Margaret Bechstein Hays, who wrapped her dog in blankets before carrying her aboard lifeboat number seven. The other was a dog of Elizabeth Rothshild, who refused to board her lifeboat without her Pomeranian.

Interesting fact
You already know, that back in the past Pomeranians were much much bigger than they are today. But occasionally, a Pom that very closely resembles its ancestors is born. Such dog is known as „Throwback“ Pomeranian and it should weighs more than 20 pounds and it should be completely white. Throwback Pomeranians can be born in any litter to any Pomeranian parents, so they are always a big surprise.

Health and grooming
Usually, the Pomeranian is a very healthy dog breed with average lifespan around 15 years. If the dog is regularly exercised and they are on a healthy diet, than they stay active even as senior dogs. Of course, every dog can suffer from some health issues and the Pomeranian is no exception. Some of the health problems that can occur in Pomeranian are similar as the ones of other breeds and they include patellar luxation and tracheal collapse. Another doggy problems like different allergies or infections can also occur in Pomeranians. But as i said, this is usually very healthy dog breed.
And what about the maintenance and grooming? Well, the fluffy coat does need some ammount of grooming. Daily brushing is essential to keep the coat in best possible condition, clean and unmated. Regular brushing will also redistribute natural oils all over the coat.
Some people also trim their Pomeranians, especially in areas around the ears, face and feet, but it is not required.
The Pomeranian does shed some deal of fur all year long, more heavily during shedding seasons in spring and autumn, so that is something you should be prepared for. They do not need much bathing, only if they are dirty and it is really necessary.
Pomeranians can suffer from dental issues, so you should check their teeth regularly and you can try to brush their teeth so they do not develop any dental problems. Other than that, you should also regularly check their eyes, ears and nails and clean them or clip them if needed.