View source for Pomeranian dog

{{short description|Dog breed}}
{{About|the dog breed||Pomeranian (disambiguation){{!}}Pomeranian}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=May 2023}}
{{Infobox Dogbreed
| altname = Pom<br>Dwarf Spitz<br>German Toy Spitz
| country = [[Pomerania]]: [[Germany]] and [[Poland]]
| weight = {{convert|3|to|7|lbs|kg}}
| maleweight = 
| femaleweight = 
| height = {{convert|7|to|12|in|cm}}
| maleheight = 
| femaleheight = 
<!-----Kennel club standards----->
| kc_name = [[Verband für das Deutsche Hundewesen|VDH]]
| kc_std  = https://www.vdh.de/welpen/mein-welpe/deutsche-spitze
| fcistd = http://www.fci.be/uploaded_files/097gb98_en.doc
| image = Pomeranian.JPG
| name = Pomeranian
| nickname = Pom Dog,<br>Pom-Pom,<br>Pom, Zwers
| litter_size = 
| life_span = 12 to 14 years
}}

The '''Pomeranian''' (also known as a '''Pom''', '''Pommy''' or '''Pome''') is a [[dog breed|breed]] of [[dog]] of the [[Spitz]] type that is named for the [[Pomerania]] region in north-west Poland and north-east Germany in Central Europe. Classed as a [[toy dog]] breed because of its small size, the Pomeranian is descended from larger Spitz-type dogs, specifically the [[German Spitz]].

The breed has been made popular by a number of royal owners since the 18th century. [[Queen Victoria]] owned a particularly small Pomeranian, and consequently, the smaller variety became universally popular. During Queen Victoria's lifetime alone, the size of the breed decreased by half. As of 2017, in terms of registration figures, since at least 1998, the breed has ranked among the top fifty most popular breeds in the United States, and the current fashion for small dogs has increased their popularity worldwide.

== Appearance ==
Pomeranians are small dogs weighing {{convert|1.36|-|3.17|kg|lb}} and standing {{convert|8|-|14|in|cm}} high at the [[withers]].<ref name="cunliffe">{{cite book |title=The Encyclopedia of Dog Breeds |last=Cunliffe |first=Juliette |year=1999 |publisher=Parragon |isbn=978-0-7525-8018-0 |page=262 }}</ref> They are compact but sturdy dogs with an abundant textured coat with a highly plumed tail set high and flat.<ref name="dogs101">{{cite book |title=Dogs: 101 Adorable Breeds |last=Hale |first=Rachael |year=2008 |publisher=Andrews McMeel |isbn=978-0-7407-7342-6 |page=[https://archive.org/details/dogs101adorableb0000mcke/page/197 197] |url=https://archive.org/details/dogs101adorableb0000mcke/page/197 }}</ref> The [[Guard hair|top coat]] forms a ruff of fur on the neck, which Poms are well known for, and they also have a fringe of feathery hair on the hindquarters.<ref name="prem">{{cite web |url=http://premierpoms.com/history.html |title=Pomeranian History |publisher=Premier Pomeranians |access-date=4 December 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110715113622/http://premierpoms.com/history.html |archive-date=15 July 2011 |url-status=live }}</ref>

The earliest examples of the breed were white or occasionally brown or black. [[Queen Victoria]] adopted a small red Pomeranian in 1888, which caused that color to become fashionable by the end of the 19th century.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.webanswers.com/pets/what-is-a-pomeranian-8a12b7|title=What is a Pomeranian|work=Web Answers|access-date=2 February 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110728040008/http://www.webanswers.com/pets/what-is-a-pomeranian-8a12b7|archive-date=28 July 2011|url-status=dead}}</ref> In modern times, the Pomeranian comes in the widest variety of colors of any dog breed, including white, black, brown, red, orange, cream, blue, sable, black and tan, brown and tan, spotted, brindle, parti, and blue Merle,  plus combinations of those colors.<ref>{{cite book |title=Pomeranians for Dummies |last=Coile |first=D. Caroline |year=2007 |publisher=For Dummies |isbn=978-0-470-10602-0 |page=29 }}</ref> The most common colors are orange, black, and cream/white.<ref name="dogs101"/>

<gallery widths="140" heights="140">
File:Pomeranian Thank You.jpg|Cream-colored Pomeranian
File:Pomeranian orange sable 600.jpg|Orange sable Pomeranian
File:Tri-colored-pom-fuzzybutt.jpg|Tri-colored Pomeranian
File:Pomeranian orange-sable Coco.jpg|Red Sable Pomeranian
File:Pomeranian.jpg|Black Pomeranian
File:White Pomeranian.jpg|White Pomeranian
File:Black-tan-pom.jpg|Black and tan Pomeranian
File:Chocolate-pom.jpg|Chocolate Pomeranian
</gallery>

== Behaviour==
[[File:Wegener01.jpeg|thumb|''A Toy Spaniel, a Dwarf Spitz and a Maltese next to a basket'' (1855) by {{Interlanguage link|Johann Friedrich Wilhelm Wegener|de}}]]

Pomeranians are alert and aware of changes in their environment, and barking at new stimuli can develop into a habit of barking excessively in any situation. They are somewhat defensive of their territory and thus may bark when they hear outside noises.<ref>{{cite news | url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1301&dat=19741125&id=TNUiAAAAIBAJ&pg=1089,8333446 | title=A Pup For Christmas | work=The Sydney Morning Herald | date=25 November 1974 | access-date=29 January 2014}}</ref>

== Health ==
A UK study found a life expectancy of 12.2 years for the Pomeranian.<ref>{{cite journal | last1=McMillan | first1=Kirsten M. | last2=Bielby | first2=Jon | last3=Williams | first3=Carys L. | last4=Upjohn | first4=Melissa M. | last5=Casey | first5=Rachel A. | last6=Christley | first6=Robert M. | title=Longevity of companion dog breeds: those at risk from early death | journal=Scientific Reports | publisher=Springer Science and Business Media LLC | volume=14 | issue=1 | date=2024-02-01 | issn=2045-2322 | doi=10.1038/s41598-023-50458-w | page=531| pmid=38302530 | pmc=10834484 | bibcode=2024NatSR..14..531M }}</ref> A Japanese study of pet cemetery data found a life expectancy of 14 years, below the average of 15.3 years for [[Crossbreed dog|cross-breed dogs]] below 10kgs.<ref>{{cite journal | last1=INOUE | first1=Mai | last2=KWAN | first2=Nigel C. L. | last3=SUGIURA | first3=Katsuaki | title=Estimating the life expectancy of companion dogs in Japan using pet cemetery data | journal=Journal of Veterinary Medical Science | publisher=Japanese Society of Veterinary Science | volume=80 | issue=7 | year=2018 | issn=0916-7250 | doi=10.1292/jvms.17-0384 | pages=1153–1158| pmid=29798968 }}</ref>

Pomeranians are one of the breeds with the smallest average litter size, with various sources giving numbers of between 1.9 and 2.7 puppies per litter.<ref>{{cite journal|last1=Borge|first1=Kaja Sverdrup|last2=Tønnessen |first2= Ragnhild |last3= Nødtvedt |first3= Ane |last4= Indrebø |first4= Astrid |title=Litter size at birth in purebred dogs—A retrospective study of 224 breeds|journal=Theriogenology|date=March 2011|volume=75|issue=5|pages=911–919 |pmid= 21196028 |doi=10.1016/j.theriogenology.2010.10.034|quote="Pomeranian and Toy Poodle had the smallest mean litter size in our study [2.4], which is in line with the results of previous studies [7–9,15]. A mean litter size of 2.0 puppies in Pomeranian was reported in the Australian study (n 2) [15]. In studies including only registered puppies, Lyngset et al [7], Tedor [8] and Bergström et al [9] found a mean litter size of 2.04 (n 108), 2.71  (n 33,648) and 1.9 (n 954) puppies in Pomeranian,  respectively."}}</ref>

===Dermatological conditions===
The Pomeranian is significantly predisposed to [[alopecia X]] with Pomeranians comprising 79.3% of the case load of a referral clinic in Japan and 26.5% of an endocrine alopecia case load in the US.<ref name="Predis">{{cite book | last1=Gough | first1=Alex | last2=Thomas | first2=Alison | last3=O'Neill | first3=Dan | title=Breed Predispositions to Disease in Dogs and Cats | publisher=John Wiley & Sons | publication-place=Hoboken, NJ | date=2018-04-23 | isbn=978-1-119-22554-6 | pages=155–156}}</ref>

===Skeletal conditions===
A study in England found the prevalence [[patellar luxation]] to be 6.5% in the Pomeranian, the highest prevalence out of all breeds in the study.<ref>{{cite journal | last1=O’Neill | first1=Dan G. | last2=Meeson | first2=Richard L. | last3=Sheridan | first3=Adam | last4=Church | first4=David B. | last5=Brodbelt | first5=Dave C. | title=The epidemiology of patellar luxation in dogs attending primary-care veterinary practices in England | journal=Canine Genetics and Epidemiology | volume=3 | issue=1 | date=2016 | issn=2052-6687 | pmid=27280025 | pmc=4898461 | doi=10.1186/s40575-016-0034-0 | doi-access=free | page=4}}</ref> A USA study found an odds ratio of 18.6 compared to crossbreeds. Another study in the US found the Pomeranian to make up 9.3% of the caseload. In Thailand prevalence was found as high as 75% in one study and a 28.9% caseload in another.<ref name="Predis"/>

===Gastrointestinal conditions===
A study in the US found a prevalence of 0.29% for [[congenital portosystemic shunt]], an odds ratio of 5.6 compared to mixed-breed dogs.<ref>{{cite journal | last1=Tobias | first1=Karen M. | last2=Rohrbach | first2=Barton W. | title=Association of breed with the diagnosis of congenital portosystemic shunts in dogs: 2,400 cases (1980–2002) | journal=Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association | volume=223 | issue=11 | date=2003-12-01 | issn=0003-1488 | doi=10.2460/javma.2003.223.1636 | pages=1636–1639| pmid=14664452 }}</ref>

A Japanese study found the Pomeranian to be significantly predisposed to [[Canine gallbladder mucocoele|gallbladder mucocoele]] with an odds ratio of 7.74 compared to the overall referral population.<ref>{{cite journal | last1=Kutsunai | first1=M. | last2=Kanemoto | first2=H. | last3=Fukushima | first3=K. | last4=Fujino | first4=Y. | last5=Ohno | first5=K. | last6=Tsujimoto | first6=H. | title=The association between gall bladder mucoceles and hyperlipidaemia in dogs: A retrospective case control study | journal=The Veterinary Journal | publisher=Elsevier BV | volume=199 | issue=1 | year=2014 | issn=1090-0233 | doi=10.1016/j.tvjl.2013.10.019 | pages=76–79| pmid=24268484 }}</ref>

===Neurological conditions===
In case studies of [[atlantoaxial subluxation]] the Pomeranian was found to comprise 10.6% of cases in Japan, 46.7% in the UK, and 10.5% and 6.5% in the US.<ref name="Predis"/>

===Other conditions ===
[[Merle (coat color in dogs)|Merle]]-colored dogs may have mild to severe deafness, blindness, increased [[intraocular pressure]], [[ametropia]], [[microphthalmia]], and [[colobomas]]. Merle dogs born from parents who are also both merles may additionally have abnormalities of the skeletal, cardiac and reproductive systems.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.genmarkag.com/download/Factsheet_Merle_Gene.pdf |title=Merle Gene |work=GenMark |access-date=6 December 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080512051549/http://www.genmarkag.com/download/Factsheet_Merle_Gene.pdf |archive-date=12 May 2008 |url-status=live }}</ref>
 
In case studies of referral clinics for [[tracheal collapse]] the Pomeranian made up 6%, 13.5%, and 16.7% of three referral caseloads in the US and 11.9% of a referral caseload in South Korea. In an Australian study on a referral population the Pomeranian had a 9.3% prevalence.<ref name="Predis"/>

Another common disorder in male Pomeranians is [[cryptorchidism]].<ref name="Shores">{{cite web | last = Ward | first = Ernest | title = Cryptorchidism in Dogs | work = Shores Animal Clinic | publisher = Lifelearn | year = 2009 | url = http://shoresanimalclinic.net/index.php?view=pageView&pageid=802 | access-date = 21 January 2011 | archive-date = 16 July 2020 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20200716201740/http://www.shoresanimalclinic.net/?view=pageView&pageid=802 | url-status = dead }}</ref> This is when either one or both of the testicles do not descend into the scrotum.<ref name="Shores" /> It is treated through surgical removal of the retained testicle.<ref name="Shores" />

In China, 54.6% of Pomeranians attending veterinary clinics were obese.<ref name="Predis"/>

== History ==

=== Origins ===
[[File:Pomeranian (Miniature) from 1915.JPG|thumb|right|A miniature Pomeranian from 1915]]

The Pomeranian is considered to be descended from the [[German Spitz]].<ref name="vanderlip">{{cite book |title=The Pomeranian Handbook |last=Vanderlip |first=Sharon |year=2007 |publisher=Barron's Educational Series |isbn=978-0-7641-3545-3 |pages=2–8 }}</ref> The breed is thought to have acquired its name by association with the area known as [[Pomerania]] which is located in northern Poland and Germany along the Baltic Sea. Although not the origin of the breed, this area is credited with the breeding that led to the original Pomeranian type of dog. Proper documentation was lacking until the breed's introduction into the United Kingdom.<ref name="vanderlip"/>

[[File:Mr and Mrs William Hallett.jpg|upright|thumb|right|alt="A man and a woman walking next to a wood with their white dog. The woman is dressed in a white 18th-century gown and a black hat, and the man is dressed in a black suit with white stockings."|Portrait of Mr and Mrs William Hallett by [[Thomas Gainsborough]], 1785. The painting features a larger type of Pomeranian than is now common.]]

An early modern recorded reference to the Pomeranian breed is from 2 November 1764, in a diary entry in [[James Boswell]]'s ''Boswell on the Grand Tour: Germany and Switzerland''. "The Frenchman had a Pomeranian dog named Pomer whom he was mighty fond of."<ref>{{cite book |title=Boswell on the Grand Tour: Germany and Switzerland |last=Boswell |first=James |editor-last=Pottle |editor-first=Frederick A. |author-link=James Boswell |year=1764 |publisher=McGraw-Hill |edition=1st |page=165 |url=https://archive.org/stream/boswellonthegran006270mbp#page/n199/mode/2up |access-date=29 November 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110623051106/http://www.archive.org/stream/boswellonthegran006270mbp#page/n199/mode/2up |archive-date=23 June 2011 |url-status=live }}</ref> The offspring of a Pomeranian and a [[wolf]] bred by an animal merchant from London is discussed in [[Thomas Pennant]]'s ''[[A Tour in Scotland, 1769|A Tour in Scotland]]'' from 1769.<ref>{{cite book |title=A Tour in Scotland 1769 |last=Pennant |first=Thomas |author-link=Thomas Pennant |year=1776 |publisher=Benj White |edition=Fourth |page=[https://archive.org/details/atourinscotland03penngoog/page/n215 159] |url=https://archive.org/details/atourinscotland03penngoog |quote=pomeranian. |access-date=29 November 2009 }}</ref>

Two members of the [[British Royal Family]] influenced the evolution of the breed. In 1767, [[Queen Charlotte]], [[Queen-consort]] of King [[George III of Great Britain]], brought two Pomeranians to England.

Named Phoebe and Mercury, the dogs were depicted in paintings by Sir Thomas Gainsborough. These paintings depicted a dog larger than the modern breed, reportedly weighing as much as {{convert|30|-|50|lb|kg|abbr=on}}, but showing modern traits such as the heavy coat, ears and a tail curled over the back.<ref name="vanderlip"/>

[[Queen Victoria]], Queen Charlotte's granddaughter, was also an enthusiast and established a large breeding kennel. One of her favoured dogs was a comparatively small red sable Pomeranian which she possibly named "Windsor's Marco" and was reported to weigh only {{convert|12|lb|kg|abbr=on}}. When she first exhibited Marco in 1891, it caused the smaller-type Pomeranian to become immediately popular, and breeders began selecting only the smaller specimens for breeding. During her lifetime, the size of the Pomeranian breed was reported to have decreased by 50%.<ref name="vanderlip"/> Queen Victoria worked to improve and promote the Pomeranian breed by importing smaller Pomeranians{{citation needed|date=March 2024}} of different colours from various European countries to add to her breeding program.{{citation needed|date=March 2024}} Royal owners during this period also included [[Joséphine de Beauharnais]], the wife of [[Napoleon I of France]], and King [[George IV]] of the United Kingdom.{{citation needed|date=March 2024}}

The first breed club was set up in England in 1891, and the first breed standard was written shortly afterwards.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1755&dat=19640920&id=zLgqAAAAIBAJ&pg=5471,3699631 | title=Annual Dog Work Is In 37th Year | work=Sarasota Herald-Tribune | date=20 September 1964 | access-date=29 January 2014}}</ref> The first member of the breed was registered in the United States to the [[American Kennel Club]] in 1898, and it was recognized in 1900.<ref name="vanderlip"/>

In 1912, two Pomeranians were among only three dogs to survive the sinking of [[RMS Titanic|RMS ''Titanic'']]. A Pomeranian called "Lady", owned by [[Margaret Bechstein Hays]], escaped with her owner in lifeboat number seven, while Elizabeth Barrett Rothschild took her pet to safety with her in lifeboat number six.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.lostandfond.co.uk/news-features/2010-10/fate-pets-who-sailed-titanic|title=Lost and Fond: Fate of the Pets Who Sailed on the Titanic|publisher=Caittom Publishing|access-date=2 November 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120321205230/http://www.lostandfond.co.uk/news-features/2010-10/fate-pets-who-sailed-titanic|archive-date=21 March 2012|url-status=dead}}</ref>

Glen Rose Flashaway won the [[Toy Group]] at the [[Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show]] in 1926, the first Pomeranian to win a group at Westminster.<ref name="vanderlip"/> It would take until 1988 for the first Pomeranian, "Great Elms Prince Charming II", to win the [[List of Best in Show winners of the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show|Best in Show prize]] from the Westminster Kennel Club.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.westminsterkennelclub.org/history/biswinners.html |title=Best in Show Winners |publisher=Westminster Kennel Club |access-date=6 January 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071225033923/http://westminsterkennelclub.org/history/biswinners.html |archive-date=25 December 2007 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

In the standard published in 1998, the Pomeranian is included in the German Spitz standard, along with the [[Keeshond]], by the [[Fédération Cynologique Internationale]].<ref name="standard">{{cite web |url=http://www.fci.be/uploaded_files/097gb98_en.doc |title=FCI-Standard N° 97: German Spitz, Including Keeshond And Pomeranian |date=5 March 1998 |publisher=Fédération Cynologique Internationale |access-date=6 January 2010 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20130707032715/http://www.fci.be/uploaded_files/097gb98_en.doc |archive-date=7 July 2013 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

=== Popularity ===
The Pomeranian has been among the more popular dog breeds in the United States, featuring consistently in the top 20 of registered American Kennel Club dog breeds since at least 1998, when it was ranked #10; the breed was #17 in the 2011 rankings, dropping two spots from the previous year.<ref name="akcranking">{{cite web |url=http://www.akc.org/news/the-most-popular-dog-breeds-in-america/ |title=AKC Dog Registration Statistics |publisher=American Kennel Club |access-date=29 November 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090925051653/http://www.akc.org/news/the-most-popular-dog-breeds-in-america/ |archive-date=25 September 2009 |url-status=dead}}</ref> In 2012 and 2013 it remained in the top twenty and was ranked at #19.<ref name=AKC2013>{{cite web |url=http://www.akc.org/news/the-most-popular-dog-breeds-in-america/ |title=AKC Dog Registration Statistics |publisher=American Kennel Club |access-date=26 September 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090925051653/http://www.akc.org/news/the-most-popular-dog-breeds-in-america/ |archive-date=25 September 2009 |url-status=live }}</ref> In 2015, the breed fell to #21, falling further to #22 in both 2016 and 2017.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.akc.org/expert-advice/news/most-popular-dog-breeds-full-ranking-list/|title=AKC Dog Registration Statistics|website=American Kennel Club|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190228202011/https://www.akc.org/expert-advice/news/most-popular-dog-breeds-full-ranking-list/|archive-date=28 February 2019|access-date=2 March 2019}}</ref>

It is not listed in the top 20 breeds in the UK in either 2007 or 2008.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.thekennelclub.org.uk/download/5675/2007-2008-Top-20.pdf |title=Top Twenty Breeds in Registration Order for the Years 2007 and 2008 |publisher=The Kennel Club |access-date=30 November 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111017204734/http://www.thekennelclub.org.uk/download/5675/2007-2008-Top-20.pdf |archive-date=17 October 2011 |url-status=dead }}</ref> In Australia their popularity has declined since 1986, with a peak of 1,128 Pomeranians registered with the [[Australian National Kennel Council]] in 1987; only 577 were registered in 2008. However, this is an increase from 2004, when only 491 dogs were registered.{{citation needed|date=March 2024}}

== See also ==
{{Portal|Animals|Dogs|Germany|Poland}}
* [[Companion dog]]
* [[Boo (dog)]]
* [[Lap dog]]
* [[Therapy dog]]

== References ==
{{reflist}}

== Further reading ==
{{refbegin}}
*{{cite book |last=Grant |first=Lexiann |title=The Pomeranian |location=Neptune City, NJ |publisher=T.F.H. Publications |year=2006 |isbn=978-0-7938-3646-8 |oclc=69734516 |url=https://archive.org/details/pomeranian0000gran }}
*{{cite book |last= Tietjen |first= Sari Brewster |title=The New Pomeranian |location=New York |publisher= Howell Book House |year=1987 |isbn= 978-0-87605-251-8 |oclc= 16579458}}

{{refend}}

== External links ==
{{Commons category|Pomeranian}}

{{German dogs}}
{{Spitz}}
{{Toy dogs}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Pomeranian (Dog)}}
[[Category:FCI breeds]]
[[Category:Companion dogs]]
[[Category:Dog breeds originating in Germany]]
[[Category:Dog breeds originating in Prussia]]
[[Category:Dog breeds originating in Poland]]
[[Category:Pomerania]]
[[Category:Spitz breeds]]