Pomeranians, once noisy and snappish to most petted and pampered
The Pomeranian in its early years was noted to be rather noisy, snappish and even dangerous to children. Today the Pom is one of the most petted and pampered of the toy breeds. He continues to gain popularity and is today fairly popular as a house pet.
The Pomeranian has also been known as viz., Loup-Loup Pomeranians, Wolf Dog, Volpmo, and Spitz. The original Spitz was much larger, twenty pounds or so, and was noted to be ill-tempered and quarrelsome with few friends and many enemies. It seems almost impossible that our present day Pomeranian with their sweet dispositions, very small size, and wonderful array of colors could have ever come from the same stock at the Spitz. There is no proof that other blood was ever introduced.
There is little doubt that the Pomeranian originated in “Pomerania,” a small province in Eastern Germany. The early Poms weighed as much as 35 pounds. The first Pomeranian ever heard of in England was the very pale yellow color. They were longer in body and very fox-like in head, expression and movement; these eventually became extinct. The Spitz first appeared in the shows in England as a pure white dog. Later, black and other colors were imported from Germany. These were much smaller and the breeding of the smaller ones began in England. Year after year more and more colors were produced.
The appearance of a Pomeranian should be a compact, short-coupled dog. He should show great intelligence in his expression and activity. He head and nose of a Pomeranian should be foxy in outline or wedge-shaped, the skull slightly flat and large in proportion to the muzzle. The hair on the head and face should be smooth and short-coated. The ears of a Pomeranian should be small and carried perfectly erect like a fox and the head should be covered with short, soft hair. The tail is one of the characteristics of the breed and should be turned over the back and carried flat and straight.
Today, the Pomeranian is one of the most popular small dogs registered in America. Average weight is six pounds for adults. Our little Pomeranian’s duties today are a far cry from those of its ancestors who carried loads, hunted and served as guard dogs in the Arctic Circle.
Among famous people who have owned Pomeranians is Michelangelo. His Pomeranian is reported to have sat on a satin pillow while he painted the Sistine Chapel ceiling.
It was Queen Charlotte married to Prince George III who brought the first Pomeranians to England. These were mostly white dogs and most of them are reported to have weighed over 20 pounds. Her dogs were popular in the royal circles, but not so popular at this time with the general dog breeders.
A little girl in 1819 who was the granddaughter of Queen Charlotte, Victoria, was a devoted dog fancier. In her lifetime she raised more than 15 different breeds of canines and in later years her attentions were particularly upon the Pomeranians.
Upon her trip to Italy in 1888 she purchased a sable red Pomeranian of whom she named Marco. Marco weighed just 12 pounds. Many dog historians feel it was Marco who instigated the desire to breed smaller Pomeranians. Marco competed in many dog shows and won many honors. Among the other Pomeranians Queen Victoria bought was a little female named Gina who also became a champion at London dog shows. It is reported that Queen Victoria loved her Pomeranians so much that she requested her favorite, Pom Turi, to be brought to her bedside as she lay dying.
English dog fanciers began breeding smaller and smaller Pomeranians. The first Pomeranian to be shown in America was in 1892 in New York. Most Pomeranian breeders of today have stabilized at the size of 5 to 7 pounds, and the Pomeranian has today become one of our most popular, petted and pampered toy dog breeds. He makes a wonderful, spunky, high-spirited little companion.
