The Pomeranian is a toy-sized member of the German Spitz family of dogs. Some of the Pomeranian's relatives include the Samoyed, Keeshond, Siberian Husky, Alaskan Malamute, Norwegian Elkhound, Finnish Spitz, Chow Chow and American Eskimo.

The Pomeranian had ancestors who were used by the Nordic people as sled pulling dogs and to herd reindeer. Of course, these ancestors were much larger than our present day Pomeranian.

Today's Pomeranian is well suited to city and suburban households. They are alert and highly intelligent, very active little dogs, which are easily trained. Many Pomeranians successfully compete in obedience, agility, tracking and flyball.

You won't see a 3 to 7 pound Pomeranian pulling a sled in Iceland or herding reindeer. That would certainly be a spectacular event, but it is very doubtful the little Pomeranians of today are hired to do such jobs as these. The Pomeranians we know today have indoor jobs as therapy dogs. They make excellent therapy dogs while visiting the sick and elderly in hospitals and nursing homes. It is my personal opinion that the ministers need to take along a little Pom while making their rounds visiting the sick and elderly in hospitals and nursing homes.

The Pomeranian is a compact, short-backed toy dog with a soft, dense undercoat and a profuse harsh-textured outer coat. He has a heavily plumed tail set high that lies flat on his back. The Pomeranian looks kind of "cocky," commanding, and animated as he moves around.

The average size of the Pomeranian is from 3 to 7 pounds. The American Pomeranian Club does not like the Pomeranian to be referred to as "teacup" or "toy." The ideal weight for a show specimen is 4 to 6 pounds, although the American Pomeranian Club says poorly bred Pomeranians will many times be overweight, and any dog over the limits is highly objectionable. The Pomeranian is medium-boned and when examined feels sturdy. He has an interesting looking plumed tail, which is one of the characteristics of his breed. The Pomeranian's eyes are also of interest as almond-shaped, dark, bright, and medium in size.

The little Pomeranian has a vivacious spirit about him making him a great competitive dog. He is an extrovert in personality.

The Pomeranian was most likely bred down in the present day Germany and Poland. When the Pomeranian was first noticed in Britain in the middle of the 19th century, some specimens were said to weigh as much as 30 pounds and resembled the German Wolf Spitz in size, coat and color. These 30 pound dogs were most likely the sled dogs.

A Pomeranian named "Marco" was sent from Florence, Italy to the Queen Victoria of England. Marco became Queen Victoria's beloved pet. Because of the Queen was a popular monarch, the breed's popularity grew. Queen Victoria is known for advocating the trend toward the smaller Pomeranians.

The small size Pomeranian with its docile temperament and vivacious spirit helps to make this little dog an ideal and entertaining companion.

The colors and patterns of the Pomeranian are many. Among the colors are black and tan - tan or rust sharply defined, appearing above each eye and on muzzle, throat, and fore chest, on all legs and feet and below the tail. The richer the tan is more desirable. Brindle - the base color is gold, red, or orange-brindled with strong lack cross stripes. Parti-color is white with any other color distributed in patches with a white blaze preferred on the head. The Open Classes at specialty shows may be divided by color as follows: Open Red, Orange, Cream, and Sable; Open Black, Brown, and Blue; Open Any Other Color, Pattern, or Variation.

The larger size Pomeranian that once pulled sleds in Iceland surely worked hard for its masters. Today, our little 6 pound Pomeranians are happily performing more professional positions such as therapy dogs for sick and the elderly. He is an ideal companion for the adult, and not so highly recommend for children.

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