Pomeranian (dog)
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| Other names | Deutscher Spitz; Zwergspitz; Spitz nain; Spitz enano; Pom; Zwers | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Common nicknames | Pompom, Pom, Tumbleweed | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Origin | Germany, Poland | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Domestic dog (Canis lupus familiaris) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Traits | |||
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| Life span | 12–16 | ||
| Classification / standards | |||
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| FCI | Group 5, Section 4 European Spitz #97e | standard | |
| AKC | Toy | standard | |
| ANKC | Group 1 (Toys) | standard | |
| CKC | Group 5 (Toys) | standard | |
| KC (UK) | Toy | standard | |
| NZKC | Toy | standard | |
| UKC | Companion Breeds | standard | |
The Pomeranian (often known as a Pom or Pom Pom) is a breed of dog of the Spitz type that is named for the Pomerania region in Germany and Poland in Central Europe. Classed as a toy dog breed because of its small size, the Pomeranian is descended from the larger Spitz type dogs, specifically the German Spitz. It has been determined by the Fédération Cynologique Internationale to be part of the German Spitz breed; and in many countries, they are known as the Zwergspitz ("Dwarf-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 50%. Overall, the Pomeranian is a sturdy, healthy dog. The most common health issues are luxating patella and tracheal collapse. More rarely, the breed can suffer from Alopecia X, a skin condition colloquially known as "black skin disease". This is a genetic disease which causes the dog's skin to turn black and lose all or most of its hair. As of 2013, in terms of registration figures, since at least 1998, the breed has ranked among the top twenty most popular breeds in the USA, and the current fashion for small dogs has increased their popularity worldwide.
Pomeranians are small dogs weighing 1.9–3.5 kilograms (4.2–7.7 lb) and standing 5.0–11 inches (13–28 cm) high at the withers. They are compact but sturdy dogs with an abundant textured coat with a highly plumed tail set high and flat. The 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.
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. 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, plus combinations of those colors. The most common colors are orange, black or cream/white.
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