by Lee Dobbins

The Pomeranian is one of the toy breeds, weighing between 3 and 7 pounds (there are larger poms, and although not to the breed standard, they still make wonderful loving pets!). Intelligent and vivacious, these little dogs will steal your heart, but don’t let them get away with too much. They must be properly trained or they will become too demanding. With proper care your Pom can live to about 15 years old.

History

Did you know the Pomeranian was once a much larger dog that weighed around 35 pounds? A cousin to the spitz type dogs, this pampered lap dog once called the arctic home.

Bred down to its tiny size over the centuries, the Pomeranian became popular in the late 1800’s when Queen Victorian brought a 12 pound Pom back from Italy. This vivacious little dog soon became a favorite of European royalty and was bred to be even smaller until it reached the average of 5 pounds.

Historically, the Pomeranian has been fancied by many famous Europeans. Michelangelo had a little Pom that sat on a silk pillow and watched him while he painted the Sistine Chapel. Martin Luther, the great church leader had one of these little dogs that he mentioned often in his work. Mozart had a Pomeranian that he dedicated an Aria to, and Chopin composed the Valse des Petits Chiens for his girlfriend’s Pom.

Care and Grooming

Pomeranians are easy to care for but do need some special attention. They can be easily groomed in less than 1 hour a day, but I am sure you will want to spend much more time than that bonding with your pet!

Brushing your Pomeranian every day is a good way to bond with your pet as well as insure his coat is healthy and looks good. Poms have a double coat that can easily become matted so brushing is necessary. A once a week - or every couple of weeks - bath is a nice way to keep your Pom smelling and looking good! Don’t forget to groom around his paws and tail area as well as clip his nails.

Unfortunately, Pomeranians can be prone to tooth problems. Tooth loss and bacterial buildup is not uncommon in these little dogs, so you should take extra care to make sure your pet has the proper dental care. Brush your dogs teeth daily with a specially formulated enzymatic tooth paste that fights bacteria and have yearly dental checks and scaling if necessary. Tooth care is quite important to your dogs overall health as if bacteria is left unchecked in the mouth, it can spread throughout the dogs body and cause health problems for your pet.

The Pom’s eyes are another area where you should pay some special attention. Like most small dogs, discharge from the eye can accumulate causing staining and, sometimes a goopy mess. Clean the area around the eye daily with a Q-tip (be careful not to get too close to the dogs eye). If the fur around the eye becomes stained, you can buy a special liquid that helps remove the staining.

Health Problems

Luxating Patellas or a knee that slips out of place is common in Pomeranians, and in some cases this may require surgery. Many Poms suffer from hypothyroidism which can cause other problems and should be checked by your vet. Some Poms lose patches of hair as they grow older. This usually starts at the back and moves forward. If your Pom sounds like he is coughing then he may have a collapsing trachea which is not uncommon in this breed. An xray can determine if this is the problem and medication can be given to reduce coughing. Tooth loss and bacteria build-up is a problem in Pomeranians as well as other small dogs.

Temperament. The Pom is an active dog who is intelligent, courageous, and a loyal companion. The Pomeranian may not interact well with small children, and due to its small size can suffer abuse from children.

Pomeranians have proven themselves to be excellent watchdogs by announcing intruders with loud, sharp barks.

The Pomeranian easily adapts to life in the city, and is an excellent dog for country living with its strong hunting instincts from its wild ancestors.

About the Author

Lee Dobbins writes for http://www.pomeranian-pages.com where you can find out everything you need to know about Pomeranians. Looking for a Pomeranian? Find out more about adopting a Pomeranian puppy at http://www.pomeranian-pages.com/Pomeranian-Breeders.html