The Pomeranian is not only a beautiful dog with a regal stature and a loving, playful demeanor, but they also have a long and interesting European history dating back to well before the 18th century.
These pups originated in the Pomerania region of Europe.
Due to my love of this feisty breed, I decided to explore their history, as well as their current status to develop a better understanding as to where they began thousands of years ago to the pets that we have come to know and love in the 21st century.
As you read on, you will learn about their history, their diverse looks and some interesting facts that you will want to be aware of as a potential owner, friend and lover of this magnificent breed.
Where do Pomeranians come from? The Pomeranian dog is a member of the German Spitz family. They hail from the Pomerania region of central Europe which is found on the south shore of the Baltic Sea, in the area of north-east Germany and north-west Poland.
Where Did Pomeranians Originate From?
They originated as larger, powerful 20-30 pound Spitz sled dogs and were bred down in size into those small, toy dog sized cuties that we currently see. The Pomeranian, also known as the Zwergspitz in many countries, is the smallest of all of the Spitz breed canines.
Before 1888, these dogs were an obscure breed and it was that year that Queen Victoria discovered Pomeranians for the first time and instantaneously fell in love with the breed.
They were very popular amongst German Royal owners in the 18th century and that is when they were bred to be smaller.
Queen Victoria owned a particularly small Pomeranian companion and consequently, the smaller variety became popular. You might say that they are fit for a queen, with their beautiful lush fur, regal demeanor and elegant appearance.
During Queen Victoria’s time on the throne, Pomeranians were bred to be a diminutive 3-7 pound lap dog, a fifty (or better) percent decrease from the breed’s previous sizes. The queen became an exhibitor and breeder of Pomeranians during her time, having had shown six of her dogs during an 1891 dog show.
One of her Pomeranians, Windsor Marco won first place.
Queen Victoria wasn’t the only famous historical figure with a deep sense of love and loyalty to the breed. Marie Antoinette, Sir Isaac Newton, Martin Luther, Wolfgang Mozart, Michelangelo, Teddy Roosevelt and Emile Zola all lovingly kept Pomeranian companions during their lifetime.
How Pomeranians Looks Have Evolved
Pomeranians are beautiful looking dogs with a gorgeous coat of fluffy and luxurious fur.
How They Started Out
In their early years, Pomeranians started out available in just a few colors, being; white, black and brown, with an occasional red or orange Pomeranian. They now come in the widest variety of colors and markings of any dog breed.
You Can Now Find Them In The Following Shades And Hues
White, brown, red, orange, black, sable, spotted, black and tan, brown and tan, blue, merle (mottled blue and gray), brindle, parti (diversified, variated) and cream.
Other Interesting Facts About Their Appearance
- The Pomeranian has a fluffy and luxurious puff of fur at the neck and chest. Their tails are very fluffy, feathered and curl up flat onto their backs, much like a fan. Their coat consists of a coarse outercoat and a soft, silky undercoat.
- Their fur is easy to maintain as it doesn’t get tangled and matted easily like a lot of other long haired dog breeds. All that they require is a regular brushing of their coat at home, along with an occasional shampoo.
- Pomeranians have inquisitive and smiley foxlike faces with triangle shaped ears.
- Smaller Pomeranians tend to have shorter and rounder teddy bear like snouts, while larger Pomeranians tend to have the longer and more fox like snouts.
- Some owners of show dogs get their ears clipped short to alter their appearance and make them more pleasing to the eye, by show dog standards.
- In addition to the wide variety of colors that these pups come in, they also range in size, from the diminutive teacup variety, that are about 7 inches tall and 3 pounds to the more robust sized “throwback” Pomeranian of up to 20 pounds.
- The AKC breed standard dictates that the preferred size for a show dog qualified Pomeranian is 4-6 pounds, while the AKC breed standard is 3 to 7 pounds.
The Personality And Demeanor Of Today’s Pomeranian
Pomeranians are small and lively dogs with a sweet and affectionate demeanor with their loved ones. This makes them a wonderful family pet and companion.
Pomeranians are smart and attentive as well as quite inquisitive in nature.
Pomeranians can be fearful and easily startled, which gives them the tendency to be aggressive with other dogs as well as with strange new people.
Pomeranians are consistently ranked as one of the top dog breeds and are recognized as such by the American Kennel Club.
Pomeranians are often described as confident, mischievous, spirited and feisty pets.
Having a history as pack dogs, Pomeranian owners find them to be extremely loyal.
Interesting Facts About Pomeranians
Pomeranians not only have a wonderfully interesting background and make fantastic pets, but they also have made other notable marks in the world.
- Two Pomeranians survived the infamous sinking of the Titanic, floating to safety on lifeboat no.7.
- Pomeranians are one of the few dog breeds that are capable of giving birth to identical twins. This is an extremely rare phenomenon amongst dogs. Identical twin Pomeranians can have different fur colors, despite being born identical twins.
- The first breed club was set up in England in 1891 and established the first set of breed standards. In 1898, the first member of the breed was recognized in America and thus the American Kennel Club (AKC) came into fruition shortly thereafter.
- Other names for the Pomeranian include; Deutscher Spiz, Zwergspitz, Pom, Zwer, Spitz enano
- A Pomeranian named is the self-proclaimed “cutest dog in the world”. This little fella, named Bo became famous on Facebook and YouTube in the early 2010’s and he even “wrote” a book. Bo accumulated over 17.5 million likes on Facebook. Bo dies in 2019.
- The first Pomeranian to win a medal at a dog show was reported to have won at Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show in 1926.
- Mozart dedicated one of his finished arias to his Pomeranian, Pimperl.
- A Pomeranian watched Michelangelo pain the Sistine Chapel, while laying upon a silk pillow.
- Pomeranians originally pulled sleds and were reindeer herd dogs.
- A Pomeranian named Jiff held two Guinness World records. One for the fastest dog to run 10 meter run on hind legs (6.56 seconds) and the other for the fastest front paw run (7.76 seconds) in 2014.
- Chopin was inspired while watching his friends Pomeranian chase its own tail in circles. The spectacle inspired him to compose “Waltz of the little dogs”.
- Pomeranians change fur color as they age. And not just slight changes either. For example; a brown dog may turn bright orange or a cream colored Pomeranian may turn a deep brown.
Conclusion
Pomeranian dogs have an interesting history that is robust and goes back to the 18th century.
Pomeranians have been one of the preferred breeds for decades.
Pomeranians have evolved in size and in the characteristics of their appearance and demeanor.
There are a lot of fun and interesting facts about this particular breed of dog.
In closing, when choosing a canine companion, the Pomeranian is a fantastic choice. There is a wealth of information that we can learn from this canine friend.