We love our dogs, and dogs can do a wonderful addition to the family. They serve so many different functions in a family unit. Dogs can bring love to a house as well as helping each of us develop characteristics like empathy. Indeed, research does show that the presence of dogs in the house helps to develop empathy in children. But while dogs do help to bring life and warmth to the house, not all dog breeds can be suitable. What will be more important is if the dog suits the family, or if the dog has the uncanny ability to bring smiles and warm the cockles of your heart.
The one dog breed that is absolutely adorable is the Pomeranian. The Pomeranian is also known as the teacup Pomeranian or just by its shorter Pom. Indeed, do you know that Queen Victoria has up to 35 Pomeranians? She must have found them adorable, and it does seem that the dog is pretty popular in the USA too. Let us find out a little more about this dog breed and why is it that people love the Pom so much.
All About Pomeranian Dog Breed That You Will Need To Know
Of course, the Pomeranian can be all cute stuff, but not all cute dogs are good for families with children. This will really be determined based on the dog’s temperament as well as characteristics. Here are some of the noteworthy Pomeranian information that might be interesting or useful to you!
1. Where did the Pomeranian Come From?
It is interesting to note that most of the Pomeranian bloodline is actually originated from the Arctic regions whereby they are being bred as large working dogs. They were originally regarded as a Spitz, and most modern-day Pomeranians are regarded to be the direct descendants of German Spitz. They do retain much of the resemblance too. It acquired the name Pomeranian through association to a place known as the Pomeranian, which is a locality near Poland and Germany. However, not much is known about them until they are being brought into the United Kingdom for the first time. The earliest known written history about the Pom is on 2nd Nov 1764.
Recall earlier that we mentioned Queen Victoria had up to 35 teacup Pomeranians? She wasn’t the first royalty to fall in love with Pom though. Her direct ancestor, Queen Charlotte, was the first as she had brought two Pomeranians into England.
2. How Does The Pomeranian Look Like
The Pomeranian has a rather small head with ears that are usually erect. The Pom is regarded as a small dog breed, and they can be between 7 to 12 inches in height and weigh from 3 to 7 pounds. Pomeranians is well known for having the ruff of fur on the neck.
In terms of their colour, they do come in a wide range of colours. At the earliest, Pomeranians have either a white, brown, or black coat. However, as they transcend down the years, they now come in a wide variety of colour, though the brown or red variants are still the most popular of colours chosen.
3. How Big Do Pomeranians Get
As mentioned earlier, the Teacup Pomeranian can grow up to 7 pounds while reaching 12 inches in height. On average, they will hit about 10 inches in height
4. What Is The Temperament Of A Pomeranian Dog
There are six main attributes to the Pomeranian’s temperament.
- Intelligent: The Pom is well known for its high intelligence, hence training the Pom can be a walk in the park.
- Extrovert: Unlike other dogs like the Shih Tzu, Teacup Pomeranians absolutely love around humans and dogs, and the Pom is probably one of the most extroverted dogs you can find. They have no qualms socializing with strangers as well as challenging dogs that are much larger than them.
- Friendly: Pomeranians are friendly too, hence they do not make the best guard dogs.
- Sociable: When you couple in their extrovert nature as well as their friendly outlook, it will be easily understandable that the Pomeranian is a dog that is easy sociable. But you might want to be wary as other dogs might take this wrongly and attack the Teacup Pomeranian.
- Playful: Pomeranians are one playful lot. They love to play, especially when around humans or around other dogs. Toss them their favourite dog toy and they can play for hours!
- Active: Don’t be fooled by their small stature. The Pom can be active, and they can throw quite a tantrum if they do not get their daily dose of exercise or walks.
5. Training The Pomeranian
As the Pomeranian is a pretty intelligent dog that has a bottomless pit of energy level, you will need lots of patience in order to train it, since Pomeranians can be stubborn too. One main reason why there is a need to train the pom is due to their high energy levels. You certainly do not want the Pom to sink its teeth into the furniture in your house when it wants to expend its energy. Rather, you will want to meaningfully engage your dog so that the energy is well spent.
There are two main focus training areas that you might want to zoom in on if you are intending to have a Pom as a pet.
- House Breaking
The idea about housebreaking is to introduce spaces to your Pomeranian so that it knows how to respect places around the house as well as to understand that there are places that are out of bounce to them.
To start off, you will need to demarcate a place in your house that the Pomeranian can play freely in. You can use various objects for this, but we recommend the usage of a puppy fence that you can easily move around. Once the space is designated, place the Teacup Pomeranian in the area and toss in some of their favourite toy and treats. This will keep them engaged for hours while at the same time helping you to exhaust some of the limitless energy that the Pom has. Once in a while, the Pom might try to break out of the fence, and this is when you will need to deliver a firm No to the Pom.
So when do you need to start enlarging the play area? This really depends on the frequency of the Pom trying to edge out of the space. If the Pom does not try to get out of the space often, you can then proceed to increase the play area. Of course, the eventual goal is to enable the Pom to understand that the play area is the only place that they are allowed to play in. Once you are able to remove the puppy gate totally, good! Just remember to be watchful overt the Pom, lest it tries to enter off-limits area when unsupervised.
- Potty Training The Pom
If you do not want the dog to defecate all over your house, you will need to potty train it! For starters, the simplest way is to monitor your dog for signs that it is going to poop. Usually, they will sniff the floor in circles before going into a semi-squat position. Once you notice that the signs are up, carry the Teacup Pomeranian to a designated area and let it poop there instead. Of course, once they are done, give the Pom one of the favourite treats. You should try to give healthier treats as most commercially made ones might not be beneficial to their health.
Repeat the process stated above multiple times and your dog will eventually be potty trained. Just make sure that the designated area is not somewhere that is off=limits or inaccessible to the dog.
6. Is There Any Potential Health Issues That The Pomeranian Might Get
As per all dogs, the Pomeranian can be subject to viral attacks such as rabies and distemper. But such diseases are completely preventable. Indeed, there are vaccines that can be taken to prevent such viral or bacterial infection. Here are the other potential health problems that the Pom might get.
- Luxatingv Patellas
This might sound a handful, but Luxatingv Patellas can occur quite commonly in Pomeranian. It is the gradual slipping of the knees, and the level of slipping can be classified into 4 grades. Usually, grades 1 and 2 are the most common for Teacup Pomeranian and do not require any surgery to rectify it. But for grades 3 and 4, surgery will be needed to alleviate the pain and improve the quality of life of the Pom. Note that Pomeranian Puppy can develop this condition right from the start, so it will be good to bring the pup for a check when they are young.
- Hypothyroidism
This is another health condition that is common amongst the Pomeranian. This not a life-threatening condition, but it will require monitoring from the owner.
- Alopecia X
This condition is not unique to the Pomeranian. It is a coat loss problem that is sometimes known as the Black Skin Disease. Alopecia X can occur when during either the puppy stage or the adult age. If the puppy sheds and does not grow back the fur, then it is a sign that the Alopecia X is affecting the Pom. As for adult, one of the tell-tale signs of Alopecia X in them is when you notice that there is a thinning of the hair in their coat.
- Collapsing Trachea
For smaller or toy dog breeds like the Pomeranian, it is a life-threatening problem that should not be ignored as it can cause the entire breathing capability of your dog to collapse. If the Pom is making a loud honking sound, or it seems like it is wheezing too badly, you might want to bring the Pom to the vet to seek immediate medical attention.
- Idiopathic Epilepsy
Some Pomeranian might be susceptible to seizure attacks due to Idiopathic Epilepsy. This is a type of disease that does have an exact prognosis. It can be due to liver failure or even failure of the other internal organs. If your dog is suffering from Epilepsy or other seizures, it will be imperative for you to bring the dog for a medical checkup at the soonest.
7. Are Pomeranians Good With Kids
As mentioned earlier, Pomeranians are one of the most sociable and fun-loving dogs that you can find. Indeed, they also get along with other dogs. Hence, if you are thinking of getting Pomeranians as family dogs, you will be making one of the best choices ever. But even with that statement, there are still several considerations that you will need to think of before you decide to get a Pomeranian as a pet, especially if your children are still young.
If you have babies: As babies cannot comprehend the need to show care to dogs yet, there is a tendency that they might injure the Pom while trying to play with it. In retaliation, the Pom might snap back at the baby too.
If you have young children: Yes, we all know that the Pom is small, hence they can be very fragile and delicate. So in the event that your children are rough handlers, you will need to educate the child to handle the Pom with care, lest your kid injures the dog. You should never leave young children or babies along with the Pomeranian.
If you have noisy kids: This is not a big problem if the Pom is an adult as they can probably handle the noise. But if you are bringing the Pom home for the first time, you will want to limit the amount of noise that the family makes as excessive noise might scare the dog.
8. Pomeranians As Family Dogs
Pomeranians usually get along really well with other dogs due to their sociable nature, but we will still add a note for caution here as larger dog breeds might accidentally injure the Pomeranian while they are playing. This goes the same when kids play with the Pomeranian as the children will need to be mindful not to injure this delicate little dog breed.
9. Where To Rescue Or Adopt Pomeranians
As Pomeranians are well-loved and is also a pedigree dog, they are not commonly found in shelters or rescue. Occasionally, you might find one or two postings on Facebook or dog forums where owners might be giving up the Pomeranian for adoption due to unforeseen circumstances, so do keep a lookout! But honestly, you shouldn’t be too hopeful of adopting Pomeranian puppies as they are high in demand everywhere else.
10. Does The Pomeranian Require Regular Exercise
Don’t be fooled by the Pomeranian’s small size as their high energy levels do mean that they require a decent amount of exercise to help exhaust its energy levels. We will recommend you to bring your Teacup Pomeranian out at least once a day for its daily walk.
11. Feeding And Caring For The Pomeranian
As the Pomeranian is small in size, you would not need to give them much food in order to feed them. You will, however, need to select a dog food that is specific to smaller dog breed for the Pomeranian. Try not to let the Pomeranian get obese, but this can be highly unlikely since the Pomeranian is active and hence it could probably burn off much of their energy levels.
As the Pomeranian is likely to shed at least twice a year, it will be important that you bring the Pomeranian to a professional once a month so as to keep the double coat clean and tidy. As part of the daily grooming procedure, you should also comb the coat so that you can get rid of mats or tangles.
12. How Long Do Pomeranians Live
For those that are wondering how long do Poms or Pomeranian live, the average lifespan of a Pomeranian is from 12 to 16 years on average. But some Pomeranian can live up to a ripe old age of 21 years. Indeed, the oldest Pomeranian ever recorded lived up to 21 years and 8 months!
13. How Much Does An Adult Pomeranian Cost
The cost of a Pomeranian dog can vary widely depending on factors such as location, breeder reputation, and the dog’s pedigree, age, and color. If you’re looking to purchase an adult Pomeranian from a breeder, the price could range from a few hundred dollars to several thousand dollars.
13. How Much Does A Pomeranian Puppy Cost
On average, a Pomeranian puppy from a reputable breeder can cost anywhere from $1,000 to $5,000 or more. Adopting a Pomeranian from a shelter or rescue organization is typically less expensive, often ranging from $100 to $500.
Still Considering The Pomeranian? Read On To Find Out The Top 10 Reasons Why The Pomeranian Are The Best Dog Breed For You
- Small Dog = Low Maintenance
As covered in an earlier portion, it is pretty easy to upkeep the Pomeranian due to its size. From feeding it to problems that may fall on larger dog breeds, the Pomeranian’s daily requirements are much less demanding than the larger dog breeds
- Pomeranian’s Cuteness
Pomeranian is one of the cutest dog ever. One of the most famous Pomeranian is Boo who has since passed on in 2019. At its peak, Boo had 16 million Facebook followers 550,000 Instagram followers.
- Need An Instant Tinder Match?
In a recent survey, it does show that if you put a picture of a dog as your profile picture, you are more likely to get a match on dating platforms. To help you bring up the chances, put up your well-groomed Pomeranian as the display picture and you will get more matches than before.
- Cutest Guard Dog Ever
The best way to stop perpetrators is by stopping them in their tracks. There are several methods in doing this. For the case of larger dog breeds like the German Shepherd, they stop would-be intruders by growling at them. Their sheer intimidating stance also put these people off. But for the case of the Pomeranian, they can put off the intruders based on their loud barks as well as their cuteness. It will be hilarious though if the intruders stop and pet the Pomeranian, hence providing a good distraction!
- You Do Not Need Large Spaces For The Pomeranian
As the Teacup Pomeranian is small in size, you do not need large spaces. Of course, having a yard will be good since it does mean that they have spaces to play in, but in reality that is more a luxury than a requirement.
- Training The Pomeranian Is A Breeze
Since the Pomeranian is highly intelligent, training it can be easy since they can absorb information fast. This does mean that there is a lesser occurrence of you pulling out your hair due to frustrations but more time in bonding with your dog.
- Couch Potato
While the Pomeranian does require a good amount of exercise daily, the Poms actually do sleep a lot. And since the Pom is highly sociable, it makes them the perfect couch companion. It can be therapeutic for you to watch your favourite show on the television while having the Pomeranian snuggling beside you.
- Pomeranians Are Hypoallergenic
Do you know that Pomeranians are Hypoallergenic, even though they shed twice a year? This means that the Pomeranian does not cause an allergic reaction in humans, hence making them perfect for families with young children.
Conclusion
If you have read until this point, congratulations! We have tried to make this Pomeranian guide as extensive as possible so that we drive relevant content to you. Should you want us to include more content here, do drop us a text and we will we include it in our ultimate Pomeranian guide!
