Pomeranian:

Many people can identify a Pomeranian by sight, after all it’s a compact active toy dog. With its dense undercoat and harsh-textured outer coat and buoyant and playful nature, it’s no wonder why people adore this animated, intelligent dog.

According to the American Kennel Club, the ideal weight for this genre is four to six pounds so the average weight of the Pomeranian fits right in from three to seven pounds. Even though people may underestimate this breed due to its tiny size, make no mistake about it: the Pomeranian is an extroverted breed with a vivacious way about him. In addition to being a great competitive show dog, he’s also a great companion dog.

Interestingly enough this dog is named after the Pomerania region of historical eastern Germany which is now part of northern Poland. Essentially the Pomeranian is classified as a toy dog breed due to its small size. Part of the family of the German Spitz breed, it’s often known in foreign countries as the Zwergspitz or Toy German Spitz breed. Even though it’s a petite pet, the Pomeranian originated from Iceland as a sled dog. Eventually they were brought into Pomerania.

Some experts may argue that the head of the Pomeranian looks a little bit like the fox family due to its wedge-shaped head. The ears are small and high set while the tail is also set high. People may often confuse the Pomeranian with the Chihuahua due to its small nature and similarities with the tail.

The pomeranian’s soft undercoat actually is shed once a year by males and only shed by females when they are in season or after they deliver a litter or during stressful times. Between the undercoat as well as overcoat, there are a possibility of thirteen colors of this breed with a variety of color combinations such as black, black and tan, chocolate, cream, orange, red and sable and more.

And don’t let its size fool you. While its beautiful coat and small stature are hallmark of this breed, the pomeranian is a very active dog. Typically they’re intensely loyal, intelligent, and vivacious. Note: sometimes they may be thought of as toys by children instead of toy dogs. When this breed interacts with children it’s important to have adult supervision. Although they may not be the best watchdogs due to their small size, they do indeed know how to bark or yap quite frequently and loud. That said, however, if not trained properly they tend to bark vociferously for no reason and while they’re suited for apartment living, this could become a problem in tight quarters.

With a long life span ranging from approximately twelve to sixteen years, unfortunately common health ailments affect the heart as well as eyes. Cataracts may appear in young adulthood as well as dry eye, tear duct disorders. They’re also quite prone to injury since they must be trained not to hang around feet of their owners or friends. Since they are very loyal and will simply follow people around the house it’s easy for them to get stepped on and suffer injury.