Poms Hit the Big Ten List
By Russell Smith, Special Contributor
Last year saw a new trend in dog ownership....a small dog breed called Pomeranian became one of the most popular registered dog breeds in America. Pomeranians (or Poms as they affectionately known by their owners) broke into the top ten list for registered dogs, the first time in over twenty years a toy breed has achieved that status.
The popularity of the small lovable dogs is at an all-time high. At about an average weight of six pounds for adults the toy Pomeranian of 1995 is a far cry from the much larger ancestors of just last century.
The Pomeranian is related to the Spitz family, furry dogs which came out of the blustery Arctic circle and were renowned for their skills in carrying loads, hunting, and guard dog duties.
The Pom got its name from a small province called Pomerania in what is now eastern Germany. Back in the Renaissance era these early German Poms weighed in at a hefty 35 pounds. They were highly desirable pets for the people who lived in continental Europe.
According to Mrs. Eyke Schmidt-Rohde of Germany there were many famous Pom owners in Europe. One was the great church leader Martin Luther, who had a Pomeranian named Belferlein. He mentioned his pet on numerous occasions in his written works.
And did you know the talented Michelangelo had a Pomeranian who patiently watched him paint the Sistine Chapel ceiling? It sat on a satin pillow and watched the artist create his masterpiece.
The physicist Isaac Newton had a Pom named Diamond who had the bad habit of chewing up his master's manuscripts. And in the musical world Mozart had a female Pom named Pimperl (to whom he dedicated an aria) and Chopin was so amused by his girlfriend's Pom that he composed the "Valse des Petits Chiens" for the pet.
But fate would soon bring the popularity of the gentle European dogs to England in the form of a political marriage.
It was in 1761 when a 17-year-old girl from a neighboring province of Pomerania traveled to England and married Prince George III. Her name was Charlotte and she would bear 15 children for the monarchy (Prince George soon became King George early in their marriage). But more importantly for our story of the modern Pomeranians, it was Charlotte who brought the first Poms to England.
The first Poms she brought to England were mainly white dogs and most weighed over 20 pounds. But although her dogs were popular among royal circles, the breed failed to strike the fancy of the general dog breeders.
That spark would be fanned by the birth of a little girl in 1819 who was the granddaughter of Queen Charlotte (who had died the previous year). The little girl's name was Victoria and she would rule Britannia for 64 years as her Queen.
Queen Victoria was a devoted dog fancier, and when her husband (Prince Albert) suddenly sickened and died in 1861 at the age of 42 the saddened Queen grew even fonder of her gentle pets. She raised in her lifetime more than 15 different breeds of canines and in her later years her attentions were particularly focused on the Pomeranian breed.
The beloved Queen made a trip to Italy in 1888 and while there she purchased a sable red Pom named Marco and brought him back to England. Marco weighed only 12 pounds and many dog historians point to him as being the instigator of the desire to breed smaller Pomeranians.
Marco went on to compete under the Queen's name in many dog shows and he won many honors. Victoria also bought three other Poms on the same trip to Florence in 1888 and the most famous next to Marco was a cute little female named Gina who also became a champion at London dog shows. Victoria loved her Poms so much that as she lay dying she asked for her favorite Pom Turi to be brought to her bedside.
Spurred by the Queen's kennel of Poms, English dog fanciers began breeding even smaller Poms, and when the adult dogs began to hit below eight pounds they were called Toy Pomeranians. In 1888 the first American Pom was entered into the American Kennel Club's stud book, and in 1892 the first Pom to be shown in America was entered in a dog show in New York.
Today the breed has reached even smaller weights, and some dog breeders predict that 3 pound adult dogs may be possible in a few more years. But for the time being most Pom owners have stabilized in the 5 to 7 pound range, and the general consensus of opinion is that smaller dogs may indeed be shown at dog shows, but females under five pounds should not be bred.
One problem in breeding for smallness is that runts were typically used in this effort. The use of such dogs did achieve the desired effect, but at the expense of passing on genetic problems. Small toy breeds like Poms have a high incidence of knee and teeth problems. The retention of baby teeth is a common problem with small dog breeds, caused by the many years of linebreeding and even more directly caused by inbreeding.
A very lovable dog, the Pom is excellent with children and can be trained to do many tricks. A fairly expensive dog, full-blooded toy Pomeranian pups can command hefty prices for their masters. But because of the desirable qualities of the breed most owners consider it money well spent. As one satisfied Pom owner wrote on the Internet: "What kind of dog can be better than a toy breed like the Pom? They don't eat much, their poop is a lot less to clean up after, and you can give them a bath in the kitchen sink."
Thanks to Sari Tietjen for information in her excellent book _The New Pomeranian_ and Pauline Hughes for her book _The Pomeranian_.
Russell Smith
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