Trimmed (above) & Untrimmed (below)
of circles. The correct length of coat and correct moderate trimming the Pomeranian will look round from the side, round from the front, round from the back and round from the top. Trimming has gone through many trends over the past decades but today you will see dogs that are trimmed rather well. When you see a dog that is over trimmed, it will lose the round look, or the circles, from various angles. Too much guard hair, or outer coat, will be trimmed off to the point where you cannot evaluate the texture of the guard hair. THE TAIL AND TAIL SET The Pomeranian’s tail set is very high and when combined with the correct flat croup, it will give a carriage right on top of the back and as tight as pos- sible. When the tail is set properly there will be a “shelf” behind as well. Combined with the long hair form- ing a plume, the tail and set provides another very specific breed trait. Our standard emphasizes this character- istic in three different places so look for a high tail set and reward it. Our standard does list a low tail set as a major fault. STRUCTURE AND MOVEMENT Pomeranian structure should be sound. The Pomeranian was a work- ing and herding Nordic/Spitz breed that was bred down to its current
the eyes. Eyes should be almond- shaped, dark and medium in size. Dark is extremely important to the breed. The Pom should not have an eye that is not dark, as anything other than a dark eye will detract from the desired expression. The Po- meranian standard has a DQ for eyes that are light blue, blue marbled or blue flecked. The combination of these very dis- tinctive head traits is what gives the Pomeranian his beautiful “foxlike” expression. “Fox-like” does not mean the head should look like a fox, but should show the characteristics of in- telligence and alertness. The Pomeranian with correct coat has the longest and fullest coat of the Spitz breeds. We want a double coat with a short dense undercoat of a somewhat softer texture and a long harsh outer coat or guard hair. This harsh guard hair will stand up through the undercoat and should be harsh enough to provide resistance to weather. THE COAT AND THE WAY IT IS PRESENTED The presentation of the coat gives the breed specific look. There should be enough length to give the Pom a “round all over” shape or think
small size. The standard desires a well-angulated shoulder with the rear balancing the front. The legs should be straight and the feet are round, tight and arched which allows the Pom to stand well up on its toes. The Pomeranian should have a ground- covering gait and movement should not be busy or ineffective. Even though a Toy dog, the Pomera- nian must be subject to the same re- quirements of soundness and struc- ture prescribed for all breeds, and any deviation from the ideal described in the standard should be penalized to The Pomeranian needs a gentle touch during exambut feel free to feel under the coat to examine what the actual structure of the Pomeranian is like. Please evaluate the expression and ear set on when the Pomeranian is on the ground. This can be done on the down and back. I hope this has proved helpful in terms of judging the Pomer- anian and placing proper emphasis on breed-specific traits. T op N otch T oys , O ctober 2018 • 63 the extent of the deviation. PROCEDURAL ITEMS
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