HISTORY OF THE POMERANIAN by CATHY DRIGGERS
W ith more coat than body, these Toy dogs have quite an interesting his- tory behind them. Pomeranians are a Spitz breed, mean- ing a type of dog that has several wolf- like characteristics. For instance, small ears help to reduce the risk of frostbite. There is an insulated undercoat that is denser than the guard hairs to trap the warmth and protect them from the heat. More specifically they’re part of the German Spitzen group, a subgroup of the Spitz type, which is comprised of five different sizes of dogs. The Poms are the group’s smallest members. The Pomeranian name came from the historical region of Pomerania that makes up the southern coast of the Bal- tic Sea, now present day Germany and Poland; not because it originated there, but because this was most likely where it was bred down to the smaller size in that region. In its larger form, they are said to have weighed as much as thirty pounds and to have served as an able herder of sheep. So many times I am asked about these “new” parti-colored or white Pomeranians. The colors and whites have become more popular in the past few years and are being shown in many of the areas that you would typically only find orange, reds or sables. There- fore, some spectators are only now understanding that Pomeranians come in other colors. Many people don’t realize that some of the first recorded pictures and paint- ings of the Pomeranian dog are of white and parti-colored Pomeranians. Many of the paintings and prints from the 18th century feature Pomeranians of various color and size. The Prince of Wales had a black and white parti Pomeranian, named “Fino”, that was painted in 1791. Prior to securing the breed name of Pomeranian, they were called by several other names: Fox Dog, Lulu, Pommer, Wolfsspitz German Spitz, Vol- pino and Spitz Dog. The Germans did
not accept the breed to be named Pom- eranians. All five sizes were generi- cally called the German Spitz. They didn’t actually start using the definition Pomeranian until 1974! In Italy they were used to watch over their owner’s items. The Pomeranians would alert their owner of someone coming or attempting to steal their valuables. In 1873 the Kennel Club (England) was formed and the so-called Spitz dog was among the first breeds recog- nized. The first Poms shown weighed nearly 18 pounds. In 1888 a Pomeranian named “Mar- co” was sent from Florence, Italy to become the beloved companion of Queen Victoria of England. Marco weighed 12 pounds. The Queen also imported a 7½ pound white female named “Gena”. The Queen’s love of the breed was clear to everyone who saw her with her dogs. Because the Queen was a popular monarch, the breed’s popularity grew as well. In fact, the Queen is credited for encouraging the trend toward the smaller Poms. At one time, Queen Victoria had 35 Pomera- nians in her kennel, and on her death- bed, asked for her Pomeranian “Turi” to be at her side. Pomeranians were shown in the United States in the Miscellaneous
Queen Victoria and Turi
Fino
T op N otch T oys , F ebruary 2017 • 57
Powered by FlippingBook