THE TRUTH ABOUT TRIMMING THE POMERANIAN HAS A CIRCULAR OUTLINE
by Christine Heartz
I t would seem that in the Pomeranian ring, the most contro- versial subject is trimming. Breeders, judges, handlers, and exhibitors all have an opinion, and all have their own style of trimming. Let’s look at why the Pom is trimmed the way it is—or should be. First of all, we need to remember that the Pomeranian is a member of the Spitz family, and all of those breeds, the Sam- oyed, the Keeshond, the Finnish Spitz, etc., have a common coat type; harsh outer guard hairs, coarse to the touch, and a shorter, softer undercoat. This type of coat is, unfortunately, as hard to trim as it is to find. The Pomeranian also has the same basic body type as its larger cousins. As with most Spitz breeds, Poms are not over- angulated. The AKC Breed Standard is explicit about body shape; “compact, short-backed” (not short on leg). It is im- portant to keep this round shape in mind when judging the breed. If the legs are mounted correctly, i.e., nicely set under the body in front and not covering too much ground behind, the Pom is well on its way to fit into that shape. The “fads” of trimming Poms, as in many other breeds, come and go. The newest, and probably the scariest, fad is the idea that a Pomeranian outline should resemble a triangle. The shape of a Pom is the very essence of the breed. It is a circle. Some may see the Pom as a square within a circle, but the Po- meranian outline, standing and/or moving, is definitely not a triangle. A far greater concern with promoting this triangle shape is that it encourages a body type that suggests the dog should cover more ground. The one thing we do not want to encourage is a Pom with a straight front or over-angulated rear. The shape of the Pomeranian is basic to the breed, and it is round. TheTail: Another very important characteristic in this breed is the tail; “heavily plumed, set high and lies flat and straight on the back.” It is mentioned in the Standard twice this way. It is also mentioned in the Coat section of the Standard: “Tail
48 • T op N otch T oys , J anuary 2022
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