POMERANIAN LIVING WITH THE
by Victoria Oelerich
C anines are canines. They are descendants theoretically from the wolf, but veered off as a spe- cies because of their desire to be a companion to man. The varying breeds possess many similar quali- ties despite the obvious differences between them. They are nonetheless all part of the same species, canine familiaris. But what is so fascinat- ing about pure bred dogs are the differences that have been purpose- fully bred into them in order to make
them uniquely distinct. Each breed is unique, not only in how they look and in their abilities to do the jobs they were created to do, but also in the dif- ferent nuances of behavior particular to their breed. Pomeranians are “a cocky, command- ing breed, buoyant in deportment and inquisitive by nature”, according to the newly revised Pomeranian breed standard. Those adjectives have been in the standard and handed down through breed standards for decades.
The traits that make a Pom act like a Pom are not at all accidental, but the result of microscopic threads of DNA that are transferred through genera- tions. It is because of dedicated breed- ers who continue to create this breed to not only look like Poms, but to act like Poms as well. This breed was originally a much larger-sized dog from the Baltic re- gion. They were bred for multiple purposes—protectors on boats, herd- ing and even as small sled dogs. >
T op N otch T oys , M arch 2020 • 57
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