HISTORY

The Pomeranian (often known as a Pom) is a breed of dog of the Spitz type, named for the Pomerania region in Central Europe (which today is part of modern eastern Germany and northern Poland) and classed as a toy dog breed because of its small size (Wikipedia).

Developed in the Prussian region of Pomerania, the Pomeranian was originally descended from the ancient Spitz breeds of the far north which were brought to Europe and employed to herd sheep. The Pom ancestors weighed up to 30 pounds. Marie Antoinette, Emile Zola and Mozart all owned Pomeranians. In the late 1800's Queen Victoria became a Pomeranian fancier, and established her own kennel for their breeding. She showed her dogs, with some success, making the breed very popular in England. Because Queen Victoria preferred smaller dogs, many breeders began selecting for smaller size. Now the Pomeranian has been bred down from his original size to customary 4-5 pounds. The Pomeranian's intelligence and talent for showmanship have also made him a superior circus performer. Today's Pomeranian is primarily a loving companion and beautiful show dog. Some of the Pom's talents include: watchdogging, agility and performing tricks (www.dogbreedinfo.com/pomeranian.htm).