(A version of this article appeared in the August 2017 issue of SHOWSIGHT.)
When presenting seminars on the Pomeranian, we begin by explaining that Pomeranian structure is pretty easy to understand. The Pomeranian is a “four-square,” short-backed dog with structure typical of these traits. Think of a square within a circle.
The Pomeranian is measured from withers to ground and prosternum to point of buttocks. Measuring on the table with your hands is key due to the abundant coat on the Pom. It is important to look for sound legs with correct angles balanced in the front and rear.
There are three things that make the Pomeranian unique. These are breed-specific characteristics:
First, we will discuss the family of origin to put the Pomeranian in context and then we will discuss each breed-specific characteristic in detail.
The Pomeranian is part of the Nordic/Spitz family that includes the Alaskan Malamute, Siberian Husky, Keeshonden, American Eskimo, and Samoyed, as well as many others, and shares Nordic/Spitz traits, including:
The Pomeranian head is extremely important. When it is correct there is no way that the Pomeranian can be mistaken for any other breed. The Pom takes the Spitz wedge-shaped head and prick ears and has evolved to have the broadest wedge shape as well as the shortest muzzle-to-skull proportions of the Nordic/Spitz breeds. The ideal ratio is a 1/3 muzzle to 2/3 length of skull.
The final head trait that makes or breaks a beautiful expression is 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 Pomeranian Standard has a DQ for eyes that are light blue, blue marbled, or blue flecked.
The ears are important as they give the Pomeranian a distinctive look and expression. The Standard calls for prick ears to be small and high set. You will see many ears that are large, but we do not recall ever seeing ears that are too small. We currently have a problem with wide set ears that are wide and set more to the side of the skull rather than on top of the skull as the Standard requires.
The combination of these very distinctive 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 intelligence 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 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 of circles. The correct length of coat and correct moderate trimming of 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 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 possible. When the tail is set properly there will be a “shelf” behind as well. Combined with the long hair forming a plume, the tail and set provides another very specific breed trait. Our Standard emphasizes this characteristic 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.
Pomeranian structure should be sound. The Pomeranian was a working and herding Nordic/Spitz breed that was bred down to its current 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 Pomeranian must be subject to the same requirements of soundness and structure prescribed for all breeds, and any deviation from the ideal described in the Breed Standard should be penalized to the extent of the deviation.
The Pomeranian needs a gentle touch during the exam, but 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 when the Pomeranian is on the ground. This can be done on the down and back. We hope this has proven helpful in terms of judging the Pomeranian and placing proper emphasis on breed-specific traits.
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