| Dogs come in all shapes and sizes, with | | | | the upper arm should be of approximately |
| different personalities, colors and coats. In | | | | equal length. The Pomeranian has a |
| mixed breed dogs, it can be hard to predict | | | | double-coat consisting of a soft undercoat |
| how a puppy will turn out. Sometimes it | | | | and a long, textured outer coat. The outer |
| doesn't matter, but if you're living in a | | | | coat forms feathers on the legs and a frill |
| studio apartment and you get a Pomeranian | | | | around the shoulders and chest. A soft, flat |
| puppy that grows up to be three feet tall and | | | | or open coat is a major fault that leads to |
| weigh forty pounds, it matters! | | | | disqualification. |
| | | | |
| The American Kennel Club knows that it | | | | All colors, patterns and color combinations |
| matters and that is the reason for the | | | | are to be judged the same, and any color of |
| establishment specific standards for each of | | | | coat is permissible under the standards of |
| the breeds it recognizes. The American Kennel | | | | the Pomeranian breed. The most frequently |
| Club requires that certain characteristics of | | | | shown Pomeranians have coloration patterns |
| a breed be stable for many generations of | | | | that include black and tan, brindle and |
| dogs before it recognizes a breed. Thus, a | | | | parti-color. The black and tan Pomeranian dog |
| puppy buyer can predict how big or small a | | | | has light patches above the eyes, on the |
| grown dog will be and what kind of | | | | muzzle, throat, chest, legs, feet and under |
| temperament it will have. According to the | | | | the tail. The brindle-coated dog has a gold |
| American Kennel Club, a Pomeranian puppy, for | | | | or red base with black cross stripes. A |
| instance, will weigh no more than seven | | | | parti-color dog is white with patches of |
| pounds and have a perky, energetic | | | | other color and a white blaze on the |
| personality. | | | | forehead. |
| | | | |
| Well-known, established standards for breeds | | | | Pomeranians are sometimes divided into three |
| encourage good breeding practices. Toy dogs | | | | different groups for judging, depending on |
| have fragile skeletal systems, and preventing | | | | the color patterns of their coats. Red, |
| the breed from getting too heavy helps reduce | | | | orange and sable dogs to in one group whereas |
| the likelihood of injury to bones and joints. | | | | black and brown dogs go in another, and other |
| Nearly everything about the Pomeranian is | | | | combinations are judged in a third group. |
| covered by the standards of the breed, from | | | | |
| the dark nose to the high, plumed tail, | | | | Standards of the breed also cover the dog's |
| which, according to breed standards, must lie | | | | temperament. Pomeranians should be confident, |
| flat and straight against the dogs' back. | | | | inquisitive and intelligent. In full trot, a |
| Pomeranians should have small, pointed ears, | | | | Pomeranian should command attention. |
| short muzzles and dark, almond-shaped eyes. | | | | Pomeranian breed standard information is |
| | | | available to any breeders or fans of the |
| Pomeranian standards rely on proportions for | | | | breed. The American Kennel Club makes |
| definition of the Pomeranian's body. The | | | | Pomeranian information easy to get so |
| breed's height from its elbows to its withers | | | | breeders can familiarize themselves with the |
| is about the same as the height from the | | | | standards of the breed. |
| ground to the elbows. The shoulder blade and | | | | |