Bow! Pawfect Pomeranian pooch

Bow! Pawfect Pomeranian pooch
Cute ‘n’ cuddly…Pomeranians – Poms as we lovingly call them, are one of the most popular doggie breeds around the world. Always keeping their sunny side up, they are quintessential sweetheart pooches. These happy-go-lucky doggies are tender yet tough… dainty yet daring…freewheeling yet alert. Woof! Woof! Let’s explore more about these angelic and ever-cherubic pooches.
The Pomeranian is a natural charmer…he enjoys the human companionship the most. Being loved and pampered all the time…is any Pom’s dream. They are always active and playful…with loads of affection and faithfulness. Their typical ‘PowderPuff’ looks make them ideal pets at home. They had a glorious past of sharing their lives with who’s who of myriad fields. These Poms were proudly owned by Michelangelo, Sir Isaac Newton, Mozart, Martin Luther, etc. If that was past, present is also equally glorious, Paris Hilton’s pet Pom is always dressed to match her hot-mom and Nicole Richie has named her Pomeranian – Foxxy Cleopatra (Austin Powers).
Pomeranian prince – An origin tale
The ‘Pomerania’ – a place on the south coast of the Baltic Sea, divided between Germany in the west and Poland in the east, is the place, where these furryfriends were developed in the 8th century. In the last decade of 18th century, they reached England and enjoyed imperial opulence as pets of Queen Victoria…and later Queen herself christened them as Pomeranians, in honour of their homeland. Queen Charlotte and Queen Victoria made them popular as noble pets. At that time, this breed was much bigger than what we have today. After getting recognized by American Kennel Club in 1900, breeders successfully reduced their size to give them remarkable ‘PowderPuff’ appearance.
Cherubic charmers – The general appearance
The Poms are small dogs with short neck and small feet. They stand about 7 to 8 inches tall and weigh from 3 to 7 pounds. They have got wedge-shaped head with little ears…always alert, and short and fine muzzle. The almond shaped eyes with oh-socute looks always make pets lovers go weak in the knees. The tail is characteristic of the breed, which is turned over the back and carried flat, set high. In newborns, tail is not developed or spread out…but within a couple of months, the tail grows to Pom’s back. The neck is short with its base set well into the shoulders to allow the head to be carried high. The back is short with level top line. The body is compact and well ribbed. He is medium boned and the lengths of his legs are in proportion to a well-balanced frame. The forelegs are straight and parallel to each other. He stands well up on his toes. The angulation of the hindquarters balances that of the forequarters. The buttocks are well behind the set of the tail. The thighs are moderately muzzled with stifles that are moderately bent and clearly defined.
The Pomeranian has soft and fluffy fur coat with coarse undercoat. The outer coat is soft and furry, where as inner coat is long, straight and coarse. The long and dense fur around the neck adds more to their beauty, by forming a frill. The coat colour can be of various shades, which include white, black, brown, chocolate, red, orange, cream, sable, light or dark blue. Moreover, they can also be parti-colour, with several hues of happiness. Despite long-furry looks, actually this is a muscular breed, which is hidden under the attractive fur-coat. The most popular colours for Pomeranians are orange in various shades ranging from light to dark.
Watchful woofs – The demeanour details
Pomeranians are any pooch lover’s delight… they are active, intelligent, courageous, loyal, lively, spunky, curious, alert…Woof! they are just the best companions. The friendly and outgoing behaviour of Poms is one of their best qualities. They want attention and love all the time. They just love to sit in the lap, and get petted…hence also known as lap dogs. Their intelligence and reasoning powers are almost uncanny and they can seem to understand your every word. One Pomeranian is fun but more than one and the fun is multiplied many times over. They get along well with kids and family members, if they are trained well. Otherwise, they need supervision, while socializing, especially with little kids. They can be easily trained and are fast learners. As they say ‘sooner the better,’ if we start training them early, we will get one of the most obedient and well-behaved pooch. They are very confident and commanding too. They love to walk and roam…with high energy levels, one will hardly find them lazing around. As they like to exercise less, they are the perfect apartment pets…and live well in both, an apartment as well as an open house.
Pomeranians are highly suspicious of strangers and unknown noises…and become alert on sensing any such things. So, they are good watchdogs; moreover, they have a shriek bark, which adds to their guarding capabilities. “Pomeranians have on outgoing bouncy personality with a big dog attitude. They are intelligent and always eager to please,” added G Sudheer of VICK VIN POMS kennel.
Well-favoured paws – A grooming ‘n’ care guide
As Poms have double coat, they need to be brushed daily, which is required to avoid matting and tangling. This breed sheds more (once or twice a year), so harsh combing must be avoided. And coat should be trimmed regularly. For Pomeranians, we will not recommend frequent baths, as it can damage the skin and fur by removing essential oils from the body. Harsh shampoo also causes dandruff and fur loss.
The eye, nail and dental care are extensively required for this breed. It is advisable to trim the nails weekly, whereas teeth and eyes need daily care. The eyes should be cleaned properly with water daily. In addition to grooming, excellent dental care is most important for them. They are prone to tooth loss; so, regular dental care is must. Dry food is helpful in keeping teeth and gums healthy.
Pom puppy – The training tips
Poms look highly cute and cuddly as pups, but bringing them up is an uphill task. Once, you have Pom pup at home, you need to bear with excessive barking…as there’s a noisy unrest all the time, When you are caring for your Pomeranian puppy…and he barks, never shout at them… simply say “NO!”…This is the easiest way you can train him to avoid excessive barking. “Poms at young age are little noisy, but as they grow, they listen to their parent. And at the same time, they are very alert and good watch dog at your home,” assured Sudheer.
Our loving Pomeranians are very popular and sought after breed for their many fine personality attributes and unmatched looks coupled with royale gait. To pet a Pom is a great experience…no words can express that exuberance. Here’s wishing happy Pom parenting.
(With inputs from G. Sudheer Raju, who runs VICK VIN POMS Kennel, registered by Kennel Club Of India. He started keeping Poms at the age of 10 and today his kennel produces the best Pomeranians. )