Pomeranian
Pomeranian
A Pomeranian is a very small dog with a very large opinion of itself. Under the ruff and the fox face is a spitz, not a lapdog — alert, bold, quick to announce a visitor, and happier with a job than a cushion. The size suits a flat; the coat and the barking are the two things owners underestimate.
4 articles
At a glance
Specimen · Pomeranian
- Height
- 15–18 cm (6–7 in)
- Weight
- 1.4–3.2 kg (3–7 lb)
- Coat
- Long, double, with a dense undercoat
- Shedding
- High — noticeable year-round, heavy when the coat blows
- Grooming
- Brush several times a week, daily during a moult; bath every 3–4 weeks
- Lifespan
- 12–16 years
- Exercise
- 30–45 min/day
- Good with
- Older children, other dogs and cats with proper introduction
Is a Pomeranian right for you?
Right for you if…
- You live in a flat and want a dog that genuinely fits one
- You want an alert, characterful little dog rather than a quiet lap-warmer
- You will brush several times a week, and daily when the coat blows
- You can live with a dog that barks at things you cannot see
- You want a small breed that still tends to live 12–16 years
Wrong for you if…
- You have a toddler — a 3 lb dog is easily hurt by rough play
- You need a quiet dog, or you share thin walls with neighbours
- You want a coat you can ignore between grooms
- You want a dog that shrugs off being left alone all day
- You dislike hair on dark clothes and furniture
Coat & grooming
- The coat is two layers: a soft dense undercoat and a longer straight topcoat that stands off it. The undercoat is what mats, so brush down to the skin rather than over the surface.
- A slicker brush first, then a comb to check your work — if the comb snags, the brush missed it.
- During a seasonal moult the shedding steps up sharply and daily brushing stops it turning into felt.
- Bathing every three to four weeks suits most Poms; more often than that strips the coat.
Health watch-points
- Tracheal collapse — the windpipe weakens and flattens, causing a honking cough. A harness rather than a collar keeps pressure off the throat
- Patellar luxation — slipping kneecaps, common across toy breeds
- Alopecia X — coat loss over the body with no single agreed cause
- Dental and gum disease — a small jaw crowds the teeth, so daily brushing and dental checks matter more than in a larger dog
Feeding
- A tiny stomach means small, frequent meals rather than one large one.
- Obesity is easy to miss under a thick coat — check by feel over the ribs, not by eye.
- Measure meals rather than free-feeding; a few extra grams is a much bigger share of a 3 kg dog's day than of a 30 kg dog's.
