pomeranians snippy yappy and men?
Some people remember having had an Aunt or Grama or friend who had a Pom that was as mean as the devil. No one could go near the human that owned it because of its terrible behavior. I hear stories like that all the time and my thought is that there really are no bad dogs just bad owners. Thats not to say they are truly bad in the sense of the word but more so untrained.(yes humans need training too) Having a dog is truly a commitment and one that should be based on love. Pom's in my opinion are some of the smartest, alert, loving and easily trainable dogs I have ever come across. They have a built-in desire to learn. They thrive on routine. So if allowed, yes they can develop bad behavior whether it is incessant barking, yapping, or being snippy. Time, patience, repetition, and training are whats required to develop your dog into the companion you desire. With that said I can honestly say I have never had a problem with any of my dogs having undesirable behavior such as mentioned above, and Im definately no Cesar Milan. I believe Poms really are smart, fun, animated, little dogs full of personality and love to be trained.
Crate Training.......do you advise it?
YES, YES, YES......Poms by nature are den animals or at least thier ancestors were. They love to have thier own place to feel safe. I cannot stress enough how much better you will feel at night knowing your little guy or girl is safe and not chewing cords or your shoes or furniture. I have in the past put a puppy in its crate in the bathroom with a puppy pad right outside it crate door. This tends to work well. They often will cry at first. Just know its not mean to do and they are crying because everything is new to them. I often put a nightlight on for them as well. Within a few days they should used to the new sleeping arrangements. Over time my dogs only have to hear me say "go nite nite" and off to thier crates they go. They begin to feel like thier crate is thier own space and will often retreat to them during the day on thier own for naps. On a side note: I do not use the crate as a form of punishment ever! Some people do...however I believe the dog will start to view the crate as a "bad place" and then not feel it is a safe place. This is where insecurites begin by using the crate as a punishment. I am really against this. I also have heard of people crating a dog while they are at work all day and again I really feel that is cruel. A babygate is an awesome investment. If you need to leave your puppy for a few hours use a secure room such as a bathroom or laundry room and place the crate in there and put the babygate in front of the door. Place food and water and a puppy pad and a couple toys or favorite blankie. It's even wise to try doing this routine while you are home for 15-30 mins to get them used to it.
How long will my Pom live?
In general, life expectancy is 12-16 years but I have heard of them living as long as 19-20 years.
Are Poms good with kids?
I guess the question that should be posed is, Are kids good with Poms? A good example is the vet trip I had to take because my young 4 year old thought he would help the dog off the bed by tossing her off the side. He didnt mean to hurt her but a few thousand dollars later in vet bills and lesson learned. Children need to be monitered around any animal and Poms are no exception. With that said they love kids and I dont think the choice to have a pom should be forgotten just because you have children. Its just going to take extra care on the parents part.
What Health Problems are Poms susceptable to?
Patellar luxation is quite common in toy breeds, and the Pomeranian is no exception. This is a disorder of the kneecap in which the knee will slip out of place when the dog moves. There are varying degrees of this disorder, with the most severe requiring surgery. This can be a genetic disorder or one that stems from injury. Doggie steps are a very wise investment and a sound way of helping ensure they arent jumping too high and causing damage to the patella.
Tracheal collapse is a disorder of the windpipe. When weakened, it will collapse resulting in persistent coughing and difficult breathing. Your veterinarian can recommend medication for this problem.
In whelping puppies, c-sections are commonly required with Pomeranians. Since the breed has been bred down from larger dogs, it has difficulty in free whelping. This is mainly common in small females. For this reason I choose to breed a larger female to a smaller male.
Open fontanels are an opening in the top of the skull, much like what we see in a new born infants, and are not uncommon in the breed. Fortunately, most of the smaller ones seen in puppies will close when they are adults.
Entropion is an eye problem where the eyelid rolls inward. The lashes on the edge of the eyelid irritate the surface of the eyeball. Entropian can lead to more serious problems, including blindness. Surgery can correct this most of the time.
Cryptorchidism is a condition in male dogs where one or both testicles do not descend into the scrotum. Sometimes puppies will have both testicles descend by the time they are 6 months old.
Overshot/undershot bites are where the teeth do not line up properly in a scissor bite. This is caused by either the upper or bottom jaw growing longer than the other. This is not the same as teeth being out of line, which can occur when retained puppy teeth are not removed.
What is the origin of the Pomeranian?
Pomeranians are classed as a toy breed because it is the smallest of the german spitz type dog. They are named for Pomerania which is a region between Poland and East Germany. Its original ancestors were the Samoyed, Schipperke, Norwegian Elkhound and the larger Spitz. The original Pomeranian was a larger dog, developed for use in sheep herding and as sled dogs of Iceland and Lapland. German breeders improved the coat and bred the size down for living in the city. The breed gained popularity in the late 1880’s when Queen Victoria brought a Pomeranian home from Italy.
What is a Throwback Pomeranian?
Aside from being overweight, a Pomeranian may be larger than the breed standard due to their genes being "throwback" genes.
What is a throwback Pomeranian? A throwback Pomeranian is a Pom who is larger than the standard size Pom of today's world. The Pomeranian that we know of in modern times, descended from the ancient Spitz dog. The Spitz dogs were on average, 30 pounds (13.60 kg).
Let's discuss why a Pomeranian may be a throwback and any behavioral or health issues that may be relevant.
The ancestors of the Pomeranian dog, these large Spitz dogs of 30 pounds ( 13.60 kg) were used as sled dogs in Iceland and as hunting and herding dogs in the surrounding areas of the far north.
In time, these dogs were brought down into Europe. It was Queen Victoria who fell in love with the breed. She took it upon herself to create a breeding program to reduce the size of the dogs. It was popular at the time for those in royalty to have very small lap dogs.
Creating her own personal dog kennels and developing a breeding program... with time, these Spitz dogs became the small Pomeranian that we now have. In 1892, the Pomeranian was introduced to America.
A throwback Pomeranian is the term applied to a dog who has the appearance (and sometimes the behavior as well) of its larger ancestors. While not common, this does happen randomly and is all due to the dog's genes mutating or altering back to those of its ancestors. Therefore, it is possible for a purebred Pomeranian to weight up to 18 pounds (8.16 kg).
How do I Know if I Have a Throwback Pomeranian?
The AKC standard size weight for a purebred Pom is a maximum of 7 pounds (3.17 kg). and CKC allows for a maximum of 11 pounds. As with any dog breed, there will be smaller than average and larger than average dogs.
A Pomeranian havingpartial throwback genes is a full grown adult Pom who is not overweight and is larger than 10 pounds (4.53 kg).
A Pomeranian considered to be clearly classified as a throwback would be a full grown adult who is not overweight and is larger than 14 pounds (6.35 kg).
Can This Affect Behavior?
The modern Pomeranian as it stands, already does possess certain behavior thought to be throwback behavior, such as being very alert and independent. Many Pomeranian dogs love to travel and are usually very adaptable to new situations... this characteristic is also theorized to be of throwback behavior of the Spitz dog.
Studies have shown that in some cases, a throwback Pomeranian or any other throwback dog, may also have throwback behavior of a deeper nature. In some instances, a throwback Pomeranian may show signs of not conforming to domestic life...the dog may have instinctual urges to "be out in the wild". They may actually have instincts to "hunt" while outdoors and so forth.
Do keep in mind that in a loving home, with proper care and socialization, a throwback Pomeranian can be just as adoring, lovable, cuddly and well mannered as any other standard sized Pom.
With that said, we have a throwback. She is the most loving, wonderful dog we have ever had. Her personality is just fabulous. I wouldn't trade her for the world.
Can This Affect the Pomeranian's Health?
Studies show a throwback Pomeranian does not have any health issues above what a standard sized Pom would have. Being a sturdier, larger size can actually be an asset in regard to very small Pomeranian dogs having the possibility of being injured by jumping from heights, etc and a studier throwback Pomeranian dog being able to handle more activity such as jumping.
To Summarize
For those few people who do have a throwback Pom, they have a very special dog...a dog who allows us a glimpse in to the past...andone who shows characteristics of the noble ancestor of the Pomeranian.
SO, HOW DO I TELL A RESPONSIBLE BREEDER FROM A BACKYARD BREEDER?
There are several ways you can tell that whether you are dealing with a backyard breeder or a responsible breeder. A responsible breeder knows that it takes a large amount of time, effort, care and money to properly breed and raise puppies. They are knowledgeable and do it for the betterment of the breed, not to make a buck.
A responsible breeder will specialize in one or two breeds. If the breeder you are dealing with advertises multiple breeds, they are probably a backyard breeder and you should do some research before buying a puppy from him or her. The breeder should know the history of the breed, the traits, conformation and temperament of the breed, and should be involved in the showing of purebred dogs in some way.
A responsible breeder will grill a potential buyer with many, many questions. In fact, if the breeder doesn't feel that the breed is a good fit for you and your family, he or she will refuse to sell you a puppy. The responsible breeder's top priority is the welfare of his or her dogs and will always agree to take the dog back at any point in his or her life if the owners decide they can no longer keep the dog.
A responsible breeder will always have the mother on site and often the father as well. The mother should appear healthy and the area where the mother and pups are kept should be clean. If the breeder will not allow you to see the mother or the area where the dogs are kept, this should send up red flags.
A responsible breeder will not separate the pups from their mother before 8 weeks of age. The puppies should be dewormed and vaccinated. The breeder will be able to supply references of people who have bought puppies from him or her and are now happy pet owners with happy, healthy dogs.
Remember...just because the breeder throws out a bunch of fancy acronyms such as, AKC, UCK, CGC, OFA, CERF, etc. does not mean they are reputable breeders. AKC registration is done primarily by mail and is not a guarantee of a quality, healthy puppy. If the breeder insists that the puppy has been OFA certified, you will know they do not know what they are talking about. A dog cannot be OFA certified until he is two years of age. Most reputable breeders do not advertise, and if they do, they do not use terms like rare, teacup, etc. You will never hear a reputable breeder refer to his or her puppies as "full-blooded." The proper term would be purebred, and that goes without saying if you are dealing with a good breeder. Also remember you should never have to pay extra to the breeder for registration papers. (You will however, have to pay the registering body a nominal fee to have the dog's registration transferred to your name.)
Why don't you require a deposit to hold a puppy?
First and foremost, Breeding dogs to me isn't about the money. My first responsibilty is to the dog and the dog only. I am not going to put you in a position where you feel forced to buy a dog from me or forfeit your money. I think that is wrong! If you want me to hold a dog I will gladly do that, if your plans change or you find a different dog then all I ask is you call me and let me know. I want good homes for my puppies and I never want to feel like I took money from someone and kept it if there is a change in circumstances. That to me just seems dishonest and I wouldnt want to buy a dog from someone who seemed more interested in money than the welfare of thier dogs. With that said, if you do buy a dog and down the road your circumstances change I will take the dog back but no refunds will be given.