Pomeranian

Guides for your Pomeranian

The story behind the Pomeranian

The breed descends from larger spitz dogs of the Baltic coast, particularly the historic region of Pomerania spanning parts of modern Germany and Poland, where white and cream sled and farm spitzes of considerable size were common. Smaller specimens became fashionable among European aristocracy in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. British royal interest, notably Queen Victoria's enthusiasm for small imported specimens in the later nineteenth century, accelerated a dramatic reduction in size and an expansion of accepted colours, and English breeders drove much of the refinement into the modern toy dog. Breed clubs were established in Britain and the United States around the turn of the twentieth century. Today the Pomeranian is among the most widely kept toy breeds internationally, bred almost entirely as a companion and show dog, with the working spitz ancestry visible only in coat, ears and temperament.

Originally bred for: Companion dog, watchdog, lap and show dog. You can trace how working roles shaped today’s breeds across our dog guides.

Feeding a Pomeranian

Small kibble or appropriately sized portions of a complete toy-breed diet work best for tiny jaws. Divide food into two or three meals, since very small dogs and puppies do poorly on long fasts, and keep treats minimal because the smallest surplus shows quickly.

Watch for: No breed-defining food allergy is recognised. Small toy dogs are prone to dental disease, which can make hard food uncomfortable and is often mistaken for fussiness. Persistent appetite changes, itching or digestive upset should be assessed by a vet before diets are restricted.

Start with the Pomeranian feeding guide, then compare our picks for the best dog food for small breeds.

Mealtime extras: training treats worth keeping in your pocket. Everything else lives in our dog nutrition and feeding hub.

Living with a Pomeranian

Day to day, the basics matter most: how much exercise your dog needs, how often to get out for a walk, and how much sleep is normal.

For play and enrichment, browse our favorite dog toys and interactive toys for rainy days.

Gear that fits the breed makes life easier: a well-sized dog bed, a comfortable no-pull harness.

Raising a puppy? Work through crate training and the teething timeline — or see how old your dog is in human years with our dog age calculator.