JUDGING THE POMERANIAN
by KELLY D. REIMSCHIISSEL & FRED BASSETT
W hen presenting semi- nars on the Pomeranian I begin by explaining that Pomeranian struc- ture is pretty easy to understand. The Pomeranian is a “four-square” short backed dog with structure typical of these traits. Think of a square within a circle.
The Pom should not have an eye that is not dark, as anything other than a dark eye will detract from the desired expression. The Pomeranian standard has a DQ for eyes that are light blue, blue marbled or blue flecked. The combination of these very dis- tinctive head traits is what gives the Pomeranian his beautiful “foxlike” expression. “Fox-like” does not mean the head should look like a fox, but should show the characteristics of intel- ligence and alertness.
• Double Coat with weather resistant texture • Sound legs with adequate angles to provide an endurance trot gait
THE HEAD The Pomeranian head is extremely important. When it is correct there is no way that the Pomeranian can be mistaken for any other breed. The Pom takes the Spitz wedge shaped head and prick ears and has evolved to have the broadest wedge shape as well as the shortest muzzle to skull proportions of the Nordic/Spitz breeds. The ideal ratio is a 1 / 3 muzzle to 2 / 3 length of skull. The ears are important as they give the Pomeranian a distinctive look and expression. The standard calls for prick ears to be small and high set. You will see many ears that are large but I do not recall ever seeing ears that are too small. We currently have a problem with wide set ears that are wide and set more to the side of the skull rather than on top of the skull as the standard requires. The final head trait that makes or breaks a beautiful expression is the eyes. Eyes should be almond-shaped, dark and medium in size. Dark is extremely important to the breed.
THE COAT AND THE WAY IT IS PRESENTED
The Pomeranian with correct coat has the longest and fullest coat of the Spitz breeds. We want a double coat with a short dense undercoat of a some- what softer texture and a long harsh outer coat or guard hair. This harsh guard hair will stand up through the undercoat and should be harsh enough to provide resistance to weather.
The Pomeranian is measured from withers to ground and prosternum to point of buttocks. Measuring on the table with your hands is key due to the abundant coat on the Pom. It is impor- tant to look for sound legs with correct angles balanced in the front and rear. There are three things that make the Pomeranian unique. These are breed specific characteristics. 1. The Head, 2. The Coat and the way it is presented, 3. The Tail and the Tail Plume. First we will discuss the family of origin to put the Pomeranian in context and then we will discuss each breed specific characteristic in detail. The Pomeranian is part of the Nor- dic/Spitz family that includes the Alas- kan Malamute, Siberian Husky, Kees- honden, American Eskimo, Samoyed as well as many others and share Nordic/ Spitz traits including: • Wedge Shaped Head • Prick Ears • Tail over the Back
266 • S HOW S IGHT M AGAZINE , A UGUST 2017
Powered by FlippingBook