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In America

In Europe


          
                 

                                                  
                                                     

                                                        

            
 



                 History of Pomeranian


                                                                      

                                                                                            

         
Found of Bones by pole-building in Switzerland and South-Germany, have shown that the Spitzdog-breed is more than 5.000 years old.
The Bones belonged an animal with a size as a medium size Spitzdog. This  Spitz is the first and eldest breed-dog in Europe, who has maintained his appearance forward to the present.
This appererance has been created for millenniums in order to be able to manage the tough northern climate:
 - Heavy, weather resistent coat.
 - Tiny ears less exposed to frostbite.
 - Long muzzle to warm the air before it reachs the lungs.
 - Bushy tail to cover the face while sleeping in the snow.
 - Short bodies on long legs to keep vital organs snugly above the snow line.
This researching and conclusion come from investigations made by Dr Th. Studer and zoologist Carl Ludvig Rütimeyer.






It is said that the Spitz has arrived from Skadinavia with Freight-
carrriages to Pomerania, and some people think that white Spitzes originally comes from that area. Pomeranian has got his name from Pomerania ,an old German province, now an area between eastern Germany and western Poland.


                       

Wine-jar from 400 years  before the days of Cresti.
Girl, who teases a Spitz-dog with a tortoise.


Woodencut 1885
"Pomeranian Dog" Canis familiens domesticus pomeranus





                       Germany


Poland                                




 


Spits-dogs were extremely popular in Germany as early as the 1500s. At time progessed , five distinct categories of Spitz-dog emerged. One of them, the Zwergspitz or Dwarf Spitz, stood 8 1/2  to 11 inchses at the shoulder and might be found in a white, black, brown, wolfgrey or orange coat
In 1700 there were many watch-spitzes in Pomerania.

        




Painting from 1773


Painting from  1785



    
Painting from about 1795


It is said that among the first to officially import the Pomeranian breed of dog to England, was Queen Charlotte in 1767.
However it did not became popular, because it was too big for a compagniondog ( weighed 20-30 pounds) and could not be used for hunting.

                      





Queen Charlotte med hendes Pomeranian i 1807
Painted by Peter Edward Stroehling


Queen Charlotte´s granddaughter Queen Victoria was  an even  greater influence on the development of Pomeranians. It was specially in her late years, she bred Pomeranians. She named the breed Pomeranian after their home Pomerania.
The Queen made a trip to Italy in 1888 and while there she purchased four Pomeranians and brought them back to England. One of the dogs was named Marco. He weighed 12 pounds and many dog historians point to him as being the stigator of the desire to breed smaller Pomeranians, who became popular amongst the more well-off people in England and later on in the rest of Europe.
Spurred by the Queen English dog fanciers began breeding even smaller Pomeranians.


The Queens´s favorite dog - "Windsor Marco"


"Winsor Marco" as an young dog
Painting by Charles Button Barber from 1893
"Marco on the Queen´s Breakfast Table"



Queen Victoria with "Tori" in 1890





"Peppo"

Here is another of the Queen´s Pomeranians  "Gina" born  in 1887


In 1870, the Pomeranian was given recognition in Great Britain, by the Kennel Club. By the German Kennel Club in 1899, at that time the Club fot German Spitz was formed, and by the American Kennel Club in 1900, and the American Pomeranian Club was founded and got membership of the American Kennel Club.
No limit for the shoulder is mentioned in the first Standard, but in 1906 it was decided that a Pomeranianhad to be at most  26 cm at the shoulder.

In 1880 it was emphasized that lenghty specimens had to be discarded in breedingprograms.
In America, to which a good deal of Pomeranians have been exported, the first American Pomeranian was entered into the American Kennel Club´s stud book in 1888. Four years later the first Pomeranian was exhibited in this country at a dog show in New York.






The 19th of March 1913:
Mrs Langton Dennis with her prize dog at
 the Pomeranian Dog Show at the Botannical
Gardens in England.
 1920:
Miss M. Kennedy with her Buttercup

The 18th of April in 1925:
En udstiller sprayer hendes Pomeranian før hun går i ringen i Champion Class at a dogshow in Holland Park.


1931:
Champion Montacute Little Love
owned by Mrs. Holroyd


                                                                                           
Today the Pomeranian has been bred down from his original size to customary 3-5 pounds. This miniature sled dog always attracts admirers, and is a very popular pet and show dog all over the world.


It looked like the Japanese Spitz from the present ( watch the pictures beneath).

  Pomeranian from 1887

Japanese  Spitz  from 2012
Pomeranian from 2012





Here you can read more about history of the British Pomeranian

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                                              Famous Pomeranian owners in Europe

                                                              


According to Eyke Schmidt-Rohde of Germany there were many famous Pomeranian owners in Europe.
One was Martin Luther, who had a Pomeranian named Belferlein. He mentioned his pet on numerous occasions in his written works.
Michelangelo had a Pomeranian who patiently watched him paint. It sat on a satin pillow and watched the artist create
 his masterpieces.


Martin Luther with Belferlein
Michelangelo paints watched by his Pomeranian



The physicist Isaac Newton had a Pomeranian named Diamond, who had the bad habit of chewing up his master´s manuscripts.
Mozart had a Pomeranian ,named Pimperl ( to whom he dedicated an aria), and Chopin was so amused by his girlfriend´s Pomeranian that he composed the "Valse des Petits Chiens" for the pet.





Mozart with Pimperl
                                                                                                                 
In Denmark Simon Spies was  the most famous owner of Pomeranian.
He had two, and one of these was named Archibald.

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                                                   Famous Pomeranian owners in America

                                                       


                        




Elvis Presley with his "Sweet Pea"
Ca. 1965                               Ca. 1996
 Filmstar Sandra Dee with her Pomeranians
  


Old drawings
From 1880


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