AKC Pomeranian Dog Breed Standard
AKC POMERANIAN TOY GROUP
General Appearance
The Pomeranian dog is a
compact, short-backed, active toy dog. He has a soft, dense undercoat with a
profuse harsh-textured outer coat. His heavily plumed tail is set high and lies
flat on his back. He is alert in character, exhibits intelligence in
expression, is buoyant in deportment, and is inquisitive by nature. The
Pomeranian is cocky, commanding, and animated as he gaits. He is sound in
composition and action. Size, Proportion, Substance The average weight of the
Pomeranian is from 3 to 7 pounds, with the ideal weight for the show specimen
being 4 to 6 pounds. Any dog over or under the limits is objectionable.
However, overall quality is to be favored over size. The distance from the
point of shoulder to the point of buttocks is slightly shorter than from the
highest point of the withers to the ground. the distance from the brisket to
the ground is half the height at the withers. He is medium-boned, and the
length of his legs is in proportion to a well-balanced frame. When examined, he
feels sturdy.
Head
The head is in balance with the
body. The muzzle is rather short, straight, fine, free of lippiness and never
snipey. His expression is alert and may be referred to as fox-like. The skull
is closed. The top of the skull is slightly rounded, but not domed. When viewed
from the front and side, one sees small ears which are mounted high and carried
erect. To form a wedge, visualize a line from the tip of the nose ascending
through the center of the eyes and the tip of the ears. The eyes are dark,
bright, medium in size and almond-shaped. They are set well into the skull on
either side of a well-pronounced stop. The pigmentation is black on the nose
and eye rims except self-colored in brown, beaver, and blue dogs. The teeth
meet in a scissors bite. One tooth out of alignment is acceptable.
Major Faults: Round, domed skull; under-shot
mouth; overshot mouth.
Neck, Topline, Body
The neck is short
with its base set well into the shoulders to allow the head to be carried high.
The back is short with a level topline. The body is compact and well-ribbed
with brisket reaching the elbow. The plumed tail is one of the characteristics
of the breed, and lies flat and straight on the back.
Forequarters
The Pomeranian has
sufficient layback of shoulders to carry the neck and head proud and high. The
shoulders and legs are moderately muscled. The length of the shoulder blade and
upper arm are equal. The forelegs are straight and parallel to each other.
Height from elbows to withers approximately equals height from ground to elbow.
The pasterns are straight and strong. The feet are well-arched, compact, and
turn neither in nor out. He stands well up on his toes. Dewclaws may be
removed.
Major Faults: Down in pasterns.
Hindquarters
The angulation of the
hindquarters balances that of the forequarters. The buttocks are well behind
the set of the tail. The thighs are moderately muscled with stifles that are
moderately bent and clearly defined. The hocks are perpendicular to the ground
and the legs are straight and parallel to each other. The feet are well-arched,
compact, and turn neither in nor out. He stands well up on his toes. Dewclaws,
if any on the hind legs may be removed.
Major Faults: Cowhocks or lack of soundness in hind
legs or stifles.
Gait
The Pomeranian's gait is smooth,
free, balanced and vigorous. He has good reach in his forequarters and strong
drive with his hindquarters. Each rear leg moves in line with the foreleg on
the same side. To achieve balance, his legs converge slightly inward toward a
center line beneath his body. The rear and front legs are thrown neither in nor
out. The topline remains level, and his overall balance and outline are
maintained.
Coat
A Pomeranian is noted for its
double coat. The undercoat is soft and dense. The outer-coat is long, straight,
glistening and harsh in texture. A thick undercoat will hold up and permit the
guard hair to stand off from the Pomeranian's body. The coat is abundant from
the neck and fore part of shoulders and chest, forming a frill which extends
over the shoulders and chest. The head and leg coat is tightly packed and
shorter in length than that of the body. The forequarters are well-feathered to
the hock. The tail is profusely covered with long, harsh, spreading straight
hair. Trimming for neatness and a clean outline is permissible.
Major Faults: Soft, flat or open coat.
Color
All colors, patterns, and
variations there-of are allowed and must be judged on an equal basis.
Patterns
Black and
Tan - tan or rust sharply defined, appearing above each eye and on muzzle,
throat, and forechest, on all legs and feet and below the tail. The richer the
tan the more desirable;
Brindle - the base color is gold, red, or
orange-brindled with strong black cross stripes;
Parti-color - is white with any other color
distributed in patches with a white blaze preferred on the head.
Classifications
The Open
Classes at specialty shows may be divided by color as follows: Open Red,
Orange, Cream, and Sable; Open Black, Brown, and Blue; Open Any Other Color,
Pattern, or Variation.
Temperament
The Pomeranian is an
extrovert, exhibiting great intelligence and a vivacious spirit, making him a
great companion dog as well as a competitive show dog. Even though a Toy dog,
the Pomeranian must be subject to the same requirements of soundness and
structure prescribed for all breeds, and any deviation from the ideal described
in the standard should be penalized to the extent of the deviation.
AKC Approved December 9, 1996
AKC Effective January 31, 1997
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