The Pomeranian - A Complete Anthology of the Dog

By Read Books Ltd.

The Pomeranian - A Complete Anthology of the Dog gathers together all the best early writing on the breed from our library of scarce, out-of-print antiquarian books and documents and reprints it in a quality, modern edition. This anthology includes chapters taken from a comprehensive range of books, many of them now rare and much sought-after works, all of them written by renowned breed experts of their day. These books are treasure troves of information about the breed - The physical points, temperaments, and special abilities are given; celebrated dogs are discussed and pictured; and the history of the breed and pedigrees of famous champions are also provided. The contents were well illustrated with numerous photographs of leading and famous dogs of that era and these are all reproduced to the highest quality. Books used include: The Illustrated Book Of The Dog by Vero Shaw (1879), Dogs Of The World by Arthur Craven (1931), About Our Dogs by A. Croxton Smith (1931) and many others.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Read Books Ltd.
• Release date: May 31, 2013
• ISBN: 9781473390997

Book preview

THE POMERANIAN DOG.

The Pomeranian dog, unlike the Pug, is a recent importation into this country, though he has been always well known in Germany.

This dog has a sharp nose; prick ears; a thick, straight, long and silky coat, either white, cream-colour, or black: rather full eyes; the tail bushy, and curled over the back; his height averages 14 inches. The Pomeranian is esteemed in proportion to his small size, the shortness of his legs, and the length, thickness, and silkiness of his coat.

The Pomeranian seems to be a very hardy and prolific breed, to judge from the numbers of really well-formed dogs of this breed that are to be met with. It is for this reason, probably, that a Pomeranian fetches no price in the dog-fancying market.

The Pomeranian is certainly a pretty and graceful dog, but he has the disadvantage of being neither clever, nor affectionate, and is, in addition, possessed of a yapping restlessness that makes him quite insupportable to most people.

THE POMERANIAN OR SPITZ DOG; ALSO CALLED LOUP-LOUP.

WITHIN the last twenty years this dog has been largely imported from Germany and France, in addition to those bred in this country; but, nevertheless, he has not become so general a favourite as was expected, owing in some measure to the fashion of the day tending towards the fox terrier and colley, and also to the temper of the Spitz, which is too short and snappish to make him fit to be trusted with children. It is true that the colley has the same disposition, but not quite to the same extent; and, being a better traveller with horses and carriages, he is more suited to act as a companion in country rides and drives that his more delicate rival. Whatever may be the cause, it cannot be denied that the colley is the more general favourite; and at our large dog shows, while his classes are filled by scores, those of the Pomeranian dog are only made up of units.

MRS. M. E. PROSSER’S POMERANIAN DOG JOE.

In his native country the Pomeranian dog is employed as a sheep dog, for which he is fitted by his peculiarly woolly coat and ample frill, rendering him to a great degree proof against wet and cold. Like the colley, he is impatient of control in playing tricks, and indeed can seldom be taught to display them even for a time, his intelligence not being of a very high order—at all events, if the attempt is made in any direction but that of his peculiar calling, for which, as far as I know, he has never been employed in this country. But he is always cheerful in the house, generally free from smell either of coat or breath, and readily taught to be cleanly in all his habits. He has not the fondness for game generally exhibited by the colley, and on that account is more suited to be a ladies’ pet, nor is he so pugnacious as that dog, being as a rule inclined to run away rather than fight, when the choice lies between those alternatives. From these peculiarities it may be gathered that he is quite up to the average in his fitness to fill the position of companion.

The following are the generally recognised points of this dog, though hitherto no attempt has been made to define them:

POINTS OF THE POMERANIAN DOG.

1. The head (value 10) is very wide between the ears, and tapers towards the eyes still more than in the colley, resemblng the head of the fox almost exactly. Upper surface flat, with a slight furrow down the middle. There is a marked occipital protuberance, but not so much pronounced as in some breeds. Brow sufficiently raised to prevent a straight line.

2. The muzzle (value 5) tapers from the cheeks, which are wide, to the point of the nose, which is very fine and fox-like. The tip should be black. Lower jaw generally shorter than the upper.

3. Ears and Eyes (value 5).—The ears must be small and pricked, resembling those of the fox in shape, and only very slightly exceeding them in size. A large ear is a great defect, even if properly pricked. The eyes rather large, and generally of a dark brown or hazel colour. Eyelids generally set obliquely.

4. The shoulders (value 5) are greatly hidden by the frill, but they must be oblique and muscular.

5. Chest (value 5) round, and rather deep; but the back ribs are generally very short, leading to a nipped loin.

6. The loin (value 10), owing to the above cause, is often weak if examined carefully beneath the thick coat, which conceals this defect.

7. The legs (value 10) are generally straight and strong, with elbows well let down, and clean hocks. Any defect therefore in these points will be severely penalised.

8. The feet (value 10) are cat-like, and rather small; toes well arched; but the soles are apt to be thin and unfit for road work.

9. The coat (value 15) is of a peculiar texture, differing from that of all other dogs in its resemblance to coarse fur rather than hair. It is so marked in this respect that the under-coat, which exists as in the colley, can scarcely be distinguished from it. The frill is of the same character, but rather more hairy in the texture of its long fibres. It is quite as full as in the colley, in the best specimens, and when deficient should be estimated accordingly. In the black varieties the coat is more hairy, and has even a tendency to be silky. In the best strains the coat stands out uniformly from the body like that of the fox or cat, without any disposition to collect in flecks or wavy curls. The fore legs are slightly feathered, but the hind are quite clean. The face is quite bare of all but very short hair.

10. The colour (value 15) should be a dead flake white, without any mixture of yellow. A patch of fawn is often to be seen on the head or body, but it is very objectionable. There is a black variety highly prized in Germany, though apparently the produce of a cross, as the texture of coat and size of ears are very different from the best specimens of the white breed. A red strain, closely resembling the fox in texture of coat, and in all respects but the tail, is also met with occasionally on the continent of Europe. This strain is in all respects like the Chinese sheepdog, of which many specimens exist in England, and one or two of them usually go to make up the foreign class in our large shows.

11. The tail (value 5) is tightly curled over the back, shaggy, and rather short than otherwise.

12. In symmetry (value 5) this dogs equal most of his compeers, all his several component parts being in good proportion.

The specimen I have selected for illustration is only of average perfection in the shape of body and head, but his coat is highly characteristic of the true breed. He took the first prize at the Islington Show of the Kennel Club.

POMERANIAN, OR SPITZ DOG.

THE POMERANIAN.

THE Pomeranian is admittedly one of the least interesting dogs in existence, and consequently his supporters are few and far between. He has not that delicate beauty of outline which belongs to the Toy class generally, and his unsuitability for field sports renders him perfectly useless as a sporting dog. The Pomeranian is certainly a foreign importation, but to what country the credit of his production is due is a matter of conjecture. Good specimens of the breed have appeared from time to time amongst us, which have been picked up in Germany, Belgium, France, and other parts of the Continent, but the dog appears to be claimed by no one nation in particular, though he certainly resembles the Esquimaux in outline. This breed is fairly popular in America under the title of Spitz dog, and we have seen a very good specimen imported into this country by a lady who had visited the United States.

As before observed, the virtues of the Pomeranian, whatever they may be, have failed to gain him many friends, and this is hardly to be wondered at when his good and bad qualities come to be weighed in the balance. Against a pretty coat, sharp and rather intelligent face, must be reckoned the snappish temper and lack of affection with which the Pomeranian is so generally credited. In fact, this breed looks far more intelligent than it really is, for it seems incapable of developing even an ordinary amount of instinct. As a guard to a house, however, if kept indoors, the Pomeranian is of some service, for his ears are keen, and an inclination to bark seems deeply rooted in the variety. On the other hand, though uncertain and treacherous in disposition, his courage is very much below the average, and a Pomeranian would sooner run than stand his ground any day. From this it may be surmised that as a vermin dog, which from his size and shape of head he might reasonably be expected to be, in some shape or other, a dog of this breed is worse than useless. Isolated specimens may on occasion do a little in the way of destroying rats, but we have seen many tried at all sorts of vermin, big and little, with the same result—an apparently irresistible inclination to get out of the pit as soon as possible, and leave their enemies to something which liked to kill them better. This experience is corroborated by almost every one who has seen the breed tried, and we do not believe any of their best friends take credit for a Pomeranian’s gameness or resolution in attack.

With reference to the earlier history of the breed mention is made to it in a work entitled Cynographia Britannica, by Sydenham Edwards, which was published in London in 1800, where we find that the Pomeranian or Fox-dog is thus described:—He is of little value as a house-dog, being noisy, artful, and quarrelsome, cowardly, petulant, and deceitful, snappish, and dangerous to children, and in other respects without useful properties. He is very common in Holland, and there named Kees. . . . . . There is a peculiarity in his coat: his hair, particularly the ruff around his neck, is not formed of hairs that describe the line of beauty, or serpentine line, but is simply a semicircle, which by inclining the same way in large masses give him a very beautiful appearance. Although his attachment is very weak, yet he is difficult to be stolen.

The same writer alludes to the colour in the following words:—Of a pale fallow colour, lightest on the lower parts; some are white, some black, but few spotted.

In the Sportsman’s Cabinet, published 1804, this breed is termed the Pomeranian or Wolf-dog, and the colour is referred to as being mostly of a pale yellow or cream colour, and lightest in the lower parts; some are white, some few black, and others, but very rarely, spotted. The similarity of this description to the one given above renders it more than probable that the two were by the same hand, more especially as both works were published at so brief an interval. According to the latter authority the following was the pleasing method of breaking Pomeranians to harness adopted in Kamtchatka:—As soon as the puppies are able to see they are thrown into a dark pit, where they are shut up until they are thought able to undergo a trial. They are then harnessed with other seasoned dogs to a sledge, with which they scamper away with all their might, being frightened by the light and by so many strange objects. After their short trial they are again confined to their gloomy dungeon, and this practice is repeated until they are inured to the business of drawing, and are obedient to their driver. From this moment begins their hard and miserable course, only alleviated by the short recreation the summer affords them. As in this season they are of no service, nobody cares about them, but they enjoy a perfect liberty, which they principally employ in assuaging their hunger. Their sole nutriment consists of fish, which they watch for all this time by the banks of the river, and which they catch with the greatest cunning and dexterity. When they have plenty of this food, like the bears, they devour only the heads and leave the rest behind. In the opinion of the latter writer the character of the dog is superior to that given him by Sydenham Edwards, assuming that the two authors are not identical. In the Sportsman’s Cabinet Pomeranians are said to possess an instinctive sagacity of giving infallible notice when storms are approaching by scratching holes in the snow, and endeavouring to shelter themselves beneath it. By these and many other good qualities the Kamtchadale dogs by far outbalance the casual mischiefs they do in their occasional petulance and perverseness. Further on the writer remarks:—He bites most severely, and always with greater vehemence in proportion as he is less resisted; for he most sagaciously uses precautions with such animals as attempt to stand upon the defensive; and is admitted to be instinctively a coward, as he never fights but when under the necessity of satisfying his hunger or making good his retreat.

In the Naturalist’s Library, edited by Sir William Jardine, Col. Charles Hamilton Smith, who is responsible for most of the canine information, remarks that these dogs are white, white-and-brown, or buff. Thus showing that the white colour was becoming more popular amongst us. This latter is by far the favourite and most common colour in the present day; though some authorities (with whom, however, we disagree) rather favour the fawn or lemon-coloured dogs. It may, however, be taken as a rule that, whatever the colour is, the dog should be whole coloured, not pied, as patches are universally objected to in Pomeranians.

As regards shape the Cynographia Britannica says:—Head broad towards neck and narrowing to the muzzle; ears short, pointed, and erect; about 18 inches high; is distinguished by his long, thick, and rather erect coat, forming a ruff around the neck, but short on the head and ears; the tail large and bushy, curled in a ring on the rump; instances are few of short-coated ones. This description very closely resembles that of the modern Pomeranian, which certainly appears to have benefited less from the fostering influence of the attention of its admirers than any other breed.

BLACK POMERANIAN.

Amongst the supporters of this breed may be mentioned the names of Mr. R. Oldham of Manchester, Mrs. Senden of Streatham, Mr. Enoch Hutton, Mr. Fawdry, and Mrs. Mayhew.

The dog we have selected is Mr. J. Fawdry’s Charley, who has been successful at most of the principal shows throughout the country. He was born 1877, and scales 18 lbs. Charley’s measurements are:—Nose to stop, 1 3/4 inches; stop to top