One Pomeranian Picture Worth a Thousand Smiles

By Rosie Allan

If you are thinking about getting a small dog, you are probably thinking about getting a Pomeranian, since they seem to be all over the place. You already know not to buy from a pet store, as they get their puppies from inhumane puppy mills. You also know never to even buy supplies from pet stores that sell puppies. So, you have two options left to you for a dog - breeders or a rescue.

For the sake of argument, let's say you decided on getting a puppy from a breeder. How can you tell if your prospective breeder's stock has good quality Pomeranians or not? One puffy pointed eared dog is just as good as the next, right? Wrong! There are very unscrupulous people selling dogs of questionable parentage for purebred prices. You need to be somewhat familiar with the breed standard. One easy way to do this is by comparing a breeder's stock to Pomeranian pictures.

Your best bet for pictures would be from the American Kennel Club, Pomeranian Savvy.com or even from Wikipedia, which has good collection of free pictures. Compare any free Pomeranian pictures you find to the breed standard in order to properly illustrate a Pomeranian. Avoid black Pomeranian , as those unfamiliar with dogs often get them confused with the all black Schipperkes. Also, be sure you know what time period the picture is from. The breed has gone through quantum changes in the last 200 years.

You are better off with pictures that best conform to the Pomeranian information of the average dog. The average Pomeranian is about eleven inches in height at the shoulder, has pointed ears, profuse fur, a fox-like head with bright eyes, a curled puffy tail and orangey-red fur, or fur that's a dark peaches and cream color. This breed comes in a wide variety of colors, but not all of them are recognized as true Pomeranian colors.

If you decide to go the model route for your Pomeranian pictures, you should have no trouble finding photogenic Pomeranians. There are many animal trainers and professional dog trainers you could contact to see if they know of a model. But you might not even need to go that far. Going to the local dog park may reveal a superstar just waiting for the camera. Since Pomeranians are so trainable, the odds are your aspiring model will catch on to what you want quickly.

Theanimal model should not look ill in any way, unless curing an illness is part of your product or event. Bald patches and ribs showing should be avoided. You don't want to be seen as promoting cruelty in any way. You need to check your information websites to find out if your model looks anywhere near the breed standard. If you are not sure, then don't promote your model as a Pomeranian, but as a dog.

Rosie Allan is an expert on British royal dogs and lives in the countryside of London with two Pomeranians. The Pomeranian, a favorite of royalty, is a descendant of the Spitz sled dogs. Queen Victoria of England, who once had 35 Pomeranians, made the dog popular in England in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Helpful Pomeranian information such as that found here is also available at libraries and through the American Kennel Club.