| The American Kennel Club establishes standards of | | | | eyes. |
| various dog breeds, including the Pomeranian. Before | | | | Pomeranian standards rely on proportions for definition |
| the American Kennel Club recognizes a breed, the | | | | of the Pomeranian's body. The breed's height from its |
| breed has to have certain characteristics, referred to | | | | elbows to its withers is about the same as the height |
| as standards of the breed, that remain stable | | | | from the ground to the elbows. The shoulder blade |
| generation after generation. Breed standards serve | | | | and the upper arm should be of approximately equal |
| several functions. A dog owner buying an American | | | | length. The Pomeranian has a double-coat consisting |
| Kennel Club recognized breed of dog knows how big | | | | of a soft undercoat and a long, textured outer coat. |
| a puppy will be when it grows up. All puppies start out | | | | The outer coat forms feathers on the legs and a frill |
| small, but a Pomeranian owner knows he or she will | | | | around the shoulders and chest. |
| end up with a dog that weighs in at seven pounds or | | | | A soft, flat or open coat is a major fault that leads to |
| less. Breed standards also predict temperament, and | | | | disqualification. |
| the owner of a Pomeranian puppy knows the grown | | | | The standard of the breed permits the Pomeranian to |
| dog will be playful, energetic and extroverted. | | | | be virtually every color, and all colors and variations |
| If you want to see you your Pomeranian compares to | | | | must be judged equally. Common Pomeranian patterns |
| the show dogs that win American Kennel Club | | | | include black and tan, brindle and parti-color. With black |
| championships, grab your dog and your bathroom | | | | and tan, light patches appear above the eyes, on the |
| scale. You're about to find out whether you have a | | | | muzzle, throat, chest, legs, feet, and under the tail. A |
| potential champion on your hands. | | | | brindle coat has a gold or red base with bold black |
| Well-known, established standards for breeds | | | | stripes. A parti-color Pomeranian is white with patches |
| encourage good breeding practices. Toy dogs have | | | | of any other color, although a white blaze on the head |
| fragile skeletal systems, and preventing the breed from | | | | is preferred. |
| getting too heavy helps reduce the likelihood of injury | | | | In specialty shows, Pomeranian dogs are categorized |
| to bones and joints. Nearly everything about the | | | | into three different groups according to the color |
| Pomeranian is covered by the standards of the breed, | | | | combinations of their coats. Red, orange and sable |
| from the dark nose to the high, plumed tail, which, | | | | dogs are judged together while black and brown dogs |
| according to breed standards, must lie flat and straight | | | | are judged in a second group, and other variations are |
| against the dogs' back. Pomeranians should have small, | | | | judged in a third group. |
| pointed ears, short muzzles and dark, almond-shaped | | | | |