Editing Pomeranian dog (section)

== History ==

=== Origins ===
[[File:Pomeranian (Miniature) from 1915.JPG|thumb|right|A miniature Pomeranian from 1915]]

The Pomeranian is considered to be descended from the [[German Spitz]].<ref name="vanderlip">{{cite book |title=The Pomeranian Handbook |last=Vanderlip |first=Sharon |year=2007 |publisher=Barron's Educational Series |isbn=978-0-7641-3545-3 |pages=2–8 }}</ref> The breed is thought to have acquired its name by association with the area known as [[Pomerania]] which is located in northern Poland and Germany along the Baltic Sea. Although not the origin of the breed, this area is credited with the breeding that led to the original Pomeranian type of dog. Proper documentation was lacking until the breed's introduction into the United Kingdom.<ref name="vanderlip"/>

[[File:Mr and Mrs William Hallett.jpg|upright|thumb|right|alt="A man and a woman walking next to a wood with their white dog. The woman is dressed in a white 18th-century gown and a black hat, and the man is dressed in a black suit with white stockings."|Portrait of Mr and Mrs William Hallett by [[Thomas Gainsborough]], 1785. The painting features a larger type of Pomeranian than is now common.]]

An early modern recorded reference to the Pomeranian breed is from 2 November 1764, in a diary entry in [[James Boswell]]'s ''Boswell on the Grand Tour: Germany and Switzerland''. "The Frenchman had a Pomeranian dog named Pomer whom he was mighty fond of."<ref>{{cite book |title=Boswell on the Grand Tour: Germany and Switzerland |last=Boswell |first=James |editor-last=Pottle |editor-first=Frederick A. |author-link=James Boswell |year=1764 |publisher=McGraw-Hill |edition=1st |page=165 |url=https://archive.org/stream/boswellonthegran006270mbp#page/n199/mode/2up |access-date=29 November 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110623051106/http://www.archive.org/stream/boswellonthegran006270mbp#page/n199/mode/2up |archive-date=23 June 2011 |url-status=live }}</ref> The offspring of a Pomeranian and a [[wolf]] bred by an animal merchant from London is discussed in [[Thomas Pennant]]'s ''[[A Tour in Scotland, 1769|A Tour in Scotland]]'' from 1769.<ref>{{cite book |title=A Tour in Scotland 1769 |last=Pennant |first=Thomas |author-link=Thomas Pennant |year=1776 |publisher=Benj White |edition=Fourth |page=[https://archive.org/details/atourinscotland03penngoog/page/n215 159] |url=https://archive.org/details/atourinscotland03penngoog |quote=pomeranian. |access-date=29 November 2009 }}</ref>

Two members of the [[British Royal Family]] influenced the evolution of the breed. In 1767, [[Queen Charlotte]], [[Queen-consort]] of King [[George III of Great Britain]], brought two Pomeranians to England.

Named Phoebe and Mercury, the dogs were depicted in paintings by Sir Thomas Gainsborough. These paintings depicted a dog larger than the modern breed, reportedly weighing as much as {{convert|30|-|50|lb|kg|abbr=on}}, but showing modern traits such as the heavy coat, ears and a tail curled over the back.<ref name="vanderlip"/>

[[Queen Victoria]], Queen Charlotte's granddaughter, was also an enthusiast and established a large breeding kennel. One of her favoured dogs was a comparatively small red sable Pomeranian which she possibly named "Windsor's Marco" and was reported to weigh only {{convert|12|lb|kg|abbr=on}}. When she first exhibited Marco in 1891, it caused the smaller-type Pomeranian to become immediately popular, and breeders began selecting only the smaller specimens for breeding. During her lifetime, the size of the Pomeranian breed was reported to have decreased by 50%.<ref name="vanderlip"/> Queen Victoria worked to improve and promote the Pomeranian breed by importing smaller Pomeranians{{citation needed|date=March 2024}} of different colours from various European countries to add to her breeding program.{{citation needed|date=March 2024}} Royal owners during this period also included [[Joséphine de Beauharnais]], the wife of [[Napoleon I of France]], and King [[George IV]] of the United Kingdom.{{citation needed|date=March 2024}}

The first breed club was set up in England in 1891, and the first breed standard was written shortly afterwards.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1755&dat=19640920&id=zLgqAAAAIBAJ&pg=5471,3699631 | title=Annual Dog Work Is In 37th Year | work=Sarasota Herald-Tribune | date=20 September 1964 | access-date=29 January 2014}}</ref> The first member of the breed was registered in the United States to the [[American Kennel Club]] in 1898, and it was recognized in 1900.<ref name="vanderlip"/>

[[File:Illustrirtes Muster Hunde-Buch, page 34 (cropped).jpg|thumb|Pomeranian (top) on an 1890 illustration]]

In 1912, two Pomeranians were among only three dogs to survive the sinking of [[RMS Titanic|RMS ''Titanic'']]. A Pomeranian called "Lady", owned by [[Margaret Bechstein Hays]], escaped with her owner in lifeboat number seven, while Elizabeth Barrett Rothschild took her pet to safety with her in lifeboat number six.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.lostandfond.co.uk/news-features/2010-10/fate-pets-who-sailed-titanic|title=Lost and Fond: Fate of the Pets Who Sailed on the Titanic|publisher=Caittom Publishing|access-date=2 November 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120321205230/http://www.lostandfond.co.uk/news-features/2010-10/fate-pets-who-sailed-titanic|archive-date=21 March 2012|url-status=dead}}</ref>

Glen Rose Flashaway won the [[Toy Group]] at the [[Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show]] in 1926, the first Pomeranian to win a group at Westminster.<ref name="vanderlip"/> It would take until 1988 for the first Pomeranian, "Great Elms Prince Charming II", to win the [[List of Best in Show winners of the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show|Best in Show prize]] from the Westminster Kennel Club.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.westminsterkennelclub.org/history/biswinners.html |title=Best in Show Winners |publisher=Westminster Kennel Club |access-date=6 January 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071225033923/http://westminsterkennelclub.org/history/biswinners.html |archive-date=25 December 2007 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

In the standard published in 1998, the Pomeranian is included in the German Spitz standard, along with the [[Keeshond]], by the [[Fédération Cynologique Internationale]].<ref name="standard">{{cite web |url=http://www.fci.be/uploaded_files/097gb98_en.doc |title=FCI-Standard N° 97: German Spitz, Including Keeshond And Pomeranian |date=5 March 1998 |publisher=Fédération Cynologique Internationale |access-date=6 January 2010 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20130707032715/http://www.fci.be/uploaded_files/097gb98_en.doc |archive-date=7 July 2013 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

=== Popularity ===
The Pomeranian has been among the more popular dog breeds in the United States, featuring consistently in the top 20 of registered American Kennel Club dog breeds since at least 1998, when it was ranked #10; the breed was #17 in the 2011 rankings, dropping two spots from the previous year.<ref name="akcranking">{{cite web |url=http://www.akc.org/news/the-most-popular-dog-breeds-in-america/ |title=AKC Dog Registration Statistics |publisher=American Kennel Club |access-date=29 November 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090925051653/http://www.akc.org/news/the-most-popular-dog-breeds-in-america/ |archive-date=25 September 2009 |url-status=dead}}</ref> In 2012 and 2013 it remained in the top twenty and was ranked at #19.<ref name=AKC2013>{{cite web |url=http://www.akc.org/news/the-most-popular-dog-breeds-in-america/ |title=AKC Dog Registration Statistics |publisher=American Kennel Club |access-date=26 September 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090925051653/http://www.akc.org/news/the-most-popular-dog-breeds-in-america/ |archive-date=25 September 2009 |url-status=live }}</ref> In 2015, the breed fell to #21, falling further to #22 in both 2016 and 2017.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.akc.org/expert-advice/news/most-popular-dog-breeds-full-ranking-list/|title=AKC Dog Registration Statistics|website=American Kennel Club|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190228202011/https://www.akc.org/expert-advice/news/most-popular-dog-breeds-full-ranking-list/|archive-date=28 February 2019|access-date=2 March 2019}}</ref>

It is not listed in the top 20 breeds in the UK in either 2007 or 2008.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.thekennelclub.org.uk/download/5675/2007-2008-Top-20.pdf |title=Top Twenty Breeds in Registration Order for the Years 2007 and 2008 |publisher=The Kennel Club |access-date=30 November 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111017204734/http://www.thekennelclub.org.uk/download/5675/2007-2008-Top-20.pdf |archive-date=17 October 2011 |url-status=dead }}</ref> In Australia their popularity has declined since 1986, with a peak of 1,128 Pomeranians registered with the [[Australian National Kennel Council]] in 1987;<ref>{{cite web |url=https://dogsaustralia.org.au/media/9573/rego-stats-list_1986-1999.pdf |title=National Animal Registration Analysis 1986-1999 |publisher=Australian National Kennel Council |access-date=15 January 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221018170707/https://dogsaustralia.org.au/media/9573/rego-stats-list_1986-1999.pdf |archive-date=18 October 2022 |url-status=live}}</ref> only 285 were registered in 2023.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://dogsaustralia.org.au/media/10159/rego-stats-list_2018-2023.pdf |title=National Animal Registration Analysis 2018-2023 |publisher=Australian National Kennel Council |access-date=15 January 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240618172402/https://dogsaustralia.org.au/media/10159/rego-stats-list_2018-2023.pdf |archive-date=18 June 2024 |url-status=live}}</ref>