Pomeranians & Shih Tzu’s
Poms…
These small dogs were once not so small. During a visit to France, Queen Victoria fell in love with the Spitz dogs there and brought some of them back to her home kennels. Her very favorite of these new dogs was named Marco. He was smaller than the rest and he frequently won best in show. Marco was the traditional red/brown/black color. He was bred specially to produce more pups similar in stature to himself, and thus Pomeranians were ‘born.’ They were named Pomeranians after the region where they were first bred, Pomerania, which is now a part of western Germany and Poland.
Pomeranians have ‘Lion in the mirror’ syndrome. Though they are small they fancy themselves otherwise. They have very big and bold personalities. These dogs are very friendly. It is one of my personal favorite qualities about them. They love people-ALL people. Your house guests will never be shooed away by your precious pup.
Pomeranians are also very intelligent and have a great desire to please their master, making them very easy to train. They do bark a lot without a lot of training to prevent them from doing so, but proper and sufficient mental stimulation will go a long way toward preventing some excess barking. Showing your dog or participating in agility exercises will help provide your dog with an outlet for his/her mental energies. Other ways to provide for you dogs mental stimulation are by providing dog puzzle toys and taking plenty of good old-fashioned walks. Mentally and physically tired pups bark a lot less! These efforts on your part will also enlongate your pups life by preventing mental decline such as alzheimers in dogs in old age.
Pomeranians grow to be between 3 and 7 pounds and are 6-7 inches tall. They need frequent grooming to keep their coats and skin in good condition. They live 12-16 years, and if fed a raw diet, as I recommend may very well live beyond their life expectancy by a few years.
Pomeranians are susceptible to a few genetic conditions. The AKC recommends testing for three of these: Eye health, Heart health and Knee health. My parent dogs have all been tested for these areas of health and wellness and are certified as acceptable ‘breeding stock’ by the Orthopedic Foundation for Animals.
Shih Tzu’s…
These dogs have an unclear origin but were likely bred in China possibly by combining the Pekingese and Lhasa Apso lines. The new breed of dog, the Shih Tzu, were kept by Chinese Royal emperors.
Shih Tzu’s seem to know they are royal dogs! They carry themselves with pride. Their name, Shih Tzu means, “little lion” because of this pride and their furry faces. They are sweet natured and friendly. Unlike Pomeranians however they are only polite to strangers. My mixed version puppies are more Pomeranian in this regard than Shih Tzu; they love ALL people. However, YOUR pup may require more socialization to develop trusting nature toward strangers.
Shih Tzu’s get by on less exercise than Pomeranians. They are happy to play fetch and run around the yard for a bit (if you have one). Then back to nap time on your lap! Despite needing less exercise than Poms, Shih Tzu’s are very smart and they are just as stubborn. Unlike the Pomeranian whose primary goal is to please you, Shih Tzu’s consider their own wants and desires foremost. This can make them difficult to house train, but with patience and lots of positivity they will learn.
Shih Tzu’s grow to be between 9 and 16 pounds and are 10-11 inches tall. They need frequent grooming to keep their coats and skin in good condition. They live 10-18 years, and if fed a raw diet, as I recommend may very well live beyond their life expectancy by a few years.
Shih Tzu’s have no genetic concerns that warrant testing to have approved ‘breeding stock’ per AKC recommendations.