Kennel Notes.

Digger (Invercargill RSA), Issue 26, 10 September 1920, Page 11

Kennel Notes.

There is no breed of Toy dog that has made such rapid strides in popularity in the Dominion as the dainty Pomeranian. Only a few years ago the number of breeders could be counted on the fingers of one hand, and at shows there was little or no competifeion, but during the last few years these things have changed. The Pomeranian hegan to make friends, many of its admirers imported good specimens from England, with the result that at Wellington, in April last, there were j eighty entries at the New Zealand Toy Dog Show. Breeders have been fortunate in securing a good type oi Pomeranian from Enugland, and the New Zealand -bred dog has oftentimes proved himself the equal of his English parents, and in some cases has been considered better in the show. ring. Prior to 1870 the Pomeranian was hardly known in England, and it was not until between 1891 and 1905 that ihe breed rapidly gained popularity. The Pomeranian has flourished all over Europe, and in Germany he is known as the German Spitz, in Italy the Volpino, in France the Lnlu, in Beigium and Holland the Keeshond, and ?n England the Pomeranian. Wherever the Pomeranian originated it has been accepted generally that he is a Northern or Arctic breed. The breeders of the present day aim at producing as light a dog as possible, and some of the best specimens are under 51b in weight, although the early type of Pomeranian weighed- -anything from 101b to 121b, and in some, instances much heavier than this. There is now a dividing weight, which ha,s been fixed at 71b, to classify the light from the heavier variety, and although there is no'weightlimit fixed for the latter variety it should he the aim of breeders of this class to keep as near the dividing weight as possible. In colour the oragnes is fast becoming the favourite, which is typical of the Ital. ia'n variety; the sables and shaded sables are also among the many pretty colours which Pomeranians assume ; also the blacks ; the many different shades of browns, varyini? from a dark chocolate

to a light beaver; and the blues or smoke. coloured, also have their many admirers. In 1891 the Pomeranian Club of England was forrned, v/hich has done much good for the breed, and one of its first acts was to draw up a standard and'scale of points, which will appear in a later issue of the "Digger."