Pomeranian vs Norrbottenspets - Breed Comparison | Petzlover

The Norrbottenspets is an ancient dog breed whose purpose has been to hunt, although these days he is a companion dog.

Hailing from Noorbotten, Sweden, it was after the second world war that the breed almost became extinct. This was because hunting dogs were no longer needed.

Luckily a breeding program was started, and in 1967 the Swedish Kennel Club registered the dog and a new standard was written. His friendly, amicable nature makes him a sought after companion today.

Pomeranian dog Known as the Pom and classified as a toy dog breed, the Pomeranian comes from the Spitz dog from the Arctic regions. It is thought that the dog is descended from larger Spitz-type dogs, and more specifically the German Spitz.

It appears to be an ancient dog breed because there are recordings of its existence from 1764 already. This little dog is thought to have got his name from the area known as Pomeranian in Northern Poland as well as along the Baltic Sea, Germany.

The first breed club for this dog was established in England in 1891. Not long afterwards the first breed standard was written. In the standard published in 1998, The Pomeranian Dog is categorized in the German Spitz standard.

The Norrbottenspets is a small to medium sized spitz- type dog but he is muscular and compact. He stands at between 42 – 46cm in height and weighs in at between 8 and 15kg.

With good care he can live to be up to 15 years of age. The coat of the dog is straight and dense and you find quite a few colors such as white, yellow and reddish and sometimes there is a bit of ticking. He has a short to medium length waterproof coat which is dense.The outer coat is coarse with straight hair and the undercoat is soft and thick and the dog is a moderate shedder.

The head is wedge-shaped with erect ears, black nose and brown almond-shaped eyes. The muzzle is pointed and slim and the dog's tail is long and curls up over his back

Temperament:

Confident, alert and active, the Norbottenspets is an active, happy-go-lucky kind of dog, always looking for a game. It is why he gets on well with children in the home – he can sense that there is perhaps a better chance of a game with them.

He isn’t a prey-driven dog and gets on well with other pets in the home. He makes an excellent family pet and his very presence brings joy into a room as he is always cheerful.

He is stubborn and independent and will therefore require training and socialization to become obedient to your basic commands such as sit, lie-down and come.

This is such a sweet little dog, full of good cheer and with such a bright little face. He weighs between 1.5kg and 4kg and stands at anything between 17 and 28cm in height.

He is such a compact little fluff ball with sharp erect ears and a fox like appearance with a well feathered tail that curls up over the dog’s back.

The coat is thick and spritely, not lying flat but standing up around the dog. Coats can be nearly any color, but the most common is tan, reddish, orange or you get a mix of cream tan and black.

Temperament:

When you look into the bright little face of the Pomeranian Puppy, you can see that he is a true extrovert. He is social and has a huge personality. They’re bright, eager, feisty, loving and loyal.

Full of fun and very intelligent, they may be small and cute, but training and socialization will do him the world of good as it means you can take him anywhere with you and he’ll be well behaved. They grow attached to their owners and want to protect them.

They can be somewhat aloof with strangers and its this wariness around them that makes them good watchdogs. They get on well with children in the home and are prepared to make friends with other pets in the family too.

The Norrbottenspets is such an amicable, easy going pet and he is going to make you a loyal and loving canine companion. He bonds closely with his human family and will be bored and frustrated if left alone day after day in the back yard.

He is social and friendly and wants to be involved with the activities of his family. Feed him well, give him plenty of exercise and give him the love and care he deserves and he will make you an awesome canine companion.

Pomeranians are such bright, friendly little dogs and they’re also active. These loving dogs are also intelligent so you can easily teach him some simple commands such as sit or lie down.

He won’t want to lie down for too long though because he’s full of beans.

He’s alert too so he makes a good watchdog. When you bring one of these dogs into your home as a pet and companion animal, you won’t be disappointed as he’s got a whole lot of love to give.

The Norrbottenspets life expectancy is between 12 and 15 years. These dogs are fairly healthy but there are always health concerns with any dog breed.

There are small numbers of the breed which are prone to a genetic condition affecting the brain and the result is poor coordination. It is sad to see because there is no known treatment and some dogs reach the stage where they can’t eat and they can’t control their toilet habits.

Hip Dysplasia:

Dogs with hip dysplasia have an abnormal formation of the hip socket which can lead to arthritis, pain and the inability to get around. It is a genetic trait and you will need to get your pet to the vet for treatment and pain management.

Your little Pomeranian Puppy is a sturdy dog who isn’t going to battle too much with health issues. With good care such as good food and exercise, the Pomeranian can reach 12 – 16 years of age.

Some of the most common health issues you might come across

Luxating Patella:

This problem comes about when the ridges which form the patella groove in the knee aren’t deep enough to allow the patella to sit securely. This causes the patella to move out of the groove. While the muscles are contracted, the patella isn’t able to return to the correct position.

Eye Problems:

Pomeranians Dogs are prone to quite a few eye problems such as tear duct problems and cataracts. As a responsible dog owner, take your pet to the vet if you suspect eye problems.

Collapsed Trachea: 

The trachea carries air to the lungs and it can collapse. Your dog will have a chronic, dry cough and this can be brought about when people tug on their dog's leash.

Dental Disease:

Every little dog battles with teeth and gum problems which can lead to early tooth loss. When you brush your Pomeranian, make a point of checking inside his mouth too, as a bad tooth can cause pain but also all kinds of health problems.

Diet:

Your Norrbottenspet will be requiring a high-quality dog food if you want him to stand the best chances of being healthy. Home made food is always a good choice, but there are also some good commercially manufactured dog foods which are convenient.

You want the food to have the necessary vitamins and minerals to ensure good health. Every dog will love a little bit of raw meat added to his kibble from time to time. Dogs love their meals to be consistent – no exotic, spiced foods to upset the stomach.

Boiled chicken, brown rice or pasta and cooked vegetables such as sweet potatoes, carrots and spinach can be chopped up and added to his kibble occasionally and this makes a splendid tasty treat for your pet.

You want to avoid your dog becoming overweight as this brings on a host of problems. Make sure he always has access to cool, fresh water.

Grooming:

The Norrbottenspets short to medium length coat will need brushing twice a week. They are clean looking dogs and you’ll find that they don’t have an unpleasant dog-smell around them.

Always check his eyes and ears for infections. Also check his teeth. A bad tooth may not be evident but it can negatively impact the immune system and cause illness with your dog.

The nails should also be cut to avoid them hooking on things.

Grooming:

Pomeranians Dogs have a thick, double coat, so you will need to invest in a decent brush so that you can brush him. He is a shedder so this is an important part of grooming. Some people prefer to take the dog to the groomers and have the coat professionally cut.

Exercise:

Your cute little Pomeranian isn't the kind of dog to spend too much time asleep on the couch. He is energetic and full of beans and he will wait anxiously for you to take down his leash and take him on a walk. In indoors his bright little face will be watching yours to see if there’s any chance of a ball game.

Diet:

People never know if they should feed their dogs dry kibble, semi-moist or canned dog food. Homemade food is always good, but if you opt to also use commercially manufactured dog food, go for the good quality ones that have vitamins and minerals in them.

Every dog needs a good balance of protein, carbs, minerals, fats, vitamins and trace elements. People often get all worked up over feeding their pets when it can be so simple.

Use a high quality dry kibble, but now and then add some home-made cooked food into it as a treat – about once or twice a week. Boil some chicken, brown rice, sweet potato, carrots and spinach and add this in to the dry kibble.

Every now and then a little bit of raw meat will also do your pet the world of good. What could be more simple than this? Nutritious, tasty and healthy, and your pet will thrive on it.

Make sure he always has a bowl of fresh, cool water close by.