Pomeranian: Size, Lifespan and Care Basics

The American Kennel Club (AKC) gives the Pomeranian a life expectancy of 12 to 16 years. The Royal Kennel Club (RKC) in the UK puts the breed in its “over 12 years” band.

Both figures describe the breed as a whole. They are ranges for typical dogs of the breed, not a forecast for any one dog.

Of the 30 breeds profiled on Pettify, 1 have a longer upper estimate than the Pomeranian and 24 a shorter one.

The RKC suggests grooming a Pomeranian more than once a week and describes the coat as medium; it lists the breed as one that sheds. On the AKC’s scales the breed rates 2 out of 5 for shedding and 3 out of 5 for how often the coat needs care.

That frilled double coat is the breed’s signature, and left alone it mats. Once a week, the AKC says, work a pin brush and a slicker brush through it right down to the base of the hair, not just over the top layer.

A professional groomer every four to six weeks is the AKC’s suggestion for owners who would rather not handle the full routine themselves.

The RKC puts the exercise a Pomeranian needs at up to 30 minutes a day. The AKC rates the breed 3 out of 5 for energy and 3 out of 5 for mental stimulation needs.

Poms enjoy a lap, but they also like a chance to run and play. The AKC says indoor games and short walks are enough to exercise one, which is why the breed is content in the city or the suburbs. Teach it tricks and games, too; the AKC says Poms master them easily.

Before the first outing, walk the fence line. Poms squeeze through small gaps and scramble over short fences, the AKC warns, so a garden that holds a bigger dog may not hold this one, and outdoor time goes best with you close by.

The AKC gives the adult weight of the Pomeranian as “3–7 pounds”, which is 1.4–3.2 kg. The height at the shoulder is 6–7 inches.

Toy size came fairly late for this breed. Its ancestors were much bigger spitz dogs, and Queen Victoria, who bred and showed Poms, is credited, the AKC says, with bringing them down from about 30 pounds to the size they are now. The RKC names the German Spitz as the breed the Pomeranian was bred down from.

The Pom is a sled dog in miniature. The AKC traces it to the spitz-type sled dogs of the Arctic, from Iceland and Lapland, and in some countries it still goes by Zwergspitz. It kept the confidence of those bigger ancestors, by the AKC’s account, which describes a commanding, big-dog attitude in a toy-sized body.

Royal favor made the breed famous. The RKC, which dates the first Poms in the UK to 1870, says royal patronage did much to popularize them. The AKC tells the story: Queen Victoria fell for the breed on a visit to Florence and went on to breed and show Poms herself. One of her favorites, Windsor Marco, won first in the breed at Crufts in 1891, and a British historian observed that a judge would have needed nerve to place her second.

Inquisitive, lively and bold are the AKC’s words for the temperament. Trainability rates 3 out of 5, yet the AKC calls the breed alert and intelligent and says Poms are easily trained. Family affection is rated 5 out of 5, and by the AKC’s account what a Pom likes best is keeping its favorite person company and making them laugh.

Space is rarely the problem. By the RKC’s lines an apartment works, alongside a small or medium garden, in town or country, and adaptability rates 4 out of 5. Its admirers have ranged from Marie Antoinette, Mozart and Émile Zola to the American Pomeranian Club, which held its first specialty show in 1911. The Pomeranian was 19th on the AKC’s 2025 registration list.