Blue Jacket (Fig. 114) belonged to Miss Ives, of Stockport, a young lady who has made a speciality of this colour, and probably owns the largest number of winning specimens in the possession of one owner. He was of medium size, and good, sound, slate-blue colour, well proportioned, and of excellent type, and a winner of many prizes in keen competition. Blue Jacket had the credit of possessing the faculty not only of reproducing his own colour in his descendants, but of being the sire of many Toys of high quality when suitably mated.

As already stated, in selecting a puppy, especial attention should be paid to the head. The fox-like head is correct, and that combined with a short body and dark eyes. The ears in a young puppy are not erect, and therefore ear-carriage cannot be taken into account. At birth the ears of Pomeranian puppies droop, and it is not until they are from three to six months, or even older, that the erect carriage is assumed. This is largely influenced by the teething process, and puppies that suffer much at such a period not infrequently carry their ears irregularly. In black puppies, as in other self-colours, it is not unusual to find a little white on chest; frequently this is moulted out with the casting of the first coat.

The following is the description of the breed as drawn up by the Pomeranian Club, and revised by that body in 1901 : -

Appearance

The Pomeranian in build and appearance should be a compact, short-coupled dog, well knit in frame. His head and face should be fox-like, with small, erect ears that appear sensible to every sound ; he should exhibit great intelligence in his expression, docility in his disposition, and activity and buoyancy in his deportment.

Head

The head should be somewhat foxy in outline, or wedge-shaped, the skull being slightly flat (although in the Toy varieties the skull may be rather rounder), large in proportion to the muzzle, which should finish rather fine and be free from lippiness. The teeth should be level, and on no account undershot. The head in its profile may exhibit a little "stop," which, however, must not be too pronounced, and the hair on head and face must be smooth or short-coated.

Eyes

The eyes should be medium in size, rather oblique in shape, not set too wide apart, bright and dark in colour, showing great intelligence and docility of temper. In a white dog black rims round the eyes are preferable.

Fig. 114. - Toy Pomeranian Blue Jacket.

Ears

The ears should be small, not set too far apart nor too low down, and carried perfectly erect, like those of a fox, and, like the head, should be covered with soft, short hair. No plucking or trimming is allowable.

Nose

In black, black-and-tan, or white dogs the nose should be black; in other coloured Pomeranians it may more often be brown or liver-coloured; but in all cases the nose must be self-, not parti-, coloured, and never white.

Neck And Shoulders

The neck, if anything, should be rather short, well set on, and lion-like, covered with a profuse mane and frill of long, straight hair, sweeping from the under jaw and covering the whole of the front part of the shoulders and chest as well as the top part of the shoulders. The shoulders must be tolerably clean and laid well back.

Body

The back must be short and the body compact, being well ribbed up, and the barrel well rounded. The chest must be fairly deep and not too wide.

Legs

The fore legs must be perfectly straight, of medium length, not such as would be termed either "leggy" or "low on leg," but in due proportion in length and strength to a well-balanced frame, and the fore legs and thighs must be well feathered, the feet small and compact in shape. No trimming is allowable.

Tail

The tail is a characteristic of the breed, and should be turned over the back and carried flat, being profusely covered with long, spreading hair.

Coat

Properly speaking, there should be two coats, an under- and an over-coat, the one, a soft, fluffy undercoat, and the other a long, perfectly straight coat, covering the whole of the body, being very abundant round the neck and fore part of the shoulders and chest, where it should form a frill of profuse, standing-off, straight hair, extending over the shoulders as previously described. The hindquarters, like those of the Collie, should be similarly clad with long hair or feathering from the top of the rump to the hocks. The hair on the tail must be, as previously described, profuse, and spreading over the back.

Colour

The following colours are admissible: - White, black, blue or grey, brown, sable or shaded sable (including red, orange, or fawn), and parti-colours. The whites must be quite free from lemon or any colour, and the blacks, blues, browns, and sables from any while. A few white hairs in any of the self-colours shall not absolutely disqualify, but should carry great weight against a dog. In parti-coloured dogs the colours should be evenly distributed on the body in patches; a dog with a white foot or a white chest would not be a parti-coloured. Whole-coloured dogs with a white foot or feet, leg or legs, are decidedly objectionable, and should be discouraged, and cannot compete as whole-coloured specimens. In mixed classes - i.e. where whole-coloured and parti-coloured Pomeranians compete together - the preference should, if in other points they are equal, be given to the whole-coloured specimens.

N.B. - Where classification by weight is made, the following scale, passed by the Club as the most suitable division, should be adopted by Show Committees: -

1. Not exceeding 81b. (Toys). 2. Exceeding 81b.

Where classification by colour is made, the following should be adopted: -

1. Black.

2. White.

3. Brown or Chocolate.

4. Sable and Shaded Sable.

5. Blue or Grey.

6. Any other colour.