The Pomeranian and the American Eskimo Dog; two small Spitz breeds that share a lot of
similarities.
But, although they share heredity, the two are not interchangeable.
Let’s compare these two loveable breeds Dog vs. Dog.
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History
The forerunners of today's Pomeranian breed and the American Eskimo Dog were large working
dogs from the Arctic regions, the same ancestors as today’s Huskies and Malamutes.
And both are considered to be descendants of the German Spitz.
The Pomeranian is thought to have acquired its name by association with the area known
as Pomerania which is located in northern Poland and Germany along the Baltic Sea.
Although not the origin of the breed, this area is credited with the breeding which led
to the original Pomeranian type of dog.
Proper documentation was lacking until the breed's introduction into the United Kingdom.
We do know that the Pomeranian was not always the tiny dog it is today.
Although called the American Eskimo Dog, we can trace the breed back to Germany and Northern
Europe.
European immigrants brought their Spitz pets with them to the United States, especially
New York, in the early 1900s, descended from the larger German Spitz, the Keeshond, the
white Pomeranian, and the Italian Spitz, the Volpino Italiano.
The breed was first officially recognized as the "American Eskimo" in 1919 by the American
United Kennel Club, although we are not quite sure why the name was chosen.
The first written record and history of the breed was printed in 1958.
Enough about their history, let’s get to the fun stuff.
Personality
The Eskie is smart, friendly and a good communicator.
Its alert nature makes it an excellent watchdog, but beware!
The Eskie is highly vocal.
Eskies get along with most everyone they meet but are not always patient with tight squeezes
from children.
Closely supervise interactions with young children, and teach them how to pet the Eskie
gently.
An American Eskimo should never be shy or aggressive.
The Pomeranian has a proud and glamorous appearance with a personality to match.
The Pom is an extrovert who is clever and lively.
They have a take-charge temperament and tend not to be fearful of strangers or other animals.
For more than a century, the Pom has had a well-deserved reputation for being a great
watchdog.
It may weigh only a few pounds, but it views himself as absolute guardian of his home and
family.
The perfect little Pom is calm and easy to live with.
It enjoys sitting in your lap and giving kisses.
Poms do like to bark.
Poms may look like toys, but they are not good pets for young children.
They are too delicate to be handled roughly, and they prefer the company of adults.
Coat and Colors
As Spitz breeds, both share a long Double Coat, which gives them a pretty good tolerance
to cold weather, although they certainly aren’t Huskies.
And, no one would ever say either of these breeds is low maintenance when it comes to
grooming needs, but overall the Pom is a little easier to keep up with.
The American Eskimo Dog has a straight coat and is a heavy shedder of both fur and dander
and has high grooming needs.
The Pomeranian, while definitely not light on the shedding of fur and dander rates about
average.
The Pomeranian is a colorful breed.
You can find Poms in almost every color and color combination known to dogdom.
You could literally have dozens of Poms and not have two of the same color or color combination.
The American Eskimo comes in two colors.
White and White with Biscuit patches, which is a light red cream.
Size
The modern Pomeranian is a tiny dog at about 3-7 pounds and 7-12 inches tall.
It is a true toy dog.
Part of the Non-sporting group, the American Eskimo’s size varies considerably with three
size ranges: toys weighing between 6-10 pounds at 9-12 inches tall, miniature weighing between
10-20 pounds at 12-15 inches tall and standard which are between 25-35 pounds and 15-19 inches
tall.
There’s an American Eskimo Dog to fit any space.
Trainability
The strong-willed Eskie needs a confident owner who can take charge in teaching and
leading him.
The Eskie learns quickly, however, so training is usually fun and highly successful.
Poms are notoriously difficult to train.
They like to be the boss and don't take kindly to someone telling them what to do.
They are stubborn, bossy, manipulative and require gentle but firm leadership.
Consistency is the key to training.
Poms don't have to be unruly; they can be trained and socialized to be well-mannered.
Food is an excellent motivational tool, as is lots of happy, exuberant praise.
Keep training sessions short, but never let your Pom decide when it's time to pack it
in.
Activity Levels
Both dogs have high energy levels.
With its high energy level, the Eskie has high exercise needs.
Eskies must have regular opportunities to vent their energy and use their busy minds.
Otherwise, they can become rambunctious and bored, which usually leads to barking, chewing
and other destructive behaviors.
A bored American Eskimo Dog can wreak havoc on your home and yard.
Although the Pomeranian is a high energy dog, its exercise needs are minimal and when it
does need to burn off some energy, a run up and down a hallway or a romp on the living
room floor will usually suffice.
But, most of the time your Pom will be happy sitting on a lap.
Health and Lifespan
Both breeds have similar lifespans of between 12-16 years, although there are plenty of
examples of them living much longer.
Overall the American Eskimo is a much healthier dog.
But it does have common ailments such as Cataracts, Hip Dysplasia, Legg-Perthes Disease (a degenerative
disease of the femur bone of the hind legs) and Progressive Retinal Atrophy.
The Pomeranian has a whole list of common health concerns, such as Allergies, Cataracts,
Collapsed Trachea, Dry Eye, Epilepsy, Hip Dysplasia, Legg-Perthes Disease, Patellar
Luxation or kneecap dislocation.
So which breed suits you?
Let us know in the comments.
The Pomeranian is certainly the more popular breed, consistently ranked in the top 20 breeds
by AKC registration.
For overall health and trainability the American Eskimo Dog could be a better choice.
But, if you want a sweet little lap dog that is content to hang out on the couch with you
while you watch Animal Facts, who’ll maybe not cover your entire house with fur, the
Pom is definitely up to the task.
Of course, there is always the Pomino, a cute designer mix of these two breeds if you are
having a hard time choosing.
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