CHAPTER XLIII 

 THE POMERANIAN 



LONG before the Pomeranian dog was common in Great 

 Britain, this breed was to be met with in many parts of Europe, 

 especially in Germany ; and he was known under different 

 names, according to his size and the locality in which he 

 flourished. The title of Pomeranian is not admitted by the 

 Germans at all, who claim this as one of their national breeds, 

 and give it the general name of the German Spitz. 



At Athens, in the Street of Tombs, there is a representation 

 of a little Spitz leaping up to the daughter of a family as she is 

 taking leave of them, which bears the date equivalent to 56 

 B.C., and in the British Museum there is an ancient bronze jar 

 of Greek workmanship, upon which is engraved a group of 

 winged horses at whose feet there is a small dog of undoubted 

 Pomeranian type. The date is the second century, B.C. 



It is now generally accepted that, wherever our Pomeranian 

 originated, he is a Northern or Arctic breed. Evidence goes 

 to show that his native land in prehistoric times was the land 

 of the Samoyedes, in the north of Siberia, along the shores of 

 the Arctic Ocean. The Samoyede dog is being gradually intro- 

 duced into England, and good specimens can be frequently 

 seen at the principal shows. The similarity between our 

 large white Pomeranian and the Samoyede is too great to be 

 accidental. And we are drawn to the conclusion that in 

 prehistoric times a migration of the Samoyedes was made from 

 their native land into Pomerania, the most eastern province 

 of Prussia bordering on the Baltic Sea, and that these people 

 took with them their dogs, which were the progenitors of the 

 present race of Pomeranian or Spitz. 



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