The Pomeranian (also known as a Pom, Pommy or Pome) is a breed of dog of
the Spitz type that is named for the Pomerania region in north-west
Poland and north-east Germany in Central Europe. Classed as a toy dog
breed because of its small size, the Pomeranian is descended from larger
Spitz-type dogs, specifically the German Spitz.
The breed has been
made popular by a number of royal owners since the 18th century. Queen
Victoria owned a particularly small Pomeranian, and consequently, the
smaller variety became universally popular. During Victoria's lifetime
alone, the size of the breed decreased by half. As of 2017, in terms of
registration figures, since at least 1998, the breed has ranked among
the top fifty most popular breeds in the United States, and the current
fashion for small dogs has increased their popularity worldwide.