Pomeranians For Dummies E-Book

D. Caroline Coile

• Herausgeber: John Wiley & Sons
• Kategorie: Lebensstil
• Sprache: Englisch
• Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2011

Seitenzahl: 424

Beschreibung

Pomeranians are among the fluffiest--and most loyal--of the tiny dog breeds, but is a Pom the perfect pooch for you? Distinguished by its vivacity, intelligence, extroversion, and fierce loyalty to its family, the tiny Pomeranian can make an excellent companion--for the right person. As with any breed, and dogs in general, it's important for you to know what to expect when you bring a Pom into your life. Whether you're a new or an aspiring Pom owner,Pomeranians For Dummiesteaches you everything you need to know to find, choose, raise, care for, and have a ball with a member of that outstanding breed of dog. How do Poms stack up to other toy dogs? How do you properly socialize a Pom with people and other dogs, so she's well-adjusted? How is caring for tiny dogs--especially when they're puppies--different from caring for larger breeds? You'll find the answers to these questions and so much more. From finding your canine soul mate to breeding Pomeranians for show or companionship, this fun and practical guide is written in plain English and covers all the bases, including how to: * Decide whether the Pom is right for you * Find a good Pom breeder * Select the perfect Pom for you * Make sense of your Pom's behavior * Train your Pom * Keep your Pom happy, healthy, and well-groomed * Know what common health problems to look for * Take your Pom on the road Additionally, you'll learn ten fun facts about Poms, fun activities to do with your Pom, a cleaning schedule, which household items are dangerous for your pet, and online resources. Get your own copy ofPomeranians For Dummiesand start a long, happy, and healthy life with your little buddy.

Leseprobe

Pomeranians For Dummies

by D. Caroline Coile

Pomeranians For Dummies®

Published byWiley Publishing, Inc.111 River St.Hoboken, NJ 07030-5774www.wiley.com

Copyright © 2007 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Indianapolis, Indiana

Published simultaneously in Canada

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Library of Congress Control Number: 2007923985

ISBN: 978-0-470-10602-0

Manufactured in the United States of America

10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

About the Author

Award-winning author D. Caroline Coile, Ph.D., has written 29 books and more than 300 magazine and scientific articles about dogs. She writes the monthly award-winning “Breeder’s Notebook” column for Dog World magazine. Among her books are Barron’s Encyclopedia of Dog Breeds,Show Me!,Beyond Fetch,How Smart is Your Dog?, and Congratulations! It’s a Dog!

Caroline holds a Ph.D. in psychology with research interests in canine behavior, senses, and genetics. On a practical level, Caroline has lived with dogs all of her life. She shares her home with six dogs including dogs nationally ranked #1 show, #1 obedience, top field and agility salukis, and two roadside-rescue mutts — all of which provide a never-ending source of challenges, adventure, frustration, and inspiration.

Author’s Acknowledgments

My unending gratitude goes to Pomeranian breeders Geneva Coats and Julie Clemen as well as the members of the Pom Forum discussion group. Their suggestions were invaluable, as was their critique of the manuscript.

I’m also indebted to editors Kristin DeMint, Pam Ruble, and Stacy Kennedy for keeping me in line (sort of).

And to fellow dog writer Eve Adamson — she knows why.

Publisher’s Acknowledgments

We’re proud of this book; please send us your comments through our Dummies online registration form located at www.dummies.com/register/.

Some of the people who helped bring this book to market include the following:

Acquisitions, Editorial, and Media Development

Project Editor: Kristin DeMint

Acquisitions Editor: Stacy Kennedy

Copy Editor: Pam Ruble

Technical Editor: Dr. Carey Wasem (www.zvah.com)

Senior Editorial Manager: Jennifer Ehrlich

Editorial Assistants: Erin Calligan Mooney, Joe Niesen, Leeann Harney

Cover Photos: © Robert Pearcy/ Animals Animals

Cartoons: Rich Tennant (www.the5thwave.com)

Composition Services

Project Coordinator: Heather Kolter

Layout and Graphics: Joyce Haughey, Barbara Moore, Laura Pence, Heather Ryan, Alicia B. South

Anniversary Logo Design: Richard J. Pacifico

Proofreaders: Aptara, John Greenough, Susan Moritz

Indexer: Sherry Massey

Special Help: Stephen R. Clark, Carmen Krikorian

Publishing and Editorial for Consumer Dummies

Diane Graves Steele, Vice President and Publisher, Consumer Dummies

Joyce Pepple, Acquisitions Director, Consumer Dummies

Kristin A. Cocks, Product Development Director, Consumer Dummies

Michael Spring, Vice President and Publisher, Travel

Kelly Regan, Editorial Director, Travel

Publishing for Technology Dummies

Andy Cummings, Vice President and Publisher, Dummies Technology/General User

Composition Services

Gerry Fahey, Vice President of Production Services

Debbie Stailey, Director of Composition Services

Contents

Title

Introduction

About This Book

Conventions Used in This Book

What You’re Not to Read

Foolish Assumptions

How This Book Is Organized

Icons Used in This Book

Where to Go from Here

Part I : Pomeranians: What’s Not to Love?

Chapter 1: Catching Pomer-mania

The Toy-Dog Extravaganza: Pom Popularity

Sizing Up Your Situation: Know What a Pom Requires

Double-Checking Your Motives: Why Do You Want a Pom?

Thinking about Breeding?

Chapter 2: What’s in a Pom?

Eyeing the Standard: The Pomeranian Blueprint

Beneath the Fur: Pom Anatomy 101

Small Package, Big Personality

All Things Considered: The Pros and Cons of Poms

Chapter 3: In Search of Your Soul Mate

Boy or Girl? Choosing the Right Gender for You

Age Matters: Choosing Your Match

Deciding Whether Two Poms Are Better Than One

Considering Your Goals: What Pom Type Would You Like?

Perusing Pedigrees

Evaluating Pom Sources

Finding Good Breeders

Rescuing Abandoned Poms

Chapter 4: The Final Selection: Picking Your Perfect Partner

Knowing the Right Price: A Quick Guide

Visiting the Breeder

The Big Test: Interacting with Potential Pups

Screening for Good Health

Paying for Your Pom and Handling the Paperwork

Registering Your New Friend

Transactions of a Different Bird: Adopting from Rescues or Shelters

Part II : When Your House Becomes Your Pom’s Home

Chapter 5: Prepare to Be Pomerized!

Collecting Pom Paraphernalia

Preparing for Emergencies

Designing Spaces Fit for a Small King or Queen

Pom-Proofing Your Home and Yard

Finding a Vet and Scheduling the First Appointment

Chapter 6: Coming Home

Making that First Trip Safe and Sound

Managing a Happy Homecoming

Settling In on the First Night

Chapter 7: Starting Off on the Right Paw: The First Few Days

Getting to Know Your Pom

Going to the Vet for Your Pom’s First Checkup

Acclimating the Pup to His New Life

Enjoying Playtime

Laying Down the House Rules

Part III : Caring for Your Pom from Head to Paw

Chapter 8: Eating Out of the Pom of Your Hand

Avoiding Toy Dog Food Follies

Boning Up on Nutrition

Perusing the Pet-Food Aisle

Deciding How Much, How Often

Feeding to Feel Better: Special Diets for Diseases

Chapter 9: Primping Your Pom

Perfecting the Pom-Padour

Cleaning Your Pom’s Peepers

Clearing the Hearing: Getting the Wax Out

Brushing Up on Tooth Care

Giving Your Pom a Pedicure

A Spa Day at Pom Springs

Chapter 10: Maintaining Your Pom’s Health and Happiness

Visiting the Vet: Checkups and Vaccinations

Playing Doctor: The Do-It-Yourself Checkup

Avoiding the Worm Farm: Preventive Measures

Preventing Bugs: Fleas, Ticks, and Mites

Castrating and Spaying

Giving Your Pom a Chip on His Shoulder

Keeping Your Senior Pom Healthy

Chapter 11: Doctoring Your Dog

Saving Your Dog’s Skin

Global Deworming

Spotting Signs of Sickness

Pondering Pom Predispositions

Dealing with Emergencies

Chapter 12: Traveling with a Pom Pilot (Or Leaving Him in Others’ Care)

Packing for Your Pomeranian

Hitting the Road

Flying the Friendly Skies

Minding Your Motel Manners

Leaving Your Dog Behind When You Must Go

Part IV : Training Your Pom with TLC

Chapter 13: Saving the Carpets: Housetraining

Deciding When and Where to Housetrain Your Pom Pup

Creating a Schedule (And Sticking to It)

Using a Crate, Pen, or Doggy Door When You’re Away from Home

Housetraining in Action

Overcoming Housetraining Challenges

Chapter 14: Mastering Manners and Basic Commands

Talking to Your Pom

Understanding Your Pom

Providing the Motivation for Training and Tricks

Schooling Your Pom in Manners and Obedience

Teaching Your Pom a Bagful of Tricks

Chapter 15: Dealing with Doggy Delinquents

Squelching Bad Behavior: The Two Major Methods

Helping a Fearful Dog Be Brave

Combating Separation Anxiety

Calming a Ping-Pong Pom

Quieting a Barking Nuisance

Nipping Biting in the Bud

Getting Him to Drop the Begging

Minimizing a Dog’s Food-Guarding Response

Discouraging Disgusting Eating Habits

Putting a Stop to Mounting Embarrassment

Part V : The Part of Tens

Chapter 16: Ten Cool Activities to Do with Your Pom

Chapter 17: Ten Fun Facts about Poms

Introduction

S o you’re thinking about getting a Pom? Maybe you know you want one but you’re wondering how to find a good one. Or just maybe you’re already a proud Pom parent and want to find out more about sharing your life with your puffy pal. Whatever your reasons, you’re off to a great start by discovering more about one of dogdom’s cutest breeds.

Have you heard the saying that small dogs are just big dogs in little bodies? That’s certainly true with Poms — the heart of a lion and the looks of a miniature lion. That fun little package has a lot of good stuff packed into it, and I wrote this book the same way — lots of stuff in a fun little package. I hope you’ll have fun (and learn a lot) exploring both.

About This Book

This book is for prospective and current Pomeranian owners. It has all the information you need to get you from your first notion of wanting a Pom all the way through the next decade and more. In these pages you find answers to questions like the following:

Am I insane for even thinking about getting a dog?

Is a tiny dog right for me?

What’s special about Poms compared to other toy dogs?

How do I find a good, healthy Pomeranian and avoid getting ripped off?

How do I get ready for my new puffball of a dog?

How do I introduce my new Pom to the world around him so he’s a well-adjusted dog?

Why are frequent feedings sometimes a matter of life and death for tiny dogs, especially puppies?

Is it hard to keep her coat looking good?

How can I stop these puddles on the floor?

Is there a secret to training this dog?

How do I cope with bad behaviors?

How do I know whether my dog is sick, and what do I do?

How do I get started with the fun stuff?

You may be more interested in some of these questions than others. That’s fine. Feel free to skip around. You won’t hurt my feelings. Go ahead and mark up pages and highlight points, too. This is a reference book, meant to be dog-eared and dog-chewed. That just shows you’ve put it to good use.

Conventions Used in This Book

To help you find what you want quickly, I use a few conventions when it comes to typeface.

Italic is used to highlight new terms that are defined in the text.

Boldface is used to indicate the action part of numbered steps.

Monofont is used for Web and e-mail addresses.

In the interest of gender quality, I vary the wording so that some sections refer to a male Pomeranian and some to a female. Unless I’m discussing the features of one sex exclusively, the text with male or female pronouns applies to both sexes.

What You’re Not to Read

Of course, I hope you read every one of the golden and invaluable words in this book. But even I have to admit you don’t have to read it all in order to be a good and informed Pomeranian owner. You can skip the nonessential stuff, and I’ve even made it easy for you to identify what’s skippable:

Text in sidebars: Those shaded boxes you see here and there contain interesting but not really essential information. You can save those for leisure reading.

Text highlighted with a Technical Stuff icon: As much as it pains me to say this, you don’t really have to read these sections — even though I think they’re the most interesting parts. (Besides, they give you some great stuff to bore your friends with!) I always summarize the info elsewhere so you don’t have to dig through the why of everything.

Foolish Assumptions

When I was writing this book, I made some assumptions — I hope not too foolish — concerning you and what sort of information you want to find:

You’re considering a Pomeranian but you know that dogs differ as much in personality as they do in looks; you want to find out whether a Pomeranian is really the dog for you.

You’ve decided on a Pomeranian but want to make sure you get a good one.

You’re preparing for your new dog and want to make sure he gets off on the right paw.

You’re on your hands and knees, soaking up that spot on the carpet again, wondering what it takes to housetrain one of these critters.

You’re trying to train your Pom with commands just like you did your last dog, but it’s not working. Is there some secret to this?

You want to provide the best health care possible for your Pomeranian.

You just love the breed and want to lap up as many interesting tidbits as you can.

How This Book Is Organized

This book is a paragon of organization. Sort of. Each of the five parts centers on a general topic and contains chapters with specific information about that topic.

Part I: Pomeranians: What’s Not to Love?

It’s easy to fall in love with a dog and particularly with a Pomeranian, but do your circumstances allow you to bring a Pom into your life? The chapters in Part I help you with all those initial questions like what does the Pomeranian breed offer; what are the choices (age, gender, color, and pet or show quality); are you and a Pom a good match; and how do you find the right Pom for you?

Part II: When Your House Becomes Your Pom’s Home

The best time to get ready for your new Pom is before you have your dog underfoot. This part shows you how to prepare your home, from Pom proofing to Pom spoiling. It gives you ideas on what to buy and where to put it. And when you’re ready to bring your new dog home, this part supplies handy tips to make the trip and subsequent homecoming as nontraumatic as possible. Still, those first few days — and especially the nights! — can be challenging unless you know the best ways to deal with them.

Part III: Caring for Your Pom from Head to Paw

One of the best parts of having a Pom is the excuse to pamper and primp him to your heart’s content, so this part offers information about basic dog care including helpful tips about tiny dogs. But the chapters also have information on nutrition, feeding schedules, health care, and the hereditary health conditions that Pomeranians are susceptible to. Finally, because you and your Pom eventually want to spread your wings, this chapter prepares both of you for those trips beyond your back door.

Part IV: Training Your Pom with TLC

They may be tiny, but they can still be mighty determined. And when Poms are bad, it’s almost always the fault of poor training. Small dogs can be annoying — to the point that your friends may run when they see the two of you coming. And even a nip can do some damage, especially to a child. This part contains vital information on housetraining and basic commands, emphasizing the latest techniques based on positive rewards. Despite the best training, dogs sometimes come up with behavior problems that need special attention, and this part also covers those situations.

Part V: The Part of Tens

This part, a standard fare in all For Dummies books, offers quick lists of fun information. Want to discover some great activities for you and your Pom? Look here. Look here, too, to find out some fun Pom facts.

Icons Used in This Book

The icons used in this book help you locate certain kinds of information at a glance:

This icon highlights handy advice that can save you time, money, or effort.

This icon points to text that’s worth repeating — and remembering.

This icon means pay close attention! It appears beside information that can save you from doggy dangers, unscrupulous breeders, and unsafe practices.

This icon appears next to explanatory information that goes a little deeper into specific topics. Although I think it is fascinating stuff, you don’t really need to read it to get the point.

Where to Go from Here

Ready to get started? Check out the Table of Contents to find where you want to jump in. Or read Chapter 1, which is really the best place to start because it offers more detailed information on the rest of the book. (Chapter 1 also discusses some points you need to consider before getting a dog in general or a Pom in particular.)

If you’re still not sure a Pom is for you, read on to Chapter 2 for more characteristics of the Pomeranian and more facts about owning a tiny dog.

Beyond that, feel free to skip around!

Part I

Pomeranians: What’s Not to Love?

In this part . . .

Puffballs, powder puffs, tribbles, or ewoks — a Pom by any other name is just as cute. But before falling under the Pomeranian spell, make sure you fall in love with the inner Pom as much as the outer Pom. And make sure you know what you’re committing to for the next decade and more.

In this part I ask you to do some honest soul-searching about whether you’re ready for a Pom — or for any dog. As much as you may love them, a true test of love is sometimes agreeing to wait. In this case, I’m asking you first to consider the pros and cons of living with a tiny dog and with a Pom in particular.

If you decide to take the Pom plunge, this part guides you also in finding a good Pomeranian breeder. This Pom is going to be a member of your family — make sure you put more effort into this choice than you would for a new toaster! After you find a breeder, I give you tips on evaluating the litter and picking your own Pom pal.

Chapter 1

Catching Pomer-mania

In This Chapter

Understanding your commitment to a dog

Considering Poms in particular

Weighing the pros and cons

Looking ahead

M aybe it’s been a long-time dream. Or maybe just a sudden impulse. Perhaps you saw one in a fashion magazine, or carried by a celebrity, or on television, or strutting at a dog show. Maybe your neighbor has one. Whatever the reason, the notion has burrowed into your brain and it just won’t leave. You can’t think of anything else. You have to have your very own Pom.