Today's tiny Pomeranian has an unexpected canine lineage. This fluffy member of the toy group has ancestors who were sturdy members of the working group - the Spitz sled dogs of Lapland and Greenland. Early cousins of the Spitz also worked herding sheep in the early 19th century. In fact, it's easier to imagine today's Pomeranian yapping around the edges of a herd of sheep than pulling a sled through snow. Still, traces of the Spitz can be seen in the Pomeranian's colors and winter-textured coat.

The region that comprises the south coast of the Baltic Sea, now known as Germany and Poland, was once known as Pomerania. The Spitz sled dogs were imported into Europe through Pomerania, where breeders worked through generations of dogs to reduce the thirty pound dogs closer to today's Pomeranian, weighing well under ten pounds. The Kennel Club in England recognized the breed as we know it in 1870, calling it the "spitz dog."

It took many generations of Pomeranians to reduce the twenty-pound dog of the 19th century to the four to six-pound standard of the breed today. The Kennel Club in England recognized the breed in 1870, calling it the "spitz dog." Traces of the Pomeranian's lineage can be seen in its coat and color, which are reminiscent of the wolf spitz breed.

Queen Victoria was one of England's most beloved monarchs, and the Pomeranian breed grew more and more popular as the public followed the progress of the queen's six show dogs, Lulu, Gilda, Beppo, Mino, Nino and Fluffy, in newspapers and cheered when her dogs were named champions. The British public began getting Pomeranians of their own, and the Pomeranian remains one of the United Kingdom's most popular breeds today.

Besides appealing to royalty, through the decades the Pomeranian has also been a favorite of a variety of artists and celebrities. Perhaps the most famous artist in history, Michelangelo, painted the Sistine Chapel with his Pomeranian at his side.

Actresses love Pomeranians. Kate Hudson has one; Cindy Williams who will always be remembered as Shirley in "Laverne and Shirley," appeared in weight loss advertisements with her Pomeranian. And the best-known canine television star of the 1980s was Chester, who co-starred with his real-life owner Fran Drescher in "The Nanny."

The Pomeranian is a natural performer. Actress Cindy Williams, of "Laverne and Shirley" fame, appeared with her dog in commercials for a weight loss program. And then there's Chester, who belonged to actress Fran Drescher in real life, and co-starred with his owner in the hit TV show "The Nanny."

Pomeranians inspire their owners. The composer Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart dedicated one of his arias to his Pomeranian and Chopin wrote a piece for a Pomeranian that belonged to his girlfriend. Pomeranians aren't just for royals and celebrities. This confident, intelligent, breed will make a great pet for anyone who loves small dogs and wants a loyal, attentive companion.