BREDDING

Question
HI I am the proud owner of a set of black polmeranians. I would love to breed them but my male is a bit larger then the female. He weighs around 11 to 12 pounds she weighs around 8 to 9 pounds. He is also older and a little taller. I wouldn't want anything to happen to her if the puppies were too large. Oh and if they were able would the puppies all be black in color. thank you for your time

Answer
First of all, I am not familiar enough with Pomeranian genetics to know the outcome of breeding two black Poms together, but I would assume that it probably isn't too dissimilar from breeding two black schnauzers. If that is the case, the answer is that it depends on the genetics behind the two dogs. Some colors are dominant, while others are recessive, and if both parents carry recessive genes for a particular color, then there is a chance that one or more puppies will BE that color.

As to breeding these two dogs, they are large for their breed, as Pomeranians should range from 3-7#, and the male in particular really cannot be classified as a toy at his weight. Since he is so much larger than your bitch, I would be *extremely* concerned about her delivering puppies safely. If you want to breed her, I would look for a tiny male for her, one that is quite a bit smaller than she is.

Also do know that once males are used at stud, there is a greater tendency for them to start lifting their leg in the house to mark, no matter how housebroken they have been in the past.

For further questions concerning these or other issues about Pomeranians, you can contact one of these mentors listed on the American Pomeranian Club's website: http://americanpomeranianclub.org/mentors.htm