Were Poms called Spitz dogs?
Yes this was a common alternative name from about the mid 1800s in America and was occasionally used in Britain and frequently used in Germany and Belgium. In America it usually referred to medium or larger sized dogs. As early as 1775 the name Pomeranian was used in America for small/ medium dogs – such as General Lee’s black Pom Mr Spada or Spado. When his dog was lost in 1775 it was referred to as ‘a black shaggy dog of the Pomerania breed’ – so there must have been others in Colonial America as otherwise people would not know what to look for. Below – Mrs Prosser’s Joe featured in Stonehenge’s book. In the American edition he is called a Spitz dog in the British edition a Pom. Joe’s image is from 1877 after he won a first place at a show in London.
