Q. If you don't have puppies available, where else can I look to find a reputable Pomeranian breeder?
A. Check the APC Breeder Directory.  You can also contact us and we can refer you to someone in New England.

Q. I’m looking for a teacup Pomeranian?  Where can I find one?
A. Nowhere.  There is no such thing as a teacup, toy, miniature, anything Pomeranian. If someone is advertising puppies as such, RUN AWAY!  This term is used only by uneducated backyard breeders or scammers. It is a HUGE red flag to walk away. Pomeranians are members of the Toy Group of breeds that are part of the AKC, but but referring to a Pom in that way only points out the breeder's ignorance or reveals the scam.

To protect yourself, only seek out breeders listed in the American Pomeranian Club Directory. People who are members of this organization pledge to adhere to a code of ethics.

Further information:
How to find a good Pomeranian breeder.

Q. Are your dogs health tested? What does that mean?
A. Yes. OFA certified and Embark DNA tested. Be wary of breeders who say their dogs are health tested but only provide DNA results from places like Embark or Wisdom Panel. DNA discovery is not complete health testing!

True health testing requires examination by certified veterinarians who are screening for specific issues within the breed. For Pomeranians, that includes 3 areas of concern: heart, patellas and the option of thyroid or an eye test. (These tests cost a lot more and take time to complete than the simple $150.00 cheek swab to Embark. This is why back yard breeders try to claim their dogs are health tested by providing DNA results, but that is not a valid claim!) Once a dog has finished OFA testing, they are assigned a CHIC number. That information can be researched by anyone online via the OFA database.

Q. What is purebred vs well-bred?
A. The adage "you get what you pay for" rings true with many things. Dog breeders are no different. AKC registration is neither an assurance of quality nor an indication of dedication to the breed. 

There is a difference between purebred and well-bred.

Pomeranian show dog breeders try to select the best specimens and put a lot of effort into trying to get their dogs as close to the breed standard as possible. Back yard breeders do not.  Further Reading.

Q. Why are Pomeranians so expensive?
A. A well bred Pomeranian puppy is a very limited resource. Pomeranians are a toy breed which on average, has only 1-2 puppies per litter.  There can be issues with delivery and a c-section is frequently necessary. The median cost is $2,500 just for that procedure. That does not include any additional costs of raising a puppy to the age where it can go to it's new home. Add that fee to the thousands of dollars for health testing, showing and caring for the dogs and you can quickly see the costs involved.

Q. I'm on a tight budget, what are my options?
A. Consider looking to shelters or rescue groups. Be ready to wait as Poms are frequently sought after. Or adopt an older, retired adult from a show exhibitor. Remember, Poms can live a very long time. Shelter or rescue group adoption fees have a wide range. An adult retired show Pom from our program starts around $1,500. Being flexible and open-minded about what type of Pom you are willing to welcome into your home will increase your chances of success.

Q. Why invest in a purebred puppy vs adopting a mix?
A. Sharing this perfect response by a preservation breeder who is ALSO a Vet!

"Watching the Westminster coverage, I was struck by many things, but this remained the most prominent:  So many of these amazing breeds have critically low registrations. Just 600 Sussex Spaniels, to name one. Many of these are breeds that make amazing companion dogs, and the public knows nothing about them. 

As a veterinarian, I average seeing about 3 "new puppies" per day (these can be existing or new clients, but new puppies to them), sometimes more, sometimes less. I would guess that about 3-4 of these each MONTH is a purebred dog. And maybe ONE is from a preservation breeder. The others are merle or off color "purebreds" or from mills. 

The rest? Every sort of doodle you can imagine, or other mixes such as husky/gsd (no idea who is doing this, but please stop), pomsky, shipoo, havapoo, shichon, cavachon, the list goes on and on. 

The sad part is that many of these owners are educated, smart people, who just truly don't know. They don't know about the amazing purebred dogs who would fit so much better in their home. They don't know that buying a purebred dog is buying predictability. They don't know about health testing or breed typical traits or breed typical health concerns. They know they want a puppy and they can go online and order one, and be fooled by photos and words. Some even say "when I got there I knew it was a mill, but I couldn't say no at that point."

We need to do better. We need to promote and educate and...go ahead and crucify me for this...breed more dogs. Stop vilifying breeders who actually breed. Because pretty soon, we are all going to be extinct and all that will be left is designer dogs. 
When I can talk to someone BEFORE they get their puppy, I can make a difference. I can educate about breeds that may work for them, about health issues, and about finding the right breeder. But as the veterinarian, all I can do is sigh when I see yet another "cockadoodledont" on my schedule and educate after the fact about pet insurance and training and the things we can do to try to help that particular puppy. 

I don't have the solution, but I do know that we have to do better."

Q. How can you re-home adult dogs?
A. This summary written by Kelly Schur, articulates it better than I ever could.

Every so often, I see a question pop up about whether or not placing retired breeding animals is ethical. To people who aren’t breeders, it often looks bad or feels icky... like breeders are just tossing away dogs once they’ve been used to produce puppies. Let me give you a different perspective... 

I receive messages and see posts from the owners of my retired show and breeding dogs. While their lives are comfortable with me, they now get to live an incredibly loved and spoiled life, many times as an only dog with a family that adores them. Different isn’t good or bad, it’s just different. They live a different life with their families than they would have with me. They are content, satisfied, and loved with me; they continue to be all of those things, but with their very own people and without having to share those people with a pack of other dogs.

The day I let one of my retired dogs go to a family is HARD. I cry when I let them go... I look forward to updates on birthdays, “gotcha” days, and out of the blue every few months. I see how they are loved beyond measure, and I am grateful every day that my “retired” dogs have been blessed into the lives of the people that love them just as much as I ever did. I’m glad it could be one of mine that they love. 

Quality breeders don’t re-home retired breeding dogs because it’s easy. We do it in spite of how hard it is on us because it’s what’s best for them.