Coat, Ears & Tail

AKC Toy Group · No. 19 in 2025

How to identify a Pomeranian

The Pomeranian is a 3 to 7 pound toy spitz, ranked No. 19 by the AKC in 2025. The harsh outer coat stands off from the body, with a ruff at the neck. Look for a fox-like face, small erect ears and a plumed tail that lies flat on the back.

Photo of a Pomeranian
Photo: Kardashianpoms · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons

Field marks

These four marks are the ones the game gives you as clues. They paraphrase or briefly quote the AKC Pomeranian standard.

  1. Harsh outer coat that “stands off from the body,” with a neck ruff
  2. “Fox-like” expression with small, high-set, erect ears
  3. Heavily plumed tail lying “flat and straight on the back”
  4. 3 to 7 lb; all colors and patterns allowed

Tell them apart

Pomeranian or Yorkshire Terrier?

Check the coat texture. A Pomeranian’s harsh outer coat stands off from the body with a ruff at the neck, and its plumed tail lies flat on the back. A Yorkie’s coat is straight and silky, often parted down the back, and its color is always steel-blue and tan.

Pomeranian

Pomeranian

  1. Harsh outer coat that “stands off from the body,” with a neck ruff
  2. “Fox-like” expression with small, high-set, erect ears
  3. Heavily plumed tail lying “flat and straight on the back”
  4. 3 to 7 lb; all colors and patterns allowed
Yorkshire Terrier

Yorkshire Terrier

  1. Straight, silky coat: floor-length and parted down the back in the show ring, often clipped short at home
  2. Dark steel-blue body with a rich golden-tan head and tan legs
  3. “Small, V-shaped” ears carried erect
  4. Weight “must not exceed seven pounds”; long head fall tied with one or two bows

Pomeranian or Chihuahua?

Check the head and the coat. A Chihuahua has a rounded apple-dome skull and large ears that flare to the sides. A Pomeranian has small, high-set ears and a harsh coat that stands off the body, with a tail lying flat on the back. A long-coat Chihuahua’s coat lies flat or slightly wavy instead.

Pomeranian

Pomeranian

  1. Harsh outer coat that “stands off from the body,” with a neck ruff
  2. “Fox-like” expression with small, high-set, erect ears
  3. Heavily plumed tail lying “flat and straight on the back”
  4. 3 to 7 lb; all colors and patterns allowed
Chihuahua

Chihuahua

  1. Rounded “apple dome” skull
  2. “Large, erect” ears that flare out “at a 45 degree angle” at rest
  3. Tiny: “not to exceed 6 pounds”
  4. Smooth or long coat in “any color”; tail “carried sickle” up, out or in a loop, plumed on long coats

Test your eye

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