Q.-Do males & females have different personalities? A.-No they do not. Gender does not directly determine intelligence, affection, sociability, submission, dominance, aggression, activity level, ability to be housetrained, willingness to learn or much else in a dog. If left unaltered males will develop secondary sex characteristics that may make them unsuitable for a pet-but many females do as well. Q.-Do females shed more than males? A.-In unaltered animals the females shed more often then males due to hormonal changes due to estrus. Spayed females do not shed more than males. ALL DOGS SHED-(at least twice per year) but curly coated breeds such as the Poodle have a "tangle effect" which holds onto the hair until it is combed out. Short-coated breeds shed also-and the hair is often difficult to pick up even with a vacuum cleaner due to it's texuture. Q.-Are females or males easier to housetrain and train in general? A.-The answer for an ALTERED dog is - NEITHER . Each dog is an individual and has different learning curves and responds to different methods of training differently. High intelligence doesn't always make a dog more trainable-sometimes just more wily in ways to thwart you! HUMAN BONDING is the single most important factor in your dog's trainability. You must be bonded to your dog for it to even want to please you. Can you blame it? I don't have much desire to please a stranger-or someone I don't like myself-so I can't blame the dogs too much. For unaltered dogs-see below. Q.-Should I alter (spay/neuter) my pet-and at what age? A.-Absolutely you should alter your pet. Some of the major reasons animals are abandoned have to do with housebreaking. The scent of estrus is noticeable to dogs for five miles! Instinct causes your dog to respond to this scent with urinating in their surroundings to mark their territory. Females piddle in tiny amounts-and therefore it is less noticeable, and males lift their leg and urinate on objects to mark territory-which is more noticeable-but both genders mark their territory when left unaltered. Since the scent of urine is present-it then causes problems with defecation in the house as well. Since sexual maturity occurs in toy breed dogs well before the age of one year old-this makes it advisable to alter your pet between the age of five and seven months of age. Most vets recommend this age as well. One of the leading causes of death in pet animals is mammary gland and testicular cancers. Early altering will prevent the sexual maturation-and greatly reduce (almost eliminate) the incidence of these cancers. Two very good reasons to alter your pet. Q.-Will spaying/neutering make my dog fat? A.-No. The activity level and diet of your pet determine it's weight. If unusual weight gain happens-then thyroid testing may be in order-or outside sources of food not under your control-well meaning neighbors for instance. Q.-Should I breed my dog to "settle it down". A.-Absolutely not. There are good reasons to breed an animal that is not major-faulted, but this certainly isn't one of them! You are jeopardizing the future health of your pet by doing so. (See-Should I spay/neuter?) As soon as the dog's energy returns after the ordeal of the whelping (in a female) and within 1 hour of the mating (in a male) their youthful exuberance will return-and now you have a young dog who is not a pet anymore-but a breeding animal-with all the accompanying instincts and problems. Professional intervention and training will probably be required to correct the problems you've unwittingly created. A garage or basement is not the proper place for a family pet-and many pets who aren't surrendered or euthanized end up there after their owner wants just one litter from them. You'll sacrifice way more than you'll ever gain from that litter. If you do breed for the right reason-to carry on a wonderful lineage from a wonderful example of the breed-be prepared to deal with the many problems that surface after the arrival of the litter. Can you take off work for at least the first four weeks to ensure the survival of the litter? Do you have firm buyers-and deposits for all the possible puppies-and will they make good homes for the dogs? (Hint-make sure they have references.) Then how do you deal with the probable behavior problems your dog will develop due to mating instincts in the future? Q.-Should I breed for just one litter to give my children the experience of the "miracle of birth"? A.-Birthing is a miracle-but not one I would ever want my children to witness! It is bloody, agonizing, and potentially very dangerous to the dog. MANY Pom females have Caesarean sections-and MANY of them die. That is not something I would wish to subject my young children to. They are usually very emotionally involved with their pet-and it is a potentially traumatic experience for them-far from the "miracle" we hoped it would be. Q.-How often do I bathe & brush my Pom-and with what? A.-The Pom has dry skin and coat-and requires bathing approximately every other month or every third month-according to their lifestyle. Use baby powder in between for a dry cleaning that keeps them sweet smelling. Make sure not to get the powder in the Pom's nose. Brush with a pin brush and slicker brush and detangling comb thoroughly at least once per week-for example-while watching television. Pomeranians are considered a "medium" maintenance breed for a long-coated breed. They do not have the tendency to "mat or tangle" such as the breeds-Shih Tsu, Lhasa Apso, Maltese or Havanese. Those breeds are considered "high- maintenance" breeds due to the coat care. Visions puppy book has complete instructions for grooming your Pom and is available to Visions customers only. Q.-Why should I buy from a show breeder instead of a local puppy mill or backyard breeder? A.-The first most obvious reason is the overall quality of the animals they produce. Puppy mill & backyard breeder puppies are often genetically defective-and will cost you much money, time & heartache to prolong their life. If you're lucky you won't invest hundreds or thousands of dollars at your vet's for that $200 puppy. B.-Yet another reason to buy from a show breeder is the support and expertise they give you to support you in your ownership of your Pom. Puppy mills and backyard breeders don't have websites with helpful answers to your most asked questions-and are not available for telephone or e-mail consultations for helpful advice regarding your puppy. If you support them-you don't have the right to expect a positive experience regarding your dog's ownership from them. You got what you paid for. "Bargain " dogs. Q.-If I buy a female from you-can I breed it to one of your males? A.-Only if you purchased a breeding quality female. ALL pet puppies of either gender have limited registration and no puppies from them can ever be registered with the AKC. If you purchased a breeding quality female-then the answer is yes-but please read the cautionary statements above first and decide if you really want to be a breeder. For instance-Do you know how to tubefeed a weak puppy? If you are committed to becoming a breeder-then I will help you succeed to the best of my ability. Even dog breeders like company in this often heartbreaking profession-and often we need a spare shoulder to cry on-or someone to share a triumph with. If you like roller-coasters-you might like this profession. If you are a Visions customer and you have any further questions or need support regarding your Visions Pomeranian please don't hesitate to e-mail us. If you are not a Visions customer we hope you will be someday-in the meantime call or e-mail your breeder for support regarding any Pomeranian owned by yourself and I'm sure they will be happy to help you with any questions you may have. If you are inquiring about a puppy from Visions Pomeranians and your questions haven't been answered please e-mail us and we will do our best to answer all your questions.