Pomeranian

Pomeranians are usually a better fit for a home with older kids or grown-ups. Expect a toy-sized dog that is moderately active, sheds heavily and needs professional grooming on a cycle. Fine alone for a few hours.

Source: American Kennel Club breed standard.

Poms are the smallest of the spitz family and descend from full-sized Arctic sled dogs — early ones weighed thirty pounds, and Queen Victoria's fondness for a particularly small specimen drove the breed down to its modern size within a couple of generations. The sled-dog ancestry is still visible in the fox face, the plumed tail carried flat over the back and the double coat that sheds far more than a three-to-seven-pound dog has any business shedding. Personality-wise they are bold, busy and extremely vocal — a Pom will challenge a Rottweiler. Their fragility plus a low tolerance for rough handling makes them a poor match for young children, and the coat needs regular brushing to stay out of mats.

Day to day. Moderately active — a proper daily walk plus some play in the garden or the hallway keeps this breed happy. On noise, it is very vocal, so thin walls and close neighbours are worth thinking about.

The coat, honestly. This breed sheds heavily and needs professional grooming on a cycle. A brush a few times a week and the occasional tidy-up keeps it in good order.

Being left alone. Fine alone for a few hours. A few hours is fine; a full working day, every day, is asking a lot.

Training. Trains at an average pace. Consistent, reward-based training from day one does most of the work.

• You are short on space and want a dog that fits your home

• Nobody has budgeted for a groomer every few weeks
• You cannot live with hair on the sofa, the car and your clothes
• You share walls with neighbours who need quiet
• You have toddlers, or children still learning to be gentle

Rough running cost: $$ (middle of the pack) — because it eats very little, which keeps food costs down, and the coat needs a professional groom on a cycle, and that is the bill people forget.

Those are relative bands, not live prices. For real numbers across every pet we cover, see the pet cost study and the cost calculator.

Rescues do have Pomeranians and Pomeranian crosses, usually adults whose size, coat and temperament you can see rather than guess at.