Pomeranian vs German Shepherd – Which one is a better dog breed for you?

"Find similarities and differences between Pomeranian vs German Shepherd" Compare Pomeranian and German Shepherd. Which is better: Pomeranian or German Shepherd?

General Appearance Hair & Care Characteristics Good With Health Factors Reproducibility Show differences only

Name	Pomeranian	German Shepherd
Origins	Germany Poland	Germany
All Dog Breeds By Country Of Origin
Group	Companion Dogs	Pastoral Dogs (Herding Dogs)
Popularity Rank	22	2
Reviews	2	5
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Other Names	Pom, Pom Pom, Deutsche Spitze, Zwergspitz, Spitz Nain, Spitz Enano, Zwers	Alsatian, Berger Allemand, Alsatian wolf dog (UK), Deutscher Schäferhund, Schäferhund
Breed Type	Purebred	Purebred
AKC Group	Recognized by the American Kennel Club in 1888 as a Toy breed.	Recognized by the American Kennel Club in 1908 as a Herding breed.
FCI Group	Recognized by FCI in the Spitz and primitive types group, in the European Spitz section.	Recognized by FCI in the Sheepdogs and Cattledogs (except Swiss Cattledogs) group, in the Sheepdogs section.
Breed Recognition	American Canine Registry American Kennel Club America's Pet Registry Canadian Kennel Club Dog Registry of America Inc. Kennel Club of Great Britain North American Purebred Registry, Inc. American Canine Association, Inc. Australian National Kennel Council Continental Kennel Club National Kennel Club New Zealand Kennel Club United Kennel Club Canadian Canine Registry	American Canine Registry American Kennel Club America's Pet Registry Canadian Kennel Club Dog Registry of America Inc. Federation Cynologique Internationale Kennel Club of Great Britain North American Purebred Registry, Inc. American Canine Association, Inc. Australian National Kennel Council Continental Kennel Club National Kennel Club New Zealand Kennel Club United Kennel Club German Shepherd Dog Club Of America
Price	$600-$800	$800-$2000

General Appearance - Pomeranian vs German Shepherd

Size	Small	Large
Weight	3-7 pounds (1-3 kg)	Male: 66-88 pounds (30-40 kg), Female: 49-71 pounds (22-32 kg)
Avg. Weight	5 pounds (2 kg)	Male: 77 pounds (35 kg), Female: 60 pounds (27 kg)
Height	7-12 inches (18-30 cm)	Male: 24-26 inches (60-65 cm), Female: 22-24 inches (55-60 cm)
Avg. Height	9.5 inches (24 cm)	Male: 25 inches (62.5 cm), Female: 23 inches (57.5 cm)

Hair & Care - Pomeranian vs German Shepherd

Coat	Fluffy	Fuzzy
Colors	Blue Gray Red Tan Brown Orange White Black	Silver Tan Red Black
Grooming	Average: The Pomeranian requires average grooming effort.	Average: The German Shepherd requires average grooming effort.
Shedding Level	Pomeranians shed moderately.	German Shepherds are heavy shedders.

Characteristics - Pomeranian vs German Shepherd

Temperament	Active Friendly Lively Sociable Extroverted Intelligent Playful Attentive Docile Trainable	Alert Courageous Intelligent Obedient Confident Curious Loyal Watchful
Intelligent Rank	Very smart: Pomeranian is an excellent dog breed.	Outstanding: German Shepherd is one of the brightest dog breeds.
Trainability	Pomeranians are easy to train.	German Shepherds are easy to train.
Playfulness	Pomeranians, like any other dog breed, like playing.	German Shepherds, like any other dog breed, like playing.
Sensitivity Level	They are a little bit more sensitive than other dog breeds.	German Shepherds don't like an irregular daily routine, noisy household and frequent guest visits.
Affection Level	Pomeranians are genuinely loyal, soft and gentle, loving and affectionate dogs toward their handlers.	German Shepherds are genuinely loyal, soft and gentle, loving and affectionate dogs toward their handlers.
Social Needs	Pomeranians need a lot of social interaction.	German Shepherds need for social interaction is average.
Barking	Average to high: The Pomeranian is a vocal breed.	Low to Average: The German Shepherd rarely barks.
Watchdog Ability	Pomeranians are average watchdogs.	German Shepherds are one of the best watchdogs.
Territorial	Pomeranians strongly protect their territory.	German Shepherds are extremely protective guard dogs.
Biting Potential	Low The Pomeranian has a low chance of biting somebody.	High The German Shepherd has a high chance of biting somebody.
Mouthiness	Pomeranians have lower than average tendency to nip, chew, play-bite, or herd people.	German Shepherds have a strong tendency to nip, chew, play-bite, or herd people.
Impulse to Wander or Roam	Pomeranians are not the biggest explorers.	German Shepherds are not the biggest explorers.
Prey Drive	Pomeranians have low to an average impulse to chase and catch something like a cat or any other small aminals.	German Shepherds have a higher impulse to chase and catch something than other dog breeds.
Apartment Friendly	Pomeranians are very apartment-friendly dogs.	German Shepherds are not the best choice for an apartment lifestyle, but they don't mind being inside if you walk them several times every day.
Adaptability	Pomeranians adapt very well to lifestyle changes and basically all living environments.	German Shepherds adapt very well to lifestyle changes and basically all living environments.
Tolerates Being Left Alone	Pomeranians tend to have separation anxiety when their owners left them alone at home because they bond very closely with them.	Just like every puppy, they are prone to panic, cry, bark, whine when they left alone by their owner.
Fighting Dog	Not really In history, this breed was not really used for combat dog.	Yes In history, this breed was unfortunately used for combat dog.

Good With - Pomeranian vs German Shepherd

Stranger Friendly	Pomeranians are not the most stranger friendly dogs.	German Shepherds are stranger friendly dogs.
Child Friendly	Pomeranians are not the most kid-friendly dogs.	German Shepherds are very kid-friendly dogs.
Cat Friendly	Pomeranians are very cat-friendly dogs.	German Shepherds are average friendly towards cats.
Dog Friendly	Pomeranians are average friendly towards other dogs.	German Shepherds are not the most dog-friendly dogs.
Office Friendly	No Pomeranian is not the best dog breed for office environment.	No German Shepherd is not the best dog breed for office environment.
Senior Citizens Friendly	Pomeranians are not the best breed for elderly people.	German Shepherds are one of the best breeds for elderly people.
Pet Friendly	Pomeranians are one of the friendliest dog breeds.	German Shepherds are generally with other pets.
Good For First Time Owners	No Pomeranians are not good for novice owners, due to their stubborn personality.	No German Shepherds are not good for novice owners, due to their stubborn personality.
Service Dog	Yes This breed makes good as a service dog.	Yes This breed makes good as a service dog.
Therapy Dog	Yes This breed makes a perfect therapy dog.	Yes This breed makes a perfect therapy dog.
Detection Dog or Sniffer Dog	Not really A detection dog or sniffer dog is a dog that is trained to use its senses (mostly its smell) to detect substances such as explosives, illegal drugs, wildlife scat, currency, blood, and contraband electronics such as illicit mobile phones.	Yes A detection dog or sniffer dog is a dog that is trained to use its senses (mostly its smell) to detect substances such as explosives, illegal drugs, wildlife scat, currency, blood, and contraband electronics such as illicit mobile phones.
Search and Rescue Dog (SAR)	Not really The use of dogs in search and rescue (SAR) is a valuable component in wilderness tracking, natural disasters, mass casualty events, and in locating missing people.	Yes The use of dogs in search and rescue (SAR) is a valuable component in wilderness tracking, natural disasters, mass casualty events, and in locating missing people.
Boat Dog	Not really Pomeranian breed usually doesn't like being on a boat.	Not really German Shepherd breed usually doesn't like being on a boat.
Cart Pulling or Drafting Dog	Not really A drafting dog or draft dog is a dog bred and used for cart pulling.	Not really A drafting dog or draft dog is a dog bred and used for cart pulling.

Health Factors - Pomeranian vs German Shepherd

Health Issues	The Pomeranian is a healthy breed, but there are certain health issues that you should check with your vet regularly.	German Shepherds are commonly healthy dogs.
Health Problems	Allergies Cataracts Collapsed Trachea Dry Eye Epilepsy Heat Intolerance Heatstroke Hip Dysplasia Hypothyroidism Legg-perthes Disease Patellar Luxation Patent Ductus Arteriosis Seizures	Allergies Blindness Bloat Cancer Cataracts Cherry Eye Chronic Diarrhea Cruciate Ligament Rupture Cushing's Syndrome Degenerative Myelopathy Demodectic Mange Diabetes Digestive Problems Elbow Dysplasia Epilepsy Exocrine Pancreatic Insufficiency Heart Disease Hemophilia A Hemophilia B Hip Dysplasia Hypertrophic Osteodystrophy Lens Luxation Lupus Megaesophagus Myasthenia Gravis Nail Bed Disease Osteochondrosis Pannus Panosteitis Paralysis Perianal Fistula Progressive retinal atrophy (PRA) Retinal Dysplasia Seborrhea Vitiligo Von Willebrand's Disease Wobbler's Syndrome
Life Expectancy	12-16 years	10-13 years
Calculate dog years to human years by breed here
Hypoallergenic	No	No
Energy Level	Pomeranians have an average energy level, so if you live a semi-active life, this breed can be a good choice for you.	German Shepherds are high energy dogs.
Exercise Need	Pomeranians exercise need is minimal.	German Shepherds need quite a lot of exercise.
Sleeping Need	Pomeranians sleep 12-14 hours a day as an average dog and they're not considered as a lazy breed.	German Shepherds don't need too much sleep.
Avg. daily food consumption	Recommended daily amount: 1/4 to 1/2 cup of high-quality dry food a day, divided into two meals.	3 to 4 cups of high-quality dry food a day, divided into two meals.
Weight Gain Potential	Average to High.	Low to Average.
Weather & Climate	Prefers average to cold weather conditions The Pomeranian can adapt to well to cold weather conditions, some dogs even can be a good mountain dog.	Tolerates warm and cold weather.
Stinkiness	Medium The Pomeranian has an average chance of bad smell.	Medium The German Shepherd has an average chance of bad smell.
Drooling tendency	The Pomeranian is a perfect example for very low drooling tendency.	The German Shepherd is a perfect example for very low drooling tendency.

Reproducibility - Pomeranian vs German Shepherd

Gestation Length	60-64 days	60-64 days
How often can the have a litter?	Once a year. More frequent breeding is not healthy.	Once a year. More frequent breeding is not healthy.
Litter Size	2-5 puppies	6-10 puppies
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