Pomsky Dog Breed History and Information

Pomskies are a unique breed that are a combination of Huskies and Pomeranians. They are adorable and recognized by their small size, beautiful eyes and fur coat and high energy level. Learn about where it all began with this post on the history of the pomsky dog breed.

History of Huskies

Huskies have a long history of being worker dogs and they helped with transportation in Siberia before the 1900s. During the gold rush, Huskies were taken to Alaska and used as sled dogs. In 1925 when there was a diphtheria epidemic, Huskies were used to pull sleds containing a life-saving cure for diphtheria in Nome, Alaska. After this heroic run, sled dogs were invited to tour around the United States and the Husky dog breed became more popular. Huskies are known for being active, energetic, worker dogs who have the ability to withstand cold, harsh environments.

History of Pomeranians

Pomeranians are the smallest of the spitz dog breed (dogs that are bred for arctic climates and have a wolf like appearance). Pomeranians originated from Iceland and Lapland but were bred to a smaller size (7 pounds or less) in Pomerania, which is where they get their name from. Pomeranians were originally used for hunting, herding, pulling sleds and to alert their owners when there were signs of danger. Pomeranians became more popular in the 1800s when Queen Victoria fell in love with these adorable dogs and began breeding them. Pomeranians are loyal companions that are active, intelligent, and always want to be included in activities. Pomeranians are now popular in the United States and all around the world.

First Pomsky Photo

The idea of a pomsky first arose in 2011 when a photo of a Finnish Lapphund puppy was posted in a BuzzFeed article and it went viral. The article was titled “Pomskies - the Pomeranian + Siberian Husky Mix: the cutest designer dog breed ever?” Many people were curious about the pomsky, even though the pictured dog was a Finnish Lapphund, not a true pomsky.

Pomsky Breeding

The first pomskies were bred in 2012 after all of the excitement about miniature Huskies on social media. Tressa Peterson from Apex Pomskies and Joline Phillips from Arctic Design Pomskies used artificial insemination to breed the first legitimate pomskies. The mother dog (called the dam) who carried the babies was the husky, and the father dog (the sire) was the Pomeranian.

Pomsky Expansion

Initially, there were only a few pomsky breeders, but they had long waitlists and could not keep up with the demand. By 2014, there were several breeders that were interested in breeding pomskies. These additional breeders included people who already had a breeding program and wanted to expand to breeding pomskies, or people who had never bred dogs before, but wanted to start a breeding business specifically because they were interested in the pomsky breed.

Maintaining Ethical Practices

There was so much excitement over this new breed and many people recognized that there was a high demand for pomsky puppies. This led to some breeders engaging in unethical practices to breed pomskies for a quick profit, rather than taking the essential steps to ensure the dogs are healthy and receive proper care. Some breeders claimed to have pomskies, when they were truly only selling huskies or a different mixed breed dog. Other people tried using more affordable methods of breeding dogs without taking the correct steps and precautions, which resulted in the puppies being predisposed to medical conditions. There were also some breeders who were labeled as “puppy mills” due to having poor living conditions for their dogs and breeding dogs too frequently which is harmful to the mother dogs. Puppy mills often keep their dogs in small cages and focus on making money rather than caring for their dogs.

Pomskies Today

The pomsky breed is continuing to grow and become more popular, especially with their appearance in social media. There are over 100 pomsky breeders in the United States, as well as other countries. Pomsky breeders and owners will need to continue to be responsible with using only responsible breeding methods and completing the necessary health checks. Pomsky owners can continue to share their passion for the pomsky breed, which may include telling people about the pros and cons of owning pomskies.

Summary

Pomskies have gained traits from their Husky and Pomeranian ancestors that make them a hard working and loyal dog breed. Since their first appearance in 2012, pomskies have grown in popularity and there are now many pomsky breeders across the United States and all around the world.