Luvin Poms | Susan & Peter Colcord

Interview with Toy Group Breeders Susan & Peter Colcord

Where do we live? How many years in dogs? How many years as a breeder?

Susan & Peter Colcord: We live in New Hampshire. Peter had been involved showing dogs for 25-plus years, but left the dog world to pursue opening a business. He and I have been breeding and showing Pomeranians now for eight years. Peter started in Keeshonden and had National Specialty winners three years in a row. We chose to show Pomeranians when we entered the show world again because they are also a Spitz Breed, only smaller and more portable!

What is our kennel name? How many dogs do we currently keep?

Susan & Peter Colcord: Our kennel name is Luvin Poms. We are a small-scale breeder and our goal is to produce show quality Pomeranians that are bred to the Breed Standard. We are consistently striving to produce sound dogs and we are very particular which dogs we choose to breed. We breed in order to show our own dogs and we are very proud of that.

Which show dogs from the past have been our noteworthy winners?

Susan & Peter Colcord: Our first big-winning Pomeranian was GCHG CH Ansaro’s Theodore Roosevelt of Luvin Poms, call name “Teddy.” Teddy achieved a Top Twenty ranking four years in a row and had multiple Best in Specialty Show wins and Group placements. We are currently specialing a dog that we purchased from Thailand to add to our breeding program; MBIS MBISS TH. PH. EW’19 AM. GCHS CH Tokie Trend Factor, call name “Bad Boy.” Bad Boy was ranked #2 All-Breed and #3 Breed for 2021 and had two Bests in Show and many, many Group placements. We have finished many champions over the years and we were recently awarded Top Exhibitors of the Year and Top Bred-By Exhibitors of the Year by the American Pomeranian Club for 2021.

Which have been our most influential sires and dams?

Susan & Peter Colcord: We have several gorgeous dams as well as sires. The most important dam for us is GCH CH Luvin Poms Yes I Know I’m Eye Candy, and the most influential sire is MBIS MBISS TH. PH. EW’19 AM. GCHS CH Tokie Trend Factor.

Can we talk a bit about our facilities? Where are our puppies whelped? How are they raised?

Susan & Peter Colcord: We raise our Pomeranians in our home. We have a whelping room and a puppy room, but everyone else lives with us in our home. We want to make sure our dogs are well-socialized. We have a grooming space in the lower level where all the bathing and grooming is done.

What is our “process” for selecting show puppies? At what age do we make our decisions?

Susan & Peter Colcord: Our puppies are evaluated for show at around 12 weeks. We measure them to the Standard and try really hard to not be kennel blind. As I stated before, we have a small breeding program and we keep our puppies until we determine whether or not they are show quality. That could be as early as 12 weeks or as long as 6 months.

How do we prepare our pups for the show ring? Does our breed require any special preparation?

Susan & Peter Colcord: Every one of our show dogs is bathed, groomed, and given a show trim before each show. It’s extremely important to line-brush Pomeranians because they are a double-coated breed and you need to get down to the skin to prevent mats. Right before going in the ring, our dogs are brushed out again and their leads are “sunk” into their coats so that the judge doesn’t see a “line” on their neck. The Pomeranian should look like a circle in a square when stacked, and the show trim should enhance that look. It is very important not to over-trim.

Can we share our thoughts on how our breed is currently presented in the show ring?

Susan & Peter Colcord: Pomeranians can be presented in the ring a couple of ways. One way is for the handler to stand while stacking the dog, and the other way is to kneel to stack the dog. Every Pom is different and the handler knows which technique will show the dog in the best possible way.

Are there any health-related concerns within our breed? Any special nutritional needs?

Susan & Peter Colcord: There are some health concerns with Poms as with all other breeds. One of the concerns is BSD or black skin disease. BSD is a concern for all breeders, and the APC has spent a lot of money in research to help find the cause and cure. Collapsing trachea is another area of concerns as is luxating patellas. All the breeders I know work very hard not to breed any of these issues.

In our opinion, is our breed in good condition overall. Any trends that warrant concern?

Susan & Peter Colcord: I feel our breed has been improving year after year with the help of reputable breeders. The tails-sets have gotten better, the bites have gotten better, the fronts and rears have gotten better, and so have ear-sets.

Is our breed well-suited to be a family dog? Who are the best candidates to own our breed?

Susan & Peter Colcord: Absolutely, Pomeranians are great family dogs! They are fun-loving, loyal, and smart! They love their humans and are eager to please. Most of our puppy buyers are families. We love getting pictures and updates from our puppy families! We encourage them to keep in touch so that we know how they are doing!

Do we feel that our breed is supported by a sufficient number of preservation breeders?

Susan & Peter Colcord: Our breed is lucky to have many, many wonderful breeders who are dedicated to the preservation of the breed and to Breed Standard. I think the American Pomeranian Club does a wonderful job of educating breeders to the betterment of the breed.

For a bit of fun, what’s the most amusing thing we’ve ever experienced with a Toy Dog?

Susan & Peter Colcord: That’s a tough one because every single day they do amusing things. They are a constant source of entertainment!