| AKC | American Kennel Club |
| AOM | Judge's Award of Merit (also referred to as a JAM) |
| APC | American Pomeranian Club |
| B&T | Black and Tan (also used to refer to Black and Rust). |
| BAIM | Best Adult In Match |
| BAISM | Best Adult In Specialty Match |
| BBE | Bred-By-Exhibitor |
| BIM | Best In Match |
| BIS | Best In Show |
| BISM | Best In Specialty Match |
| BISS | Best In Specialty Show |
| BOB | Best of Breed |
| BOS | Best of Opposite Sex (to Best of Breed) |
| BOW | Best of Winners - awarded to either the Winners Bitch or the Winners Dog, depending on which one the judge feels better meets the breed standard. |
| BPIM | Best Puppy In Match |
| BPISM | Best Puppy In Specialty Match |
| breeder | The person who owned (or leased) the dam of a litter at the time the litter was whelped. |
| CD | Companion Dog - the first level of AKC obedience titles. |
| CGC | Canine Good Citizen - this is an AKC test, open to pure and mixed breed dogs, which tests dogs for basic obedience and manners around strange people, other dogs, and distractions. |
| Ch. | Champion of record. |
| CKC | Canadian Kennel Club. Also, the Continental Kennel Club - an organization set up by and for commercial breeders. |
| finish | A dog is "finished" when it completes the requirements for its championship. |
| GC | Gold Club - this is a title given by the APC to dogs with exceptional show records. See the Historical Awards section of the APC's web site for current requirements. |
| group | The AKC divides all recognised breeds into several groups. The Pomeranian is a member of the Toy Group. At all-breed shows, all the dogs who were awarded Best of Breed compete in their respective groups. Those who win their group ("go Group 1") then compete against the other group winners for Best In Show. Group 2 - second place in their group; Group 3 - third place in their group; Group 4 - fourth place in their group. |
| HOF | Hall of Fame - this is a title bestowed by the APC to dogs with exceptional show records. See the Historical Awards section of the APC's web site for current requirements. |
| HIT | High In (Obedience) Trial |
| leg | This term is used by performance (obedience, tracking, hunting. etc...) exhibitors to indicate that a dog has received a qualifying score. Obedience titles, for example, require three legs. |
| major | Major Win - a dog needs two majors (awarded by different judges) included in its 15 championship points to complete its championship. A major win is worth three, four, or five points. |
| match | Matches are generally considered practice sessions for dogs, handlers and future judges. No championship points are awarded at matches and frequently puppies are not competed against adults. |
| points | The nose pad, lips, eye rims and foot pads together are referred to as the dog's points. Also, referring to the championship points (15) required to be won before a dog can become an AKC champion. |
| pull | A dog has been "pulled", or has "made the cut", if the judge decides to keep it for further consideration. |
| ROM | Register of Merit - This is a title given by the APC to Pomeranians which have produced an exceptional number of titled offspring. See the Historical Awards section of the APC's web site for current requirements. |
| ROMS | Register of Merit Supreme - This is a title given by the APC to Pomeranians which have produced an exceptional number of titled offspring. See the Historical Awards section of the APC's web site for current requirements. |
| ROMX | Register of Merit Excellent - This is a title awarded by the APC to Pomeranians which have produced an exceptional number of titled offspring. See the Historical Awards section of the APC's web site for current requirements. |
| RWB | Reserve Winners Bitch |
| RWD | Reserve Winners Dog |
| special | A dog which has completed its championship and is concidered good enough by its owners to continue competing. Generally, specials are dogs that completed their championships easily. |
| specialty | A specialty show is a show in which only one breed competes (although some are held in conjunction with all-breed shows, in which case the BISS may also compete for BIS). |
| sweepstakes | A mini-specialty, often for puppies or veterans only. Sweepstakes carry no championship points but are the only classes where a percentage of the entry fees are awarded to the winners. |
| WB | Winners Bitch - The Winners Bitch is the only female of that breed to receive championship points. |
| WD | Winners Dog - The Winners Dog is the only male of that breed to receive championship points. |
