Victorian Pomeranian Dog Portrait Miniature Ring

Sixty-seven percent of households in the US today own a pet, but that wasn't always the case. Prior to the 19th century, keeping pets was heavily frowned upon and seen as frivolous and absurd. However, in the late 18th century writers and artists began to see the benefits of pet ownership and assigned them a new moral value -- making keeping domestic animals culturally acceptable for the masses. Pets became seen as character and morality building for young children as well as a necessity for a happy home. Dogs were the preferred pet of choice among Victorians because they were viewed as loyal, steadfast and courageous. Pedigree and exotic dog breeds also were sought after as a symbol of wealth and social status. Queen Victoria herself was known to have quite the fondness for pomeranians following a chance encounter with the fluffy breed during a visit to Florence, Italy in 1888 -- so much so that she added four to the royal household! Given the Queen's proclivity for being a trend s