The Pomeranian (often known as a Pom) is a breed of dog of the Spitz type that is named for the Pomerania region in north-west Poland and north-east Germany in Central Europe. Classed as a toy dog breed because of its small size, the Pomeranian is descended from larger Spitz-type dogs, specifically the German Spitz. It has been determined by the Fédération Cynologique Internationale to be part of the German Spitz breed; and in many countries, they are known as the Zwergspitz ('Dwarf-Spitz'). The breed has been made popular by a number of royal owners since the 18th century. This is a genetic disease which causes the dog's skin to turn black and lose all or most of its hair. As of 2013, in terms of registration figures, since at least 1998, the breed has ranked among the top fifty most popular breeds in the US, and the current fashion for small dogs has increased their popularity worldwide. The earliest examples of the breed were white or occasionally brown or black.