1 of 4

Write now Article Tools

An ancient ancestor of the Spitz breed, the Pomeranian's history can be dated back hundreds of years. Queen Victoria established her own breeding kennel in the 1800's and even Marie Antoinette and Mozart were owners of this small breed.

The Pomeranian is a very small dog with a fluffy coat and a feathered tail that distinctly fans forward over the back. The undercoat is short but thick with an outer coat that forms a stand-off of the straight hair. Because of this elegant yet full coat, the Pomeranian requires frequent brushings and sometimes more often during the shedding process which can happen one to two times yearly.

The grooming procedure for the Pomeranian is very simple since the dog only needs bathed when dirty. Many breeders and groomers only "dry bathe" their precious Pom Poms. If you should need to bathe your Pomeranian, take extra caution to not get water in the ears, eyes or nose. After washing in a gentle shampoo, use thick towels to remove any excess water from the coat and then the Pomeranian will need to be blow-dried. A hand blow-dryer on a low setting works well. While drying, brush the coat against the grain and then back down until the coat is fully dry. This process will give the coat that "puffy" natural look that the Pomeranian is so popular for.

A natural bristle brush, slicker brush or pin brush with flexible pins are excellent choices for brushing the Pomeranians coat. Any mats can be gently picked out using a smooth metal comb with large teeth. A detangler may need to be used to help brush out mats and knots in the hairs. Start brushing from the head area and brush the coat forward. The coat will fall back into place on its own. Work the coat down through both layers, separating all of the hairs until the entire coat has been thoroughly brushed through.

Any unruly hairs can be trimmed away being careful inside the ears and the bottom of the paws. Keep hairs trimmed around the anus area since that area can become dirty and matted easily. Use a cotton ball lightly dampened with water to clean out the eyes and ears. The Pomeranian is susceptible to early tooth loss. Clean the teeth regularly and take your Pom Pom to the veterinarian for regular check-ups.

Keep the toenails clipped which can either be done by yourself or a professional groomer. If attempting the process yourself, be aware that the toenail has a "quick" and can hurt the dog or even bleed if cut into. If your dog has light colored nails, the quick is usually visible and easier to trim. Cut the toenail within 2 millimeters of the quick. For dark colored nails, trim the nails in small cuts to minimize the chance of cutting into the quick.

Ideally, the Pomeranian needs brushed daily with no less than two thorough brushings weekly. Proper and frequent grooming is a necessity for the Pomeranian. If their coat becomes heavily matted and neglected, the dog may need to be fully shaved of its magnificent coat. Many times when a Pomeranian has a full body shave, the coat will not grow back to its prior thickness or to the beauty that was intended.

Learn more about this author, Angela Pollock.
Click here to send this author comments or questions.

Add your voice

Know something about How to groom a Pomeranian?
We want to hear your view. Write now!