Pomeranian Grooming Hints

If you own a pom then it is important to know about pomeranian grooming.

The first thing people generally notice about a pomeranian dog is how beautiful it looks. Apart from its gorgeous fox like face, it is its fluffy appearance that gets the attention of onlookers.

Often you hear comments like "Look at that little ball of fluff", or "Doesn't it look like a powder puff?"

Then come the questions or statements of "She's so cute but it must be so hard to look after her with all that fur", or "I'd love to have a dog like that but pomeranian grooming would be so much work.

This is far from the truth. Your pomeranian grooming is really not that much work especially if you are not showing your dog. If you are showing your pom, then you will already have purchased your dog from a reputable show breeder and your dog will have come from a very good line which should have entailed it with an excellent coat to start with. So, you would then have to put a lot of work into your pomeranian grooming to keep it looking in show condition.

The pom coat should be double coated, a short, soft, thick undercoat, with longer coarse glistening outer coat consisting of guard hairs that must be harsh to touch in order to give the proper texture for the coat to form a frill of profuse, spreading straight hairs. Pomeranian grooming for showing will obviously be more work than if you are grooming your dog simply as a pet.

Because I'm not a breeder and I do not show my poms, you would be better to seek advice from your breeder or kennel club to find out how much grooming you would need to do to keep the coat at a show standard. For the average pomeranian pet owner who wants to groom their own dog, then what you need is: a good brush with natural bristles and a fine slicker brush or comb for the head, ear and skirts.

I brush my pom everyday for about 5 minutes. Once on the weekend I give her a partial bath and a good brush. This is a personal thing and everyone has the right to do it whenever they wish. So long as you don't let your poms fur get knotty or tangled. I always brush away or against the coat and then use a fine tooth comb on her neck and skirts. I lie her on her back on my knee to brush her underside.

It is very important to get your dog used to being brushed form an early age. This is for a couple of reasons. One being that it is important for regular brushing so as the coat doesn't get knotted and tangled and two because you don't want the dog to become upset and distressed every time. You want it to be a normal part of life for you and your pom.

I do not bath my pom very often. Again, this depends on whether you show your dog or not. If your dog is not dirty, then it doesn't need a bath. Bathing any type of dog too often can dry up the natural oils in their coat and can also lead to their skin becoming dry and itchy.

You can however, give partial baths if you wish. These can be done a couple of times a week. I only do it once a week. Just use a warm, damp washcloth with a mild soap and rinse with a clean wet washcloth. This can be very helpful with keeping the anus and the area around the penis clean, and to keep the smell of urine to a minimum.

During pomeranian grooming it is also best if you trim around the anus to help keep that area clean. Trimming around the ears can also be done if you wish. Ocassionally, the pom needs his eyes wiped. You can use cotton wool with cooled boiled water. You should also clean the poms ears using moist cotton wool but never cotton buds!

If you are someone who doesn't want to do your own pomeranian grooming, there is always the option of taking your pomeranian to a groomer. However, you would still have to brush your dog regularly. I also prefer to clip my own dogs nails and trim their feet.

Pomeranian grooming should also include the trimming of fur on their paws as they should take on the appearance of 'cat like paws'. Don't forget to include trimming the fur under their paws, in between the pads. For all of this, you need good nail clippers and round ended scissors. You can buy these from your local pet shop or vets.

Not everyone is comfortable with clipping their dogs nails. If you do decide to do it yourself, remember to cut only the dead tip and not the quick.
Cutting the quick will result in unneccessary pain and profuse bleeding.

As I have mentioned already, I do not show my dogs so I accept that if you are showing your dogs, you will groom differently, but if your pom is just your beloved companion and nothing more, then my grooming pomeranian tips are more than acceptable.

Always keep in mind that not just good grooming makes a great coat but good health and breeding plays a big part. Make sure your pomeranian has a good healthy diet with plenty of clean fresh water, exercise and lots of love and attention. These are all important factors in pomeranian grooming.

For some elderly or disabled people in particular, clipping their dog all over is an option. I certainly do not recommend this for everyone else as I feel it is just not right to have a pom with a clipped coat. However, if it means losing their beloved little companion because they cannot keep up the grooming then it is best to clip. Unnesseccary separation for both parties would be a tragedy.

The pom also goes through some coat phases that you may or may not be aware of. You can find out more about this subject on the pomeranian coat phases page.