Grooming Styles for Pomeranians

One of the most popular cuts for Pomeranians is the lion cut. This style plays on the Pomeranian's natural lion-like appearance. It retains the full mane of the dog around the shoulders, face and chest. The fur on the rest of the body is clipped fairly close, usually with electric clippers, but the tip of the tail is left untrimmed, again playing to the lion-like look. With this cut, regular grooming of the mane still is needed to prevent tangling. Monitor the dog's skin, because close shaving exposes the skin of the elbows and body, sometimes leading to sores on the skin, ingrown hairs or even sunburn.

The puppy cut, sometimes called a teddy bear cut, trims the entire coat to 2 or 3 inches in length. The cut rounds the fur of the face and legs, giving the dog a uniform coat and the appearance of a puppy or teddy bear. This style works well if you don't want to groom your dog as often, because the short hair is easier to comb through. The style also gives your dog a lighter, more comfortable coat for warmer weather. Because the fur isn't shaved down to the skin, this cut may cause fewer skin issues for your Pomeranian than a lion cut or full shave.

If you are unable to brush your Pomeranian's coat daily, you may opt to have the entire coat shaved off. A shave may also be needed when a Pomeranian's coat is so intensely tangled and matted because of neglected grooming that it cannot be brushed out without causing the dog pain. Female Pomeranians used for breeding are sometimes shaved for ease of care during pregnancy. However, in some cases a coat that has been shaved may not grow back as full or lush as it was originally.

If you wish to show your Pomeranian, you have little choice about grooming styles. Pomeranian show standards promulgated by the American Kennel Club and United Kennel Club don't allow extensive altering of the dog's natural coat. According to the breed standard for those organizations, only light trimming of the coat to neaten it and keep its natural shape is allowed. Slight trimming of the ears, feet and anus to clean up any loose hair is also recommended by the UKC. Hair should be removed from under the feet and clipped to about 1/2 inch in length around the anus for cleanliness and health reasons. Inside the ears, the hair is removed to prevent ear infections. Shaving, or grooming styles that change the natural lines of the hair, aren't allowed.

Don't shave a dog you intend to show at some future date, thinking the fur will grow back. Shaving sometimes affects the texture of the fur, causing it to grow in more coarse, more soft, or more patchy than it originally was. A poor coat can disqualify your dog from showing.

Bring along pictures of the style you want when you take your Pomeranian to the groomer, rather than just naming a particular style. Groomers may have different ideas of what these styles are.

If you are grooming your dog for show, make certain the stylist has worked with a show Pomeranian before, to prevent accidental incorrect styling of the coat.

The Diet of Pomeranians

Pomeranian’s ancestors were originally much larger than today’s dogs, about 20 to 30 pounds, and were used for herding livestock and, according to the American Pomeranian Club, were also sometimes used as sled dogs. Queen Victoria is credited with increasing the breed’s popularity and contributing to shrinking them to their current ideal size of four to six pounds. Despite their tiny size, these heavy-coated dogs retain the energy of their working ancestors, and understanding this can help you when it comes time to feed your little dynamo.

Dry Food

When feeding Pomeranians dry dog food, always make sure that the food consists of very small pieces that the dog can easily chew and swallow, since larger pieces could pose a choking hazard for small dogs, especially those that tend to gulp their food. As with all dogs, Pomeranians should be fed only high-quality food, with plenty of protein and a minimum of filler. Pomeranians, who tend to be high-energy, are likely to lose weight quickly if they eat a poor-quality diet that may give them digestive problems and inhibit absorption. Leave the food out all day, this is called free feeding, to help your Pomeranian avoid becoming hypoglycemic, a blood sugar problem that many toy dogs are susceptible to if not fed often enough. Don't practice free feeding if your dog tends to overeat.

Canned Food

Canned food can be used as a part of a Pomeranian’s diet, and will make dry food more palatable, as well as adding important nutrients and calories. Choose the brand carefully, selecting a food that has plenty of protein and no filler, so that even Pom puppies, whose stomachs hold very little, can benefit from it. To make dry food more palatable and to add variety, mix in a small amount of canned food for best results. The amount can be adjusted to the size and age of the dog, as well as the Pomeranian’s personal activity level.

Supplements

Supplement the Pomeranian’s diet with high protein foods, adding some at each regular feeding. Finely chopped boiled liver or chicken is an excellent way to add protein and vitamins to a meal. Cottage cheese is another food you can feed in limited amounts. It is rich in vitamins, and is a good source of calcium as well. For young puppies add only about a tablespoonful of each supplement, but for older dogs you can add more, depending on how big and how active your dog is.

Treats

Pomeranians have very small stomachs, and it is important that they not be fed spicy or salty foods that may cause digestive upset or fill them up with empty calories. Such practices can prevent these little dogs from having enough room to consume the nutrition that they need. The ASPCA also cautions that there are some foods you should never feed any dog. The list of these foods includes chocolate, grapes, raisins, avocados and macadamia nuts. All of these, plus many more, are toxic, and toy dogs such as Pomeranians are susceptible to even very small amounts of these deadly foods. Instead, offer your dogs healthful treats such as boiled liver and chicken, in moderate amounts. High-quality commercial dog treats flavored with peanut butter or other highly-palatable flavoring and made from only a few ingredients and no fillers are also suitable to be offered as treats.

References & Resources

• American Pomeranian Club: Congratulations on Your New Pomeranian
• American Kennel Club: Pomeranian Did You Know?
• ASPCA: People Foods to Avoid Feeding Your Pets
• ASPCA: People Foods to Avoid Feeding Your Pets

More on Pomeranians

• The Behavior of Pomeranians
• How to Train Pomeranians
• Grooming Styles for Pomeranians
• Pomeranian Information: Health