Grooming the Coat
Suffice it to say, if you have a Pomeranian you will need to be able to set aside a reasonable time for grooming and hopefully will enjoy the tasks. Putting effort into grooming a Pom can be very rewarding.

This breed is famous for his double-thick coat which stands out, and this is achieved by being groomed correctly. If you have a Pom that has a flat coat or does not have the “Pom look” that you expected, most likely it is just a matter of technique, choosing the right products for the coat, and perhaps the need for a slight trim to ’round’ things out.

Many people wonder if there is a difference in grooming for either male or female Pomeranians, however other than extra shedding after a heat cycle that requires more brushing, care for the coat will be the same.

Grooming Tips

1) Keep a schedule. Pomeranian puppies should be brushed at least twice per week to have the pup become accustomed to the feel of the brush. Adults should be brushed at least 3 times per week, but every day is actually ideal because you will be able to stay one step ahead of things.

If brushing is skipped, all sorts of things can happen including terrible tangles. In addition, hairs will be falling back into the coat and become trapped there, where they can start to smell bad due to getting coated with body oil.

Pomeranians should have a bath once every 3 weeks unless circumstances call for an extra bath (the Pom becomes muddy, etc.). If you give baths much more often than this, the body can have a hard time keeping up with replacing natural body oils.

2) Address any tangles or mats asap.A mat is when strands of hairs twist together and form a knot. Brushing on a regular basis will help stop tangles from forming. And, keep in mind that rubbing a Pom dry after a bath can cause mats all over the coat (you’ll want to pat dry, more details ahead).

To remove a tangle or mat: If you do notice a tangle, lather up your hands with your Pom’s bath conditioner and try to work out the knot. You’ll need some patience and so will your Pom, so offer him an interesting toy while you do your best.

If working the knot out by hand is not successful, you will want to snip it off in the correct way to prevent it from growing. And it will grow. Each day more hairs will be pulled in and there is no end to this. Eventually, it will pinch the skin, causing quite a bit of discomfort.

You will want to use a de-matting tool like the Safari De-matting Combto snip the mat from the coat. With this method, it will be removed without causing damage to the rest of the coat.
3) Never brush a dry coat. While doing this one time will not ruin a coat, dry-brushing will have cumulative effects that can destroy the fur over time; fur can weaken resulting in split ends, there can be removal of the protective layer of the hair shaft and more.

Use a leave-in coat spray that will:
Protect the coat from contact friction
Help to prevent dead ends
Will offer a layer of protection from the sun in the summer (which can fade a coat) and cold weather in the winter (which can dry out skin & fur)
Aid in stopping static issues
Will add a nice, clean scent
When you are brushing the coat, you will want to lightly spritz 1/2 inch from the roots for puppies and 1 inch from the roots for adult Poms. Then use the brush to work it down through to the tips.
Work in sections. For example, first the chest, then the ruff, then the legs, then the back and flanks, and ending with the tail.
If you’re looking for a great leave-in spray.

4) Use the right grooming tools. The right grooming tools are important since certain ones work best with Spitz breeds that have thick double coats. You’ll want a comb and two types of brushes. Let’s take a look:

• Before you brush, use a comb to check for any tangles.Go slow over every area of the body. With this breed’s thick coat, you’ll want to be sure to use a steel comb with wide enough spacing.

• A slicker brush is great for pulling out shedded hairs.Since this breed is a moderate to heavy shedder, you’ll want to go over the coat with this sort of brush as often as every day and at least 3 times per week. If not, hairs will fall back into the coat; after some time they will become encased in body oil and start to smell and a coat clogged with dead hairs will block natural air flow.

• A pin brush is great as a finishing brush.This step is intended to add texture and shine to the top coat once it is cleaned of shedded hairs (do not bother trying to reach down into the inner layer, you already took care of that with the slicker brush).

Since the Pomeranian has densely packed fur, you’ll want this to have adequate spacing. If the pins are too close together, it can be difficult to pull the brush through the coat.

To summarize:

Brush your Pom at least 3 times per week, and every day is ideal. Puppies can be brushed twice per week.
Keep an eye out for tangles.
Use a 2-level steel comb, a slicker brush, and a pin brush that is appropriately sized for your Pomeranian.
Use a leave-in conditioning spray when you brush. Lightly spritz the coat (1/2 or 1 inch from the roots) and then work it down to the tips.