What makes some dog coats flat versus full?
A dog's coat quality is based on genetics, health, and hormone levels. Some dogs are blessed with a thick, heavy coat with an abundance of undercoat. The undercoat is a thick, dense, shorter coat that helps the longer top coat stand up. Without this denseness of undercoat, the outer coat can be full and long but will not stand up. It will give the dog a "flat" appearance.
Some Pomeranians do not have a thick undercoat. It may be mediocre to thin. Many have a mid-level undercoats, and others have a thick, dense undercoat. It is just the luck of the draw on genetics. To get a hint of whether your puppy will have a thick undercoat, I suggest looking at the parents. You also might want to ask the time of year the pictures of the parents were taken. Most dogs have a wonderful coat in the winter, but in the summer, their bodies try to protect the dog from overheating and will blow the undercoat. So the dog may appear to have less undercoat when in fact, they have a good undercoat.
What are Pomeranian "Uglies"?
Pom "Uglies" occur when young dogs are leaving puppyhood. Their bodies are going through many changes while preparing to become an adult. Their skin is stretching and growing. Their bones are extending and getting denser. Their teeth are coming in and pushing out baby canines. Their hormone levels fluctuate, and their caloric needs increase to provide enough energy to carry out all these changes.
The puppy's coat is affected while the dog is going through all these changes. The coat begins to get clumpy, short, and... well... ugly. The baby usually begins to hit the "uglies" as early as three and a half to four months. In most Poms, the new coat coming in will take a few months to be pretty and full. Usually by ten months to two years or so depending on the bloodlines, your baby will look more typical to the breed. The coat at this point in time is more like an undercoat. It will fall out as the new coat comes in. I find that even immediately after grooming a puppy in his/her ugly stage, five minutes later, their coat will have the "clumpy look" again.
What makes a Pom blow their coat?
Each dog will have varying degrees of coat quality within a year's time. The weather and temperature can be a factor to when a dog "blows" its coat. This is when the undercoat comes out and the outer coat may decrease as well. It is important to groom more frequently during this time because matts can form daily.
Females will begin to blow their coat during pregnancy and will continue to lose it after whelping. I believe it due to the hormone fluctuations and the dam's body focusing more intently on producing milk rather than on hair.
A Pom female, to a degree, will also have some hair loss a little while after a heat cycle even if not bred. I think this is due to the hormone fluctuations. Again, it depends on the dog. Some will have more hair loss than others. Males don't blow their coat like females do, but they also will usually shed their undercoat in the summer.
I also believe when a "new coat" is coming in say prep for winter, then the old coat will fall out as the new coat comes in - resulting in a "blown coat" look.
A dog's health also affects it's coat quality.
Does putting clothes on my Pom affect his/her hair coat?
It depends. If a person has their pet sport adorable clothing on a regular basis? Definitely. The dog's body will adjust to the increase of warmth, and accommodate the dog's temperature. This might mean the dog's body sees no need to grow fur since the extra warmth is already provided. Many dogs who regularly wear clothing have a very thin coat as a norm without their accessories. On the other hand, if a dog only wears clothes on occasion, I do not believe it would affect the quality of the animal's coat.
What causes Pomeranians to lose hair in a certain spots or have overall poor coat quality?
Genetics is a huge factor to coat quality. If your dog doesn't have a thick undercoat gene, you can improve it as much as possible, but your dog will never have the coat of a show canine. This concept is very similar to issues people have with human hair. There are supplements one can take to improve one's hair quality, but a person can't change what is in their genetic make up.
If the dog's health is not up to par, then it will be reflected in the dog's coat quality. There are many things that can tax a dog's health - whelping, an injury, illness, poor food quality, infestations of parasites, lack of dental care, etc.
If the dog develops allergies or has sensitive skin, they will dig and scratch, and they can lose patches of fur in those places. The skin is usually injured, and it can affect hair regrowth if left untreated. A remedy for this is to provide an appropriate treatment - but first, one must determine the cause... Is it fleas? Ticks? Worms? Mites? Poor food quality and a reaction to the fillers?
Owners have to kill off the parasite infestation on the dog and the environment, wash the coat in soothing shampoos and conditioners, and apply medications as suggested by a vet. I also suggest dietary supplements to stimulate healthy skin and coat.
I have my yard treated for fleas and ticks.
Does shaving my dog affect its coat?
Yes in my opinion it does affect it's coat and can be detrimental to it growing back in. I only do trims around the anal and genital areas, as well as ear trimming when needed. Pomeranians hair keeps them regulated for adaptation to the different temperatures. Shaving that can be detrimental and sometimes it will not grow back or will not grow back the same way or quality.
How do I get a Pom's coat to come back in - faster and to a more full degree?
Cold natural air or the air conditioner helps wonders with hair growth. I also use biotin and fish oils to help with promoting healthy coat growth. I am a big fan of Nature's Farmacy products and supplements.
My recommendations to better health and coat quality in our beloved Poms:
REGULAR preventative treatments are the best ways to help your dogs' health and coat quality. A variety of worms, fleas, ticks, and more can strike against your pets' wellbeing. Scheduled quality applications can be the most beneficial thing for your pet. It is expensive but well worth it... and less expensive in the long run. One must be certain to keep records of treatment schedules up-to-date to prevent overdose or infestations.
Buying a more expensive end, quality food and taking your pet in for regular vet visits also contribute to promoting over all good health and will intensify the quality of the dogs' coat.
Grooming is very important to Pom health. It is especially important in the thicker coated dogs. When a dog is not groomed regularly, their undercoat will become matted, and it doesn't allow for the skin to "breathe". This causes unhealthy skin and coat conditions to develop in addition to all the other things I've mentioned on this page. I've seen dogs with severe dandruff to allergies developing when the dense undercoat becomes too matted. The skin MUST be able to breath for it to remain healthy and to continue producing more thick, beautiful hair. When I take my dogs to the groomer I write out a specific list of what I want done. I mostly groom my dogs myself unless it gets too matted. Besides my male Andie, I almost always take him to my groomer, because he does not like it when I try to groom him because he thinks it is not my job. It is hard to find a good groomer who you can trust with your fur babies.
