# Pomeranian with Short Coat or case of "Puppy Uglies??"



## xShopahawlicx (Apr 29, 2007)

*

I have a question and I'm hoping that someone else has experienced something similar to this. I bought a Pomeranian puppy less than a week ago from a local pet store. He looked much different than some of the other pomeranians that they had and they refered to him as a short haired pomeranian. I am pleased with his look and all, but when I got home to look up information on a "short haired pomeranian" nothing came up! I took him to the vet and the vet assured me he is a pomeranian, just not "show quality." I then saw a book describing coat changes in the pomeranian breed, and something they referred to as "puppy uglies." He's just about 12 weeks now. I have a golden retriever who went through coat changes but that was something that I expected from his breed. I tried attaching some pictures below for referance (I'm not sure that they will work though!) Thank you in advance for all of your help! *

<a href="http://photobucket.com" target="_blank"><img src="http://i158.photobucket.com/albums/t103/xShopahawlicx/InnocentFaceMessyRoom.jpg" border="0" alt="Photo Sharing and Video Hosting at Photobucket"></a>

<a href="http://photobucket.com" target="_blank"><img src="http://i158.photobucket.com/albums/t103/xShopahawlicx/RidingShotty.jpg" border="0" alt="Photo Sharing and Video Hosting at Photobucket"></a>
<a href="http://photobucket.com" target="_blank"><img src="http://i158.photobucket.com/albums/t103/xShopahawlicx/MiloCloseup.jpg" border="0" alt="Photo Sharing and Video Hosting at Photobucket"></a>


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## iwantmypup (Jan 6, 2007)

Awwwww he is a cutie! But as far as I know (which is not much about this breed) is that..i don't think short haired pomeranian is a breed...so hmm... maybe he shed alot and alot of hair came off?

Sorry I can't help much
Good luck !

Ali


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## cshellenberger (Dec 2, 2006)

There is no such thing as a short haired Pom. Sounds like you got ripped off by the Pet Store, it's probably a mutt that you over paid for.

FYI, this is typical of pet stores, which get their pups from Puppy Mills and Back Yard Breeders.


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## Laurelin (Nov 2, 2006)

He is cute, but there's no such thing as a short haired pom. Sounds like the pet store made it up to me. He looks like a pom to me though. Many dogs from pet stores and poor breeders will not look like the ideal specimen of that particular breed as the breeders do not care to produce dogs that conform to the standards. I see many papillons that have short fur from pet stores so I'd assume that poms are the same way.

The easiest way to tell coat length is to see the relatives of your dog and estimate. If they have short coats, most likely yours will too. Unfortunately you can't do that with pet store puppies, so you can't really tell until they mature what kind of coat your dog's line carries.


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## peace36 (Jan 29, 2007)

Wish I could see those pictures but it wont let me click on them. Anyway maybe the pet store lied to you but if you are pleased with you little pom dont feel like you got ripped off After all we can not put a price on a life or love can we?


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## cshellenberger (Dec 2, 2006)

I can't see the pictures either, wish I could.


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## iwantmypup (Jan 6, 2007)

http://i158.photobucket.com/albums/t103/xShopahawlicx/InnocentFaceMessyRoom.jpg
http://i158.photobucket.com/albums/t103/xShopahawlicx/RidingShotty.jpg
http://i158.photobucket.com/albums/t103/xShopahawlicx/MiloCloseup.jpg

just yeah  ;P : D : / 

Ali


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## peace36 (Jan 29, 2007)

He thanks Iwantmypup!!!!! 

That little pom is cute! and it does have short hair. so now you have maybe the 1st short hair pom ever. Maybe this is the start of something new? Lol, not likely but she/he is adorable!


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## iwantmypup (Jan 6, 2007)

You're very welcome! 

Yeah.. he is so cutee! Though with short hair..he seems yet fluffy and young and perky! Lol..myabe it will start something!


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## Jen D (Apr 23, 2007)

He looks like a Pom to me, just not a show dog right now but he is young the hair may grow in. He is so cute so who cares! This is what happens with pet stores his mother was most likley over bred. Have fun with him!


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## cshellenberger (Dec 2, 2006)

Thank you very much Ali!

It does look like a purebred pup, the coat condition isn't ideal and the pup is going to be large for a pom. However, the coat could turn out fine with proper diet. I'd put him on a high quality food such as Solid Gold, Califonia Naturals ect and throw in some Missing Link as a coat supplement. Be sure you have a high quality shampoo and conditioner to use on him as well and a good wire brush to get through the coat.

Oh, be sure you have your vet give a worming that will take care of Tapes, that is another thing that could make the coat look bad. It's very common for pet store pups to have Tape worm due to poor living conditions at the breeders and the store.


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## Snowshoe (Nov 17, 2006)

I know that spitz breeds usually go through a case of the uglies when they transition from puppy coat to adult coat. I know Orchid certainly did there for a while. 

If you're concerned about coat, there are supplements you can feed that will enhance what coat he does have. Feeding RAW is a great way to make the coat more full. 

Also, fish oil supplements are great for coat, as are an egg twice a week. Consider switching to a quality food. 

If you want his coat to be full, do a quick brush every day, and brush him from his rear to his head. 

Do a once over grooming his hair in the reverse way that it grows to puff him up. 

That will remove dead hairs and give new hairs a chance to come in.


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## Laurelin (Nov 2, 2006)

Good advice! Coat length does have to do with genetics, but environment and nutrition also plays a role. To get a coat looking as good as it can get, make sure your dog has a nutritious diet as others have said. Good kibble and even better imo- a raw diet- can make the coat look at its top condition.


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## Snazziestjeff (Apr 20, 2007)

He looks fine to me.... just get him on some food for hair and coat... and possibly some suppliments... He definitely isn't ugly.


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## xShopahawlicx (Apr 29, 2007)

*Thanks for all the help and the advice with the food and supplements. I had seen photos on the internet of Poms shedding their hair so hopefully he'll get a little more hair, but if not what can you do, its not that big of a deal. Thanks again for all of your quick replies  *


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## Amaya-Mazie-Marley (Apr 15, 2007)

He's adorable! All I can say is maybe his hair will grow in some more.


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## tirluc (Aug 29, 2006)

actually, when i looked at those pics my first thought was Finnish Spitz and maybe Pom mix.....that face is all wrong for a Pom face

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pomeranian_(dog)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Finnish_Spitz

or even a bad bred (duh...from a pet store...what else?) Shiba Inu

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shiba_Inu


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## workingdog (Oct 19, 2006)

At 12 weeks old you really don't know what kind of coat he will have yet, all though it looks a little thin for his age but at 6/7 months he will blow his coat and then his adult hair will begin to grow in, so you will not really know for about a year what his coat is going to look like.My pom has a very thick coat and at times is a pain cause i'm picking up fur balls all the time. In any case he is a cutie.


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## Snowshoe (Nov 17, 2006)

I think that the Finnish Spitz is a gorgeous dog. A girl that I was at a show with had them, and they were adorable! 

Anyway, they're a pretty rare breed. My guess is that it's probably just a puppy mill pomeranian. 

He's a cutie!


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## ashes (Apr 15, 2007)

i work with 2 pom breeders and he is deff a pomeranian. thats about how long his coat should be at 12 weeks! it maybe looks alittle thinner than a usuall puppy but length wise hes just right. by the time he's 4-6months he'll have his coat growing in nicely i think. the clerk at the pet store obviously has his head where the sun dont shine if he called it a short haired pom. no such thing. although i did hear of a woman crossing chiwawas with poms and selling them under that name. but ive seen about 30 or 40 pom puppies by now and im pretty sure hes all pom


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## workingdog (Oct 19, 2006)

I agree that he is pure pom and being at a pet store leads me in thinking that his diet hasn't been that great, so get him on some good food and sit back and wait.


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## NERI (May 8, 2008)

He might be a fox!
kidding
I just bought a pom puppy not from pet store yeah from breeder, your puppy looks eaxctly like a pom but yeah his hairs dont look so good, but migh be cos of missing vitamins...etc also there is a thing wich some pomeranians has (no if it comes from good breeders) its genetic and its called blak skin disease or alopecia, hey im not saying your puppy does have it and i guess you already went to your vet but have a look here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k3z2a1O6ec8&feature=related
its not my video but for what ive understood that pom has alopecia, and migh seem a short haired pom but definitely it isnt, also i think he looks cutie but still he is ill...they lose hairsand i dont really know what other problems it has thats why is better to dont trust pet stores for buy puppies also i dont know wherethey bought it from 
i aswell think your puppy is so cute! and im sure hell be still as pretty or more when he grows up!


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## petstar (Dec 7, 2007)

It's hard to tell if he's just poorly bred or mixed with something. He's big, his head proportions are wrong and obviously there is some discrepancy with the coat.

Regardless what's done is done, and purebred or mix I'm sure you'll love him. Just know that there is no "shorthaired pom"


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## Shalva (Mar 23, 2007)

ok now I do think there are short poms. they are a dq fault in breed but something in the back of my brains tells me that there is a short (er) hair mutation that can occur.... like a long haired rottie, or a fluffy corgi..... 

s


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## Ella'sMom (Jul 23, 2007)

Oh I think he's adorable!

(I love your speedy too btw. Bags are my second passion  )


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## lwbailey (Aug 23, 2011)

we have can anyone shed some light on this puppy as we are in two minds as to whether she is pom.


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## cshellenberger (Dec 2, 2006)

lwbailey said:


> we have can anyone shed some light on this puppy as we are in two minds as to whether she is pom.


 
Could well be a Pom that's been clipped or just has a poor quality coat (clipping the coat ruins it).


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## Cheeky (Aug 23, 2011)

very cute pup! he's still young and if he's healthy great! i think he looks pom...and i bet his fur will fill out with proper nutrition and care... it's amazing how much these lil pups change and grow from week to week. i'd love to see what he looks like after a couple more months. 


take care


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## Pawzk9 (Jan 3, 2011)

He looks like a Pom. Not a terribly well bred pom but one none the less. His coat's not exactly short - could be trying to switch from puppy coat to adult coat - pups always look a bit sparse when that is going on. Could also be that his health situation (diet, worming status, etc.) wasn't that great when you bought him, and with better care his coat may start looking better. That said, he's never going to be one of those super fluffy poms you see in the show ring.


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## PomeranianOwner (Nov 1, 2011)

I don't mean this to sound mean, so I apologize in advance if it does, but the dogs in the original poster and lwbaileys photos are not full bred Pomeranians. They are more likely to be a Spitz (yes, that's where Poms came from) or another breed all together. I will also say there's a small possibilty they are a Pom mix or that they may have been bred from bad stock. Poms are a toy breed so are very small. There's no such thing as a short haired Pom, they are a long haired breed just like there's no such thing as a short haired Persian cat. 

Pomeranians do go through their uglies and no a 12 week old pure bred Poms coat shouldn't look like that, they have a lovely thick and fluffy puppy coat at that age. 

There are so many dodgy breeders out there advertising their pups as full bred Poms when in fact they aren't and you'll end up with a big, flat coated and big muzzled dog instead. My male Pom pup is 23 weeks old and weighs 4 lbs and he's now just started entering the puppy uglies so his coat isn't as bushy as it was before, although his coat is still very thick and full but not as much as it was a few weeks ago. 

If you want a well bred Pom do your research first on the breed. Learn as much as you can. Buy from a reputable breeder ONLY and not a pet store or back yard breeder. Ask the breeder lots of questions, make sure you can see the parents and if you can't see both make sure to see the dam and at least a photo of the sire.

Either way if you already have what you thought was a Pom they still need love and all animals are beautiful in my opinion and I'm sure you'll love them regardless.


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## ChaosIsAWeim (Feb 12, 2011)

There maybe no such thing as a short coated pom, but there is such a thing as a flat coated pom. Typically they are foxed face and over sized, as this is the type that BYBs and Puppy mills love because they can have more puppies safely. Poms were not always this small, they were 30 pound dogs at one point, stands to reason that breeding the biggest poms to the biggest poms they can have a throwback. I know someone with a pom like this, the dog is a purebred pom, just not to standard. 


Not every specimen out there is up to standard, doesn't mean they are not purebred.


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## Bordermom (Apr 28, 2010)

lwbailey said:


> View attachment 27715
> we have can anyone shed some light on this puppy as we are in two minds as to whether she is pom.


I would say a pom mix, or a poorly bred pom. Most of the poms I've seen are about a foot long total, so if the foot in the picture is an adult sized foot, I'd guess that pup is pretty big for the breed. Depending on age etc. she's either got nothing for coat or she's going to be a pretty big toy sized dog.


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