Pomeranian Colors, Markings and Patterns

What are Pomeranians?

These bold and lively balls of fur are one of the most popular toy breeds. They stand from 6 to 7 inches and weigh just 3 to 7 pounds. A wedge-shaped skull, pointed muzzle, pert little ears, and bright, dark eyes give the Pom their distinctive foxy face.

Their vivacious personality makes them an excellent companion. But perhaps the most amazing thing about the Pomeranian is their abundant double coat. That fluffy frill which extends over the chest and shoulders and heavily plumed tail are hallmark characteristics of the breed.

What makes their coats even more eye-catching is that Pomeranians colors number almost two dozen. That doesn’t include various patterns and markings.

Pomeranian Colors Through History

The Pomeranian breed is descended from the medium to large-sized Spitz dogs. These dogs came in several light colors, including, pure white, light cream, and light gray. Black was likely introduced by the German Spitz. This dog was bred to be smaller and is also one of the only members of the breed to come in black.

Queen Victoria was a serious breeder and is credited with reducing the Pom’s size from about 30 pounds to their current toy stature. As breeding developed, recessive genes created more colors and combinations.

Queen Victoria owned a red sable-coated Pomeranian named Marco who won numerous awards. Since no color was considered undesirable and bred out, today we have a rainbow of Poms to choose from.

Categories of Pomeranian Colors and Markings

The AKC has three different classifications for acceptable Pomeranian colors. They’re broken down as follows:

• Red, orange, cream, sable
• Black, brown, blue
• Any other allowable color, pattern, or variation

To make things even more confusing, some puppies are born one color and then change into something else over time.

Pomeranian Color Genetics

There are seven genes that cause specific coat colors and/or patterns in dogs. There are even DNA tests for some of them.

Orange Pomeranian Colors

Orange is the most popular of the Pomeranian colors. This hue can range from light to dark. If it’s too deep then it’s considered red (although, this shade is actually more rust than red). If an orange Pomeranian has black strips it’s considered orange brindle. An orange base color with black tips is an orange sable.

Black Pomeranian Colors

True black Pomeranians are quite rare. They will be pure black and will have no secondary color or markings on their coats. Black skin pigmentation means the nose, lips, paw pads, and eye rims will all be black. This coloration at the points is rare in Poms, and if any other color exists they’re considered to be a parti.

White Pomeranian Colors

Perhaps the white Pomeranian is even more exceptional. The genes that make other colors are usually more dominant than the ones that make white. This makes the breeding process arduous, taking as many as five generations to get a solid white color.

Breeders must also be careful to not overbreed. This can produce dogs that are larger than the standard or affect the quality of the fur. A true white Pomeranian will have no lemon or cream patches.

Brown Pomeranian Colors

Brown Poms are also called chocolate. This is a diverse color that covers many shades, where cream and beaver are sometimes mistaken for brown.

Tan Pointed Pomeranians

Pomeranians with tan points come in black, brown, and blue. All three base colors will have the same tan marking pattern.

Rare Pomeranian Colors

Although it’s not an accepted color, there are lavender Pomeranians. This exotic hue is very rare and is sometimes called lilac or dilute blue.

Merle Pomeranian Colors

Merle pattern coats come in different colors, creating a speckled effect that can be unique and beautiful. Eyes that are a striking light blue have also been affected by the merle gene. The merle gene  is dominant and only one parent needs to have it to create a merle puppy. But problems arise when two dogs who carry the merle gene are bred together. This can create a double merle. These dogs have a high incidence for many auditory and ocular disorders. This includes:

• blindness or partial blindness in one or both eyes
• malformed eyes
• one eye or no eyes
• deafness
• malformed ears

Grooming a Pomeranian

The Pomeranian’s distinguishing double coat consists of a short dense undercoat beneath an abundant, longer outer coat. Bringing a Pom into your life means daily grooming sessions to keep them looking beautiful. Regular brushing will also reduce shedding.

Brushing their teeth should be part of their regular weekly grooming session. Like many toy breeds they’re prone to dental issues. Excessive fur also makes them susceptible to ear infections.

Pomeranian Colors vs Temperament

While there’s no evidence that Pomeranian colors impact temperament, one study found that some people attribute personality traits to dogs based on physical characteristics like color. However, this isn’t the casee in reality, despite people’s perceptions.

Pomeranians pack a big personality into a tiny body, but these active little dogs need to burn off energy. They’re loyal, loving and adore attention. If they feel you’re not taking enough notice of them they can be quite mischievous. This breed also has a tendency to bark. It makes them good watchdogs, but can be excessive.

Stubbornness can be a problem in the breed, especially during training sessions. Always use positive reinforcement and short bursts of fun exercises so that they don’t lose interest.

Do Pomeranian Colors Affect Health?

Pomeranians have a lifespan of 12 to 16 years. Regardless of the Pomeranian’s color, these petite pups have a fair number of health issues to contend with, but none are fur color related other than the merle health issues we’ve already looked at.

Coat loss can be caused by something known as Alopecia X. Also known as black skin disease, it occurs when a puppy sheds their coat and it doesn’t grow back. Another version of this disease affects older Poms who slowly lose their fur.

Pomeranian Puppies

As Pomeranians continue to grow in popularity, many breeders will produce puppies without focusing on health and temperament. Good breeders screen their stock for:

• patella luxation
• hypothyroidism
• collapsing tracheas
• congestive heart failure
• seizures
• alopecia X

It’s extremely important to buy a puppy from a breeder who has had all relevant health checks done. Pomeranians are best suited to families where people are home most of the time. This will reduce the chance of separation anxiety and the accompanying excessive barking.

Do Pomeranian Colors Change?

It can be very slight, or extremely dramatic, but chances are your Pomeranian puppy’s coat color will change. Puppies that look pure white at birth can become cream or light orange when they get older.

A Pom who appears black at birth, can become much lighter as his fur grows. And this will typically be around 4 to 6 months of age, when they start to lose their puppy coat as their adult coat develops in stages.

During this phase their fur will fall out. It will be patchy and bald in some spots and long in other places. This period has been termed the “puppy uglies.” When it’s all over your Pom will have two coats of beautiful fur.

There are breeders who say the best indication of what color a puppy will eventually be is to look at the color he is behind the ears.

Teacup Pomeranian Colors

No matter what Pomeranian color you’re seeking, beware of puppies that are advertised as being “teacup.” There is no official Teacup Pomeranian. Pomeranians are already very small dogs and weighing under the standard would make them smaller than is considered healthy. Avoid breeders who claim to have “teacup,” “micro,” or “mini” Pomeranians for sale.

Steer clear of sites advertising unique Pomeranian colors or with pictures of dogs who are excessively underweight. It’s unfortunate, but there are unscrupulous breeders who will try to charge a premium for dogs misrepresented as being unique or valuable.

Select your puppy with care and no matter what Pomeranian color you choose, they will be a lovable addition to your family.

Let us know about your Pom in the comments below!

Learn More About Pomeranians

• White Pomeranians
• Pomeranian Names
• Pomeranian Grooming
• Breed Guide To The Pomeranian

References

• Pomeranian Project
• Schmutz et al. 2007. “Genes affecting coat color and pattern in domestic dogs: a review.” Department of Animal and Poultry Science, University of Saskatchewan.
• Webb et al. 2010. “Coat color and coat color pattern-related neurologic and neuro-ophthalmic diseases.”  The Canadian Veterinary Journal.
• Klinckmann et al. 1986. “Light‐Microscopic Investigations on the Retinae of Dogs Carrying the Merle Factor.” Journal of Veterinary Medicine.
• Frank et al. 2008. “Oestrogen receptor evaluation in Pomeranian dogs with hair cycle arrest (alopecia X) on melatonin supplementation.” Veterinary Dermatology.