The “Pom Uglies,” is a normal part of how a Pomeranian grows. Most Pomeranians start to go through this time when they are about 3 to 4 months old. The look begins to be less noticeable when they are 6 to 8 months old.
At this time, your small Pom will have soft fur that gets thin, so they might look a bit messy. A growth spurt can make them seem tall, thin, or even a little odd. You do not need to worry. This will not last forever.
By 6 to 8 months, your puppy starts to get an adult coat. You will see stronger features and better muscle tone in the puppy at this time. The undercoat comes first. The longer hairs start to come in after that, between 8 and 12 months. When your Pom is around a year old, you will be able to tell what they will look like when they are grown. Some Poms change their coat again between 12 and 16 months. Most will not get their full and fluffy coat until they are close to 2 years old.
To help during this stage:
They usually drop hair about two to three months after each cycle. But don’t worry, their nice coats come back every time. In fact, the hair often grows back thicker and even better than before.
DEFINITION: There is a development phase that adolescent Pomeranian puppies go through that is commonly referred to as the “Pom or puppy uglies”. This is the time between Pom puppy-hood and adulthood‚ usually starting at about 3-4 months and diminishing at about 6-8 months. During this development phase the puppy’s coat starts to thin out and look scruffy, which coupled with a growth spurt causes the puppy to look gangly and scraggly. After about 6-8 months this phase begins to end and your Pom’s coat, face development and musculature begin to enter the adult stage and your “ugly” little pom will transform with a beautiful new coat.
The inner-coat will grow first and then the coarse guard hairs will follow as the Pom matures at 8-12 months. At about a year you should have a pretty good idea of what your puppy is going to look like as an adult. This whole process may repeat between 12-16 months. Poms do not receive their full adult coat until they are about 2 years of age. To keep your Pom’s thick coat free of mats you may need to administer regular brushings. Brushing regularly will also help keep your home free of great big clumps of hair.
Male poms will shed their coat about once a year, but female poms will “blow” their coat about 2-3 months after each cycle (about the time they would have weaned their pups). Never fear, they will regain their beautiful coat once again…maybe even more lovely than before!
See below for the steady change of a Pom while she is going through her “Pom Uglies” phases.
In the first set of pictures, the pup “Missy” is approximately 4 months old. Over the next two years as she develops and her fur changes I will update the pictures so you can see first hand what “Pom Uglies” looks like and what to expect..
