Puppy Uglies? What's that??
So you have purchased a Pomeranian pup, and it is adorable!!! This cute face, that thick fluffy coat, this absolutely sweet, spunky and affectionate little fur person! You are enchanted - potty training is moving along fine - you love that pom~baby and it loves you right back.
Sometime down the line [your pup is now about 4-8 months old], you suddenly notice that the fur is getting a bit stringy and wispy, or that your pom all of the sudden doesn't look like a pom any more. Your husband points out that you have been had, and that you paid way too much for that dog anyway. Your girl friend says that's ok - it's the personality that counts. Your vet - when you bring up the subject on your spay/neuter pre-visit - suspects that you have bought a low quality Pomeranian. Shame on him he should know about the Pom uglies.
Now what? Calm down - and get a camera - because every once in a while you will see your pom doing the same thing again. And it's funny looking back and comparing the photos. Most Pomeranian pups go through a very thorough case of the puppy uglies. A few breeze just through [usually during the winter months] replacing one coat with the other without you even noticing. Those just seem to shed a bit more than what you had expected.
Here's what's happening - the baby fluff comes out and they tend to look very straggly or shaggy at that point, some go very shorthair as to resemble a longhair Chihuahua instead. That is absolutely normal - do not worry, as it all comes back. Bigger and better in a good quality pom, soso in a lesser quality pomeranian. Generally - by the time your pup is 10-12 months old [it varies a bit with the season - coats thicken faster during the winter months] he or she is in a full coat.
If you don't get your female spayed, expect to see that cycle again and again, especially after she has a litter of puppies. Altered males and females have a somewhat "mellower" hormone household, that regulates major non-seasonal shedding a.k.a. blowing the coat.
Below are a few pictures of one of mine going through the puppy uglies.
My TK
Before
During the “Uglies”
Something only a mother could love!
After the “Uglies”
Beautiful after all!