How to Groom a Pomeranian: A Professional Groomer's Guide
Pomeranians look like a scissoring breed and behave like a deshedding one. That little fox-faced ball of fluff is a true double-coated dog, and that single fact changes how you groom it — including the most important rule of all: you do not shave a Pomeranian to the skin. This guide covers how to groom Poms well, from line brushing and deshedding to the popular teddy bear trim, and why the clippers stay off the body.
The Double Coat Changes Everything
A Pomeranian has a soft, dense undercoat beneath a longer, harsher guard coat. Together they insulate the dog against both cold and heat, and they create that signature stand-off, puffball silhouette. Unlike a continuously growing coat (a Poodle or Bichon), a double coat sheds and renews itself — which means the way you manage it is by removing the loose undercoat, not by cutting the length off.
The Rule: Never Shave a Pomeranian to the Skin
This is the point every Pom owner needs to hear, and it is worth saying plainly. Shaving a double-coated dog close to the skin:
- Removes its insulation — the coat protects against heat as much as cold, so shaving does not "cool the dog off."
- Can damage the coat permanently — it may grow back patchy, woolly, discolored, or not at all, a condition often called post-clipping alopecia or "coat funk."
- Ruins the texture — the soft undercoat tends to grow back faster than the guard coat, leaving a fuzzy, dull coat instead of the original.
When an owner asks for a shave-down "for summer," your job is to explain the alternative — a thorough deshed — and the risk. For the full explanation you can share with clients, see our guide on why you should never shave a double-coated dog and our summer coat prep guide.
Line Brush, Then Deshed
The real work on a Pom is the brush-out and deshed:
- Line brush the coat to the skin in sections with a slicker, clearing tangles behind the ears, on the rear "skirt," and in the armpits. Confirm with a comb.
- Bathe and condition — a clean coat releases loose undercoat far more easily than a dirty one.
- High-velocity dry to blow the loose undercoat out. This is the heart of a deshedding groom: the dryer pushes out the dead undercoat that causes shedding and bulk, while keeping the protective coat intact. An undercoat rake helps with especially dense coats.
Done well, a deshed removes far more loose hair than clipping ever could — and it keeps the coat working. For drying technique and safety, see our high-velocity drying guide.
The Teddy Bear (Boo) Trim
The most-requested Pom style is the teddy bear or "boo" trim — named after a famously fluffy Pomeranian. It is a scissored tidy, not a shave: you round the face into a soft, full circle, neaten the body outline, and trim the feet and rear into clean shapes, all while keeping the coat's length and double-coat function. The result is the plush, stuffed-animal look owners love, achieved entirely with shears over a deshedded, dried coat. Use curved shears to round the face and check the shape by patting the coat back out as you cut.
Finish and Schedule
Finish by tidying the feet, trimming the sanitary area and pads, and cleaning the ears. Most Pomeranians do well on a 4-8 week grooming cycle, with an extra deshedding visit during heavy seasonal coat blows. Regular grooming keeps the undercoat under control and prevents the matting that tempts owners toward a shave-down in the first place.
Keep Poms on a Deshedding Cadence
The groomers who do well with double coats are the ones who keep clients on a regular deshedding schedule instead of fielding emergency shave-down requests. With GroomBoard you can record each Pom's coat notes and that it is a never-shave double coat, then send automated SMS reminders to hold a 4-8 week cadence — which protects the coat and gives you predictable, repeat work. Start your free 14-day trial →