How to brush a Pomeranian: the complete guide to grooming at home

Your Pomeranian looks perfectly brushed. Run your hand behind its ears anyway, all the way down to the skin.

If you feel a small, hard lump, that's a knot. And it's almost always a sign that the brush stayed on the surface. This guide explains how to brush a Pomeranian right down to the roots, with which tools, how often, and the mistakes that create knots instead of undoing them.

We live with two black and tan Pomeranians, Oswald and Yumi: we look after this double coat at home.

Why you can't brush a Pomeranian like other dogs

Pomeranians wear two coats, one on top of the other.

• The topcoat: long, straight, slightly coarse. It's what gives the "fluff ball" look.
• The undercoat: short, very dense, soft as wool. It's what makes the coat stand out and insulates the dog from cold as well as heat.

The problem is that the undercoat renews itself constantly. Dead hairs don't fall out on their own: they stay caught in the living hair. If nobody goes after them, they pack down, tangle and form knots stuck to the skin.

An ordinary brush, even one used every day, can easily glide over the topcoat without ever touching the undercoat. The dog looks perfect. Underneath, the matting spreads.

The tools: three, no more

There's no need to buy ten brushes. For a Pomeranian, three tools cover all the grooming you need at home.

1. A slicker brush

This is the main tool. Its fine, tightly packed metal pins get into the coat and catch the dead undercoat. Choose a compact head, around 10 to 11 cm: on a 2 to 3 kilo dog, a large brush won't fit behind the ears or under the legs.

2. A dematting rake

It undoes a knot instead of pulling on it, and removes undercoat during shedding. Again, choose a small size: knots always hide in narrow areas.

3. A double-sided metal comb

This is the groomer's checking tool, and the one missing from almost every home. After brushing, run it from the skin to the tips of the hair. If it glides through everywhere, you're done. If it catches, there's a knot the brush missed.

These three tools come together in our Pom Routine Kit, in sizes chosen for a small dog.

What we don't recommend

• Grooming gloves: pleasant for the dog, but they only pick up surface hair.
• A soft bristle brush on its own: perfect for finishing, useless against undercoat.
• Deshedding blade tools used too often: on a double coat, using them too often or pressing too hard can damage the topcoat. If you have one, keep it for shedding season and go gently.

Before you start: two rules

Never brush a dry coat. Dry hair breaks and builds up static. Lightly mist the coat with water (a simple spray bottle will do) or a detangling spray for dogs. The hair should be barely damp, not wet.

Pick the right moment. After a walk, when your dog is calm and a little tired. Settle them on a stable surface, a table with a non-slip mat or your lap for a small dog. Keep a few treats within reach.

The method: line brushing, down to the skin

The technique that changes everything is called line brushing. Instead of running the brush over the top of the coat, you work section by section, starting from the skin.

1. Lift the hair. With one hand, push the coat up to reveal a line of skin.
2. Brush the section underneath, from root to tip, with small strokes. You should be able to see the skin.
3. Let a thin section fall and start again, line after line, working upwards.
4. Run the comb over each finished area. If it catches, go back over it.

Start at the back of the dog and work up towards the head: least sensitive areas first, so your dog gets used to it.

An order that works well:

1. The "trousers" (back of the thighs) and the tail
2. The back legs
3. The sides and the back
4. The belly and the inside of the front legs
5. The chest and the ruff
6. The neck and, last of all, behind the ears

Where knots form

On a Pomeranian, knots always form in the same places, where the hair rubs or moves the most:

• Behind the ears: the hair there is very fine. It's the number one area.
• Under the front legs, at the armpits.
• The "trousers", the back of the thighs.
• Under the harness or collar, where it rubs.
• The belly, especially if your dog often lies on rough floors.

If you only have three minutes, brush those areas.

Undoing a knot without hurting

1. Hold the base of the knot between your fingers, against the skin. Your hand takes the pull, not your dog's skin.
2. Dampen the knot with a little detangling spray.
3. Work it from the tip, with the rake or the wide teeth of the comb, separating the hairs bit by bit towards the root.
4. Finish with the brush, then check with the comb.

If the knot has turned into a felted mat stuck to the skin, don't insist. Take your dog to a groomer: they'll remove it without hurting your dog.

How often should you brush a Pomeranian?

• Normally: twice a week, for about ten minutes.
• During shedding (often in spring and autumn, and more marked in females after a season): every day or almost. The undercoat then comes out by the handful. We explain how to recognise it in our article on Pomeranian shedding.
• For puppies: very short sessions, several times a week, mostly to get them used to it. Between about 4 and 7 months, they lose their baby coat and knots form very quickly.

Consistency matters more than duration. Two ten-minute sessions are better than an hour of detangling once a month, for both of you.

Bathing: rarely, and always after brushing

A Pomeranian doesn't need frequent baths: once every four to eight weeks is usually enough, unless they've rolled in something.

Two rules:

• Always brush before the bath. Water tightens knots: a small knot before the bath becomes a mat afterwards.
• Dry completely, right down to the skin, with a dryer on warm while brushing. An undercoat that stays damp dries packed down and can irritate the skin.

The most common mistakes

• Brushing only the top. It's mistake number one, and the reason this guide exists.
• Brushing a dry coat, which breaks the hair.
• Pulling on a knot instead of holding its base.
• Waiting for shedding season to start: it's the worst time to begin.
• Shaving to solve the problem. In some Pomeranians, the coat grows back poorly after shaving, sometimes not at all. We devote a whole article to it: should you shave a Pomeranian?

What about the groomer?

Brushing at home doesn't replace the groomer, it complements them. A visit every two or three months means a full bath, professional drying, trimming the hair between the pads and around the feet, and shaping. If you're unsure which cut to ask for, we've compared Pomeranian haircuts: teddy bear, Boo, lion, and the ones to avoid.

Between appointments, your brushing decides whether the groomer can style your dog or will have to cut out the knots.

Frequently asked questions

How long does it take to brush a Pomeranian?

About ten minutes twice a week for a well-kept coat. Allow more during shedding, or the first time if the coat hasn't been brushed thoroughly for a long time.

My dog hates the brush, what can I do?

Keep sessions short: two minutes, one area, then a treat. Start with less sensitive areas (the back, the sides) and leave behind the ears for last. A dog that never gets hurt during brushing almost always ends up accepting it.

Should you brush with the grain or against it?

For line brushing, you lift the hair against the grain to reveal the skin, then brush each section from root to tip. For the finish, you can brush against the grain to add volume, which gives the breed its typical "ball" look.

Which brush is best for a Pomeranian?

A small slicker brush with metal pins for brushing, along with a dematting rake and a metal comb. Soft bristle brushes and gloves on their own aren't enough for a double coat.

Do Pomeranians shed a lot?

Moderately for most of the year, a lot during shedding season. Regular brushing collects the dead hair on the brush rather than on your sofa.

In short

Brushing a Pomeranian isn't running a brush over the top: it's reaching the undercoat, section by section, down to the skin. Three tools, ten minutes, twice a week, and a pass of the comb to check.

Tonight, try the test behind the ears. And if you find a small lump, you now know what to do.

Discover the Pom Routine Kit: slicker brush, dematting rake and comb, chosen for the Pomeranian's double coat.