Boo
Should You Make Your Pom Look Like Boo the Pomeranian?
We receive a lot of emails from owners, asking how they can make their Pomeranian look like Boo the Pomeranian or if it is safe to shave a Pom down so closely. This has been such a popular question lately, we've decided to dedicate a page to this issue. Not only is this a popular question, it is also a good one - because the answer to this is one that all owners should be aware of.
The reason why Boo looks as he does because his coat - the very element that the Pomeranian breed is famous for - has been severely and drastically shaved down. As you know, this breed has 2 layers of fur: The top coat (longer guard hairs) and the inner coat (a thick dense undercoat).
Both combine to give the Pom the fluffy look that it unique to the breed.
This Pom (not ours!) is shaved like Boo; we do not agree with the method of cutting into the inner coat like this.
It is perfectly alright to trim the outer coat - in fact, regular trimmings keep the coat looking nice and tidy and helps to give the round appearance (ball of fluff).
However, in order to make a Pomeranian look like Boo the Pomeranian, the inner layer of fur is also shaved down by at least 50%.
When an owner does this, it is a lifelong decision. Shaving a Pomeranian's coat to this very harsh degree will most often result in the coat NEVER being able to normally grow again. Therefore, if you change your mind, it is too late.
Now, to make a Pomeranian look like Boo, that very shaved coat is going to grow out again, but NOT evenly. Therefore, there will be a need for constant trimmings in order to keep the Pom looking this way.
There are owners who have paid a professional groomer to shave the coat of their Pom so that he/she looks like Boo the Pomeranian, only to see uneven, sporadic growth a month later.
Now, what to do? Pay for the groomer again? Many owners cannot afford to keep paying a professional month after month, year after year. The other option is to decide to perform this sort of radical shaving at home…
And it is then that owners find out 2 things:
Trimming that close to the body is dangerous (nicking the skin is almost inevitable) and that a Pom is not likely to sit patiently while you attempt to recreate Boo's appearance.
You are now stuck in a situation of either budgeting money for groomers each month or taking on a risky grooming procedure yourself. And again, if you choose to allow the coat to grow back out, there is a high chance that it simply will never look as it should, since that inner layer was cut into.
Let's add on to this by saying that the coat - despite being 2 layers and being so thick - actually works to regulate a Pomeranian's body temperature, which includes cooling down a hot Pom. The coat also provides padding; a very short coat like Boo's can lead to skin sores, particularly on the elbows and legs.
And finally, many owners have reported that their shaved down Pom displayed odd behavior ranging from nervousness to shyness.
Therefore, to answer the question of "Should I Shave My Pomeranian to Look Like Boo?', the answer is a huge NO. With that said, Boo is absolutely adorable and we are sure that his owners had good intentions.
The use of hair growth products often used for BSD or Alopecia
may work for those Poms whose owners tried to make them look like Boo and are now seeing problems with coat growth.
Note:
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