Now that we know a bit more about the incredible canine nose, let's dive into the topic of which color noses are possible with the Pomeranian breed. There are some things to understand before we start showing photos. And this will help owners who may be unsure of what color nose their Pom really has.
The AKC Breed Standard
- Though there is much more to nose color than what the standard tells us, let's see what the standard says: Nose
- Pigment is black except self-colored in chocolate, beaver and blue.
What this means:
There are 4 accepted
nose colors of the Pomeranian:
- Black - If the nose is not chocolate, beaver or blue, it 'should' be black. All Poms except brown (chocolate), beaver (varying shades of tan) and blue (a super dark steel navy or 'washed out' diluted black) 'should' have black noses and if not, it is be considered a fault (much more ahead).
Self-colored noses:
The term of 'self-colored' means that Pomeranians with chocolate, beaver or blue coats will have noses (and paw pads, lips and eye rims) of that same color. This said, there are some Pomeranians that have chocolate, beaver or blue noses BUT do not show any of those colors in their coat (and of course, we have more on this ahead). Moving forward, remember that the eye rim color matches the nose, as this helps you determine nose color.
So, the 3 self-colored noses are:
- Chocolate
- In many, but not all cases, the coat will be brown. This can vary from light to dark brown, though most are medium to dark. If the nose is dark brown (chocolate colored), even if the coat seems light, the Pomeranian will be a chocolate.
Other possible coat colors with a brown nose (though these will NOT be self colored) include red and orange and many parti colored Poms that hold red or orange.
- Beaver
- Beaver is a diluted (light) chocolate and therefore, the dog holds a dilution gene (d). With other breeds, this color is referred to as liver. A Pom with a beaver colored nose will have a nose that is a light brown (but this varies a lot,
as we will see in a moment).
In many cases, some will refer to this as pink, since it can have a particular hue that can appear to have a pink sheen. Many Pomeranians with beaver noses will have beaver in the coat. If the beaver does not show, but the nose is beaver color, this means that genetically the Pomeranian is beaver. And this is something to keep in mind when breeding.
- Blue
- Blue is a dilute black. A Pomeranian with a blue nose will (in most cases) have a blue coat. And, as mentioned, eye rims, lips, and paw pads as well. This, compared to other nose colors, is very rare.
One last thing... A dog may be dilute (dd) or
carry the dilute gene (dD). This means that two Pomeranians can be paired with neither
showing beaver or blue, but
if each has a hidden dilute gene (dD), any number of pups in the resulting litter may show that dilute color.