The Pomsky is a crossbreed dog created by pairing the friendly and dignified Siberian Husky with one of the most popular toy breeds, the perky Pomeranian. This relatively new crossbreed often resembles their Siberian Husky parent in appearance while growing to be 20-30 pounds like the Pomeranian. With both dogs having lots of furs and a thick undercoat, it’s only natural that the Pomsky is well-furred.
While furry dogs can be quite good-looking, they bring up another concern: their level of shedding. Finding fur all over your house can be quite frustrating, not to mention life-threatening for severe allergy sufferers. Let’s find out everything about the Pomsky’s shedding, so you decide whether it’s the right breed for you.
Do Pomsky shed? Yes, they shed. In fact, they are considered medium to heavy shedders. Pomskies will shed pretty evenly throughout the year and undergo two shedding seasons per year. While they are not the heaviest shedders in the dogdom, you can expect a lot of fur mess to deal with.
First-time owners usually have so much confusion when getting a Pomsky. While they may have a cute appearance and personality, they shed a lot. Getting this canine is like signing up for an extra job. But if you’re aware of why do Pomsky shed and their shedding frequency and season, you are in an advantageous position to manage their shedding. This article offers important information about the Pomsky shedding, including tips for dealing with every day and seasonal shedding. So, keep reading till the end.
How Much Do Pomsky Shed?
These dogs shed quite a bit. While not the heaviest shedders around, you should expect a significant amount of fur to deal with. With both parents sporting a lush, double coat, Pomskies are genetically predisposed to shedding. Double-coated dogs have two layers of fur: a topcoat and an undercoat. This means they have more hair to shed than single-coated dogs with just one layer of fur.
Pomskies also undergo seasonal shedding twice a year when they shed their entire undercoat to grow something better suited for the upcoming season. This can lead to double or even triple the everyday shedding they produce. You will see hair throughout the house and even find some clinging to your clothes and upholstery.
With that being said, you should note that the exact amount of shedding will vary between individual dogs. Diet, grooming, living environment, and health are some things that will influence how much shedding is done and how frequently.
Why Do Pomsky Shed?
There are many reasons for your Pomsky’s shedding, starting with two that are common among all dog breeds. First, your dog undergoes a continuous hair growth cycle that ends in shedding old, dead hairs and replacing them with new, healthier ones. The second reason for shedding is due to seasonal changes. Dogs will grow thicker coats during winter to help them keep warm and shed them when needed to stay cool in summer.
Apart from these two natural causes of shedding, your Pomsky could also be shedding due to an underlying health issue. This is often characterized by excessive shedding and other signs that I will cover under unhealthy shedding.
Shedding Seasons and Frequency
You already know that these dogs are heavy shedders, but when do Pomsky shed? You can expect them to shed a fairly even amount year-round. But like other double-coated breeds, Pomskies experience seasonal shedding to prepare for the upcoming season.
The first seasonal shed happens in spring when they shed their undercoat and replace it with relatively lighter and thin fur that can allow them to stay cool during the hot weather. But come fall, they shed to grow a much denser and warmer coat for keeping them warm in winter.
Seasonal shedding is very intense because the Pomsky blows out their entire undercoat, although the spring one is the heaviest as there’s more hair to lose.
Unhealthy Shedding
Although heavy shedding is considered normal and healthy in Pomskies, there are certain instances when it could be a sign of an underlying issue that needs to be addressed. Health issues like malnutrition, stress and anxiety, parasites, fungal and bacterial infection, allergies, and hormonal imbalances can make a Pomsky exhibit excessive shedding.
Considering this is a heavy shedder, it can be difficult to tell whether your Pomsky is shedding healthily or not. For this reason, it’s important to know the shedding tendencies of your Pomsky so you can tell when something is amiss.
Unhealthy shedding is also usually accompanied by other symptoms such as open sores, bald spots, dry skin, dull fur, matted fur, etc. While most of the causes of unhealthy shedding seem mild and easily treatable, Excessive shedding could also be a sign of a more severe illness like skin cancer. So, if you notice any of these signs, it would be best to take your pet to the vet.
What Type of Coat Does a Pomsky Have?
To understand how much do Pomsky shed, you must first understand their hair type. As a Pomeranian and Siberian husky crossbreed, the Pomsky can inherit either of its parents’ traits, including coat type. For this reason, you can expect to find a standard, plush, or Wooly coated Pomsky.
Standard-Coated Pomsky
These Pomskies have the shortest coats, similar to the Husky. They are not to be confused as smooth and short-haired, and they still have some fluff. These coats tend to shed the most as the topcoat doesn’t hold onto the loose hair much as the other two.
Plush Coated Pomsky
These coats are medium-length but with longer hairs on the tail, legs, and around the ears and face. They are pretty dense, allowing loose fur to get caught in the topcoat. This means less fur on your furniture, and you can reduce shedding through regular grooming. Lastly, they are generally silkier than the one above.
Wooly Coated Pomsky
These coats are longer than the other two, with a dense undercoat that creates a fluffier look. Wooly coats are also reported as shedding less because they trap loose hairs, allowing you to remove them during brushing and not end up on your clothing, floors, and furniture.
Pomskies are double-coated, meaning they have two layers of fur. The soft, dense undercoat acts as an insulator, helping to regulate the animal’s body temperature so they can stay cool or warm as needed. On the other hand, the topcoat consists of straight guard hairs that provide extra protection against the elements.
How to Manage and Reduce Pomsky Shedding?
Shedding is a natural process in dogs that you can’t stop, and neither should you try. Some owners choose to shave their dogs to reduce shedding, but this only ends up hurting the coat. Shaving your Pomsky can greatly affect how well they regulate their body temperature and, in turn, how comfortable they are during hot or cold weather. But just because you love your furry friend doesn’t mean you enjoy finding fur in every corner of your house. Luckily, you can do a few simple things to prevent the Pomsky’s luxurious fur from taking over your home, and it all comes down to grooming and providing a proper diet.
Pomsky Grooming
Pomsky owners need to get into a regular grooming routine to maintain their pup’s hair and reduce shedding. The first grooming tip is brushing. This allows you to capture loose hairs before they get a chance to fall out and spread all over the house. Brushing also ensures the natural skin oils are evenly distributed throughout the coat to keep it supple, shiny, and healthy. Last but not least, it helps to prevent tangles and mats, which can cause discomfort and even lead to various skin conditions that make the animal prone to more shedding.
Brushing your Pomsky 3-5 times a week is recommended. You may need to brush daily during seasonal shedding. I know this seems like a lot of work, but it helps keep your dog’s hair healthy and keep shedding to an absolute minimum. You also want to brush outside to keep the removed fur from spreading in the house.
Using the right tools is essential for an effective grooming session. Slicker brushes are great for all coat types. You may need a de-shedding tool or an undercoat rake to work through the thick undercoat, especially during seasonal shedding.
Pomsky Diet
Like humans, a dog’s diet will affect their overall health, including shedding. As I mentioned earlier, malnutrition is one of the causes of unhealthy shedding; you need to provide your Pomsky with a proper diet. A high protein diet with lots of meat and limited fibers can help encourage healthy coats that only shed when necessary.
Foods rich in omega-3 fatty acids such as salmon and soybeans are also known to encourage healthy shedding. While you’re at it, ensure your pet has access to fresh, clean water. Otherwise, they will become dehydrated, leading to dry skin that is prone to excessive shedding.
Baths, Supplements…
Regularly bathing your Pomsky can help remove the loose hairs before falling off. But keep in mind that this is a delicate dog breed. If you wash them often, you risk stripping their skin of the natural oils. This will leave the skin dry and prone to more shedding. You also want to use high-quality dog shampoo and never human shampoo. The latter can cause skin irritation, which in turn leads to shedding.
You already know that your doggy needs a well-balanced diet to be healthy and shed healthily. But if for some reason, they are not able to get the necessary nutrients from their current diet, you may want to consider nutritional supplements meant to help with shedding. Flaxseed, vitamin E, and omega fatty acids supplements are all good at nourishing the skin and the coat.
Are Pomsky Hypoallergenic?
Many people experience a running nose, sneezing, itchy or watery eyes, cough, nasal congestion, and even difficulty breathing when they are around dogs. For this reason, there’s an increasing need for hypoallergenic dogs. These dogs usually don’t shed much, making them less likely to cause an allergic reaction.
But the idea of a 100% hypoallergenic dog is a myth. While fur is a common trigger for canine allergies, some people are allergic to the animal’s saliva, urine, or dander. So, even hypoallergenic dogs can trigger an allergic reaction since they all produce these elements.
So, do Pomsky shed enough to cause allergies? Yes, they do. Pomskies are created by mixing Huskies and Pomeranians, and both breeds shed a lot and are not hypoallergenic. Does this mean you should give up on your dream of owning the wonderful Pomsky? Probably not.
First, you have to know what exactly causes your allergic reactions. If it’s the fur, this pooch is a heavy shedder and probably not the best option for you. If your allergies are drawn from other causes, you can still have this dog.
That being said, here are some tips for minimizing the allergens that this dog produces:
- Limit places where your Pomsky goes. This will make it easier to control shedding and even clean up fur that has been shed. Most importantly, keep them out of your bedroom.
- Buy a high-quality HEPA filter to help capture allergens from the air
- Regularly groom and provide your canine with a proper diet to reduce shedding
It would be best for those with severe allergies to adopt a more allergy-friendly breed like the Afghan Hound, American Hairless Terrier, Bedlington Terrier, Bichon Frise, Chinese Crested, Irish Water Spaniel, Maltese, Poodle, and Schnauzer, to name a few.