From orange sable to blue merle — a complete guide to every Pomeranian coat color, what genes control them, and how to predict what your litter will produce.
Pomeranians are one of the most color-diverse breeds in the world. The AKC officially recognizes over 20 coat colors and color combinations in the breed — from the familiar orange and cream to the striking blue merle and the ultra-rare lavender. If you're a breeder trying to predict your next litter, or a buyer trying to understand why that "orange" puppy looks different from the one in the photo, this guide breaks it all down.
Understanding color genetics won't just help you have better conversations with buyers — it directly affects your breeding decisions, pricing, and reputation as a responsible breeder.
Enter your sire and dam's coat colors and genetics to instantly see predicted puppy coat probabilities, eye color outcomes, and pattern traits for your litter.
Use the Free Predictor →Every Pomeranian's coat color is controlled by multiple gene loci — locations on the DNA where genes determine color, pattern, and intensity. The main ones you need to understand are:
Most color combinations result from interactions between these loci. A dog can be orange on the outside but carry hidden genes for chocolate or blue — which is why DNA color testing from a lab like Embark or Animal Genetics is the only reliable way to know what your breeding pair will produce.
| Color | Description | Rarity | Key Gene(s) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Orange / Orange Sable | The most recognized Pom color. Orange dogs have a red-to-orange coat; orange sables have black-tipped guard hairs giving a shaded effect. | Common | ee (E locus), Ay (Agouti) |
| Red / Red Sable | Deeper, more vivid than orange. True red Poms have a rich mahogany tone. Red sables add dark-tipped guard hairs over the red base. | Uncommon | ee (E locus, intense) |
| Cream | Pale off-white to light tan. Cream Poms are born nearly white and may darken slightly as adults. Not the same as white — cream has a warm, yellowish tint. | Common | ee (diluted E locus) |
| White | True white Poms have no shading and pink/white skin pigmentation. White puppies should have no cream or biscuit tint to be considered truly white. | Uncommon | ee with low intensity + no yellow pigment |
| Black | Solid jet-black coat with no tan or rust markings. Black Poms should have black nose, lips, eye rims, and paw pads. True blacks are less common than they appear — many are actually very dark sables. | Uncommon | KB (dominant black) or aa (recessive black) |
| Black & Tan | Black base coat with tan/rust markings above eyes, on muzzle, chest, legs, and under the tail. The classic "Doberman pattern" applied to a Pom. | Uncommon | at (Agouti — tan point) |
| Blue | A diluted black that appears as a steel-gray or slate-blue. Blue Poms have blue/gray nose, lips, and eye rims (not black). True blues are noticeably gray, not charcoal. | Rare | dd (D locus dilution) + black base |
| Blue & Tan | Blue base coat with tan markings in the same pattern as black & tan. The dilute gene shifts the black to blue throughout. | Rare | dd + at (Agouti) |
| Blue Sable | Blue/gray base coat with darker blue-tipped guard hairs creating the sable shading effect. Appears as a misty, cool-toned sable. | Rare | dd + Ay (Agouti) |
| Chocolate / Brown | Rich warm brown coat — the result of the bb (homozygous brown) genotype turning black pigment into chocolate. Chocolate Poms have liver-colored noses and amber eyes. | Uncommon | bb (B locus) |
| Chocolate Sable | Chocolate base with darker chocolate-tipped guard hairs. Has a warm, rich appearance. The nose and eye rims remain liver/chocolate colored. | Rare | bb + Ay (Agouti) |
| Beaver | The result of combining the chocolate gene (bb) with the dilute gene (dd). Produces a warm, medium taupe/fawn coat. Sometimes called "champagne." Nose and eye rims are pale liver. | Rare | bb + dd (double dilute on chocolate) |
| Lavender / Lilac | The rarest Pom color. A pale pinkish-gray produced by diluting chocolate with the dilute gene. Lavender Poms have pink/lavender noses and pale amber or green eyes. | Rare | bb + dd (very diluted) |
| Parti-Color | White base coat with patches of any color. AKC requires the primary color to be white with clearly defined patches. A true parti must be at least 50% white. | Uncommon | sp/sp (S locus — piebald spotting) |
| Blue Merle | Mottled gray, white, and black patches created by the merle gene randomly diluting portions of the black pigment. Often has blue or heterochromic (two-colored) eyes. | Rare | Mm (M locus — one merle copy) |
| Chocolate Merle | Like blue merle but over a chocolate base. The merle gene dilutes the chocolate in patches, creating a warm marbled effect. Also may have blue eyes. | Rare | bb + Mm |
Sable is not a color — it's a pattern. A sable Pomeranian has a base coat color with guard hairs that are tipped in a darker shade. The most common sable in Poms is orange sable, where the dog appears orange from a distance but individual hairs have black tips.
Sable is controlled by the Agouti gene (Ay allele) and is dominant over most other patterns. This means a dog only needs one copy of the Ay allele to be sable. Because sable is so dominant, many Poms that look orange or cream are actually carrying and expressing the sable pattern to varying degrees — some very lightly, some quite heavily.
Sable Pomeranians often look dramatically different as puppies versus adults. A heavily sable puppy may look nearly black or dark gray at birth, then clear to a pale orange or cream by 12 months. This color change is normal and expected — the black sable tips grow out and are replaced by the lighter adult coat during the "puppy uglies" phase (roughly 4–8 months).
Parti-color Pomeranians have a white base with patches of another color. The parti pattern is controlled by the S locus — a dog must inherit two copies of the piebald spotting gene (sp/sp) to be parti-colored.
This is why two solid-colored Poms can unexpectedly produce a parti puppy — if both parents carry one hidden sp allele, there's a 25% chance any given puppy will be parti. Carriers (sp/S) look solid but carry the parti gene and can pass it on.
Parti Pomeranians can come in any color combination: orange & white, black & white, blue & white, chocolate & white, and even merle parti. The AKC recognizes all parti color combinations.
Merle is one of the most visually striking Pomeranian patterns, but it comes with serious breeding responsibilities. The merle gene (M locus) randomly dilutes portions of the coat, creating a marbled, patchy appearance. It often comes with blue eyes or heterochromia (one blue, one brown eye).
When two merle dogs are bred together, each puppy has a 25% chance of inheriting two merle genes (MM) — called "double merle." Double merle dogs are often mostly white and have extremely high rates of blindness, deafness, and other neurological issues. Always breed merle Poms to non-merle partners to produce healthy merle puppies safely.
Merle Pomeranians are recognized by the AKC and can be shown, but breeders must be able to verify that the dog is single-merle (Mm), not double merle (MM). DNA testing from an accredited lab is essential before breeding any merle dog.
One of the most common surprises in breeding — especially for new breeders — is getting a color they didn't expect. Here's why it happens: a dog's visible color (phenotype) often doesn't tell you what genes it's carrying underneath.
Common examples:
This is exactly why DNA color testing from labs like Embark, Paw Print Genetics, or Animal Genetics is so valuable. A $60–$150 test on your breeding dogs can tell you exactly which color alleles they carry and prevent breeding surprises — or help you plan for them intentionally.
Use our free Pomeranian Color & Trait Predictor to estimate coat color probabilities, eye color outcomes, and pattern combinations based on your sire and dam's genetics. No account required.
Try the Free Pom Predictor →Standard Pomeranians have dark brown eyes. But several genetic combinations produce different eye colors:
Color significantly affects Pomeranian puppy pricing, particularly for rare colors. Here's a general market overview:
| Color Category | Typical Price Range | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Orange / Orange Sable | $1,500 – $3,000 | Most common, still in high demand |
| Cream / White | $2,000 – $4,000 | White commands premium for purity |
| Black / Black & Tan | $2,000 – $4,000 | Clean blacks with no sable tips command higher prices |
| Parti-Color | $2,500 – $5,000 | Unique patterns drive significant premiums |
| Blue / Blue Sable | $3,000 – $6,000 | True blue coloring is uncommon and prized |
| Chocolate / Beaver | $3,000 – $6,000 | Demand has grown significantly in recent years |
| Merle (Blue or Chocolate) | $3,500 – $8,000+ | Visual appeal drives premium; must verify single-merle status |
| Lavender / Lilac | $5,000 – $15,000+ | Extreme rarity. Requires perfect bb + dd combination |
Note: These ranges are market estimates and vary significantly by bloodline, breeder reputation, gender, size, and whether the puppy is pet or show quality. Prices in 2024–2025 have trended upward across all rare color categories.
Input your sire and dam's coat colors, pattern genes, and eye color to get a full breakdown of expected puppy outcomes — coat colors, eye colors, and pattern probabilities.
Open the Pom Predictor →