Pomeranian Colours

The Complete Guide To Wolf Sable Pomeranian Dogs

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Last Updated on 03/11/2023 by Dochlaggie. Post first published on May 13, 2022.

A rare and sometimes coveted color in Pomeranian coats is called “wolf sable.”

What is a Wolf Sable Pomeranian?

A wolf sable Pomeranian is a grey Pomeranian or a better description is grey sable Pomeranian. The coat of a wolf sable Pomeranian consists of a light gray undercoat and the guard hair is a darker gray ending with black tipping. The gray Pomeranian undercoat and guard hairs can vary in color from silvery off-white to a light gray. 

The wolf-colored Pomeranian adult usually has the harshest, stand-off coat compared to the other colors in the Pom breed. As with all the sables, great care must be taken when trimming the sable wolf Pomeranian for show purposes.

The wolf Pomeranian must not have any hint of orange in his coat.  Eye rims, nose, lips, and pads (the points ) are always black.

Basically, a wolf-colored Pomeranian dog has a coat of varying shades of gray, with the guard hairs ending in black tipping. A genuine wolf Pomeranian will definitely not possess a hint of orange in the coat.

The wolf-sable Pomeranian temperament is identical to that of any other Pomeranian dog. 

The term “Wolf” is used to identify this color because the Pomeranian dog was originally referred to as the “Wolf Dog”. The Pom dog was originally called the Pomeranian wolf dog. Many of the early champions prior to the introduction of the orange and orange sable colors to the breed were in fact wolf sable Pomeranians

Wolf Sable Pomeranian Dogs
Wolf Sable Pomeranian Puppies

Wolf Sable Pomeranian Facts

  • The beautiful and rare Wolf Sable Pomeranian is also called Grey Sable or Agouti.
  • An authentic Wolf Sable Pomeranian is considered rare.
  • The Wolf Pomeranian’s coat has the appearance is various shades of grey.
  • Similar to a Keeshond, a wolf Pomeranian should have lighter “spectacles” around its eyes.

Identifying a True Pomeranian Wolf Sable

Considerably far too many Pom dogs are registered as Pomeranians wolf sable without proper verification.  It is impossible to be sure if a Pomeranian is wolf sable in color until the adult coat is in at 6 months.

Beginner Pom breeders sometimes mistakenly register an orange sable pup as a wolf sable Pomeranian puppy. Orange sable Pomeranian puppies often appear greyer than orange at six weeks of age. However, as they mature, the orange color will come through.

Experienced Pomeranian breeders know to always check behind the puppy’s ears. The actual color of the hair behind a puppy’s ears is a reasonably accurate guide to the Pom puppy’s adult coat color.

Today’s breeders are lucky that technology provides cheap DNA testing tools to correctly recognize various patterns that may exist in some wolf Pomeranian puppies.

Testing reduces the requirement for expensive, time-consuming test breedings and the potential problem where a wolf-colored Pomeranian dog’s patterns and colors could be misrepresented to buyers and in the official pedigree.

An early test where a Pomeranian wolf dog or puppy has his mouth buccal swabbed in a commercial lab will possibly identify if the puppy carries the wild sable gene.

Dogs that have an Agouti locus for the (aw) allele will genetically test positive for the wild sable gene ( AW). This pattern is amongst the oldest in dogs and other animals. It still exists in coyotes, wolves, rodents, rabbits, and a few dog breeds.

Talk to your veterinarian who can easily organize DNA color gene testing for your dog.

DNA color gene testing for the presence of the aw ( wild sable) gene doesn’t prove whether a dog is indeed an authentic wolf sable Pomeranian or not. The aw gene is only a pattern. Wolf sable is a color and one of the oldest in the Pomeranian.

The DNA color gene test is a quick, painless procedure. Just about all that is involved,  is actually taking a swab from inside the dog’s cheek. Your Pom will most likely not notice this being carried out. The swab is then placed in a sealed envelope and mailed off to the closest laboratory for testing. You may have to wait a few weeks for the result. This test will detect if your dog is a true Pomeranian sable wolf or not. DNA testing is a helpful tool for breeders.

wolf sable Pomeranian puppies
Wolf sable Pomeranian puppies

Pomeranian Sable Wolf AW Allele

A banding pattern may form like a “black – cream – black,” similar to what a Siberian Husky or Keeshond may have. A banded hair doesn’t guarantee the existence of the (aw) genotype. There are people who claim the “spectacle outline” seen surrounding the eyes, and the “silver/grey color” can be visible cues; however, this doesn’t only apply to (aw) dogs.

Please note: A “wolf sable” pattern is less caused by certain pigment shades than the actual banding pattern. Sometimes banded hairs appear on (ay) sable/fawn dogs, and some (ay) canines will have similarities to the (aw) counterparts.

If Pomeranian breeders can’t identify legitimate true wolf sables visually, the pattern may end up being lost.

Wolf Sable Pomeranian
Wolf Sable Pomeranian

Are Wolf Sable Pomeranians Rare?

A true wolf-sable Pomeranian is a rarity. If you see advertisements for wolf sable Pomeranian for sale or wolf sable Pomeranian puppies for sale,  my advice is to proceed with great caution.

Tips on Locating Wolf Sable Pomeranian Pups for Sale

Advertisements for rare wolf colors,  wolf Pomeranian puppies, wolf sable color, and Pomeranian wolf puppies are usually placed by uniformed backyard breeders, who are actually trying to sell orange sable pups. Very dark sable Pomeranian puppies will most often change to orange sable at maturity.

Those people wishing to purchase a wolf sable should ask that the color is proven via viewing the parents in person prior to purchase or only purchase from a trusted breeder.

How Much Do Wolf Sable Pomeranians Cost? 

Finding an available true wolf sable Pomeranian puppy complete with a DNA certificate can be very difficult. After you locate this dream wolf sable puppy talk to the breeder in relation to pricing.

History of the Wolf-Sable Pomeranian

Wolf sable is the oldest dog fur pattern to exist. The term wolf sable comes from the dog’s appearance and genetics.

Shaded wolf sables are today a rare color. Not so in the early years of this dog breed, during this period there were many wolf-sable Pomeranian breeders

The first wolf sable Pom champion was Mrs. Barnett’s “Ruffle. Ruffle was later bought by Mrs. F. Smyth and exported to America.

Mrs. Nicholas was an early breeder and exhibitor.  Mrs. Nicholas was one of the first to own a large kennel of wolf sable Pomeranians. Wolf sables owned by Mrs. Nicholas include the big winning Poms, Champion Shelton Sable Mite, and Champion The Sable Mite. 

Champion The Sable Mite was registered by the Kennel Club as a shaded sable and bred by Mr. P. Hirst. The Sable Mite’s sire was a black dog, Little Nipper. Little Nipper was the son of the famous sire English Champion Hatcham Nip. The dam of Champion The Sable Mite was Laurel Fluffie. 

English Champion Hatcham Nip was later exported to America and after winning the New York show in 1901, became the first International Champion in this breed.

Champion Wolf Sable Pomeranian The Sable Mite
Champion Wolf Sable Pomeranian The Sable Mite

A stunning orange sable shaded dog was to come on the scene, who took the Pomeranian world by storm, Champion Dragon Fly. Champion Dragon Fly was bred to most of the wolf sables in an attempt to introduce warmth to the coats. The craze for orange Pomeranians had begun, which saw most of the other colors take a backseat to the oranges and orange sables.

An early American winning wolf sable dog was Perrywinkle Smo Kee bred and owned by Perrywinkle Kennels.

Other Wolf Sable Dog Breeds Include:

  • Siberian Husky
  • Yakutian Laika
  • Alaskan Malamute
  • Keeshond
  • Norwegian Elkhound

What is a Sable Pomeranian?

Sable is a pattern in a sable dog’s outer layer of fur. The sable dog coat pattern is a unique one, consisting of dark hair on the tips.

A dog that is considered to be a heavy sable will have an abundance of dark black guard hairs. Agouti is the correct term for Sable.

The Pomeranian comes in a variety of sable patterned colors, including cream sable, wolf sable, orange sable, red sable, chocolate sable, and blue sable.

Newborn wolf sable Pomeranian puppy with its cream litter mate.
Newborn wolf sable Pomeranian puppy with its cream littermate.

What Colors Do Pomeranians Come In?

Pomeranian Coat Patterns

The Pomeranian coat pattern is how the fur colors appear at various places on the dog’s body. The most popular dog coat patterns have been around since time immemorial.

Final Thoughts on Wolf Sable Pomeranians

This Pomeranian color is amazing but unfortunately is now a rare Pomeranian color. Fortunately, we have dedicated breeders concentrating on the preservation of this beautiful color in the Pomeranian.

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References and Further Reading:
[1] Official Standard of the Pomeranian (AKC). American Kennel Club, 2011.
[2] English Kennel Club Pomeranian Breed Standard, 2017.
[3] Denise Leo, The Pomeranian Handbook.
[4] Milo G. Denlinger “The Complete Pomeranian”.
[5] Kimbering Pomeranians “1891-1991”.
[6] William Taplin “The Sportsman’s Cabinet”.
[7] E. Parker “The Popular Pomeranian”.
[8] Lilla Ives “Show Pomeranians”.
[9] Dreger D.L., Schmutz S.M., (2011) A SINE Insertion Causes the Black and Tan and Saddle Tan Phenotypes in Domestic Dogs. Journal of Heredity 2011:102(S1):S11–S18 doi:10.1093/jhered/esr042

Wolf Sable Pomeranian
Wolf Sable Pomeranian

Purchase the Pomeranian Handbook by Denise Leo

About

Denise Leo

Pomeranians are my passion, and I have shared my life with these darling little dogs for many decades. The creator and face behind this website is published author and Pomeranian breed authority Denise Leo of Dochlaggie Pomeranians.

Denise Leo
Denise Leo