They might be tiny and cute, but Pomeranian puppy training can be challenging for novice owners.
Despite their size, these adorable puppies can be stubborn and refuse to obey commands.
That’s why you should have some training tips up your sleeve to overcome a Pomeranian’s independent thinking.
Fortunately, I’ve got you covered with 9 super Pomeranian training secrets.
9 Tips on Pomeranian Puppy Training
It seems unlikely, but Pomeranians come from an ancient Spitz breed that used to pull heavy sleds and herd livestock.
While breeders reduced the size of the Pomeranian breed because they wanted a tiny companion dog, Pomeranians still have a big dog personality.
They can be yappy, snappy, and bossy if you allow them to dominate the household.
Are you ready to learn 9 amazing Pomeranian training tricks? Let’s start.
#1 Gain Your Pomeranian Respect
Since Pomeranians are so small, owners often aren’t as strict with them as they would be with a big dog. That’s a mistake.
To train your Pomeranian puppy successfully, you have to earn their respect.
If you don’t project the right attitude, your Pomeranian puppy will assume that they’re the top dog and will try to boss you around.
They won’t listen to a thing you say, or you’ll do whatever they want. So, start with Pomeranian respect training.
It’s easy. Think about what rules your Pomeranian will have to follow and enforce them.
You might get tired of saying “no” over and over again, but you have to be persistent.
In case your Pomeranian is still acting out, you can establish your position by staying higher than your Pomeranian puppy.
So, don’t sit on the floor with your dog and don’t allow them on the furniture.
#2 Use Your Trainer Voice
A professional trainer never shouts even when they’ve reached their breaking point.
Shouting will only scare your Pomeranian, and you’ll lose the respect you’ve earned.
Moreover, it will make training a negative experience for your Pom, which is a big don’t for dog training success.
Use a firm voice when you’re correcting your Pomeranian and a happy voice when you’re rewarding them.
Always try to articulate your commands clearly so that your Pomeranian puppy can understand you.
#3 Pick the Right Time for Training
Your Pomeranian puppy training shouldn’t feel like a chore and be done in haste.
Moreover, there’s no point in training your Pomeranian when they’re tired or exhausted.
What I mean is that you have to find time for training that works for both of you.
Usually, Pomeranians are more motivated to learn when they’re slightly hungry. So, a good time for training will be before breakfast or dinner.
No matter what you decide, training should be part of your Pomeranian daily routine so that your Pom can get used to it.
#4 Get the Right Rewards
When you’re training your Pomeranian puppy, you need high-value rewards.
You should choose something that your Pomeranian puppy loves so much that they’ll be ready to do your bidding without asking questions.
However, Pomeranians are easy to overfeed, especially when you’re training a 3-month-old Pomeranian, for example.
Commercial treats are often high in calories.
So, you should break them into very small pieces, or you can use fresh vegetables and fruits such as apples and carrot as a treat.
Take a look at some human foods that are good for your dog:
You can also prepare homemade treats.
Remember to stick to the golden rule – treats shouldn’t be more than 10% of your Pomeranian’s daily calorie intake.
#5 Reward Good Behavior
Often owners encourage their Pomeranian’s bad behavior without realizing what they’re doing.
For example, they pay extra attention to their dog when they’re barking and try to calm them down.
But what you’re teaching your Pomeranian puppy is that all they have to do to get your attention is to bark their heart out.
So, how to train your Pomeranian puppy not to bark relies a lot on you and your reaction to barking.
You should always ignore behavior you don’t want to be repeated, for example, excessive barking.
Instead, you have to reward behaviors you want your dog to repeat, such as staying quiet.
Eventually, your Pomeranian will figure out that being bad results in no fun, and being good gets them tasty food.
That’s called positive reinforcement, and it’s one of the best training strategies for Pomeranians.
For this strategy to work, you have to reward your Pomeranian immediately to capture and mark the behavior.
Giving the treat after 10 seconds have passed will confuse your Pomeranian.
Whenever you’re training your Pomeranian puppy, you should keep the treats close by so that you don’t have to fish them out of your pocket.
Some owners use training collars for stubborn dogs.
However, Pomeranians are so small that it’s easy to injure them with a collar if you don’t know what you’re doing.
#6 Use Crate Training
Housetraining a Pomeranian is essential.
A lot of owners don’t start housetraining their puppy right away, and then they wonder why their Pomeranian is peeing everywhere.
You can housetrain your Pom inside or outside, but you have to start immediately.
Just pick a location and take your Pomeranian puppy there as frequently as possible.
Allowing your Pomeranian puppy free rein of the house is also out of the question.
So, a crate or a playpen is a necessary training tool for Pomeranian crate training.
A crate/playpen will teach your Pomeranian to hold their bladders and provide a safe place where you can leave them at night or when you’re not at home.
#7 Teach Basic Commands
How to train a 3-month-old Pomeranian, you ask?
You start with the most basic commands and work your way slowly through them. But which command should you teach first?
Usually, owners often ask how to train their Pomeranian puppy to sit, so the “Sit” command is an excellent choice. It’s easy, and most Pomeranians get it reasonably quickly.
You can train your Pomeranian to sit by luring them into the position with a treat. Hold the food high above your Pom’s head and move it above their head.
Your Pom should follow the motion and sit on the ground. When they do, say “Sit,” and reward them immediately. Then you practice.
Besides teaching your Pomeranian puppy to sit, you should also train your Pomeranian to come when called.
Related: How to train a Pomeranian puppy not to bark
#8 Nip Any Biting
Pomeranians have the reputations of being snappy. That’s because owners often ignore biting in the beginning.
Then they seek help on how to train their Pomeranian puppy not to bite when their adult Pomeranian keeps nipping on their fingers and toes.
Usually, Pomeranian puppies bite a lot when they’re teething.
So, you have to ensure that they have suitable chewing toys to relieve the teething pain and offer some froze treats to numb the gums.
When the problem persists after teething ends, you should ignore your Pomeranian puppy whenever they bite.
Place them in their playpen after and don’t speak to them or pay them any attention. Wait a couple of minutes and let your Pom out.
If they behave, you should reward them with treats and praise. If your puppy bites you again, you put them back in the playpen.
Eventually, your Pom will understand that biting gets them punished.
#9 Involve the Family
My last Pomeranian training trick is to involve the whole family in your Pomeranian puppy training.
You want all family members to enforce your rules and know how to react when your Pom misbehaves.
Otherwise, your Pomeranian will do whatever they want when you’re not around to control them.
Some owners think that small dog breeds, such as Pomeranian, don’t need training. That’s a huge mistake.
Dogs are dogs, no matter their shape and size. Pomeranians can become quite difficult to handle if they’re not trained.
Moreover, they can get hurt when they pick up a fight with somebody bigger in the dog park.
So, they really need a lot of training to grow up to their potential.
I have an Indian mountain wolf. Training him has been the best thing. He was a hard nut to crack, but the results are so wonderful. I also foster 8 dogs who live in my colony. Most of them know their names and impulse control in front of food. Working on the other instructions now.
Pomeranians are absolutely adorable! My best friend from college had one and I always brought treats when I visited her place. She was such a well-mannered pup too, made me want to get one for myself 🙂
What an informative post. I love poms, they are absolutely adorable. I was considering getting one, thanks for the info! Aww, they’re so fluffy!