The Pomeranian is one of the most popular spitz-type dogs in the world, probably thanks to its beauty and friendly nature. Although they also stand out for their docility, these dogs require that their guardians provide them with a good education and teach them the basic orders of obedience.
We must know that education and training is what will allow the Pomeranian to live in harmony, respect home rules and avoid certain behavioral problemsCommon to the breed, such as separation anxiety or possessive behavior, also known as "resource guarding."
In this article on our site we have prepared a complete guide for you to know how to educate a Pomeranian correctly We will explain some of the "secrets" of the breed, some basic advice and everything you need to teach it. Keep reading!
Know your dog before training it
Although we can talk about some common guidelines and basic criteria of dog training, we need to understand that each dog is unique and singular In the At the time of learning, each animal will need its own time and must have the dedication and knowledge of its tutor to absorb and correctly reproduce the commands, tasks or tricks. For this reason, getting to know your dog is the first and most essential step in giving him a correct education.
The Pomeranian is the smallest member of the spitz family, which stands out for its smooth, silky and voluminous coat, which requires certain specific care to keep it beautiful and he althy. Although its ancestors have historically been trained as cattle dogs, this toy-type dog has been bred to be a true "lap dog". They are extremely affectionate with their guardians, demanding constant attention. They can become overly pampered dogs when not trained properly.
They are recognized for their great intelligence and ease of learning, characteristics that facilitate their training. They are also active dogs that need to exercise and stimulate their minds to maintain a balanced character and prevent behavior problems.
To reveal the "Pomeranian secrets" and be able to better understand your best friend, we advise you to review a bit of canine language. On our site, for example, we have a complete guide on how to interpret dog postures and their meanings. With these tips, you will be able to improve your communication with your furry friend and you will feel more prepared to start educating him.
Prepare yourself before you start training your Pomeranian
Before starting to educate your furry, you will need to get started in dog training to know the guidelines, methods and basic fundamentals of it. In addition, to facilitate the learning of your best friend and optimize your time, we recommend you to know the "5 training tricks that every owner should know".
After introducing you to the context of canine education, it will be essential to put together your own training kit with the following items:
- Collar/Harness
- Regulatory Belt
- Long Strap
- Belly Bag
- Prizes or snacks
- Toys
- Clicker (optional)
In theory, the clicker is not an essential item in dog training. However, its correct use greatly facilitates the work of the trainer and, in your case, it will be a great ally during training sessions with your dog. If you want to learn how to use it correctly, we invite you to read our article "Clicker for dogs – everything you need to know about it".
Your Pomeranian's education should be appropriate to your age
The education, physical and mental stimulation of all dogs must be adapted to their age, state of he alth and physical complexion You can't Start training your Pomeranian puppy by presenting him with complex tasks or commands, as this would confuse him, could lead to frustration and would not allow him to feel motivated to continue learning.
Just like children, puppies must learn progressively, that is, they must begin by assimilating basic concepts and commands, which will later become in the pillars of their learning. Little by little, as your Pomeranian puppy assimilates the basic house rules and incorporates the first canine obedience commands, you will be able to progressively increase the difficulty of the tasks that you propose.
At all stages of your Pomeranian's education, remember to use positive reinforcement to stimulate his learning, thus rewarding his efforts and achievements. Positive education rejects any type of physical or emotional abuse, such as punishment or scolding, in the educational process of dogs.
Instead of punishing misbehavior, positive reinforcement recognizes and encourages the assimilation of appropriate or desired behaviors, stimulating cognitive skills, emotional and social of each furry. It also directly influences the bond with the tutor.
How to train a Pomeranian puppy?
The optimal age to start training a Pomeranian is from three months of age, when the puppy is fully weaned and ready to start learning simple exercises. When deciding to adopt a puppy, it is very important to make sure that the weaning period is respected, that is, that the puppy is not prematurely separated from its mother and her siblings.
When this separation occurs early, the dog may show socialization problems and learning difficulties, in addition to the risk of not developing your immune system fully, making you especially vulnerable to the most common diseases of dogs.
However, if the puppies were born in your home, their education can start from birth, always respecting the limits and needs of their body. Logically, you cannot start training a newborn puppy, since its body and mind are not yet ready to receive orders of this complexity. But you can teach them to recognize their own name and show them the rules of the house in everyday life.
For example, you can convey to them that they are not allowed to lie on the bed, climb on the couch, or flip the trash, making them get down and reinforcing them for getting down and on the floor. The objective is, basically, to not encourage in the puppy those behaviors that you do not want to see in the adult dog. Remember that misbehavior reinforced in these early stages will need to be corrected in adulthood, which is much more difficult than preventing it.
On the other hand, if you want to start stimulating your Pomeranian's physical and cognitive abilities safely in its first weeks of life, we invite you to read our article on early stimulation exercises for puppies.
Regarding the physical activity of puppies, remember that the exercises must be low impact, always having an entertainment character. Play is key to the physical and mental stimulation of puppies, acting as a playful element that arouses their curiosity and invites them to develop their senses and intelligence.
Stages of the education of a Pomeranian puppy
To help you train a Pomeranian puppy, below we show you in which stages their education should be divided from 3 to 12 months old, when it can already be considered as an adult dog.
- From 3 to 6 months: from 3 months, we can start teaching a puppy the basic commands of canine obedience, such as: sit, get up, stay still, come, lie down, walk next to you and not pull the leash. At this stage, the objective is to present only simple and unitary orders, which do not require the execution of multiple tasks to achieve success. If we exaggerate the complexity of the proposed exercises, we will confuse the puppy and cause a feeling of frustration, which will harm its learning. At this age, your Pomeranian will also be ready to learn to relieve himself on the street and begin his socialization, so you will need to introduce him to other dogs, animals, people and environments. Remember that socialization will be key for your Pomeranian to be able to relate positively with stimuli, individuals and objects in his environment, thus preventing behavior problems.
- From 6 to 12 months:After your puppy has learned these basic commands, you can incorporate new commands to complement the training of she. In this second stage, we advise you to teach him to fetch the ball and drop objects. You can also add tricks and activities that you like and that are attractive to your furry, such as "giving the paw". Logically, always remember to respect your best friend's time, and not force him to practice any sport or exercise that is uncomfortable for him.
Training an adult Pomeranian
When your Pomeranian has assimilated those commands from the basic level of dog training, you can enjoy and surprise yourself with your dog's intelligence, proposing advanced training. In this sense, we advise you to learn about searching or sowing, a great activity to start stimulating the senses and intelligence of your Pomeranian. Later you can teach him more advanced tricks and dog skills, like playing dead, bringing objects, going to specific places…
On the other hand, you can also play intelligence games at home with your Pomeranian, take him for a walk to new environments, travel in his company, and teach him several fun tricks, taking advantage of the fact that your furry is very intelligent and He loves to share moments with you. All this will serve as a complement to your basic education and will help strengthen the bonds of friendship between you.
If you think you don't have time or don't have enough knowledge to further educate your Pomeranian at home, it's best to go to a dog training centerto have the guidance of a professional in advanced training. Likewise, on YouTube you will find many tutorials that will explain how to perform certain exercises.
How to calm down a Pomeranian?
One of the most frequent questions from guardians in the process of training their dog is what to do to calm down a Pomeranian, since these furry ones can be really anxious or hyperactive, especially when they are puppies and youngsters.
First of all, you should be aware that physical activity and mental stimulation are essential for any dog to maintain a balanced and calm behavior. If your Pom doesn't get enough exercise and doesn't have an enriched home environment where he can entertain himself and stimulate his cognitive abilities, he may show stress symptoms and develop behavioral problems, such as destructiveness and separation anxiety. On our site, we tell you everything you need to know about environmental enrichment for dogs.
In addition, you should consider that the Pomeranian is not a dog that likes or adapts well to solitude. In reality, these dogs often demand attention from their guardians, so you will need to reserve a special time for your best friend each day. A Pomeranian that spends many hours alone and does not receive the care it needs, may also have behavior problems that will affect coexistence with its family.
On the other hand, also remember that you should not reinforce your dog's anxious or hyperactive behaviors by offering food or other types of rewards to make it stop with this behavior. For example, if you offer a treat to calm your dog down and stop barking, chances are your dog will start behaving hyperactively and barking exaggeratedly every time he wants to get your attention or get something he wants.
On the other hand, you should reinforce behaviors that are positive, such as going to their place to rest, being calm when food is offered, etc. You can also encourage these behaviors through obedience commands, asking him to sit or lie down when he is especially nervous.
But if your dog is always nervous or anxious, even if he exercises properly and has a positive routine, we advise you to take him to the vet, since hyperactivity can also have pathological causes. The professional will also evaluate if it is necessary to administer a tranquilizer, or if it is appropriate to use pheromones for anxiety or natural painkillers, such as valerian or bach flowers, to help calm your Pomeranian.
Socialization is key in the education of a Pomeranian
Socialization will be a key aspect of your Pomeranian's education. During the socialization process, your dog will be able to learn to relate positively with people, with other dogs and animals, with their toys and other stimuli in their environment. This will give you the opportunity to enjoy a he althy social life, as well as prevent behavior problems, fears and phobias
The optimal period to start socializing your Pomeranian is when he is still a puppy, more specifically during his early stages (between the third week and three months of life). During this phase, dogs form their basic notions of coexistence with other individuals, in addition to showing a more flexible character, which favors learning. After completing his first cycle of vaccination and deworming, we must continue to offer him positive experiences with other people, dogs, animals and environments.
But if you have decided to adopt an adult Pomeranian, you should know that it is also possible to carry out the socialization process in adult dogs. On our site, we offer you the best tips to properly socialize an adult dog.
5 tips for a Pomeranian and her guardian
Finally, we would like to offer you some tips that will help you successfully train your Pomeranian:
- Consistency is key in dog training. Training is a constant and gradual process, where each exercise must be properly absorbed, memorized and executed to perfection. You must have patience and a lot of love to properly educate your Pomeranian, since he will need to assimilate the orders, one by one. If you feel you don't have enough time, you can find a professional trainer.
- Know when and how much to teach. Training sessions with your dog should be short, but regular. The ideal is to allocate 10 to 15 minutes of each day to practice with your furry, so you don't overload him and maintain optimal consistency. In the case of wanting to do several sessions we can do one in the morning and another in the afternoon.
- Identify how and where to teach. The exercises must be practiced one by one to allow their comprehensive understanding and perfect execution. Each dog will need its own time to fully understand, memorize and execute each command, which may also vary depending on the complexity of the exercise. To promote the concentration of your furry, you will also need to choose the most suitable place to teach him, avoiding noisy places or places with an excess of stimuli (scents, sounds, people, dogs, etc.).
- Use positive reinforcement to educate. Positive reinforcement is the best method to teach and stimulate the intelligence of your Pomeranian. Remember that exposing your best friend to contexts of high stress and/or intense fear, by punishing them physically or emotionally, harms their he alth and favors the development of numerous behavioral problems, such as aggression, fear or phobias.
- Review learned commands. Each taught command needs to be reviewed to reaffirm its learning and not be forgotten. To do this, reserve 1 or 2 days of the week to reinforce the exercises already assimilated with your furry.
