How to Train a Pomeranian: Tips That Actually Work

Everyone told you Pomeranians were smart. No one told you that "smart" and "easy to train" are two completely different things.

If you've already spent 20 minutes trying to get your Pom to sit while they stared at you like you were mildly inconveniencing them — welcome. You're in good company. Training a Pomeranian takes patience, consistency, and the right approach. But when it clicks? They're genuinely impressive little dogs. Here's how to make it click.

Are Pomeranians Easy to Train?

The honest answer: not without the right approach.

Pomeranians are highly intelligent — they pick up on patterns fast, read your emotions, and figure out routines almost immediately. But they're also independent thinkers. They were bred as companion dogs, not working dogs, which means they don't have that same "tell me what to do and I'll do it" drive you see in herding or sporting breeds.

What that means in practice: your Pom is capable of learning almost anything you're willing to teach. They're just going to evaluate each request on its merits and decide whether it's worth their time. Your job is to make "yes" feel more rewarding than "no."

The Golden Rule: Positive Reinforcement Only

This isn't just a preference — it's especially important with Pomeranians. Punishment-based training backfires with this breed in a specific way: they shut down or become anxious, and anxious Poms develop behavior problems faster than almost any other small dog.

What works instead:

• Tiny, high-value treats. We're talking pea-sized pieces of chicken, cheese, or freeze-dried meat. Small enough that you can do 20 repetitions without filling them up. Poms are small dogs — a full training treat is too much per rep.
• Immediate timing. The reward has to land within 1–2 seconds of the correct behavior or your Pom won't connect the dots. A clicker can help bridge that gap while you reach for the treat.
• Big praise. Poms are social and love your attention. An enthusiastic "YES!" in a happy voice is a reward in itself for many of them.
• Short sessions. Five to ten minutes is ideal. Their attention span is real, and stopping while they're still engaged is better than dragging out a session until they're checked out.

If your Pom does something wrong, redirect or ignore — don't scold. A Pom that associates training with stress is going to be very hard to reach.

Potty Training Your Pom (The #1 Struggle)

Let's be honest: potty training is the hardest part of Pom ownership, and it takes longer than most owners expect. They're tiny, they have fast metabolisms, and they can find spots in your home you didn't even know existed. This is normal. Don't spiral.

The method that works best for most Poms is crate training.

Here's how it works: dogs instinctively avoid soiling their sleeping space. A properly sized crate (just big enough for your Pom to stand, turn around, and lie down — not a mansion) becomes their den. When they're not being actively supervised, they're in the crate. When you take them out of the crate, you immediately take them outside to their designated spot.

The schedule that works:

• Take your Pom out first thing in the morning, immediately
• After every meal
• After every nap
• After every play session
• Before bed
• Every 2 hours in between for puppies under 6 months

When they go outside, praise and treat immediately. If they have an accident inside, say nothing — just clean it up with an enzymatic cleaner (regular cleaners leave odor traces that bring them back to the same spot).

How long does it take? Realistically, 4–6 months before you have reliable house manners, sometimes longer. Some Poms take a full year. Consistency is everything — the schedule has to be consistent even when life gets busy.

The 5 Commands Every Pom Needs

Start with these five. They're practical, they build impulse control, and they form the foundation everything else rests on.

Sit — Hold a treat at your Pom's nose, move it up and back over their head. When their bottom hits the floor, say "sit" and reward. One of the fastest things Poms learn.

Stay — Ask for sit, then hold your palm out flat and take one step back. If they hold it for even 2 seconds, reward. Gradually build duration before adding distance.

Come — Start in the same room, crouch down, say "[name], come!" in your happiest voice. Reward every time they reach you. Never use "come" as a recall for something unpleasant (bath time, nail trim) or they'll learn to avoid it.

Leave it — Place a treat on the floor and cover it with your hand. When your Pom stops trying to get it and looks up at you, say "leave it" and reward with a different treat from your other hand. This one takes repetition but it's genuinely useful.

Off — For the jumping on people problem (and yes, your Pom will jump). When all four paws hit the ground, say "off" and reward immediately. Don't push them down — that's attention, even if it's negative.

Fixing the Big Behavior Problems

These are the ones that drive Pom owners the most crazy — and most of them have a common root.

Obsessive barking. Poms bark. It's in their DNA. But excessive barking — at the door, at neighbors, at shadows — is usually about under-stimulation or reinforced attention-seeking. Identify the trigger. If it's door-barking, work on a "place" or "go to your bed" command paired with calm, rewarded behavior. Don't yell at them to stop — that reads as you barking along.

Resource guarding. Growling over food, toys, or their spot on the couch. This is serious and shouldn't be ignored because your Pom is small. Trade-up exercises (offer something better in exchange for the guarded item) and teaching "drop it" work well. If there's snapping involved, a professional trainer is worth the investment.

Snapping at strangers. This is often fear-based — especially in under-socialized Poms — and it's the textbook symptom of what's called small dog syndrome: a pattern of anxiety-driven behaviors that owners inadvertently reinforce by carrying the dog, shielding them, or letting them rule the household because they're "just a little dog." The fix is socialization, building confidence, and not rescuing them from every uncomfortable situation before they have a chance to cope.

Socialization: The Training You Can't Skip

The socialization window for puppies is roughly 3 to 14 weeks — and what happens during that window shapes your Pom's personality for life. Poms that miss it often become anxious, reactive dogs that are genuinely harder to train later.

Expose your Pom to:

• Different people (men with beards, children, people wearing hats)
• Other dogs (vaccinated, calm ones — puppy classes are great for this)
• Different environments (city sounds, car rides, tile floors, grass, stairs)
• Handling (ears, paws, mouth — all the places vets and groomers need to touch)

Make each experience positive — treats, calm energy, don't force it. You're building a mental library of "things that are okay," and every positive exposure is a deposit.

If your Pom is already past the puppy window, socialization still matters — it just takes more patience and goes more slowly.

Training Takes Time — What to Expect

Here's a realistic timeline: basic commands in 2–4 weeks with consistent daily practice. Reliable house manners in 3–6 months. A well-rounded, reliably obedient Pom? Six months to a year of consistent work.

That's not discouraging — it's just honest. Training is ongoing, not a one-time project.

If you're weeks in and making no progress on a specific behavior, or if resource guarding or aggression is escalating, bring in a professional trainer. Look for someone who uses reward-based methods and has experience with small or toy breeds. One or two sessions can unlock things that felt stuck for months.

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Ready to set your Pom up for success from day one? The New Pom Parent Starter Pack ($14) covers all of this in one place — training basics, potty training schedules, socialization checklists, and the daily routines that make those first few months go smoother. It's the guide we wish we'd had on day one.