The Pomeranian is the tiny, fox-faced, fluff-ball spitz that packs an enormous personality into a few pounds. Descended from much larger sled and spitz dogs of the Arctic and bred down to toy size, the Pom kept the spitz family's boldness, intelligence, and alert, vocal nature. Confident, lively, and endlessly charming, the Pomeranian struts through life convinced it is far bigger than it is, which is part of its appeal and a central fact of its training. It is a smart, trainable little dog wrapped in a glorious double coat, with a big bark and a bigger attitude.
That bold spitz personality is the key to training one. The Pom is intelligent and learns quickly with reward-based methods, even excelling at tricks, but its confidence and small size combine into classic small-dog-syndrome risks, and the spitz heritage brings a strong tendency to bark. Like many toys, it can be slow to house-train, and it is small enough to need protecting from rough handling and falls. Treat it like a real dog, manage the barking early, be patient with house-training, and you get a delightful, spirited companion. Coddle it and skip the structure, and you get a yappy, demanding, reactive one.
This guide covers what works with a Pom, week by week, built around how a bold, clever little spitz actually learns.
What Makes Training a Pom Different
Four breed traits shape your approach.
1. Bold and confident, with small-dog-syndrome risk. The Pom has no idea it is tiny and carries itself with spitz self-assurance. That confidence is charming, but without training and socialization it tips into bossy, barky, reactive behavior. Treat it like a real dog with real rules.
2. A strong tendency to bark. The spitz heritage makes the Pom watchful and genuinely vocal, quick to alert at sights and sounds. This is the breed's main management issue, and early, consistent quiet-shaping is essential to keep an alert dog from becoming a nuisance barker.
3. Intelligent and trainable. The Pom is clever and enjoys learning, so reward-based training and tricks work well and provide the mental work this bright little dog needs. A bored Pom invents its own entertainment, often involving noise.
4. Small, with a heavy coat, and slow to house-train. The Pom is fragile enough to need protecting from rough handling and falls, its profuse double coat needs regular grooming, and like many toys it can be slow to house-train. Patience and sensible management matter.
Week-by-Week Training Plan for Your Pom
Below is the framework we use at TailorPup for a Pom-specific 12-week plan. Run it at home; the order and emphasis are the point.
Weeks 1 and 2 : Foundation, Socialization, and House-Training
Build engagement with high-value treats and socialize broadly, with confidence-building to head off small-dog syndrome, treating the Pom as a capable dog from day one. Run three to four short sessions a day: name, mark eye contact, reward. Begin barking awareness, rewarding quiet, and start house-training on a strict schedule. Our puppy basics guide covers the foundations.
Weeks 3 and 4 : Core Commands and Tricks
Poms learn well. Lure sit, down, and stay, mark, and reward, adding cues once reliable, then add trick training, which this clever spitz enjoys and which builds focus and confidence.
Weeks 5 and 6 : Leash Work and House-Training
Use a light harness, never a collar on a tiny neck, and stop-and-stand for any pulling. Keep house-training patient and consistent, rewarding every success outdoors and avoiding all scolding for accidents, since the breed can be slow here.
Weeks 7 and 8 : Barking and Recall
Formalize the quiet work, the breed's key management piece: reward calm at windows and the door, manage triggers, and teach an "enough" cue rather than reacting to the barking. Build recall indoors and in fenced areas, paying every success well. See our barking guide for the full protocol.
Weeks 9 and 10 : Mental Work and Handling
Channel the clever little mind with tricks, puzzles, and short training games. Build gentle handling tolerance for grooming the heavy coat, and teach the dog to wait to be picked up and set down rather than leaping from height, to protect its small frame.
Weeks 11 and 12 : Generalization
Prove the skills in the real world: calm leash walking past distractions, reliable house-training habits, quiet on cue, and confident, settled behavior. These last two weeks are about consistency and proofing the house-training, quiet, and recall rather than new skills.
Common Pom Training Mistakes
Three mistakes show up repeatedly with this breed.
Mistake 1 : Coddling instead of training. Treating the Pom as a fragile accessory rather than a real dog produces small-dog syndrome: bossy, barky, and reactive. Socialize it, give it rules and structure, and treat it like the capable little dog it believes itself to be.
Mistake 2 : Ignoring the barking early. The watchful spitz becomes a serious nuisance barker if the habit is allowed to form. Shape and reward quiet from day one, manage triggers, and meet the dog's mental and exercise needs, rather than reacting later.
Mistake 3 : Losing patience with house-training. The Pom can be slow to house-train, and scolding makes it worse. A strict schedule and patient, reward-based methods are what work. The full list is in our Pomeranian training mistakes guide.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are Pomeranians easy to train ? Yes, by toy-breed standards. They are bold, intelligent, and enjoy learning, so reward-based training and tricks work well. The main challenges are managing the barking, preventing small-dog syndrome, and slow house-training rather than the learning itself.
Why does my Pomeranian bark so much ? Because the spitz heritage makes it watchful and naturally vocal, and boredom or coddling makes it worse. Shape and reward quiet early, manage triggers, and meet the dog's mental and exercise needs, and the barking becomes manageable.
Why is house-training my Pom so hard ? Toy breeds have small bladders, so progress can be slow. A strict schedule, frequent opportunities, and patient reward-based methods, without scolding, are what get you there. Many Poms take longer than larger breeds.
How much exercise does a Pomeranian need ? Modest: around 30 minutes of activity daily plus play and mental work. The breed is adaptable and happy in apartments, but it still benefits from daily walks, games, and training, and it enjoys learning tricks.
Do Pomeranians need a lot of grooming ? Yes. The profuse double coat needs regular brushing to prevent matting and sheds, and it should not be shaved, as it protects the skin. Building grooming tolerance early is worthwhile.
Is positive reinforcement effective for Pomeranians ? Yes, ideally. The bold, clever breed responds well to engaging reward-based training and tricks, while harsh handling fuels reactivity and undermines the cheerful temperament.
Are Pomeranians good family dogs ? Yes, for families with gentle, respectful children. They are devoted, lively, and entertaining, but they are small and bold, so supervision around young kids and larger dogs, plus real training and socialization, matters.
Why TailorPup Was Built for Pomeranians
A generic plan treats your Pom like a fragile lap ornament and ignores the bold spitz personality, the strong barking tendency, and the intelligence that define the breed. That mismatch is why standard advice produces yappy, demanding little dogs.
TailorPup builds a 12-week plan around your specific dog: its spitz nature, its age, and the behaviors you are seeing. For a Pom that means front-loaded socialization and confidence-building, an early barking protocol, a patient house-training schedule, trick work for the clever mind, and gentle handling that protects its small frame.
Daily 12-minute sessions plus weekly adjustments based on your dog's progress. Free for 7 days, no card required.
Start your Pomeranian's plan free at tailorpup.com →
Related: Pomeranian Training Mistakes · Barking Solutions · Recall Training · Puppy Training Basics