Question:
I am really interested in getting a Pomeranian; however, I have been told they are a ‘yappy’ dog. Is this so and is it possible to train and change this characteristic?
Julie
Answer:
Pomeranians, like a lot of toy breeds, are famous for being yappy. They certainly are quite brave and protective little dogs and very confident, especially for their size. They are also very territorial and all these strong character traits can develop into dominance behaviour if allowed. Part of the problem with little dogs is that we can treat them like babies and spoil them. This says to a dog that they are in charge. If they don’t get firm leadership, they will most definitely take over!
However, they are intelligent and can be easily trained as pups to avoid problems associated with their relatively large egos! This involves obedience training early and teaching the puppy that you are the boss. This doesn’t need to be mean; in fact, very subtle things emphasise this. Teaching puppy to sit and drop for food treats is fun but also makes the dog act submissively towards their owners.
Giving and stopping attention at your initiation, rather than the dog deciding, is another way of remaining in control. Take the pup to puppy preschool to socialise them with other people and dogs. This is also very important to them learning they are not the centre of the universe and that not everyone is an enemy!
You cannot change their genetic personalities, nor would you want to. Pomeranians have a vibrant, bubbly personality, are full of life and as cute as anything. It’s a matter of gently reining them in when they get out of hand to teach them appropriate behaviour, dealing with any problems such as barking as they arise and understanding doggy psychology before you get one, so that you have the upper paw!
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