Preparing to Housebreak Your Pomeranian

A Pomeranian is known to be easy to train, whether this be for housebreaking, heeling or performing tricks.  The most important element to successfully housebreaking your Pomeranian will be consistence from you.

A dog does not have any instinct to run outside of your home to eliminate.  Therefore, your Pomeranian counts on you to show him what is acceptable.   If you keep changing your plan of training or you change rewards for good behavior, this will confuse your Pomeranian.  How can you expect a dog that urgently needs to eliminate and is confused, to do the right thing?

When To Begin

You may begin training when your dog is between 8 and 12 weeks old. At this young age, it will be a process; not an overnight sucess! 

Owners should have reasonable expectations, take the Pomeranian outside frequently and reward them for their successes. 

Pomeranian training should be done by following these rules: A Pomeranian puppy can hold it's elimination one hour per month of age, up to six hours maximum.  Example: A  2 month puppy can hold it's needs for approximately 2 hours. A full grown Pomeranian dog can hold on for up to 8 hours.

It is recommended that you take your dog outside or lead them to their litter box:
1. Immediately after any confinement 
2. When he/she first wakes up 
3. Ten to fifteen minutes after your pet eats

3 ways methods of Training

You must supervise your dog while he/or she is in this housetraining phase.  To do so, there 3 methods to choose from. There is the Umbilical Cord method and the Crate method and the Gate method.  The crate method is also recommended for night time, until your dog learns to give you the proper signals. 

Umbilical cord method: 

If you find it difficult to keep very close supervision on your Pomeranian, Pomeranian training can be done if you attach a leash to it's collar and thread a belt through the loop on the dog leash and wear the belt on your waist.  This prevents your dog from wandering around and it allows you to have your hands free.  Most often your Pomeranian will love being close to you and will feel safe being near you.

Gate Method:

Pomeranian training can be done via the Gate Method. A simple way to keep your dog within your sight is the use of baby gates. You will not need these for very long, so we suggest that if you choose to use these it may be best to ask friends or family members if they have one or two that you can borrow.  The idea is to just block off certain rooms of your house, this will allow your Pomeranian to be able to walk freely but will they will not be able to go far from your sight

Crate method: 

Do not think of dog crates as some kind of "jail" for your Pomeranian. Pomeranian training via the crate method may surprise you.  Most dogs actually enjoy having it's own "room" and it gives them a place to retreat for a sense of security. Pomeranians are fragile dogs and like the feeling of feeling safe.  When using the crate method, it will also train your dog to be a better traveling companion and also teach him/her to tolerate a dog kennel (should the occasion arise).  Make sure to pick a crate that give your dog room to stand, turn around and rest comfortably.
 
If your dog shows resistance to the crate there are some steps you can take to make your Pom more willing.  You can begin by leaving the door open, making sure that it is not possible for it to close accidentally on your pet.  You can also put it's food closer and closer to the back of the crate each day, beginning with the food right outside the crate door.  If he/she acts resistant, move the food to where it was the day earlier, and begin again from that point.

Once your dog is used to it's crate with the door open, try closing the door but not locking it.  Slowly progress to the stage when you can lock the door.  Increase the time inside the crate slowly each day.  A very important tip is never take your dog out of the crate if he/she is barking non-stop.  That will only encourage incessant barking from your pet.  When you do let your dog out, immediately walk him/her outside (or show them to the litter box).  Do not carry them.  Taking some time and patience will pay off for you, and your dog will be a happy, well house trained companion.

Helpful Hints

Some owners tell us that their dog just insists on going potty in one spot and it is not the spot that the owner wishes for. If your dog is having a lot of training accidents, make sure there is not a medical issue.  If so, there is still help for house training a stubborn dog. Your Pomeranian can be trained to go potty in any area you choose, within a matter of a week or two. Pomeranian training can be done with the most stubborn dog.  First, you must decide exactly where you wish for her to go. Next, be sure to have a dog leash that is approximately 8 feet long. When your Pomeranian needs to go potty, put her on the leash and bring her to the area you wish for her to use. Stand in the middle of the area, allowing her to roam the length of the leash. Give her plenty of time to find "just the perfect spot". If she only has that area to choose from, she can not possibly go potty elsewhere. Make sure to be patience, as she sniffs around for what may seem like forever. Let her have the freedom to choose any place within the selected area. Reward her with happy, excited and kind words when she is done. Never slip and allow her to roam elsewhere for her potty. Within 2 weeks, the area you picked will be the only place that she considers to be her bathroom.



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