Puppy care guide

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Royal canin starter Small Breed Puppy Kibble: For puppies up to 12 months old. At 1 year old, gradually wean the puppy onto royal canin adult kibble, or another quality dry kibble. Mix the new food with the puppy kibble and gradually reduce the amount of puppy kibble until the Pom is completely off of the puppy kibble. Changing food gradually reduces the potential for upset stomach and diarrhea.

TropiClean Shampoo: Quality hypoallergenic, natural dog shampoo that does NOT affect frontline plus or Revolution flea treatments. It leaves our Pom's coats and skin clean and healthy. Environmentally friendly and cruelty free. Comes in a variety of scents and formulas.

TROPICLEAN

Nutrical: high calorie supplement to fight against and resolve an hypoglycemic episode. We highly

recommend having this on hand at all times.

Revolution: Monthly treatment and preventative for ticks, fleas, ear mites and heart worms. Relatively inexpensive (about $13/mth).

Pet Stairs: Pet stairs greatly reduce the chance of falls and leg breaks for your Pom. We use pet stairs to reduce the chance of an injury from a jump or fall from the beds or sofas.

These are a must have when you own a Pomeranian Puppy. It doesn't matter what brand you use.

Puppy Pen: Supervision is key to keeping your Pomeranian Puppy safe, however when you can't be there to supervise or can't kennel the puppy because you'll be away for too long, having a puppy pen is a great way to contain the puppy while still providing a place to play and go potty.

Harness and Leash: trachea injuries can be prevented if you use a harness with your puppy. Any brand will do, they come in a variety of colors and materials. Remember to take the harness off of the puppy when done with the walk, and make sure you finish vaccines before taking the puppy out in public.

These are very basic care instructions for the first few weeks of bringing your new Pom puppy home!

Feeding: Please FREE FEED Your puppy dry kibble. This means having food available to your puppy at all times, even overnight until you are sure he or she is eating enough during the day to make it through the night. We do not recommend wet food because it contributes to tooth decay and doesn't do anything to clean the teeth.

Keep your puppy on the SAME FOOD that he/she was eating with us for the first 2mths or longer. If you do choose to go with another kibble later on, please Do NOT Feed any brand of food bought from the grocery store, be selective and choose a high quality dry kibble. Do not switch food suddenly or frequently. If you do change the food your puppy is on, do so gradually by adding in a bit more of the new food brand each day until the old food is phased out. The kibble your puppy is on now, they can stay with until a year old.

Fresh water must be available 24/7 too, these little dogs drink a lot!

Playtime: Your puppy should be limited to a max of 30 minutes of vigorous activity/play at one time for the first 3+ weeks. After playtime, kennel your puppy in his or her crate or pen and allow them to eat/drink in peace and to take a nap! These puppies do not carry a lot of body fat or "reserves" and they need breaks to rest up for the next round of play. Alternate, playtime 30 mins, 90 min nap, 30 min playtime, 90 min nap, etc... Puppy may nap for longer and that is okay!

Playpen: Your puppy MUST NOT be left unsupervised roaming the house for the first 2-6mths or until he or she is trained and is trustworthy in the house. You must puppy proof your home and ensure that your little one doesn't hurt himself or cause any damage.

House training: It is YOUR job to not let your puppy potty in the house for the first few weeks, you must supervise your puppy and design his/her environment for success. Most families use a playpen for the first several months, leaving out 2-4 pads/paper while out running around and 1 pad/paper while in the playpen. Puppy should retain ability to use a designated spot for potty time. No puppy is perfect! But do take note of where puppy goes potty if accidents happen and put down a pad there. Crate training is used when puppy is older and more mature and you are ready to transition from pad to outdoors for potty breaks.

Toys: Probably the most overlooked, misunderstood and forgotten NECESSITY of raising a puppy are toys, toys, toys! Puppies are BABIES! They are exploring everything, "playing with" everything and yes putting everything in their mouths! Would sit your 10mth old in the middle of the house and discipline them every time they touched something they shouldn't have and not offer them a variety of interesting, stimulating and fun toys to explore? Probably Not! So don't do this to your puppy! Balls, stuffed toys, toys that rattle or have a bell, puppy teething rings and pretty much any toy on the dog toy isle will do! Ice cubes are wonderful and novel treats for a teething puppy, they LOVE them. (You can even freeze chicken broth for an extra special treat!) Don't forget that when toys get lost, ruined or dirty, you have to REPLACE them with new toys, it is a monthly expense the same as dog food is.

Most dogs do not "outgrow" their need for stimulating toys, what else do they have to do with their time when they are not interacting with you? Combine that with a dog's natural urge to chew and you have a recipe for disaster (and a VERY UNHAPPY DOG) if you do not provide toys! 

It is still your job to teach your Pom what is "theirs" and what is not: Keeping an open shoe box in each room with your Pom's toys inside usually works great because then they can access them all on their own.

Pomeranians are generally very healthy dogs, but like any breed there are special considerations that you should be aware of and precautions you need to take to ensure your Pom stays healthy. We will cover the most common and most frequently experienced issues here. There are more issues you can read about online or in a reputable Pomeranian breed book. Please know that we do not want to scare you, chances are that your Pom will never experience any of these issues, but as ethical breeders, we want you to aware of a few special concerns in addition to routine health care recommendations.

1) Hypoglycemia: a life threatening condition where the dog experiences "low blood sugar". This is when the puppy's blood glucose level drop below a safe range. All toy breeds are at risk for this happening to them, especially as young pups. The smaller the puppy, the higher the risk. It can generally happen when the Pom is tired, under stress, going through a food change, exhaustion from playing too much, not eating right or while traveling. It can happen to anyone and can be remedied if caught right away and dealt with correctly. Being very aware of your puppy and his/her normal behavior and eating habits will help you immensely in figuring out what the problem is. It is crucial that you act quickly as your pupp's life could be in jeopardy.

Some of the signs and symptoms include: Being tired or lethargic, listlessness, weakness, depression, change in sleep habits and change in eating habits. These symptoms can be followed by: muscle weakness, tremors, convulsions, walking difficulties and coma.

Hypoglycemia is NOT contagious. It is not a disease, but rather an episode that occurs when a dog's body runs out of the calories required to support its bodily functions. Pomeranians are susceptible because they do not carry a lot of body fat for reserves. It's important that your Pom eats regularly and does not exercise for long periods of time. Pomeranians are active dogs but they must be MADE to rest often. We HIGHLY recommend having NUTRICAL or a similar product on hand, giving this to your Pom during a hypoglycemic episode

GREATLY increases their chances of survival and can save their life. NUTRICAL is also great as a supplement if your Pom is traveling with you, missed a meal, is exercising, or if they are ill or stressed. It is a high calorie supplement that we encourage you to have on hand at all times. If a hypoglycemic episode occurs, seek medical attention and/or call us. We are happy to guide you through the treatment, most of which can be done at home if you catch it soon enough. We cannot guarantee against Hypoglycemia as it is not an illness or defect.

What to do if you suspect hypoglycemia

If you see one or more of these symptoms you must act immediately. If the puppy is conscious, give nutrical or karo syrup. This should help within 15 minutes, often sooner. If the puppy will not take the nutrical, rub a small amount on his/her gums and tongue with your finger. You can also use karo syrup and do the same. You can continue doing this until you see the puppy exhibit more energy. Feed jarred baby food to entice the puppy to eat something, the meat varieties are the most popular. Monitor the puppy closely and make sure that they are eating. If the puppy is unconscious, contact your vet immediately.

To avoid hypoglycemia in your young pup only allow hard play for no more than 20 minutes. Make sure your puppy gets plenty of rest and eats regularly. We recommend free feeding your puppy and having fresh water available at all times. If you can't free feed, then offer food at least 4 times per day. Giving nutrical 2X a day during the first week can help with the stress of moving.

Vaccines: Maintaining your Pom's vaccination schedule and obtaining recommended vaccines on time greatly increases the chances that your Pomeranian will remain healthy and unaffected by contagious diseases such as Parvo. DO NOT allow this puppy on public grasses, sidewalks or other public areas, or to be touched by strangers until ALL puppy vaccines are completed at 16-17 weeks of age. We cannot be responsible if you neglect to follow these instructions and your Pomeranian contracts an illness. Follow the vaccination schedule started by us, (and what is shown on your puppy's health record) and chances are that your puppy will not get sick. Your puppy received a 5 way puppy vaccine and will need 2-3 more vaccines to obtain full immunity. Your Pom will also need a rabies vaccine and a bordatella treatment, ask your vet about these. After puppy shots are completed, your Pom will need an annual vaccine to keep up to date. ***Wait on the lepto vaccine until 8+ mths. Toy breeds are prone to bad reactions to this particular vaccine*** Bordetella vaccine can cause coughing/sneezing as a side effect, we vaccinate with it once annually starting at 16 weeks old.

Flea, Tick, Ear Mites and Heartworm preventative: We highly recommend using REVOLUTION monthly on your Pom (Monthly application is less than $15). Revolution treats and prevents fleas, ticks, ear mites and heartworm and if given monthly, you shouldn't ever have a problem with these common parasites. There are many flea treatments available, we have tried nearly every product out there and trust us, most other products are NOT worth the money as they don't work and/or the instances of an allergic reaction are too common. It is worth it to spend the money on Revolution and not have to worry about fleas, ticks ear mites and heartworms. Revolution is available from your vet, or online with a vet's prescription. A regular worming schedule is also recommended, your vet will probably de-worm the puppy when you bring him or her in to get more shots. We have de-wormed your puppy 3+ times, please see your record for this

Leg Breaks: Leg breaks are not uncommon in toy breeds. Pomeranian puppies and adults alike are susceptible, especially if they are under 5lbs, however breaks can occur even in average Poms. Leg breaks can happen by stepping on your Pom, dropping something on your Pom and (the most common way) leaving your Pom unattended and letting them jump off of something. The best way to prevent this is to buy and use several sets of pet stairs and to use supervision whenever your pom is on the bed, sofa or couch. Teach your puppy early how to use the stairs safely and this will eliminate their need to jump off of the sofa or bed. Leg breaks are treatable, and if your Pomeranian does experience a leg break, we recommend having an your vet put on an INTERNAL BRACKET BRACE vs. and external brace. It is slightly more expensive but it will greatly reduce the chance of a repeat break and it stays in the leg permanently so it doesn't have to be removed (leaving holes in the bone from the screws, which weakens the bone) Leg breaks are traumatic for both your Pom and your family, require a lot of extra care and they are EXPENSIVE to treat ($1000-$2000+ We hope knowing this will encourage you to watch your Pom carefully.

Dislocated Patella/Slipped Patella: Slipped patella refers to the kneecaps moving around in the knee socket.
They can occasionally become dislocated, resulting in pain and the dog being unable to use that leg.
Treatment for the worst cases includes surgery to stabilize the kneecap. The most common symptom is the dog holding up the affected leg (like it is stuck in a tucked up position), this can be for a few seconds or for longer periods of time. We DO NOT GUARANTEE Against Patella issues as it is impossible for us to know if your Pom will ever experience issues with this. We do assure you that our breeding Poms have been examined and are free of Patella problems, otherwise we would not breed them. As ethical breeders, we want to preserve the breed and eliminate patella issues and we do this by only breeding healthy dogs. Please inform us if your Pom ever has a patella problem so we can evaluate the parents and littermates for the problem and eliminate it from our breeding program.

Tooth Decay: Pomeranians are susceptible to tooth decay and early tooth loss. Although generally non-life threatening, tooth decay can shorten your Pom's lifespan, cause terrible dog breath, impair your Pom from eating normally, and lead to infection if left untreated. The BEST way to prevent this and to keep your Pomeranian's mouth healthy and clean is to brush your Pomeranian's teeth daily and monitor plaque growth.
Also it is important to take your Pom in for a dental exam yearly. Having a Dental Procedure done will include having your Pom put under anesthesia, cleaning plaque off of the teeth, removing puppy teeth that failed to fall out and in older Poms, removing teeth that are rotten or decayed. Dental's are not inexpensive, but they are worth it in the long run. It is common in Pom's for some of their puppy teeth to not fall out on their own and have to be removed during a dental. We recommend waiting until your Pom is a year old before having this done so that he or she can get a plaque cleaning at the same time, unless the extra puppy teeth are causing a problem (food stuck between and/or infection) Some Poms need yearly dentals, others are fine for several years with little or no plaque. Of course offering them bones that help remove plaque are also highly recommended.

Trachea Collapse/Trachea Injuries: Pomeranians have delicate tracheas and if proper care is not given, trachea injuries are possible. USE A HARNESS WHILE WALKING YOUR POMERANIAN. This simple step is the best advice we can give you. A collar and a Pom who pulls aggressively is a recipe for disaster. Severe Trachea injuries are life threatening and expensive to treat. Pomeranians can also have weak tracheas that can partially collapse on their own, causing the Pom to cough or have noisy breathing. This is often treated with medication and is generally not as common as leash related trachea injuries. 

As we mentioned before, raising a new puppy is an adventure! If you've owned a puppy before then you have an idea of the time and commitment required and if you haven't owned a puppy before, prepare yourself We like to compare raising a pom puppy to caring for a baby, both are fragile, shouldn't be left unattended, have special nutritional needs, go through teething, need special things and require lots of love, time and attention. Please review our training tips and suggestions and if you need more help, find a good puppy training book. You are welcome to call or email us with any questions you have too, we are always happy to answer questions and offer advice.

The six most important things to keep in mind are:

1) Be a good pack leader: Being a good "Pack Leader" means that you behave in such a way that shows your Pom that you are the boss. Being pack leader means that you expect your Pom to listen to commands, refrain from negative behaviors (excessive barking, nipping, etc) and to respect you.

Pomeranians don't know that they are cute fou-fou dogs. They don't know how human relationships work and they don't understand our way of doing things. This means we have to operate on their level and do things so that they do understand. Pomeranians are dogs and they still have the mentality that wolves have, living in a pack. Dogs need a leader, this means you must understand your Poms mindset and function as a pack, with you in charge. Every pack has pack leaders and pack followers. In a pack, the leaders run the pack. They ensure the pack's safety, find food, discipline the pack followers and are in charge in pack life. Pomeranians, like any dog, NEED a strong pack leader to be a healthy, happy, relaxed dog, otherwise they become preoccupied with trying to gain control and you will have an anxious, and often bad mannered Pom.

If the human is not acting as pack leader, the Pom will naturally try to become pack leader themselves, which will lead to a Pom that thinks he is in charge. If your Pom thinks he is in charge he won't listen to you. He won't respect you and he will do what he thinks he should do, when he thinks he should do it. Human beings are always higher on the totem pole than the dogs, this includes children. If your Pom learns that the human beings are in charge, they will be able to relax and stop vying for that position. If you establish yourself as a pack leader, your Pom will be much easier to train and will be a happier dog for it. 

Be consistent, be in control and don't let them see you lose control. (being visually or verbally upset)
Also, when you give a command, don't say the command in a way where you are begging or asking the dog to follow through, say it in a way where you "demand" and "expect" the command to be followed. Trust us, dogs know the difference. Don't repeat yourself. Once a dog knows a command, you should only have to say it once. If they ignore the command the first time, give a correction, don't repeat yourself while "begging" them to follow through.

Don't let your Pom get away with bad behaviors as a puppy and expect them to have manners as adults, and don't let them get away with behaviors you would otherwise stop in a larger dog. Small dog syndrome occurs when the owners of a small dog let them get away with behaviors that would be considered unacceptable in a larger breed. (Jumping up, chewing on fingers, nipping, excessive barking, etc...) This is a VERY hard one to learn. Looking at your adorable ball of fluff and deciding to give them a correction for nibbling on your finger is tough, but in the long run it is important to be firm when teaching manners. If you start teaching your puppy manners early, he or she will be a MUCH more enjovable companion as an adult.

Use the same word or phrase each time you give a command: Dogs learn from repetition and if you say "quiet" "shut up" and "no" when you trying to teach your puppy to stop whining, they will never learn to stop whining. If you say "stop", "no", "down" and "off" to command your dog to stop jumping up, they will never learn to stop jumping up, You must use the SAME word or phrase each time you give a command if you expect to teach your dog a command. For example we use "Quiet" when commanding the dog to stop barking or whining and "Off" when commanding the dog to stop jumping up.

It is the OWNERS responsibility to teach their Pom good manners: Your puppy is not going to learn his or her manners on its own. If your Pom has negative behaviors, it's because you didn't teach them what is acceptable and what is not. Please take responsibility for this, don't blame the dog. Figure out how to correct whatever you need to correct. Seek professional help if you can't figure it out on your own. We are available to come and help train you on how to train your dog for a dog training fee. We are always here to answer questions too.

Provide plenty of exercise, interaction and stimulation. Provide many different types of toys and bones. Bones and dog toys are to dogs like toys are to children. They NEED these things to occupy their time and to grow into healthy adults. You will need to provide and replace your dog's collection as the puppy goes through toys/bones. If you fail to replenish your puppy's toys/bones, they WILL chew the electric cords, shoes, rugs, toilet paper etc... They WILL find ways to entertain themselves.
Do yourself a favor and spend the money on the toys/bones because you will end up spending even more on replacing that laptop cord or Prada shoe. Dogs need these items throughout their LIFETIME, not just as puppies.

The first thing you need to keep in mind is that your puppy is teething. Puppies need appropriate things to chew on to relieve their teething symptoms. This does not include your fingers, shoes, rugs, electric cords... etc. You MUST provide your puppy with a variety of toys and bones to chew on. Ice cubes and frozen carrots/apple slices are also recommended.

Do not let your Pom chew on your fingers. The taste of human skin should repel your puppy, they must learn early on that tasting human skin results in a negative experience. If your puppy nips you, you must give him or her a correction. A correction involves the use of a verbal command and a physical one. You would say "No Biting" while forcing your fingers to the back your puppy's mouth. The puppy's reaction should be to recoil and to avoid nipping again. Repeat as needed.

Drop-It

To avoid unwanted aggression and guarding behavior later in life, train your puppy to give you his prized possessions (stuffed toys, bones and yes, even his food. When your dog is carrying a toy, use the command "Drop it" while offering a tiny treat. With repetition, your dog will learn that the command drop-it means to let go of the toy. Always return the toy or bone as it teaches the dog to trust you and it will make him less possessive. Eventually you will no longer offer a treat and the dog will respond to the command.

Housebreaking

Typically the most difficult aspect of raising a new puppy is housebreaking. Be consistent and don't give up.

Housebreaking is A LOT of work, just remember that once your puppy is trained, you won't have to go through all of this anymore and it will be worth it.

There are a few things you need to understand about your puppy. They cannot hold their bladder for long periods of time and they typically go potty after eating, after waking up in the morning and from naps, and after playing. If you monitor the puppy's activities, you can catch them before they have an accident and escort them outside. NEVER carry your Pom outside to the bathroom. They have legs, they can walk themselves. If you must put a leash on him or her to take them out then that is fine (don't forget the harness). They must learn they are capable of going outside to use the bathroom when they know they have to potty instead of waiting for you to notice that they need to go.

The best way to housebreak your puppy is to kennel him or her when they are unattended and to take them outside immediately after they wake up, eat, come out of their kennel, or finish playing. Use a kennel that is only big enough for the dog to stand, turn around and lay down. Any bigger and your Pom won't mind going to the bathroom in the kennel, which completely defeats the point of the crate. You may have to purchase more than one kennel as your puppy grows. The more accidents your Pom has, they more they are going to have, so you must do your best from the beginning to reach your puppy to go to the bathroom outside. When you take your Pom outside to potty, say "Go Potty" over and over until they go. When they go to the bathroom outside, praise them "Good Girl". The general rule is that a puppy can hold their bladder for as many hours as they are old. (A four month old puppy can hold its bladder for a MAX. of 4hrs.) Never make a dog hold its bladder for longer than 7hrs.

Clean up any accident thoroughly so that no smell lingers. DO NOT LET YOUR POMERANIAN SEE YOU CLEAN UP THEIR ACCIDENT. They must be in another room and they must not see or hear you become upset over the accident. When you notice an accident you must give them a correction. Your Pom must learn that going potty in the house results in a negative experience and going potty outside results in a positive experience. The correction involves a verbal command and a physical one. You would say "No" while holding your puppy by the scruff over the accident, giving a firm but gentle shake, then kennel him or her in another room while you clean the mess up. The puppy should remain kenneled for at least 15 minutes. Repeat until puppy is housebroken.

Quiet!/Kenneling

Do not think of dog crates as some kind of "jail" for your Pomeranian. Most dogs actually enjoy having their own

"room" and it gives them a place to retreat for a sense of security. Pomeranians are fragile dogs, they 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 provides your dog only enough room to stand, turn around and rest comfortably. If the crate is too large, the Pom will not feel the need to refrain from going potty inside of it.

A challenging aspect of owning a young puppy is getting the puppy to be quiet while kenneled or confined to its playpen. Young puppies learn very early that if they wine loud enough and long enough, chances are that someone will come and let them out. You must NEVER let your Pom out of its kennel or playpen if it is wining.....even if it is time to get them out. You must give them a correction and or wait until they are quiet before letting them out. A correction involves the use of a verbal command and a physical one. You would reach into the crate or pen, hold the puppy by the scruff with one hand and the muzzle with the other and command "quiet" while shaking him or her gently. When you let go, close the crate, command "quiet" again and walk away confidently.

Use the same command each time and don't say anything else but the command. Do not yell or show you are annoyed, be firm but in control and the puppy will learn the command much quicker. Always keep in mind that young puppies MUST be taken out to the bathroom every few hours and that it is possible your puppy is crying because they have to go potty. The best thing is to get the puppy to the bathroom BEFORE it starts crying. Buy and set a timer to remind yourself if you must.