Congratulations on your decision to add a new Pomeranian puppy to your family!

Here are some tips and precautions for the care of your new buddy.

Be sure your puppy has clean and fresh water and a fresh food supply at all times during the day and clean bedding for nighttime.  Keep kibble available at all times. This is very important as Pomeranians are prone to hypoglycemia.  We’ll cover more on this topic below.

Be sure to feed your puppy a premium dog food. Pomeranians eat very little so it’s not expensive to feed them the best dog food. Until your puppy is 3 to 4 months old we suggest that you feed your puppy one heaping tablespoon of premium canned dog food with a tablespoon of cottage cheese with dinner. Some breeders suggest that you use yogurt but we use cottage cheese because our dogs did not like yogurt. Cottage cheese will help with the intestinal Flora of your puppy’s digestive system.

Hypoglycemia,  or low blood sugar, can affect any puppy. Make sure you baby eats at least 1 canned meal a day (ours eat 3 small meals) and let him/her nibble on kibble throughout the day. If you decide later to feed only kibble, as puppy matures, you can slowly wean puppy off of canned food.

Tooth and gum problems are a big concern as far as any small dog is concerned.  You can help you new baby out by learning to brush your dog’s teeth. Yes, that means baby teeth too! By starting this early, you can avoid many health problems as your puppy matures into an adult, and it helps your puppy get used to being handled.

No table scraps! It is not good for the digestive tract, not to mention it can be the cause of obesity and will start bad begging behaviors during your meal times. A good premium puppy food will be nutritionally balanced for your new puppy.  There are some foods that are just plain out dangerous for your dog to eat so it’s  best to stick with regular dog food/puppy chow.

Treats…our suggestion is a small bit of liver (boiled), a tiny piece of cheese, or an occasional dog biscuit.  Again, don’t over-do the treats. You don’t want a fat dog and it just isn’t healthy.

Make sure your baby gets plenty of love and attention. They need their pack leader’s (you) attention, reassurance,  love, and guidance every day. Poms adore their masters and need to feel that they are loved and belong with you.

Never hit your puppy or dog. Not only is it bad for self esteem, but you may injure your baby. A sharp, “NO!” is all that is needed to stop a bad behavior.

Always observe small children when they’re playing with your puppy or your dog to avoid injuries. Children can play too rough and hurt your puppy.

Puppy proof your home by removing all small objects from the floor and making sure that any electrical cords, clothing, and other appealing items are not within puppy’s reach. Puppies explore the world around them by mouthing objects and they will surely find anything small to test. Teething and boredom will make puppies want to chew items that are not good for them. We utilize small KONG* toys to help with teething. (*Please note that KONG has a registered trademark )

Make sure that your puppy gets plenty of exercise and is properly restrained or confined whether it be on a leash or in the backyard. If in a fenced back yard, make sure to keep a good eye on puppy. Collars can get caught on fencing, causing choking and or other injuries. We have also heard horror stories about hawks and other large birds of prey swooping down on unattended puppies! When walking your puppy on a lead, be leary of other approaching animals, they may hurt your new puppy.

Practice good grooming. Show your puppy the brush/comb, nail clipper, toothbrush,  etc… Poms need very little grooming (unless he is the Boo dog), just a brushing every few days and trimming of nails one a month. (daily tooth brushing not included) When grooming, speak sweetly and let puppy know how proud you are of good behavior during grooming. He/she will start to look forward to that personal bonding time together. We will cover more on grooming on another page.

When you first get your puppy home, he/she may whine and cry on the first night or two. This is the first time away from mom and litter mates and your puppy will feel lonely and probably a little scared. If he whines and cries at night, unless it is a cry of physical pain, (yes, you will know!) do not pick your puppy up. If you pick puppy up he will keep crying every night, and you don’t want that! We suggest that you put your puppy and a small crate with a little stuffed toy to keep him company and he will soon learn that nighttime is for sleeping.

Your puppy comes with age appropriate vaccinations. Make sure to keep your puppy up on all of its vaccinations. Have your vet check puppy if it is listless and/or refuses food and water for 24 hours.

There is a saying, “Poms are like potato chips, you can’t have just one!” Although it’s not necessary, Poms do enjoy having another Pomeranian around for company. Whether you already have another dog, or you plan on getting another dog, make sure you share love and affection with both, equally. Dogs, like humans, do get jealous!

Most of all, ENJOY YOUR PUPPY! He/she wants to please you and will quickly learn how to do so given the chance!