Your puppy is tiny, and has a very fragile skeletal system. One drop by just a child, much less an adult, is all it would take to break a bone or at the least bruise a dog’s small structure. When you pick up your puppy, support its hindquarters with one hand while you hold the puppy under its chest. This will make the puppy feel more secure when it is handled, and it will be more at ease. One of our puppy owners had his 2 1/2 lb. Pom jump out of his arms and break her foreleg. 2 months and $1000.00+ later, little Lacie is fine. These fearless little dogs must be protected from themselves. Protect your puppy and your purse!

Poms tend to think that they weigh 400 lbs. They do not understand that a larger animal could do them real damage. They are a mighty spirit wrapped up in a tiny package, and they will sometimes challenge larger animals. Even some cats are much larger than a Pom and can hurt your puppy if aggravated. It is best to introduce animals to one another very slowly. Always supervise such interaction. Reassure your original pet that this new whipper-snapper is not replacing him/her, but that there is enough love to go around. Pets are jealous! Be aware that most pets are quite territorial over food... especially treats. It is wisdom to feed them separately until they have established their relationship. There is a natural “pecking order” that they figure out after a while. Most Poms get along great with any other animal, but take it slow and be sure you are there to referee until everyone is comfortable with the new tenant.

Even though we have a pet taxi for all of our pets, we have found that some travel much better when they are outside the taxi. However, this can pose a risk to you as the driver. Safe driving is the utmost priority, so use caution. Take a short “test drive” before going long distances in traffic to determine how your pet will react. If you must travel with your dog in its crate, line the crate with newspaper or other absorbent material that can be disposed of in case of an accident. Dogs under stress tend to be nauseated or have diarrhea, and this can easily be brought on by riding in a car if they are not used to it. A few short trips at first will ease your Pom into the joy of car-riding. Most all Poms grow to be great travelers.

The Pom has a soft, dense undercoat covered by a coarse outer coat that stands away from its body. Surprisingly, Poms do not need to be groomed as much as you would think given the beautiful flowing fur that they’re known for. If they are simply brushed out once or twice a week, their coat should be fine. Watch out for “matting” (where fur balls up together and cannot be combed out) behind the ears and hindquarters, where feces can get caught and cause the fur to stick together. Brush mats out if possible (Don't yank! Your pet remembers pain and will run the next time they see you with a brush in your hand!), otherwise simply cut them out and keep the fur brushed to avoid further matting. Make sure you brush the coat out well before bathing. Any mats that get wet are destined to become larger and more tangled. However, bathe your Pom only as needed, certainly not more than once every two or three weeks. Excessive bathing can cause dry, itchy skin and a dull coat. Do not use human shampoos on your Pom. They are too harsh for the Pom's sensitive skin. There are many shampoo choices available. Read labels carefully and make sure you rinse it out thoroughly! When you think you've rinsed it all out, rinse one more time to be sure. Use a towel to soak up as much moisture as you can after a bath. If you must use a dryer, do not use high heat! Keep the dryer moving constantly so you do not irritate the skin. After drying, brush the coat out completely. Use this grooming time to trim nails, clean ears and check teeth.

One of the most notable and beautiful aspects of the Pom is its coat. Be aware that the cute furball you take home will begin to lose its puppy coat between the age of 3 months to 6 months and will look rather ragged. The pup will then begin to grow its adult coat. Males will lose and replace their coat about every year, while females will go through this process with every heat season, due to hormonal changes. Females will typically go in season every 6 months. Females also lose their coat after weaning a litter of puppies. Brushing your Pom during this time is critical. Spaying or neutering your puppy at about 4 months is the best way to avoid at least some of the shedding and to keep from having unwanted puppies later on.

Sudden changes in diet can upset your new Pom’s tummy causing constipation, diarrhea or nausea. A slow change in diet will ensure that your Pom adjusts easily to whatever food you choose. Understand that transplanting any dog usually causes transitional stress. Expect some diarrhea for a day or two. See your vet if it continues more than a couple of days, especially if you feed him the same diet he’s been used to eating. We feed all of our dogs a dry food because of the high nutritional content and benefit to our dogs’ teeth. Dry food is the best choice. You should have been given a small amount of dry food that your puppy has been used to eating to blend with whatever food you choose. Be aware that with dog food, you get what you pay for. Look for an ingredient list that has meat as the first ingredient listed. This means that it has a higher percentage of meat than any other ingredient listed. Nutro, Pro Plan and Purina One are all name brands that provide a higher quality nutritional value. Feed your Pom puppy food until he/she is one year old. Then ease into an adult dog food that you provide at least twice a day. If you have a multiple-dog household, it is best to feed them from separate bowls. Dogs are very territorial over food. Fresh water should be provided at all times during the day.

We use kennels (crates, cages) to contain our dogs overnight and when we have to be away from the house if a gated room isn't available. Dogs are naturally den animals and they enjoy having their own space they can call their own. A kennel provides this. It is an area where they can go and safely rest and chew on a favorite toy or treat. We have trained our dogs by saying “night night” when we place them in their kennels. Whenever they hear this cue, they run to their crate and wait for us to open it. Training is addressed in the next section, but understand that a kennel is an invaluable tool for housetraining, giving your Pom security and keeping your home from being messed up by a teething pup who wants to chew. It is worth every penny to buy one for your pup.

Training and discipline will be more easily accomplished if you use the same method the pup’s mother used. The puppy already understands these methods and they worked for her. They can work for you, too. She corrected the puppy quickly for any mistakes so the pup would correlate action with consequence. She corrected the puppy fairly, making sure not to overreact OR underreact. She was consistent, not licking one time and growling the next. She moved on after the incident, not incessantly barking in an attempt to “fuss” the pup into correct behavior. She loved the puppy, licking and giving reassurance soon after the misdeed. She didn’t reject the puppy because of a mistake. Much can be learned from her example.

We name all of our dogs, and then train them to come when called. Training them to do this is rather fun. Your Pom should really be about 3 or 4 months old before you try this. It takes 2 people who both have a handful of treats (ours like chopped-up deli meats.. not a lot, just a taste!). We sit across the room from one another and Person #1 gives the pup a treat. Person #2 calls saying, “Come, ‘Fido.’” If the dog doesn’t immediately come, then Person #1 gently walks the pup to Person #2 who then praises him and gives him a treat saying, “Good, Fido.” Person #1 calls Fido back and gives him a treat when he responds. Eventually, “Fido” will come looking for a treat even when you do not call him. Don’t treat him unless you have called for him. After several sessions of training like this, gradually lessen the amount of times you treat him when he obeys so that he will come when called whether he gets treated or not.