Are Pomeranians Good With Kids?

Are you thinking of getting a Pomeranian but don’t know if they’ll be good around your children? Maybe you have a young toddler or new baby on the way? Here’s everything you need to know about whether Pomeranians are good with kids. 

Are Pomeranians Good With Kids? Yes, Pomeranians can be good with kids. However, they can be scared of sudden movements and loud noises, making them better suited to slightly older children. Pomeranians need be taught how to behave around children, and the kids need to learn how to play gently too.

Read on to find out what Pomeranians are like around babies, what you can do to prepare them for your new arrival, and what your children must avoid doing when playing with them.

Never use the advice in this article as a substitute for professional veterinary advice or treatment. I am NOT a Vet, qualified dog trainer or dog behaviourist. This article is based on research, personal opinion and experience of owning dogs over the last 12+ years. 

Do Pomeranians Make Good Family Dogs?

Yes, Pomeranians can make great family dogs, provided they’re respected and trained properly. Because of their small size, they can easily get injured if handled too roughly, making them better suited to older children, rather than babies or toddlers. 

Are Pomeranians Good With Babies?

Yes, Pomeranians can be good with babies, but it does depend on the individual dog. Although loving, they can get jealous of a new baby, particularly if they were your ‘baby’ first! They might feel left out when your baby comes home which could cause them to act out. 

It’s important to never leave your Pomeranian alone with your baby, even if you think you can trust them.

Despite their small stature, they can still bite if scared or accidentally hurt, so should always be supervised around babies or children. 

Here are some tips that can help prepare your Pomeranian for your new baby arriving:

Play Your Pomeranian Some Baby Sounds

Pomeranians are very alert little dogs that can be nervous of sudden or loud noises. So the sound of a baby crying might scare them if they’ve never heard it before.

By playing sounds that babies make, you’ll give give your Pomeranian a chance to get used to them before your new baby arrives.

You can get these kinds of tracks on YouTube by searching for ‘baby noises’ or ‘baby sounds’. Just start with the volume on low and gradually increase it as the days go on.

Set Up Your Baby’s Equipment Early

Pomeranians are small dogs that can feel anxious when faced with new things they’ve not experienced before.

If they’ve never seen a crib, pram, highchair, changing station or other baby equipment before, then introducing these things earlier can help them to adjust.

This gives your Pomeranian chance to investigate them in their own time, before your new baby arrives. 

Reward Your Pomeranian For Calm Behaviour

Pomeranians, as with all dogs, usually respond best to positive reinforcement training techniques.

They often enjoy a tasty treat, so should be rewarded with one every time they show calm behaviour around your new baby. High value treats work best for this type of training.

The more frequently you reward your Pomeranian for good, calm behaviour, the more likely they’ll want to behave this way in future. 

Make A Safe Space For Your Pomeranian

Pomeranians can sometimes feel overwhelmed if there’s a lot going on at once. This is often the case in busy households where several things are happening together.

So it’s important that they’ve got a safe place to retreat to if they feel like they need a break. You could use an open crate if your Pomeranian’s already comfortable with this, or just a quiet place in the house.

They should have a comfy bed, some toys and a tasty chew to help them feel more at home there.

Make sure they can access this place at any time too, so they know they’ve got somewhere safe to go. 

Give Your Pomeranian Plenty Of Love And Attention

Pomeranians love fuss and attention! In fact, they love nothing more than being the centre of attention.

This can be slightly more difficult for you to achieve with a new baby at home.

However, it’s really important that they’re still getting plenty of one-to-one attention from you. Without this, they can quickly feel pushed out, which can make them feel insecure. 

Exercise Your Pomeranian Daily

Although Pomeranians are not a particularly active breed, adults still need up to 30 minutes exercise each day.

Even though you’ll be busy, it’s important they still have the chance to go for their usual daily walks to explore the outside world.

This gives them a chance to unwind, which can be crucial with a new baby at home. If they’ve got lots of pent-up energy it can make it much more difficult for them to settle down at home. 

Are Pomeranians Good With Kids?

Yes, Pomeranians can be good with kids, provided the kids are old enough to know how to interact with them properly. They’re a loving breed that are suited to family living, but may not do as well with toddlers or younger kids that play with them too roughly.

Pomeranians should be taught how to behave around children. However, it’s also important that kids understand the rules of what to do around your Pomeranian to help keep them both safe.

Here are some rules that children should follow when they’re playing around Pomeranians:

Never Pull Your Pomeranians Fur Or Tail

With their thick, long, fluffy coats, it may be tempting for children to pull on your Pomeranian’s fur, or the curly tail that arches over their back.

However, this is likely to hurt them and can make them snap or bite defensively. Children should be encouraged to play gently and not to pull or tug at the Pomeranian at all.

Play Carefully Around Your Pomeranian

Pomeranians are a toy breed, weighing only 3-7lbs! This means they’re easily injured if handled harshly or played with too roughly.

It’s important that your children and their friends are careful if playing near to your Pomeranian too. Even if they accidentally step on them, kick them, or trip over them, they could easily get hurt.

Rough games of tug of war can also damage their fragile mouths and bodies so are best avoided too.

Pick Your Pomeranian Up Carefully

Although it may be tempting for children to scoop up your Pomeranian, it’s best not to encourage this in case they get accidentally hurt.

As the smallest of the Spitz breeds, standing just 6-7 inches to their shoulder, they have fragile spines and delicate limbs.

Picking them up the wrong way could easily hurt them without meaning to. So it’s best to leave this to the adults and, even then, it should always be done with care. 

Don’t Squeeze Or Hug Your Pomeranian Too Hard

Even if your Pomeranian is tolerant of children, they can still try to bite if they’re being squeezed too hard.

Some Pomeranians might not like being hugged at all, so could growl or snap if feeling defensive.

This can be dangerous for children, especially if their face is near to your Pomeranian’s mouth. In fact, it’s never a good idea to put your Pomeranian in a situation where they feel uncomfortable or scared enough to try and bite. 

Don’t Disturb Your Pomeranian When Sleeping

If you wake your Pomeranian up suddenly when they’re sleeping, they could get startled and react.

The disorientation may even cause them to snap if they’re feeling scared. So it’s best for the whole family to leave them alone when they’re sleeping and not disturb them. 

Don’t Take Your Pomeranian’s Food Away

Pomeranians can be quite protective over their food, especially treats and chews!

So never let children tease your Pomeranian with food, or take food away from them, or they could react and try to bite. It’s always best to leave them alone at mealtimes or when they’re eating anything at all. 

Leave Your Pomeranian Alone If They’re Anxious

Teach your children to look for signs of when your Pomeranian is feeling anxious. This could be things like licking their lips, avoiding eye contact, cowering, putting their tail between their legs or trying to hide then you should leave them alone.

This is their way of trying to tell you they’re feeling scared or stressed and need some time out to calm down. 

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So there you have it! Pomeranians are good with kids but can sometimes be a bit scared of sudden movements or loud noises. This may make them better suited to older children who know how to play sensibly. However, with the right family rules in place, they should fit well into most homes!