Pomeranians are often adopted by people who do not have the time or opportunity to regularly take their pet outside. For such a baby, a room is enough for full-fledged walks. And he can relieve his natural needs in a tray covered with a diaper. The question of how to accustom a Spitz to a diaper is more relevant than ever in this case. And to form the appropriate conditioned reflex, you need to know several important provisions.
Before starting taming, you should consider the age of the Spitz. Usually, puppies are sold or given away between the ages of two and four months: this is when they are psychologically ready to be torn away from their mother. Having lived up to this point with the previous owner - a private individual or a professional breeder - the kids were one way or another faced with a toilet problem. After getting to a new owner, all they have to do is remember their skills. But it happens that the dog is too small, and he has to be toilet trained from scratch. Different cases require different strategies.
How to train a Spitz to wear a diaper
How to toilet train a Pomeranian?
In the apartment
While the Pomeranian is very small, he will relieve himself in the apartment. At first, you will inevitably have to deal with unexpected puddles and piles in various places in the apartment. But you can’t scold the puppy, you just need to be patient.
To train a Pomeranian to use the toilet in an apartment, first use a diaper, then a tray. How to properly teach this to a four-legged dog is a little lower in the article.
On the street
They go outside only after the Pomeranian's quarantine period after vaccinations ends. To start training a little Spitz to go to the toilet outside, you will have to take the baby there often (up to fifteen times a day). A little later, the frequency of walks will decrease to two per day.
It's time to take your baby outside when:
- 10-15 minutes have passed since he ate;
- the puppy woke up;
- the baby played actively;
- The puppy begins to sniff the floor, sit down and whine.
You need to take a small piece of a dirty diaper outside to activate your baby's instinct.
In a private house
Training a Pomeranian in a private home is no different from training in an apartment. For classes you will need diapers and a little later - a tray.
Step by step training steps
You need to train your dog consistently. Give information gradually, without overloading the dog.
Important Steps | Explanation |
You need to equip places for the toilet as soon as the puppy appears in the apartment | The designated areas will interest the baby |
After a week, you need to slightly reduce the number of napkins laid out | This begins the process of reducing the area where the pet is allowed to relieve itself. |
By the beginning of the second month there should be only 1 diaper left. After a while, the place for the toilet is located where the owner considers it necessary | If the owner of the Spitz did everything correctly, then the dog should ignore everything except the napkin when it wants to go to the toilet |
The floors in the apartment, even if they seem clean, need to be washed with water and ammonia. | Helps eliminate urine odor. The animal will lose interest in places where it regularly left puddles in defiance of its owners. |
It is important to act step by step, be patient, then your pet will learn to behave civilly and will not create problems.
Tray training a puppy
The dwarf Pomeranian goes to the litter box only after it has become accustomed to relieving itself in the same place. At the beginning of classes, you need to put a small piece of diaper soaked in your pet’s urine in the tray. This will help him get his bearings. To teach a Pomeranian boy to go to the litter box, you need to purchase a version with a post.
Which litter tray should you choose for your Pomeranian puppy?
Since the Pomeranian is a small dog, the tray should have low sides. A cat won't suit him. You need to choose one that has a special mesh that protects your pet’s paws from dirt. For males you will need a tray with a post.
After the walk
Pet stores sell special wax to protect against reagents, which must be washed off with regular warm water after a walk. Or purchase special dog shoes with a thick rubber base.
Do not ignore your pet's persistent restless behavior after walking and washing its paws, but rather contact your veterinarian.
Training a puppy to wear a diaper
If your tiny Pomeranian is already toilet trained, you need to ask the breeder for the napkin that the baby used. When you get home, you need to study your pet’s behavior. You need to figure out which place he liked best, fence it off and put a napkin soaked in his urine there.
The Pomeranian should be swaddled immediately after eating, sleeping, active play or restless behavior. There is no need to let the baby out of the pen until he does the job. In case of a positive outcome, the Pomeranian should be praised.
Which diaper is better to choose?
Usually they are bought at a regular pharmacy or at a pet store. If you take a disposable diaper, you will need to change it daily. Reusable ones can be left in place for one or two days, because they absorb much more liquid. But they also cost more. As for the manufacturer, it depends only on the desires and capabilities of the owner.
How should I use the diaper?
The diaper should be located over the entire area of the pen allocated for the Pomeranian puppy. But don’t forget to let your baby out every 1.5-2 hours so that he can play and run around.
Is it possible to replace a diaper with newspaper?
This is not prohibited, the main thing is to buy newspapers and not glossy magazines, since the latter do not absorb liquid at all. Lay no less than 7-10 newspapers. The only negative is that newsprint does not eliminate odor, unlike an absorbent diaper or napkin.
Arranging a toilet in an apartment or house
To toilet train a Spitz puppy, decide on its structure. Suitable for this purpose:
- diapers;
- rags;
- newspapers;
- tray.
A practical option is a combination of a tray and a diaper. The fabric perfectly absorbs liquid and absorbs odor. A plastic container will prevent excess from leaking out.
Prepare a place for your baby in the apartment:
- Find a secluded corner. It should not be in a hallway or in a high-traffic room. The dog should not be distracted by human presence, conversations or sharp sounds during the process. Do not place near food or drinking bowls.
- Remove carpets at a distance of 2 meters. While the baby gets used to the toilet, he can go past the tray onto the carpet. The smell of urine is very persistent and will be difficult to remove. Based on his sense of smell, a dog may prefer carpet to a tray.
- If the dog ignores the prepared “conveniences,” wet a small area of the diaper and place it in the tray. Your pet will be attracted by its own scent when it looks for a comfortable place.
- Relying on instincts, you can equip a tray that is better suited for a Spitz boy. Build a low post from plastic material or wood. Perhaps the baby will want to relieve himself “doggy style”.
- “Smart spray” for dogs will be a good help for owners in training. They are sold in veterinary pharmacies and specialty stores. Spray the product in the place where the puppy left his “mark”, and he will no longer have the desire to go there again. Humans practically do not smell the spray, but dogs are irritated by it.
Pros and cons of trays and diapers
It is up to the owner to decide whether to choose a diaper or a litter tray. Even better is to combine two in one, placing a diaper on the bottom.
In fact, both options have their pros and cons. For example, the advantages of a diaper are:
- protection of the floor from dirt, as it is quite spacious;
- absorb the smell and prevent it from spreading;
- not prone to fungus formation.
Among the disadvantages are the not very aesthetic appearance and rather large financial costs.
The advantages of the tray include:
- Saving. The tray will last a long time and you won’t have to change it every day.
- There are models for males, equipped with a column. This will help your pet relieve itself more normally.
- Easy to wash.
If we consider the disadvantages, then this is perhaps the inability to absorb smell. However, everything can be easily resolved if, as stated above, you combine both options.
What to do if your dog refuses to go to the litter box
Sometimes, having figured out how to train a dog to use a litter box at home, owners are faced with the fact that the dog refuses to sit in the container.
Reasons that may contribute to this:
- The sides are too high for a small dog.
- Inconvenience of use - the tray is unstable, or the puppy does not like the filler.
- Demonstration of character - often seen in cables. The problem can be solved by installing a column.
Important! Some pets try to attract the owner's attention by refusing. In this case, you need to try to spend as much time as possible next to your pet.
What not to do when your pet is toilet training
Some owners make serious mistakes when toilet training their Pomeranian:
- Move the tray. This will only confuse the Pomeranian, making him more likely to relieve himself in the wrong place.
- The child is not praised after a correct action. Praise and treats help your Pomeranian understand that he did everything right. This way the result is secured.
- They scold or beat their pet. This is absolutely unacceptable.
- They raise their voice if he went the wrong way. You need to try not to start shouting; it is enough to scold the baby in a stern tone.
- It is not forbidden to play with a diaper. In this case, the pet will perceive the toilet as a place for games and entertainment.
Adviсe
Spitz are very smart and playful dogs. They love children and are devoted to their owners. But such a dog is very easy to spoil. Representatives of the breed have a stubborn disposition and are often aggressive against large dogs. If you bring a Spitz home as a puppy, he will easily get along with other pets.
If you start him in adulthood, then don’t expect “friendship” between them. Spitz coat care - daily brushing. If left untreated, the dog will develop tangles, the combing of which is painful. Don't forget about caring for your dog's eyes and ears. You can bathe him only with mild shampoos, after which you must use a balm.
Is it possible to toilet train an adult Pomeranian?
This is possible, but it is still recommended to do this with your pet at a very young age. It is more difficult to train an adult Pomeranian because he is more stubborn and willful. Of course, it will take a lot more time for lessons, but the result will definitely be positive. The training algorithm is exactly the same as with the young Pomeranian.
Keep it clean
While training a dog, it may shit on carpets and sofas. The smell from the surfaces will attract the dog and he will periodically defecate there. To prevent this from happening, you need to eliminate odorous marks.
You should promptly clean up after other pets. Spitz, like other dog breeds, have a highly developed sense of territoriality. They may defecate to mark their habitat.
Cleaning up after the dog
Diapers need to be changed more often so that the dog does not look for another, cleaner place for the toilet.
Boys often mark the corners of the apartment, and treat dirty surfaces with disinfectants and repellent sprays.
Rating of the best shampoos
The table shows the rating of the best professional shampoos for Pomeranians:
Place in the ranking | Name | Peculiarities |
1 | 8 in 1 with added tea tree oil | It has a pronounced softening effect and a beneficial effect on the coat. |
2 | Bio-Groom Protein and Lanolin | The best shampoo-conditioner, 2 in 1 for dogs. |
3 | Poet Hend Dry Clen Blueberry no-rinse shampoo. | No-wash shampoo spray for dogs. |
4 | Iv Sen Bernard "Whitening Diamond" | Shampoo-soap for dogs. |
5 | Beaphar for white dogs | Shampoo for white and light coats. |
6 | Anju Beaute “Noble black color” | Shampoo for dark and black dogs. |
What you should absolutely not do
- You cannot scold a Spitz, and under no circumstances should you hit him ! Firstly, the puppy’s psyche is still unstable, and he does not understand why he is being scolded. He can't help but write! Secondly, he may be offended and sulky. It just sounds funny, but an offended Pomeranian can hide, not eat, or refuse to go for walks. This breed has an extremely negative attitude towards shouting and violence. Thirdly, you can provoke aggression, which will be repeated every time you go to the toilet.
- You can't poke your puppy's nose into his puddle. The reasons are practically the same as in the previous paragraph, but in addition to them, you can provoke a further desire to “hide” the traces of your “crime”. He will try to lick his urine or vomit and eat his feces. And this is already a serious disease, which is difficult, and sometimes impossible, to cope with.
- Keep him in a cage and not let him out until he goes to the toilet. An absolutely pointless event. The dog cannot connect the fact that it is not let out with relieving itself. For her, it's just a temporary sitting in one place, and then moving to another.
- Either walk or not. The animal will simply become confused and will not understand where it can relieve itself. And if it was taken out every day at 6 am, and today it was forgotten, then it will logically do its business at home, and it will be right. A very common situation is when a dog is accustomed to relieve itself at home, goes for a walk with its owners, but comes home and runs to the litter box. This is quite normal, the dog simply does not associate being outside with the toilet . Walking means playing and running.
Where should a dog's private place be?
Immediately after the puppy arrives in the house, you should arrange his personal space. After all, a puppy is not just a fluffy bundle of positivity, it is a member of the family. And he has his own needs, desires and characteristics. Therefore, special requirements are placed on the dog’s place.
Firstly, it should be cozy; you cannot place the bed on the aisle or in a draft.
Secondly, the place should be warm, but at the same time it should not be near a radiator or other heat source.
Thirdly, it is very important that the dog has an overview. Do not place the dog area in a far corner or enclosed space.
Walking gear
In the meantime, you have time to understand the issue of choosing a collar .
Properly selected walking equipment will ensure comfort and safety for your Pomeranian outdoors. Walking equipment includes a collar , leash and muzzle if necessary. When choosing, be guided primarily by the safety and reliability of the design.
So, the collar . It must be selected in such a way that the puppy cannot quickly and easily free himself from it by removing it over his head, that is, it must correspond to the size of the dog.
The optimal collar for a Spitz is a smooth, narrow leather cord with a round cross-section that can be fastened with a buckle : it is safe, does not injure the animal and does not wear out the fur. For a dwarf orange, the diameter of the collar should be approximately three to four millimeters.
Round Collar
Many dog breeders also use simple flat leather or nylon collars that look like a belt. For an excellent Spitz coat, metal chains are a big enemy, so their use is only allowed for training and for a very short time.
When returning home from a walk, the collar should always be removed.
As for the leash , its main qualities are strength and lightness; the carabiner should also be comfortable and light. The leash can be made of leather, braid, or nylon. When buying a leash, it is important to choose the right length: it depends on how you plan to walk your dog. If you let your Pomeranian run freely, there is no point in buying a long leash, but if this is not possible, and you will always have to walk your Pomeranian on a leash, then make sure it is of sufficient length (up to 5 meters). Perhaps in this case you will be more comfortable with a roulette leash .
If you have chosen roulette, then the Germans (Flexi classic, Flexi comfort) and Italians have good quality. Roulettes can be in the form of a cable or a tape , the latter is safer for you, but this is a matter of taste. The length of the tape measures can vary from three to eight meters and depends on the weight of the dog. Typically, tape measures indicate the weight - the maximum weight for which the tape measure is designed. The normal length for Spitz dogs is 3 to 5 meters.
Cable tape measure
Tape roulette
It remains to talk about the harness .
A harness is a wide strap that wraps around the dog’s chest and part of the back and replaces a collar. It is not recommended to lead Spitz dogs on a harness: it strongly crushes and wipes the fur and contributes to the formation of tangles.
Round harness