Pomeranians are arguably the cutest toy breed of dogs. They are small, cuddly, furry, and super smart! They also have an individual and dynamic personality and bossy and feisty nature.
With that said, they are known to be uber-loyal to their pet parent and tend to be fantastic guard dogs.
The size of the uber-adorable Poms is why most families are inclined to adopt a Pomeranian. Poms are not intimidating. Hence, they seem to be a safe choice for kids as well. They can be easily picked up and played with by small children.
Children can also easily take a Pomeranian for his daily walk; parents don’t have to worry about the dog escaping because it was too strong for their kids to handle.
With that said, are Pomeranians good with kids, and is it safe for Pomeranians and kids to interact with each other? To know the answers to these questions, keep reading.
Are Pomeranians Good With Children?
Pomeranians are one of the most joyful, playful, and intelligent dogs in the world. That, combined with their small stature, makes them the perfect choice for homes with kids.
However, the fact of the matter is that Pomeranians are small dogs, which means that they are pretty fragile. This is why even though they are pretty friendly and can get along well with kids, it’s not safe to leave them unsupervised with young kids.
This is because young children simply don’t have the knowledge or the expertise required to handle Poms. They also don’t have a gentle touch when handling a Pomeranian, so they can accidentally hurt them. Moreover, young kids, particularly toddlers and babies, can be pretty clumsy, and this clumsiness can hurt your Pomeranian. This is why tiny Pom puppies and young kids are not a good fit.
To ensure that your kids don’t hurt your Pom and vice versa, you will need to teach your kids how to interact with the dog. They need to learn how to pet and play with your Pomeranian, walk him, and pick him up without being rough. They need to know that Poms are a dog breed that needs to be cared for as gently as possible. Learning all of this will prevent your kids from hurting your Pomeranian pup.
Likewise, you need to acquaint your dog with your kids. Poms are a breed that demands respect. They won’t tolerate being handled roughly or a kid getting in their personal space. For instance, you simply cannot let your kid snatch your Pomeranian’s toy out of their grip as that will annoy them.
Similarly, never let your child pull on your Pom’s tail or fur as that might instigate your dog to retaliate and growl or even bite your child. This is why you need to keep an eye on the interaction between your dog and your kids.
This video answer the question are Pomeranians good with kids. Be sure to watch it.
What Your Child Must Know Before Interacting With a Pomeranian?
As mentioned earlier, Poms are a fragile dog breed. Pomeranians are so fragile that you can injure them by dropping them or accidentally stepping on them. They can even injure themselves by leaping off the back of your sofa or from your arms. Owning a Pom means constant supervision. This is why we would never recommend you to leave your Pomeranian with kids alone.
If you leave your toddlers to play with your Pom pup, there is a considerable chance that they might accidentally hurt your dog. This is because kids, especially toddlers, can be pretty clumsy and rough in their interaction with dogs.
This is especially true if your toddler does not know how to play with or pet a dog. Kids tend to get curious and excited and want to pick up the dog or hold it in their hands. In this excitement, they can handle the dog roughly.
You also need to know that small children or toddlers are bigger and stronger than the average Pom pup. This means that they can easily injure your pup unknowingly. Regardless of how well-meaning your child is, a tiny Pom pup is not the right fit for a toddler.
This is why we don’t recommend getting a Pom pup less than 6 months old for your family if you have toddlers. Even adult Poms might feel overwhelmed by the clumsiness, rough handling, and loud noises made by toddlers, which will cause fear and anxiety. This is why you need to keep an eye on your kids around your Pom.
Here is video on Pomeranians. It is good tool for teaching your child about Pomeranians.
Never Leave Your Child Alone With Your Pomeranian
Make sure that you never leave your young kids alone with your Pom. Even if you want to get a Pom for your family, always be there when your kids are interacting with the dog. You need to continually remind your child how to handle a dog that is as small as a Pom.
Also, guide your kid in his or her interaction with the dog. Teach them not to be loud or too noisy around the Pom and tell them how to play with the pup gently. This will enable the Pomeranian to get used to your kids and prevent it from getting annoyed. This is because Pom pups that are not used to being around kids can get anxious and even stress out due to the constant noise and sudden motions made by kids.
If your Pomeranian had a previous owner who mistreated it, then your dog is all likely to react negatively to the rough handling of toddlers. It might even respond by biting your child as a defense mechanism. This is why you need to be super careful when your child is interacting with your Pomeranian.
Moreover, you need to be there not just to protect your child, but also to protect your Pomeranian from your child. When you allow Pomeranians and kids to interact in front of you, you prevent your kid from accidentally dropping your Pom and injuring it in the process. You can also stop your child from accidentally falling on top of your Pom.
Poms are also not big on pushy interactions. A properly trained dog will give warning signs and bark when it has been petted for too long or is being handled roughly to let the person know that they should stop.
However, your kid might not be able to read those signs and continue to handle your pet until they snap roughly. Even though Poms are tiny, they can be pretty feisty and can be pushed to bite. Hence, you must never leave your child alone with a Pom.
Now that we have discussed why it is a bad idea to leave your kids with your Pom let’s talk about the ideal age for children to play with Poms.
What Is The Ideal Age for Children to Play With Poms?
Let’s clear one thing up straight off the bat. You cannot let a child under 10 years of age interact with a Pom unsupervised. This is because a young child cannot respect a Pom’s boundaries and likewise. They can both instigate an adverse reaction out of each other.
As for kids under the age of 10, make sure that they are always sitting on the floor while petting or playing with your Pomeranian. This will ensure that they don’t accidentally drop your dog, or the Pom doesn’t leap off from their arms and injures itself.
There’s a very high likelihood that Pom pups have a short attention span and can quickly get bored and decide to jump out of your kid’s arms upon seeing something interesting.
With that said, as long as you are there to monitor and guide their interaction closely, you can let children of any age play with your Pomeranian pups. Top of Form
Can Poms Hurt Small Kids?
Pomeranians and kids can often have an excellent relationship. This is because both are naturally happy, playful, and full of energy. The remarkable curiosity and happiness of a young kid combined with the utterly charismatic behavior and playfulness of a Pom make a delightful combination.
With that said, there have to be clear boundaries for such a relationship to flourish. Yes, Pomeranians are uber-cute, and you can’t help but cuddle with them, but they tend to react defensively when they feel threatened.
Even though Poms are one of the most special and loved dog breeds out there, they can act cautiously and defensively at times. Additionally, Pom pups are known to bite when playing with their pet parents and their kids. They need to be adequately trained to stop them from biting and accidentally hurting your kid. Your kid’s behavior also plays a crucial role in instigating such a reaction from a Pom.
As a parent, it is your job to teach your child how to interact with a Pomeranian and small dogs in general. This will significantly reduce the risk of your dog feeling threatened and getting instigated to attack your kid. Make sure to teach your child the warning signs of a dog exhibiting discomfort in the form of growling or yapping.
If you fail to do so, then your Pom can feel threatened enough to react and hurt your kid. Poms are pretty feisty when on the defense, and they can even break your child’s skin with their teeth and claws. This is especially true if the child is unable to see the attack coming.
For instance, if your kid is playing with your Pom and your Pom gets hit by the kid, it’s pretty unlikely that it will react right away, mainly if the Pom and the kid have played with each other multiple times before.
However, if your child keeps mishandling and hitting your Pom or invading their personal space, there’s no knowing when your Pom might get frustrated enough to retaliate. It’s even impossible to tell how it might show its frustration. You simply cannot tell whether your dog will just bark or growl, or it will bite or scratch your kid.
Your kid can rile up the Pomeranian. This happens when the pup hasn’t learned to respect the kid yet. All dogs need to learn that your kids come before them in the chain of command, which automatically leads them to respect them. However, if your Pom has yet to learn that your kid is superior to it in the chain of command, it can be prompted to attack the kid when provoked.
The main issue here is that your young kid simply does not know and understand just how much strength they need to use when playing with a Pom. The fact of the matter is that you will have to slowly teach your kid and dog to respect each other’s limits and boundaries.
The way to do that is to keep them at a safe distance from each other when you can’t supervise their interactions. You can use crates, puppy pens, and even baby gates to keep them away from each other and prevent the chances of them hurting each other.
When you can supervise their interactions, make sure to introduce your kids to your Pom as gradually as possible. Always teach your kids how to approach and touch the Pom. Make sure that they don’t tug the dog’s tail or ears or handle its fur roughly. Teach your kid that they should never approach the dog when it is eating or try to take its food away from it as that might provoke them into reacting.
The bottom line is that when unsupervised, Pomeranians can be provoked into hurting your kids. However, the opposite of that is also true. So, you need to closely monitor their interaction to keep them both safe form each other and help them learn to respect each other.
Can Poms Learn to Get Along With Kids?
To answer the question, “Are Pomeranians good with kids,” well, it truly depends on how your Pom pup was raised and how your kid interacts with it.
You need to remember that Pomeranians are exceptionally loving and loyal dogs. They simply love to cuddle and spend quality time with their human family members. If a Pom doesn’t like to spend time with you or your kids, then it’s likely that they were not raised the right way by their breeder.
This means that they were not taught to interact and socialize with kids and adults at an early age. A well-raised Pomeranian will happily interact with you and your kids. It will have a respectful, cool, and calm personality, which will enable it to stay calm while your kids are loud around it. A well-raised pup won’t feel overwhelmed easily, and neither will it retaliate to your kids’ love with stress-induced growling.
With that said, you also need to know how your child is going to behave with your Pomeranian, as that is equally important. You can’t just depend on the behavior and training of your Pom. You need to know that your kid is capable of handling the Pom and respecting its personal space.
Ask yourself, “is my kid good at following directions?” “Are they too hyperactive and simply can’t play gently?” The answers to such questions will help you decide whether bringing a Pom pup into your home is the right choice.
This is because if your kid is not gentle enough with the pup, they can end up hurting it. If your child’s idea of playtime with a dog is to wrestle with them, race them, or handle them roughly, then a Pomeranian dog is not the right fit for them.
This is because rough play can hurt and frighten a Pom pup and, thus, provoke them to react in a hostile manner. They can react by growling, barking, and, worst of all, biting. So, take all of these things into consideration before you decide to bring a Pop pup into your
Here is a video on how a child is taking care and getting along with her Pomeranian puppy.
Last Few Words on Are Pomeranians Good With Kids
We hope this article has helped answer your question, “Are Pomeranians good with kids?”
Poms are a terrific dog breed to keep as a pet, and they can be pretty friendly and great with kids as well. With that said, you simply cannot leave them alone and unsupervised with babies, toddlers, or even small children who are hyperactive or clumsy. This is because Poms are quite small in stature, so they are pretty fragile.
So, leaving your dog with your kid under the age of ten is simply not a good idea. However, with older kids who are gentler and know how to handle a breed of dogs, you can get a Pom for your family without any worry!
References
- “Pomeranian (Dog).” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 16 Apr. 2020, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pomeranian_(dog).
- “Pomeranian.” Sylvan Veterinary Hospital, 11 Mar. 2019, www.stanislausvet.com/services/dogs/breeds/pomeranian.
