What are Pomeranians Afraid Of or Hate? (Top things)

All Pomeranian owners want to make their dogs feeling comfortable and secure. That’s why it’s useful to know what things make them scared but also what situations and objects they hate.

Not all Pomeranians are the same. Some of them hate other dogs, simply don’t get along with them while others are pretty annoyed by children. Plenty of them doesn’t like to bathe. Brushing might be a real nightmare for Pomeranians. Of course, all Pomeranians are super scared of loud noises such as thunder or fireworks. Different home appliances like vacuum cleaners, washing machines, food processors, even toasters can trigger fear in those cute little dogs.

Are Pomeranians Afraid of Unfamiliar People?

Pomeranians are small dogs so from their perspective people are huge and therefore can be very intimidating for little Poms. Of course, we are not talking about the owner and his family/friends but unfamiliar people, strangers.

Pomeranians are very suspicious around strangers, can easily get frightened. That fear can transform into aggressive behavior in no time, that’s why it’s highly recommended to deal with this issue right away.

Many owners often underestimate the aggressiveness in Pomeranians since they are so small, don’t make this mistake. Proper socialization is the key.

The first 16 weeks of Pom’s life are crucial for proper socialization which will help you get a well-behaved dog.

It’s not uncommon to hear that some Poms are afraid of men more than they are afraid of women. Although there is no scientific explanation why Pomeranians might be afraid of men, some of the assumptions are :

  • men are larger than women, have a deeper voice, which seems frightening to a little Pom.
  • due to scent and hormones. When dogs smell estrogen ( women ) that reminds them of their mothers, which they associate with care and nurturing. Fathers are usually not around.
  • a different approach, women are generally more gentle in approach
  • some Poms are scared of beard but also men wearing hats and uniform

In case you assume that your Pom has a problem with men or with their appearance, you should start exposing him to a fear source with baby steps and a lot of positive reinforcement.

Take one male friend of yours that is unfamiliar to your dog, tell him to wear a hat for example. That man shouldn’t be talking or trying to play with your Pom, not even making eye contact.

Let your Pom approaches him and you make sure your friend has some tasty treats in his pocket. The same thing you can arrange with a friend with a beard or glasses.

It’s also known that Poms like other dogs might have a sharp reaction to elderly people.

There are various reasons that can explain this. First of all, if your Pom wasn’t socialized properly, he hasn’t been exposed to older people, then a person with white hair and a specific smell might trigger fear.

Older people usually have some health condition and dogs are able to smell the disease and that might scare them.

You may also notice that your Pom is afraid of the vet. The problem can lie either in you and your reaction when you go to the vet or in the vet him/herself.

If you are stressed, your dog will become even more nervous. In case the vet is patient and willing to play a bit with a dog first, your Pom will feel much comfortable.

Children can be another source of fear for Poms. Especially young children who can play rather roughly with a fragile and small dog-like Pom can be terrifying.

Kids also speak loud, have high-pitched voices, and make a lot of sudden movements. All of that is a real nightmare for Pomeranian.

If the dog is socialized on time, raised in a family with kids, then they will be a really good match. However, never leave young kids to interact with a Pom without supervision.

Believe it or not, even the people of a different race (than yours) might cause fear in your Pom. That’s why early socialization is crucial.

The young dog has to be exposed to numerous friendly strangers of all races, ages... make sure your Pom sees people in wheelchairs or with the walker, but also men in uniform, wearing hats, glasses, beards, etc.

If you would like to read more about this topic, check this article ”Are Pomeranians Afraid Of Other People?”

Are Pomeranians Afraid of Other Dogs/ Pets?

They aren’t supposed to be afraid of other dogs but it happens all the time.

Due to their size, Pomeranians usually are not being exposed to other dogs as their owners are constantly afraid of their Poms being hurt.

That’s why people don’t allow their Poms to interact with other dogs which causes irreversible damage. Poms become spoiled, they are not self-confident, they are actually afraid of other dogs but mask that fear with aggressive behavior.

Sadly from a cheerful and friendly working breed ( they used to be sled dogs) people transformed Poms into goofy and snarly lap dogs.

Most Poms owners are holding their dogs all the time, sending them a message that the outer world is a too dangerous place for them.

People are usually overly protective and super anxious about their Pomeranians so these dogs pick up on all these emotions and behaviors.

As a result, we have dogs that think that they are in danger and that they need their humans to protect them. You understand how they lack confidence and how it’s not possible to get along with other dogs under these circumstances.

The point is – you need to treat a small dog the same way you treat a large one. You must teach him how to behave with other people but with other dogs and pets as well. Early socialization is a must.

Of course, you won’t expose your Pom puppy to an adult Rottweiler but at least make sure he gets into contact with other small dog breeds.

Do Pomeranians Hate Grooming?

Some of them yes. Dogs grooming routine included several things. Some of them might be scary to your little Pom.

Some Pomeranian dogs hate bathing. Why is that? Well, most Poms like water. When they feel like swimming they jump into the water and enjoy.

But when it comes to bathing, you are the one who decides when the Pom should jump into the water. So you have the power and not your dog. This fact might not like your little one.

Another reason why your Pom hates to bathe is the previous bad experience. Dogs generalize things. If something bad happened during some previous bath, your Pom will memorize that and will detest bathing.

It doesn’t have to be something serious to you. Maybe the water was warmer than it should, maybe the bathtub surface was too slippery, and your Pom lost its balance for a second. For a fragile creature like Pom, these are super scary things.

Some Pomeranians hate to be touched and held all the time. During the bath, you are doing exactly that. Your dog might show you how he feels by growling and snarling or trying to escape.

Make sure you do whatever it takes to make your Pom comfortable during and after bath.

  • Put some plastic matt on the bottom of the sink or bathtub to avoid your Pom lose its balance.
  • Never use human shampoo. Dog’s shampoo should have a PH of 6-7.
  • Always apply shampoo to wet fur and rinse well.
  • Keep his face, eyes, ears out of the water and shampoo
  • Don’t let your Pom shiver after the bath, turn on the heating, and make sure your dry him out with a blowdryer.

Do Pomeranian Hate Brushing?

Yes, a certain number of Pomeranians hate brushing. They protest really loud and clear as soon as you take a brush. They are trying to bite the brush, they are growling. Overall, one unpleasant experience for everyone.

The good thing with this issue is that hate is directed to the brush and not to you or to a professional groomer.

Professional trainers suggest that you should make a positive association with the brush. The best tool for this purpose is a tasty treat and of course your patience!

Grab a small ( but really small) treat show it to your dog. Make sure you hold the brush in your other hand so your Pom can see it.

Offer the treat but don’t let your dog take it, let him just lick it and feel the taste. While he is distracted with licking, start brushing. If he begins to protest, stop the brushing but also remove the treat.

When your dog behaves well, letting you brush him, let him eat the treat, saying ”Good boy or girl’

It will be necessary to perform brushing with treats for at least 5 min every day so your dog gets used to it. Don’t take him to the professional groomer before he is completely accustomed to brushing.

Do Pomeranians Hate To Go To Professional Groomer?

Pomeranians like other dogs might have a problem with being handled. Since grooming usually includes handling of sensitive areas ( eyes, ears, rear, muzzle…) too much touching of them might raise the anxiety level in your Pom.

It’s reccommended not to take your Pom to groomer’s before you train him to stay relaxed even if some of their sensitive zones have been touched.

Start slowly, be patient, and praise your Pom every time when he is relaxed and receptive. If you notice that some area is particularly sensitive, for example, the paw, start touching his leg and slowly move towards paws. Give your Pom a treat every time he ”cooperates”.

Are Pomeranians Afraid Of Riding in The Car?

Some Pomeranians are really afraid of car rides. Some of them are afraid of unknown experience, others feel very uncomfortable and trapped in the big and loud machines, some have motion sickness ….

There are some Poms that associate riding by car with going to the vet or groomers. If they consider those two ( or one of them ) as a traumatic experience, then anxiety starts right in the car, as they know where they go.

Solution tips

Make sure your dog starts getting used to car rides as soon as he comes to your home. Car rides are inevitable and it will be good that your Pom sees that experience as a nice and pleasant one.

When you have time or you play outside, let your dog play near your car. The car is just standing there in the parking, it isn’t working and you two are just playing nearby. Next time, you do the same, but open the car’s door.

If your Pom wants to explore, let him do that. Praise him and give him some treat. After this, you can let your dog enter inside the car ( while the car is not working).

Make sure his first ride be a very short one, around the block. You can turn on the radio, but not too loud and the music should be nice and soft (classical, jazz …) If it’s hot, turn on the AC.

If you notice that your dog has motion sickness, do speak with the vet about antinausea medications.

Are Pomeranians Afraid of Loud Noises?

Many Pomeranians are afraid of loud noises, the same as other dog breeds. What Poms terrifies the most are sounds like thunders, firework, firecrackers.

Dogs have an exquisite sense of hearing. They can hear sounds on frequency 40-60.000 Hz. If humans hear on frequency 20-20.000, it’s pretty clear that dogs can hear a variety of sounds we cannot.

Thunders, fireworks, firecrackers may produce really terrifying sounds even for the human ear. Can you imagine how does a Pom hears all that? it must be really frightening.

As dogs can hear better than us, they can hear the storm along with thunder is coming earlier then we realize the same. That means that your dog might act weird and frightening hours before the storm.

Due to their excellent sense of hearing and ability to catch high-pitched sounds, dogs can detect high winds that we cannot.

Both thunderstorms and fireworks are not only frightening due to their sound but also for the flashes of light and the burning smell ( in case of firework and firecrackers).

How To Help A Pomeranian in Case of Thunders/Fireworks?

First of all, don’t assume that your dog will feel the best in your lap or arms. If your dog has a special ”den” where he likes to sneak, let him do that, don’t force him to stay with you.

As soon as you notice that storm is coming or you know that due to the forecast, make sure you close the doors, windows, lower the blinds, draw the curtains. It’s important to do all this work but very leisurely, without any hurry and stress.

Dogs are masters in reading our body language messages and the majority of people react nervously to a coming storm. The point is if your dog sees you anxious and nervous, he will start to panic just because of that.

After you have secured the house, do something fun with your dog. Make some kind of distraction.

You can play fetch on the stairs/hallway or try to keep your Pom’s mind busy with a good puzzle toy.

Don’t just sit and wait for the storm to ends. Of course, your dog might be so terrified that the idea of distraction doesn’t work out. In that case, make sure you turn the TV or radio on, playing some soothing music.

In case of fireworks, never take your Pom to a firework show. It’s a really disturbing experience for one dog, so don’t expose him to it. If you know when the firework display will start make sure your dog is placed inside the house.

Many owners find the use of compression vest/shirt very useful in these situations. It’s a form-fitting vest that applies constant but gentle pressure to calm anxiety, fear, or overexcitement.

It comes in multiple colors and sizes (based either on weight or chest measurements). It’s important to choose the right size as too big a vest will have no effect while wearing too small one will be quite uncomfortable.

The good thing is that these vests are adjustable so you don’t have to be exact to the pound or inch.

It’s recommended to get your Pom used to the vest before the first storm comes. If thunders or fireworks are not so common in your area, make sure you put the vest on your Pom at least once a month so he doesn’t forget about it.

These vests are not useful only in the case of thunderstorms or firework displays but also when travel or go to the vet. You can put the vest on your Pom every time you assume that your dog will be anxious or distressed.

The good thing is that vest is safe for wearing up to several hours.

Do Pomeranian Hate Rain?

Many Pomeranians hate rain. This feeling is connected with our reaction to the rain. If you say ”Oh no, it’s raining” and you start lowering the blinds and closing windows almost hysterically, your Pom gets the message that rain is something horrible.

The sound of rain hitting the roof may also be irritating.

Many dogs associate rain with thunder, based on previous experience so logically rain indicates that some really scary things will happen.

No matter how dense the Pom’s coat is, heavy rain can soak it up quickly. Even a light rain may cause your Pom to get chills.

If you need to be outside with your dog and it’s raining or you know that is about to start, make sure your Pom wears a raincoat with a good-sized hood to keep his coat dry.

You may notice that your Pom really doesn’t like to step on the wet surface. In that case, you can purchase water-proof booties.

Don’t be discouraged in case your Pom doesn’t fall in love with them right away. As soon as he feels the benefit of wearing booties he will love them, for sure.

You can also train him to step on the wet surface. For example, wet down a patch of grass, take your Pom ( with leash and harness on ) out and encourage your dog to cross over the wet grass.

Make sure your voice is cheerful and positive and don’t force your dog to do anything he doesn’t want to. Once he has completed the task, praise him with some nice treats.

Why Pomeranians Are Afraid of Random Things and Situations?

Dogs can develop fears and phobias of random objects. These objects usually don’t pose any threat to them but still, they are super afraid.

For example, many Poms are terrified of vacuum cleaners. Taking Pom’s extraordinary sense of hearing into consideration, it’s pretty clear why they are afraid of this home appliance.

If you add the fact that some vacuum cleaners produce very irritating, screaming sounds plus they can be larger than Poms themselves, it’s quite justified why these small dogs see vacuum cleaners as a real threat.

When we are talking about house/kitchen appliances, food processors, mixers, coffee machines, washing machines can also be on the list of things that might trigger the fear in little Pom.

On the other hand that are some objects that cause fear in dogs for no obvious reason. For example, there are Poms that are afraid of wooden floors, toasters, chairs, and many other things.

Some phobias are developed due to previous bad experiences. Maybe one day you put the chair down on your Pom’s paw, unintentionally of course. This event will not cause fear of your but the fear of the chair.

I read somewhere a great post of Pom’s owners who was explaining why his dog is afraid of the toaster.

Some dogs do afraid of the sound when the piece of bread is coming out but this little guy was terrified every time when his owner clicks the button to put the bread inside.

There is no logic here. But the owner remembers that one morning while he was preparing breakfast some construction worker was passing through the building hallway.

At the moment the owner pushes the button, the worker dropped out some heavy load he was carrying. So now this Pom associates the toaster with the loud noise.

Another owner was asking for help as his Pom is terribly afraid of wooden floors and he had no carpets in his house. Most probably, Pom has already slipped and now he is scared to step on the surface he considers slippery.

The same thing can happen with the stairs. Some dogs are afraid of stairs as they slipped or fell down the stairs once. The solution hers is to cover at least some parts of your house floors with rugs to make your Pom’s walking around more comfortable and less stressful.

Pomeraian dogs are also afraid of things they are not familiar with, that are different or that make sudden sounds.

A New Year’s or a Halloween decoration may terrify your little pet. Flashing lights, shiny objects, balloons might be scary to a dog. Even a Christmas tree might be the source of confusion and fear.

Your kid’s toys that speak, cry, or sing like dolls or teddy bears can provoke stress in your Pom. These things are considered silent objects. If you suddenly teddy bears start to sing a song or laugh, your Pom might get frightened.

No matter what object causes fear in your Pom, you can correct this. The keywords are patience and positive reinforcement. If your dog is afraid of the chair, you should start training him not the be.

Place a chair far from your dog. Take some tasty treats and start throwing treats in direction of the chair. Make him step closer to the chair. If he gets anxious, you don’t throw a treat so close to the chair next time.

Each training session should last for a max of 5 min. You need time for this process but it works.

How To Know If My Pomeranian Is Scared?

A scared Pom will :

  • try to hide
  • bark excessively
  • start whining, panting, drooling
  • start to shake or tremble
  • become restless
  • have excessive salivation
  • experience lack of appetite

Conclusion

Pomeranian dogs might be afraid of many things. The source of their fears and phobias can be people ( especially men ), other dogs and pets but also loud noise, thunder and different home appliances like vacuum cleaners.

The objects related to previous bad experiences are also something that can lead to fear in Poms.

Hopefully, this article will help you to avoid fear triggers in Pomeranians and understand your pet’s reactions and how to help them.

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