Most Important Things to Teach a Pomsky Puppy

Apr 3

When you decide to adopt a pomsky puppy you will surely be excited to start your lives together. Pomskies are an intelligent dog breed and will be a great addition to your family. This post includes the most important things you should teach your pomsky puppy from the beginning, so they are well trained and prepared for new experiences.

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Their Name

From the moment you bring your pomsky puppy home, you will be calling them by their name and will want them to understand that their name is associated with them. Say your puppy’s name frequently and each time they look at you or respond to their name, give them a treat. Your pomsky puppy will quickly learn that their name is associated with them.

Potty Training

Potty training is another essential thing to teach your pomsky puppy right from the beginning. Bring your puppy outside to a designated potty area to have them try going potty at least every hour. Your pomsky puppy might show signs that they need to go potty such as walking in circles, sitting by the door, getting the “zoomies”, or sniffing the floor. Take your puppy out when they show any of these signs of needing to go potty or when they wake up after a nap. If you go to work, make sure your pomsky has a pee pad in their designated space. Each time your pomsky puppy goes potty outside, say “yes!” and reward them with treats.

Watch your pomsky to see if they are drinking water, then be sure to take your pomsky out potty about 20 minutes after they have finished drinking. When your puppy is in the process of potty training, it is helpful to remove the water bowl before bedtime or before you leave for work to prevent your puppy from needing to go potty when you are not available to take them out. For more information read our Potty Training a Pomsky post.

Crate Training

Teach your pomsky puppy to have positive associations with their crate from the beginning. Crate training is important because it gives your puppy a place that they feel safe and secure in, and it can be useful in many situations including when you have people over, when you go to work, during car rides, and at night.

First, make sure you have a crate type and size that works best for your pomsky. Use your dog’s favorite toys and treats when crate training. Throw some treats in the crate and give your dog praise for going into the crate. Never use the crate as a punishment for having accidents, chewing carpet, etc. Continue giving your pomsky treats if they are staying quiet in their crate. If your dog is crying or howling, wait for them to be quiet before letting them out of the crate. We don’t want your pomsky to learn that crying/howling gets them out of the crate – this will only encourage your dog to be loud while in the crate. Read our full post about Crate Training a Pomsky to learn about using specific treats, the recommended amount of time spent in the crate and more.

Socializing with People, Animals and Environments

Everything will be a new experience for your pomsky puppy so you will need to teach them about the world around them. Let your pomsky puppy sniff other people and dogs that you pass on your daily walks and reward your puppy with treats and verbal praise (e.g. “good girl/boy!”). Give your pomsky puppy time to sniff the ground to smell where squirrels, chipmunks, deer and other animals may have been. Supervise your puppy closely to make sure they don’t attempt to eat animal droppings or roll around on the ground.

Bring your pomsky puppy to the pet store and give them time to sniff around and socialize with people and other dogs there. When your puppy meets a new person, ask the person to let your puppy sniff their hand first before they attempt to pet your pomsky puppy. Give your pomsky the opportunity to socialize with a variety of people including men and women, all different age groups, people wearing hats or jewelry, and any other types of people you may encounter.

Introduce your pomsky to new objects, sounds and sights while modeling calm behavior, petting or massaging your puppy, providing treats and verbal praise to prevent them from being scared. Some of these new experiences and items to introduce your pomsky puppy to include:

Bicycles, scooters, skateboards, strollers, cars and motorcycles
Fan, vacuum, broom, mop or robot mop
Sounds of fireworks, babies crying, thunder, or people cheering/clapping – play these sounds on your phone, computer or TV to simulate the experience

Loose Leash Walking

Teach your pomsky puppy loose leash walking to prevent them from pulling on the leash and possibly injuring themselves or others. A pomsky puppy might attempt to pull on the leash when you first go for a walk because they come from working dog breeds who were trained to pull. Start loose leash walking inside, by hooking your puppy’s harness up to the leash, then walking around and dropping treats every couple of steps you take. Decrease the frequency you drop treats and check if your pomsky has learned to stay by your side while walking. Once your pomsky has learned to loose leash walk inside, practice outside by dropping treats every few steps you take while providing verbal praise (“yes!”, “good girl!”). Fade out the treats so your pomsky learns to walk with a loose leash consistently without needing the treats to motivate them. Learn about the supplies you need and other recommendations in our Loose Leash Walking a Pomsky post.

Commands

These are the first commands we recommend you teach your pomsky puppy to establish a foundation for learning new commands and keep your pomsky safe.

Sit - Teach your pomsky dog to sit by raising a treat above their nose when they are standing on all four paws, and say “sit”. Use the treat to direct your dog’s nose up until they lower their behind into a sitting position. Provide verbal praise (“yes!”), provide a treat, and/or use a clicker to teach your pomsky that did something good. Training your pomsky to “sit” is one of the very first commands to teach, because it can be used in a variety of situations, such as preventing your dog from jumping up on people or running. Once your pomsky knows this command, they can learn to sit plus an additional command such as “wait”, “lay down”, and more.
Come - Teach your pomsky to come when called by calling either their name or saying the word “come” and reinforcing with a treat. You can first teach your pomsky to touch their nose to your hand by placing a treat inside of a closed fist and having your dog touch their nose to your fist. Then present an open palm towards your puppy with a treat under your thumb or between two fingers. This will teach your puppy to run directly towards you. Once your pomsky has mastered this skill, practice having your puppy come when called when you are out of sight (in a different room inside your home) and with your pomsky on a long leash outside.
Leave it - Train your pomsky “leave it” for items they can never have, such as a sock, remote or food that drops on the floor. This is an important skill to teach to prevent your puppy from attempting to eat or go after things that could be harmful such as chocolate on the ground, an animal outside, cleaning supplies or other items. It will be easiest to train your pomsky puppy this new skills with two people, so one person can place the item on the floor, while the other person says “leave it!” and provides treats and praise. Start by placing an item on the floor that you never want your dog to have (sock, fork, wallet, etc.) and say “leave it” and provide treats to your dog for staying in place. If they attempt to get the item, use the hand motion for “sit” to help your dog stay in place, then reward with treats when they do not run towards the item.
Wait/ Stay - Teach your dog to “wait” for things they can eventually have but need to wait for. For example, you may want your dog to wait before greeting visitors at your home, wait before exiting their crate, or wait to receive a treat. Start by placing a treat in the palm of your hand and showing your dog the treat. Close your hand and let them sniff it, then say “wait” and open your palm. After your dog has waited 5-10 seconds, say “release”, and let your dog approach your hand and eat the treat. Practice this method multiple times with the closed hand, then practice with the treat in your open hand. If your dog attempts to get the treat early, quickly close your hand and say “wait” until they sit back and wait to be released. Once your dog has learned to wait for a treat in your hand, place the treat on the floor and try the same method. You may have to cover the treat with your hand and let your dog sniff it and say “wait” so they don’t immediately try to eat it. You can use this anytime you want your dog to stay in place for a certain amount of time before you “release” them to receive the treat, greet guests, or whatever they are waiting for. We also recommend pairing the hand motion of holding a pointer finger and middle finger together and pointing up for “wait”, then swiping it to the side for “release”.

Summary

When you first adopt a pomsky puppy they will be excited to join your family and learn new skills. Teach your pomsky puppy their own name, and essential skills including potty training, crate training, loose leash walking, socializing, and some basic commands to help them be successful. A pomsky puppy will thrive in a new environment that has clear expectations and positive rewards for good behavior.