Your little Pom definitely has quite the personality despite its tiny size. A Pom may bite you or unintentionally hurt you, and now you wonder whether you should be worried. My little Pomeranian did bite me at first, which is why I researched this problem quite a lot.
So, why is my Pomeranian puppy biting me? When a puppy is 4 to 9 months old, the main reason for biting is to soothe their discomfort of growing milk teeth, not to show aggression. These types of biting are considered nips, which are quick snaps of the jaw with the small sharp teeth that can be hurtful or cause bleeding.
Here I will talk about the most common reasons why your Pomeranian will be biting you, what causes this behavior, and how you can fix it.
Common Reasons for Your Pomeranian’s Biting and Nipping Behavior
Pomeranian puppies are generally lovable and a very positive breed, yours is no exception. Compared to other bigger breeds, they are less likely to become aggressive or territorial. But, now that your puppy is at the age where the puppy will start to chew things and bite, they are used to play by investigating everything they find. The dog will use their mouth and sharp little teeth to learn about the environment they live in.
This problem, however, has different roots, and if you don’t try to fix them, they will grow into a habit. You will have to take additional matters to make sure your puppy won’t keep biting you when gets older. The most common reasons for your puppy to be biting you are:
- Teething
- Injury or illness
- Insufficient training rules
Since your Pom does have sharp teeth, you can get hurt with those quick and uncontrolled nips. But, even if your Pom bites you, it is not done out of spite. If your little Pom tries to nibble your fingers or toes, this means the puppy is teething and wants to soothe the discomfort of growing teeth. But it could also mean that your puppy is injured or sick.
Another reason could be that you haven’t established any non-biting rules for your dog to follow. That’s where you have to step in and make a change. However, if your Pom keeps biting you despite your best efforts to teach them not to and growls very often, you need to train them quickly. Here I will take a closer look at all of these common reasons and what you can do to fix them.
Teething as the Main Reason for Biting Behavior
Teething is the most common reason most puppies bite when they’re little. This is typical behavior for puppies at the age of 4 to 9 months. Your puppy will bite other puppies to play with them, and bite you as you try to pet them. If they come near your feet, clothes, legs, or arms, they’ll try to nibble them as much as possible. Even though this kind of behavior isn’t aggressive, those sharp little teeth can pierce the skin and make you bleed.
Your Pomeranian does this because the puppy wants to nibble on something to ease the pain and discomfort from growing milk teeth. You should focus on preventing this from happening no matter how cute your Pom looks when it’s trying to nibble your fingers. Of course, this doesn’t happen overnight, and you should do it in different stages and gently. First, you need to demonstrate to your puppy that biting hurts. So, you need to start training them immediately.
Here is how you can do it. When your Pom approaches you in an effort to bite your finger, you should give them a time out. When they bite you, yell as if you’re in great pain. Then, move away from your little puppy and ignore them for an entire minute. If they approach to bite you again, leave the room for an additional minute. Eventually, your puppy will learn that their actions caused your reaction.
Injury or Illness Can Make Your Puppy Bite You
When your dog is sick, maybe from the flu or another disease, they can feel threatened even by you or any of your family members and friends. While this kind of behavior is not so common in Pomeranian pups, it can happen.
When your Pom feels ill, they’ll do their best to protect their resting area and bite you if you try to approach them. Then, they’ll retreat to avoid confrontation where you often let your Pomeranian sleep or hide in a secluded spot. So, when you try to reach for your puppy while resting, be careful not to get bitten and hurt your hand.
The same thing happens when you try to touch your little Pom where the puppy has been injured. Your pom react the same way humans do, and will take on a defensive position to make sure that you don’t touch them.
If you do come close to the injured and sensitive area, your dog will bite you out of fear that you might hurt them. When this happens, you should take a look at your Pom and see if there’s any visible signs of an infection, sickness, or injury.
If you don’t know what’s wrong with your furry friend, it’s best to go to the vet. With a quick check-up, the vet will find the root of the problem and treat it right away. The faster you treat your dog, the sooner the puppy will stop biting you.
Insufficient Training Plays an Effective Role in Biting
Your Pom needs to know that biting is unacceptable. Remember, every dog is a pack animal. There will always be followers and leaders. If you want your dog to listen to you, you need to be the leader of the pack. Set rules and stick to those rules and show dominance.
You can teach your puppy to stop biting the moment your Pom tries to nip you. You can start by saying “No” with a firm voice and quickly pull your feet or hand away from your puppy.
A quick reaction such as this is a clear indication for your puppy that this is wrong. Instead of letting the dog bite you, you need to give your puppy an alternative. For teething, give your puppy a toy or a bone to chew on that won’t harm their jaw.
You can also give your Pom an ice treat to help with the sore and itchy gums. Unless you distract your puppy with these toys, they’ll keep biting you when you try to stroke them or pet them.
Another thing you can do is move away from your little Pom. The moment you create this distance, and completely ignore it, without establishing any eye contact or talk to your puppy, the pom will immediately feel left out and realize that this is wrong.
Closing Thoughts
Your Pomeranian is not an aggressive dog, and less likely to bite you just to hurt you. Your puppy bites for a reason, whether because of teething, health problems, injuries, or lack of proper training, these problems can easily be fixed. But it’s a clear indication that you should start teaching your puppy to stop doing that.
