The Maltese cross Pomeranian is a hybrid dog, also known as a Maltipom. These cute little dogs often have the small foxy face of a Pomeranian but with the long, flowing coat of the Maltese. In appearance, they are a lot like living cuddly toys, but the responsible owner should never forget that these character packed little guys have a mind of their own.
The Maltipom's small size means he's often given privileges, such as sleeping on the bed, which are denied to larger dogs. However, this sends out mixed messages as this elevates his status on a par with a human. In his mind, he thinks: 'Like Mom like pup,' and can, therefore, be inclined to get above his true status in the family pack.
To make matters worse, whereas bad behavior from a large dog is not tolerated, a cute Maltipom often stretches the rules. Think of how a mailman reacts to a growling Rottweiler (He refuses to deliver the mail) and a growling Maltipom (the mailman laughs at the little guy's bravado.) However, giving the dog such good-natured attention encourages such behavior and makes it worse. In essence, this is where "Small dog syndrome" originates.
All responsible owners have a duty to raise their dogs to be dependable and obedient, which is why training a Maltese Pomeranian should be taken seriously.
The actual training should be done using reward-based methods. This is a way of motivating the dog to want to please you, because he gets a payback that's worth his while. He then starts thinking for himself about what behavior you desire, so that he can provide that and earn a reward.
The backbone of reward-based training is using food treats, however, some small dogs are less food-motivated than bigger breeds. If you have a pup that turns his nose up, even at liver cake, then find something else that he loves and reward him with that. This might be a game of tug with a favorite toy, chasing a ball, or even full-on praise and fuss.
For the food-motivated Maltipom, your job is a lot easier. But make sure those treats are tiny, just a flavor of food really, or the little guy is going to spend more time chewing than training and pile on the pounds to boot.
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Milo likes to pee in the house! He is very very quick and will sneak into a back room and pee on thr floor. No favorite time of day for him- our current routine is to use the bell- he will use the bell but sometimes he will be outside- come in for 20 minutes and then pee in our room. Any tips? Or any hope with retraining a dog this age?
Hello Andrea, Was Milo previously potty trained inside and is having new accidents, always had accidents, a recent rescue who has never been potty trained, or previously trained in a different way like pee pads? If Milo used to do well but now doesn't, I would speak with your vet. This is probably related to pup's age and possible incontinence. I am not a vet though so consult them for any medical advice. When incontinence is the issue and it can't be addressed medically, like it can in some cases, then often managing pup's limited bladder capacity long term is needed. A combination of more frequent potty trips, tethering pup to yourself with a hands free leash when pup's bladder hasn't just been emptied, having pup stay in a small room or exercise pen with disposable real grass pads at night and while you are away for long periods of time, and sometimes using a belly band or doggie diaper while pup is in the rest of the home, are needed, depending on the severity or progressive nature of the incontinence. With an older dog who has never been potty trained but can hold their bladder, I recommend a combination of the tethering method and crate training method from the article I have linked below. You can adjust the times to add an hour to all the times listed there, unless you find pup needs the more frequent potty trips being older, like a puppy would. https://wagwalking.com/training/train-a-german-shepherd-puppy-to-poop-outside For a dog switching from a pee pad to outside potty training, I also recommend the tethering method and crate training method and getting rid of all pee pads, unless they are placed outside, to avoid confusion. The more accidents you can prevent through tethering and crating and a schedule for potty trips the sooner pup is likely to become potty trained. Expecting pup to alert to go outside before they have been accident free for six months can lead to pup regressing with potty training. Maintain pup's potty schedule strictly at first to prevent those accidents so pup will start to associate your home with cleanliness and want to keep it clean themselves too through habit. The methods will go over what to do when pup doesn't go potty when you take them out - tether or crate then try again, limiting freedom until pup's bladder is empty. Best of luck training, Caitlin Crittenden
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My maltipom seems to have possessive trouble when it comes to his food bowl, myself or my husband. To others he is always very nice at first then once he is used to the area or person he soon gets very aggressive, barks/growls or sometimes even lounges excessively at the said person. He also has issues with marking in the house if we are not at home. Besides these things overall he is a good dog he does know his basic commands such as sit, come, lay down. While on walks he understands commands such as watch me, eyes and this way to follow directions. He is also a certified emotional support animal, so I feel as if since he has been trained to be a support animal I have let some instances of his bad behavior go unnoticed.
Hello, the fact that Mojo is lunging and growling at people is of concern. First, take him for a vet checkup to determine that there is not a health issue causing him to behave this way. With his training, you should know that he has the intelligence to learn well. I would also consult the advice of a trainer in your area used to working with dogs that show aggression before an incident happens that you will not be able to control. As for the marking, ask the vet about that at the same time - there could be a health issue behind it. Take a look here for training suggestions on the marking The Beef Up Training and The Physical Factors Methods may be ideal. For food aggression:https://wagwalking.com/training/stop-food-aggression. For aggression to people, The Establish Leadership Method: https://wagwalking.com/training/not-be-aggressive. Good luck!
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