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.
In addition, it's helpful to have: