If your Pomeranian is dragging you down the street like a tiny sled dog, you are not alone — and it does not have to stay that way. Two weeks of consistent, positive training is genuinely enough to go from chaos on the lead to a dog who walks beside you with manners. I know because I did it with Sash, and she was spectacularly bad at the start.
What I Learned the Hard Way With Sash
- The right harness and the right reward make more difference than any training technique alone
- Pomeranians respond best to very short, very frequent training sessions — their attention spans are smaller than their confidence
- Consistency from every person who walks your dog is non-negotiable if you want results that actually stick
Why Pomeranians Pull in the First Place
Before you can fix the problem, it helps to understand it. Pomeranians are bold, curious, and built for movement. They were originally bred as working spitz dogs in cold climates, and that energy did not disappear just because they became lap dogs. When Sash pulls toward a smell or another dog, she is not being naughty — she is being a Pomeranian. Pulling gets rewarded every single time it works, so if forward movement happens while the lead is tight, your dog learns that pulling is an excellent strategy.
The American Kennel Club describes loose-leash walking as one of the most practical skills a dog can learn, precisely because it relies on removing the reward for pulling rather than punishing the behaviour. That framing matters — you are not correcting a bad dog. You are teaching a new game with new rules.
What You Need Before You Start
The Right Harness
For a Pomeranian, a flat collar is not ideal for leash training. Their necks are delicate, their coats are thick, and a collar that tightens when they lunge can cause real discomfort or even tracheal damage over time. A well-fitted front-clip harness is what I use with Sash. The front clip sits at the chest, so when she pulls, the harness redirects her back toward me rather than letting her power forward. It does not stop the pulling by pain — it stops it by physics.
A back-clip harness, by contrast, actually encourages pulling because it distributes the force across the chest and shoulders, which is exactly how sled dogs are harnessed. It is worth knowing the difference before you buy.
High-Value Treats
Your regular kibble is not going to cut it outside. Outside is full of squirrels, smells, other dogs, and a thousand things more interesting than a piece of dry food. Sash works for tiny pieces of cooked chicken or small commercial training treats. The treat needs to be small — about the size of a pea — so you can reward frequently without overfeeding. Keep them in a treat pouch clipped to your waist so you are not fumbling in your pocket while your dog wraps the lead around a lamppost.
A Standard Lead — Not a Retractable One
Retractable leads are the enemy of leash training. They teach your dog that pulling extends their range, which is the exact opposite of what you are trying to achieve. Use a fixed-length lead of around 1.2 to 1.8 metres. That gives your dog some movement without giving them the ability to power away from you.
The Two-Week Training Plan
Days 1 to 3: The Stop-and-Wait Method
The core principle is simple: forward movement only happens on a loose lead. The moment the lead goes tight, you stop. You stand completely still, say nothing, and wait. When your dog turns back to check why you have stopped — and they will — you mark the moment with a cheerful word like “yes” or a clicker, reward with a treat, and move forward again.
In the first couple of days, you may not get further than the end of your driveway. That is fine. Sash and I spent the first session going about four metres in ten minutes. It felt ridiculous, but the principle was landing. Keep sessions to five minutes maximum at this stage — short enough that your dog stays engaged and you stay patient.
Days 4 to 7: Adding the Heel Position
Once your dog is beginning to understand that pulling stops progress, you can start shaping a proper heel position. This means your dog walks beside your left leg with their shoulder roughly in line with yours and the lead hanging in a relaxed curve — what trainers call a J-shape lead. You are not yanking your dog into position. You are luring them there with a treat held at your hip height, then rewarding frequently for staying in that zone.
I introduced a cue word here — I use “with me” for Sash — said in a light, upbeat tone just before I expect her to move into position. She associates it with chicken, so she responds enthusiastically. Add your cue word now and use it consistently.
Days 8 to 11: Proofing in the Real World
Your dog walking nicely in a quiet garden or empty car park is not the same as walking nicely past a cat, a school gate at pickup time, or a park full of dogs. This phase is about generalisation — getting the behaviour to hold under real-world distractions.
Increase the difficulty gradually. Start somewhere slightly busier than your usual training spot. When a distraction appears and your dog locks on, stop before the lead goes tight, get their attention back with your cue word and a treat, and reward heavily for disengaging. Sash found other dogs particularly hard — she wanted to greet every single one. I used those moments as training opportunities, rewarding her for looking away from the dog and back at me. After several days of this, she started checking in with me automatically when she saw another dog. That is the goal.
Days 12 to 14: Building Duration and Distance
By now your dog should be walking on a loose lead for short stretches reliably. The final phase is simply extending how long those stretches last and how far you walk without needing to stop or redirect. Gradually fade how often you reward — moving from treating every few steps to every twenty steps to every minute or so. You want the behaviour to become the default, not something that only happens when there is a treat in your hand.
Use a variable reward schedule at this point, which means rewarding unpredictably rather than at regular intervals. Variable rewards are more powerful than consistent ones at maintaining behaviour — it is the same reason people keep playing games with occasional prizes. Sash never quite knows when the chicken is coming, so she stays attentive.
Common Mistakes That Slow Everything Down
| Mistake | Why It Undermines Training | What to Do Instead |
|---|---|---|
| Letting the lead go tight “just this once” | Every successful pull reinforces the behaviour | Stop immediately, every single time, no exceptions |
| Sessions that run too long | Pomeranians lose focus fast and frustration builds | Keep sessions under ten minutes — several short ones beat one long one |
| Using a retractable lead | Actively rewards pulling with more range | Switch to a fixed-length lead before you start |
| Inconsistency between walkers | Your dog learns two different sets of rules | Brief everyone who walks your dog on the method |
| Rewarding too late | Your dog does not connect the reward to the right behaviour | Mark with “yes” or a clicker the instant the lead goes slack |
Keeping It Up After Week Two
Two weeks gets you to a good start — not a finished dog. Leash manners need maintenance, especially in a breed as alert and stimulus-hungry as a Pomeranian. Continue rewarding good walking occasionally even after the behaviour is established. If you hit a regression — and most people do after a holiday, a change of routine, or a period of letting things slide — go back to basics for a few days. It comes back faster the second time.
For a broader look at how leash training fits into your dog’s overall development, the Pomeranian training and behaviour section covers the full picture, including socialisation and recall work that complements what you are building here.
If you want to build on this foundation with other commands, the basic training guide for Pomeranians is a practical next step once your walks are under control.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long does it take to leash train a Pomeranian?
Most Pomeranians show noticeable improvement within seven to ten days of consistent training using a stop-and-wait method. A solid, reliable loose-leash walk in most environments typically takes two to four weeks. Puppies and dogs with no prior training often progress faster than adult dogs who have been pulling successfully for years, but both can achieve good results with patience and consistency.
What is the best harness for leash training a Pomeranian?
A front-clip harness is the most effective option for leash training a Pomeranian. The front attachment point redirects the dog back toward the handler when they pull, without putting pressure on the throat or neck. Make sure the harness fits snugly — Pomeranians have a thick double coat that can make a harness appear tighter than it is, so check fit against the skin rather than the fur.
My Pomeranian pulls toward other dogs — how do I handle this?
Reactivity toward other dogs during walks is common in Pomeranians and is best addressed through counter-conditioning — teaching your dog to look at you rather than the other dog in exchange for a high-value treat. Start at a distance where your dog notices the other dog but is not yet fixated, and reward any moment of attention back to you. Gradually close the distance over multiple sessions as your dog’s response improves.
Can I leash train an older Pomeranian or is it too late?
It is never too late to leash train an adult Pomeranian. Older dogs may take slightly longer to change established habits, but they are fully capable of learning new walking behaviours at any age. The same positive reinforcement methods that work for puppies work for adult dogs — the process just requires more repetition and patience if the pulling habit is deeply ingrained.
Should I use a clicker for Pomeranian leash training?
A clicker is a useful tool but not essential. What matters is that you mark the correct behaviour — the moment the lead goes slack or your dog moves into the heel position — with a consistent signal immediately followed by a treat. A clicker gives a precise, consistent marker, but a short verbal cue like “yes” works just as well if you use it consistently. Sash was trained entirely with a verbal marker and responded perfectly well to it.