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Pomsky Training Part 5: The 3 Pomsky Behaviors To Correct And Train

Pomsky Training Part 5: The 3 Pomsky Behaviors To Correct And Train

Welcome to part five of our pomsky training mini-series. In this mini-series, we’re giving you bits
and pieces from our Pomsky Training Book to help you train the perfect pomsky.

This is fifth and final part of the five-part Pomsky training mini-series. You can access the other parts of our training series here:

For additional pomsky training tips including step by step instructions on how to train engagement and important commands, download our pomsky training guide.

Download Now – Pomsky Training and Owners Guide

Pomsky Behavioral Training

Today we are going to cover three primary behavioral problems with the Pomsky breed and how to train and correct the problem. We cover far more problems in the Pomsky Training Book (such as digging, walking off leash, physical stimulation, jumping, and separation anxiety) but for today we are only going to cover three quick behavioral problems and corrections.

Today, we are just covering three of the most important behavioral problems. We will cover how to manage the Pomsky’s high energy, how to teach your Pomsky to walk on leash, and how to stop your Pomsky from chewing.

 

Managing Energy (Mental Stimulation)

Mental stimulation is the process of keeping your Pomsky’s mind busy, meaning your Pomsky is fully focused and engaged on a particular activity. The Pomsky expends a lot of energy when mentally stimulated; this helps to reduce the Pomsky’s overall energy level. A Pomsky that does not get enough mental stimulation will look to release energy elsewhere, leading to bad behavior.

We are going to look at the following methods of mentally stimulating your Pomsky:

  • Obedience training
  • Command training
  • Advanced training
  • Chews
  • Toys

Mental Stimulation: Obedience training

Managing a Pomsky’s high energy starts with obedience training. If your Pomsky is not taught what is right versus wrong, they will run wild with nonstop energy that cannot be contained. Start by training your Pomsky on the basics such as no jumping, no barking, and no chewing. This basic obedience training gives your Pomsky a bit of mental stimulation as it forces the Pomsky to think before acting.

You need to remember that energy is manageable. As Cheyenne of Lollipop Pomskies says, “High energy can be managed and trained. Simply do not reward high energy.”

Cheyenne went on to explain that, as owners, we need to teach our Pomskies to behave even when they are full of energy. Do not reward your Pomsky with praise and attention if they start jumping up to greet you when you first walk through the door. Instead, wait for your Pomsky to calm down and behave then reward the Pomsky with affection.

Mental Stimulation: Command training

Command training is a great way to keep your Pomsky busy and burning off energy. Start by training your Pomsky on the basics. Start with the commands we discussed in part 4 of the Pomsky Training Series including the recall and sit command.

Basic command training is a great mental exercise, it does not only help your Pomsky burn off energy but it is a necessity for the wellbeing and training of your Pomsky. As Cheyenne of Lollipop Pomskies says, “The most important thing is your Pomsky clearly understands that he should behave and listen to your commands.”

Mental Stimulation: Advanced command training

Once your Pomsky masters the basic commands, move onto more advanced exercises.  Advanced training is fun and rewarding for Pomskies; this training is a great way to engage your Pomsky’s mind helping to tire them out both mentally and physically. Advanced commands include high-five,  rollover, and play dead.

Professional dog trainers agree that high-energy dogs, such as the Pomsky, need more than walks and playtime, they need mental stimulation to burn off energy. Advanced command training is a great addition to your exercise routine. It helps to mentally stimulate and tire the Pomsky breed with endless energy.

Mental Stimulation: Chews

Pomskies love to chew. If you want to wear out your energetic Pomsky or if you want to keep your Pomsky busy for a couple hours while you are out of the house, give your Pomsky a tasty chew snack to keep them busy.

Chree of Mountain Shadow Pomskies recommends frozen fruit and frozen veggies to keep your Pomsky busy, such as carrots, sliced sweet potatoes, cucumbers, berries, pears and apple chunks, saying “Frozen fruits and vegetables are a great way to keep their minds busy. I make sure they are organic; they are healthy snacks with no chemicals.” Chree recommends letting your Pomsky gnaw on large carrots or try freezing fruits and veggies in a bowl of water so the Pomsky has to lick it out. Try variations of healthy and organic chew snacks to keep your Pomsky’s mind occupied. This is perfect for keeping your Pomsky busy while you leave the house and also helps to calm your Pomsky before a training session.

Mental Stimulation: Toys

There are hundreds of toys designed specifically to mentally stimulate dogs. Similar to chews, these toys are perfect for draining some of your Pomsky’s high energy while you are out of the house or before you begin training. My personal favorite is the treat-dispensing toy. This toy holds a treat and requires the Pomsky to go through a series of steps to solve the puzzle to receive the treat.

You can also try filling a Kong ball with peanut butter. The Kong toy is a strong rubber ball with a hole on each end. Put a little peanut butter in the middle so the Pomsky has to work by biting the ball in different directions to work the peanut butter out of the ball. Be careful with this trick though as there have been reports of dogs getting their tongue stuck inside Kong balls. Make sure you buy the right sized ball for your Pomsky.

Use one of these toys to keep your Pomsky busy during dinnertime. Make your Pomsky work for their meal with a kibble-dispensing toy. Simply pour some kibble into various Kong toys or treat dispensing toys and let your Pomsky go to work solving various puzzles to get their food. Increase the difficulty as the Pomsky becomes more proficient at solving the puzzles. This improves your Pomsky’s problem solving skills while also draining some of their energy before bed. This will tire out your Pomsky both mentally and physically, allowing you to relax after a day at work.

 

Chewing

Chewing is another natural behavior for dogs. Pomskies, especially during the puppy stages, are very likely to develop a chewing habit. Pomskies tend to form chewing habits because they are bored, anxiety prone or curious. Chewing can quickly become a dangerous and very expensive behavioral issue as they are likely to chew furniture, shoes, electrical wires and just about anything they can wrap their mouths around. Like barking, you want to make sure you begin correcting your Pomsky’s chewing habit at a young age.

To manage your Pomsky’s chewing habit, you must mentally stimulate your Pomsky. The key is keeping your Pomsky busy. Like we talked about above, you want to make sure your Pomsky is being mentally stimulated throughout the day. Give your Pomsky lots of chew toys, treat dispensing toys and activities that keep your Pomsky mentally stimulated. It is important that you do not give your Pomsky a chance to chew. When you leave the house, put away any chewable items; or if the chewing is really bad, place your Pomsky in a designated play area and restrict the Pomsky from roaming free throughout the house. When you are not supervising your Pomsky, make sure to give the Pomsky lots of toys to keep them busy. Use treat dispensing toys, chews and natural treats to keep your Pomsky’s mind engaged as Pomskies are most likely to chew when they are alone, bored and anxious.

When you catch your Pomsky chewing, we recommend using the “treat” method to teach your Pomsky to stop chewing. Grab a handful of treats to get your Pomsky’s attention. Once the Pomsky stops chewing, give the Pomsky an acceptable item to chew. You want this replacement to be more valuable than the first item the Pomsky was chewing. You want to teach the Pomsky that there are better items to chew. For example, if your Pomsky is chewing on a shoe, grab a handful of treats and get the Pomsky to drop the shoe. Wait until the Pomsky is calm and ignoring the shoe. Once the Pomsky is calm and clearly done with the shoe, reward the Pomsky with a treat and put the shoe away. Replace the shoe with a more valuable item. Give the Pomsky a frozen treat or tasty chew toy to teach the Pomsky which items they are allowed to chew.

Chree of Mountain Shadow Pomskies recommends freezing some healthy snacks in a bowl of water. Freeze some berries or fruit in a bowl of water so the Pomsky has to lick the ice to get the treat. Or give the Pomsky a carrot to chew and keep busy, Mischa of Brookside Pomsky says “we give our Pomskies homemade frozen carrot and blueberry popsicles. It keeps them occupied so they will not chew or dig.”

 

Walking On Leash

Much like Huskies, Pomskies are born to pull. This makes it difficult to walk a Pomsky on leash as they will pull you all over the road, zigzag back and forth, and twirl the leash around your legs until you trip. It is natural for a Pomsky to pull, it is their instinct especially when on leash as Pomskies are naturally full of energy and excited to get out in open space to run free. Pomskies are not born knowing how to walk on a leash, a leash constrains the Pomsky’s natural behavior, and they do not understand how a leash works. You need to teach them.

Before you begin

Before you begin training your Pomsky to properly walk on leash, you should teach your Pomsky to love the collar and leash. Pomskies do not naturally enjoy collars and leashes; you must teach the Pomsky that the collar and leash are a good thing, it represents excitement and fun.

Mischa of Brookside Pomsky recommends that you start by acclimating the Pomsky to the collar. Put the collar on the Pomsky for a couple days, allow the Pomsky get used to wearing a collar before attaching a leash. Once the Pomsky becomes accustomed to the collar, attach a leash to the collar and allow the Pomsky to walk around the house for about 10 to 20 minutes with the leash dragging on the floor. This allows the Pomsky to become comfortable with wearing a leash.

While your Pomsky is running around the house acclimating to the collar and leash, reward the Pomsky with treats and play with the Pomsky to help them feel comfortable and excited. The Pomsky should learn to love wearing a collar and leash because it means the Pomsky will have fun and be rewarded with treats. You can mark this with a cue word such as “walk” or “let’s go for a walk!” to alert your Pomsky that it is time to put on the collar and leash, meaning they are about to have fun.

Once the Pomsky becomes comfortable wearing a collar and leash, practice with the leash indoors. Hold the leash and walk the Pomsky around the house just like you would outside, play with the Pomsky and reward the Pomsky with treats to teach the Pomsky to enjoy being on leash. You are simply trying to teach the Pomsky that a leash means the Pomsky is going to have fun, you are not training your Pomsky how to walk on leash yet.

Once your Pomsky learns to love the leash, you can bring your Pomsky outside and begin the on leash training. Your Pomsky will be excited to get outside. There are a lot of new sites, smells, and distractions so your Pomsky will probably start pulling on the leash right away which means it is time to teach your Pomsky how to properly walk on a leash.

No Pull – The Stop Method

With this method, you are going to teach your Pomsky how to properly walk on a leash without pulling.

  • Step 1: With a handful of treats and your Pomsky on leash, begin to walk in your intended direction.
  • Step 2: As soon as your Pomsky begins to pull, stop dead in your tracks and wait.
  • Step 3: Stay waiting, standing in place, until there is slack in the leash and the Pomsky stops pulling. The Pomsky will probably stop pulling to turn around to check on you, seeing why you have stopped walking.
  • Step 4: As soon as the Pomsky stops pulling, call the Pomsky back with your recall command. If the Pomsky listens and comes running back to you, ask the Pomsky to sit then say “yes” and reward the Pomsky with a treat. If the Pomsky does not stop pulling, use your handful of treats to get the Pomsky’s attention and lure the Pomsky back to your side. Reward the Pomsky with a treat when they come running back to your side. Repeat steps one through four until your Pomsky successfully stops and comes running back each time you call.
  • Step 5: Resume walking after the Pomsky successfully stops pulling and responds to your recall command. You are teaching the Pomsky that if they pull, the walk will stop; but if they stop pulling and listen to your recall, they will be rewarded with treats and will get to keep walking.
  • Step 6: As you are walking, reward your Pomsky with treats when they stay near your side without pulling. Your Pomsky will learn to check-in with you to see if you have more treats, reward your Pomsky each time they look back at you. Say “yes” and reward the Pomsky with a treat frequently throughout the walk whenever they check-in or walk by your side.
  • Step 7: If at any time your Pomsky starts pulling, repeat step four. Stop walking and wait for the Pomsky to stop pulling. Call the Pomsky back and reward the Pomsky if they listen. Repeat this each time your Pomsky pulls.
  • Step 8: As your Pomsky begins to master walking on a leash, reduce the number of treats given to your Pomsky. Soon your Pomsky should be able to walk on leash without a reward.

The stop method teaches the Pomsky that they will be rewarded for staying near you without pulling. It also teaches the Pomsky that the walk will stop if they begin to pull. You should notice a difference in your Pomsky’s walking within a week of this training. Overtime, your Pomsky will begin to learn how to properly walk on a leash. You will be stopping less and you will no longer need to correct your Pomsky’s pulling. Continue to reward your Pomsky each time you walk to reinforce the good behavior.

No Pull – The Lure Method

The lure method is another way to correct your Pomsky’s pulling. Use the lure method as an alternative to the stop method to teach your Pomsky how to properly walk on a leash without pulling.

  • Step 1: Starting with your Pomsky on leash, take a handful of treats enclosed in a fist and hold the fistful of treats in front of your Pomsky’s nose to get the Pomsky’s attention. Say, “Let’s go for a walk!” to get the Pomsky excited. Begin walking in the desired direction.
  • Step 2: As you are walking, keep your handful of treats down by your side near the Pomsky’s nose; you want to keep the Pomsky interested in your hand so that the Pomsky stays by your side at your walking pace. Every couple of seconds, praise and reward the Pomsky with a small treat as you are walking, this will keep your Pomsky engaged and walking by your side without pulling.
  • Step 3: If at any time the Pomsky pulls away or zigzags off to the side, immediately stop. Do not let the Pomsky continue to walk. Stay waiting, standing in place, until there is slack in the leash and the Pomsky stops pulling. Get your Pomsky’s attention with your handful of treats and call the Pomsky back to your side. Ask the Pomsky to sit then say “yes” and reward the Pomsky with a treat. Once the Pomsky is calm and waiting, repeat steps one and two with the treats by your side near the Pomsky’s nose and begin walking again. Your Pomsky should stay right by your side, reward the Pomsky every couple of seconds for behaving and walking without pulling. If the Pomsky pulls or veers off path at any time, stop and repeat step three.
  • Step 4: Start by rewarding your Pomsky with a treat every couple of seconds, this will keep your Pomsky engaged and by your side. As your Pomsky begins to master this training, increase the difficulty by waiting longer between treats as you walk. Start by rewarding your Pomsky every couple of seconds, then reward every 10 seconds, then reward every 20 seconds and so on until you can comfortably walk long distances with your Pomsky by your side.
  • Step 5: Continue to walk with your handful of treats by your side even after your Pomsky masters walking on leash. Continue to reinforce the good behavior by rewarding your Pomsky with a treat one or two times throughout the walk.

The lure method keeps the Pomsky engaged and walking close by your side. Frequent treats will keep your Pomsky excited to be near you, deterring the Pomsky from pulling. Overtime, your Pomsky will begin to learn how to properly walk on a leash; your Pomsky will naturally walk by your side even without treats. Continue to reward your Pomsky each time you walk, this reinforces the good behavior.

Download Now – Pomsky Training and Owners Guide

Next Steps

Begin correcting these behavioral problems today. Start by managing the Pomskies high energy, then correct chewing and walking on leash.

That’s it for the five part Pomsky training series! If you need help correcting other behavioral problems such as digging, barking, begging, jumping on guests, respect, escaping, and more then check out our Pomsky Training Book.

Refer back to the previous articles of the Pomsky training mini-series here:

More Pomsky Resources

Need more help raising and training your Pomsky? Check out our other Pomsky articles and videos including:

Need more help training and raising your Pomsky? Click here to download our complete guide to owning a Pomsky (Includes step by step training instructions).

Download - POA's Guide To Owning A Pomsky

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