Should you get a Pomeranian? Yes, if someone in your home is there most of the day, you’re willing to brush regularly, and you can keep a close eye on a dog that weighs only a few pounds. If any of those is missing, it’s better to wait.

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Is a Pom a good fit for an apartment or townhouse?

Yes, even a small apartment. The American Kennel Club (AKC) places the Pomeranian in the Toy Group and describes the breed as doing well in both cities and suburbs, and as happy to be a lapdog. A few short walks and some outdoor play each day are enough for your Pom. You don’t need a yard.

If you live in an apartment, plan ahead for barking. The FCI standard lists the purpose of the German Spitz family, which includes the Pom, as watchdog and companion dog. As a result, your puppy will react to noises in the hallway and to the doorbell. Getting your puppy used to everyday sounds from the day it comes home works much better than trying to fix the barking in an adult dog. On the plus side, a dog this small doesn’t have a very loud bark.

A white Pomeranian being held in a crowd on a pedestrian street at night, with lit-up buildings all around

Is a Pomeranian clingy, and is it good with young kids?

Very clingy. A Pom is happiest close to its people and will follow you from the living room to the kitchen. If everyone in the house is at work or school from morning to night, a Pom left alone that long gets bored. Bored Poms tend to bark a lot or chew things up.

On children, the AKC suggests the Pom suits families with older kids who understand that a small dog is not a toy. In Vietnamese homes, you often see grandparents or young children carrying the puppy all over the house. A Pom that wriggles out of someone’s arms and lands on the hard ceramic tile floors common here can injure a leg. Families with young children can still have a Pom. The adults just need to teach the kids to sit on the floor and play with the puppy instead of picking it up while standing.

With other dogs and cats at home, a Pom usually gets along well. Introduce them while your puppy is young.

A small white Pomeranian sitting next to another dog in front of old terracotta architecture

Can a Pom’s thick coat handle hot, humid Saigon?

Yes, as long as you care for the coat properly. A Pom has a double coat: a long outer coat over a dense, cottony undercoat. Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) is hot all year and rains often, and an undercoat that stays damp for long is where skin rashes and fungal skin infections start. So every time your puppy has a bath or gets caught in the rain, dry the coat all the way down to the undercoat at the skin. Drying the surface isn’t enough.

The AKC recommends regular brushing, and if you can’t groom your puppy at home, take it to a pet groomer every 4–6 weeks. Keep the nails short too, since a Pom is always running and jumping. In hot weather, many owners want to shave their dog down to keep it cool. Don’t shave the coat down to the skin. The double coat insulates your puppy from heat and shields it from the sun, and in some Poms the coat grows back very slowly or unevenly after shaving.

A white Pomeranian sitting on a rock by the sea

Heat is a bigger worry than the coat. Skip walks in the harsh midday sun, never leave your puppy in a closed car, and always provide clean water and a cool spot. Fast breathing, heavy open-mouthed panting, a dark red tongue, lethargy or vomiting after time in the heat are signs of heatstroke. Take your puppy to a veterinary clinic right away. On the way, you can cool your puppy with a towel soaked in cool water (not ice water) and run the car’s air conditioning. These steps are only for the trip. They don’t replace an exam by the vet.

Is it hard to house-train a Pom and teach it to listen?

Poms learn quickly, but house-training is usually the hardest part. The AKC itself points this out for the breed. What works is rewarding your puppy the moment it goes in the right spot and patiently repeating that every day. Scolding after an accident only frightens your puppy. It will start sneaking off somewhere else to pee.

Teach two lessons early: walking on a leash and coming when called. A Pom is small and quick, and it slips through gaps in a flash. In a Vietnamese townhouse, the usual weak spots are the roll-up front shutter when someone lifts it to wheel out the motorbike, the gate left open for a delivery, and balcony railings with wide gaps.

A small white Pomeranian sitting in a courtyard surrounded by potted green plants

At a coffee shop, the market or a pedestrian street, keep your Pom on a leash or in a carrier bag. Crowds and traffic are risky. A single honk can be enough to make your puppy bolt.

A white Pomeranian in a yellow and white fabric carrier bag, sitting in a coffee shop garden

How small is a Pom, and what do you need before bringing one home?

An adult Pom stands about 17–24 cm (6.7–9.5 in) tall at the shoulder. The 2024 FCI standard gives a height at the withers of 21 cm ± 3 cm (about 8.3 in ± 1.2 in), with weight in proportion to height. Our line leans toward a short face, a thick coat and a small size. Still, nobody can reliably predict a puppy’s adult size while it’s young.

We keep feeding consistent at the kennel. Puppies under 6 months eat 2 meals a day of kibble only. After 6 months, your Pom can switch to 1 meal a day with a larger amount of kibble. For portion sizes, follow the instructions we give you when you pick up your puppy. Don’t feed your puppy bones, cow’s milk or seasoned human food.

Have these ready before your puppy comes home:

A crate or playpen with a door, set in a cool corner out of direct sun.
A ventilated travel carrier for vet visits and longer trips.
A well-fitted leash, a brush and a hair dryer.
The same kibble your puppy eats at our kennel, so its food doesn’t change suddenly.

Two Pomeranians, one white and one orange-red, sitting in a gray travel carrier

When should you wait before getting a Pom?

We suggest waiting if your home is empty most of the day, if you have young children who haven’t learned to be gentle and no adult to supervise them, or if nobody has time to brush and dry the coat every week. A Pom shouldn’t just be beautiful. It should be the right puppy for you, and finding the right family matters just as much for the puppy.

Is your household ready? If you’d like to bring a Pom home, or you want to see our puppies’ parents and the parents’ pedigree papers, chat with us on WhatsApp. If you’re in Ho Chi Minh City and want to visit us at 52 Lê Lai, Bảy Hiền Ward, message us first to book a time.

Medical information in this article was reviewed by veterinarians at Home Pet Veterinary Clinic on October 14, 2026.