Parker's Precious Pomeranians

                       Getting ready for puppy's arrival!!

We are not paid or compensated by ANYONE for any of the products listed below. We created this page based on our personal experience and recommendations. 

There are items that are too general to list individually but that you will want or need, things like a Crate/Kennel, a Dog Bed, a Leash, a Harness  Name Tag, a Pet Stroller, Doggie Clothes, a Doggie car seat, Toothbrush/Paste, etc......it is important to consider that you'll want or need these items in addition to most of the types of products we recommend below.  

All of our puppies come with a PUPPY INFO PACKET which includes info on basic health and safety care (vaccines, hypoglycemia, leg breaks, trachea issues, patella problems, etc.) AND basic training tips (housebreaking, crate training, "no biting", "quiet", etc..)This page is not meant to replace our puppy info packet, it is only a guide to products that we use and trust.

Our veterinarian recommends TRUPANION Pet Insurance over any other pet insurance company. Trupanion has NO payout limits and covers most everything, including hereditary and breed specific defects/illnesses. Trupanion also pays 90% of EVERYTHING they cover, unlike other companions who cover "20% of this or 60% of that". You choose your monthly fee/deductible. Monthly cost is about $40-$60 depending on the deductible you choose.

Trupanion is accepted ANYWHERE IN THE USA!  

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#1 MUST HAVE is a PLAYPEN!

A Play pen is a necessity unless you are home 24/7 and can supervise your puppy every time it is out of it's crate. Pens allow your puppy a SAFE space to potty, eat, play and sleep, all without supervision. A play pen is not to replace playtime or exercise in your home or yard, it is generally used for naptimes, sleeping overnight and for those times when you cannot supervise your puppy in your home. 

Crates/Kennels are recommended for housebreaking and for older puppies and dogs for unsupervised times, but for the first 3-6mths of a puppy's life, they cannot be crated for long periods of time, which is what makes a pen so wonderful. It doesn't matter what kind of pen you use (we do not recommend material ones though as it's hard to keep them clean) In puppy's playpen they should have a bed, food/water access 24/7 and a bathroom area such as newspaper, washable puppy pad/crib liner or traditional puppy pads. Put the playpen in the busiest part of the house (living room/kitchen area is typical).  

Here are a few pictures of playpen set ups from past puppy families, playpen size and setup varies, for a single puppy a four panel playpen is plenty! Here is our favorite pen and the kind we use with almost all of our pups!

You can always "Rehome" the playpen on craigslist when puppy is matured out of it, these pens bleach/clean up nicely and can be reused by another family afterwards! Or store it for future use by your second puppy ;)

Or you can splurge and get two pens ($98) and set it up like shown below. 

Above shows TWO four panel playpens, just don't install the second door on the door panel-zip tie in place to create a designated potty area! Do you see the domed shaped bed!? Poms LOVE these beds, found in the cat section! They like the den like space they provide.

The pen must be on a hard surface floor, no carpet! A piece of vinyl from home depot works great to protect your hard floors. Vinyl is required if you put the pen on carpet. The pen should have a designated bathroom area, a bed and food/water.

This family chose a pretty pattern for the vinyl scrap they used! (see below)

While the larger pens are cute, some people just don't have the space, single pens work perfect for a single puppy!  

 See the flooring over the carpet!? Vinyl works best! Check Home Depot!

 

Here is a link to the BEST and CHEAPEST playpen! It's the one we use and recommend! CLICK HERE!

(Click on the item's name to be linked to where it is sold)

Nutrition

Grizzly Alaskan Salmon Oil-food supplement for healthier coats, a healthy heart and a healthier immune system.(OPTIONAL SUPPLEMENT FOR COAT AND HEART HEALTH)

Taste of the Wild Dog Food-grain-free diet. Includes fruits/veggies and it is for all life stages. This is what all our adult Poms eat! FEED THIS AT ADULTHOOD (OR ANOTHER HIGH QUALITY GRAIN FREE KIBBLE THAT IS FREE FROM FILLERS)

Eukanuba Small Breed Puppy Kibble: Great nutrition, small kibble, we use this for weaning our pups and to supplement pregnant and nursing mothers. THIS IS THE KIBBLE YOUR PUPPY WILL NEED ONCE HE OR SHE IS HOME!  The link takes you to Chewy.com but you can buy it in most major pet stores too!

Nutri-Cal-high calorie supplement to fight against hypoglycemia-highly recommended! (GREAT TO HAVE ON HAND TO SUPPLEMENT IF NEEDED FOR HYPOGLYCEMIA)

The best treats/snacks are simple things like fresh baby carrots, apple chunks, diced unseasoned, boiled chicken breast, unseasoned, cooked mini ground beef meet balls, and plain, unseasoned diced ham cubes. You can take a few minutes each week and prepare a tubberware dish to keep in the fridge with one or more of these snacks to give throughout the week as treats. These are not only LESS EXPENSIVE than store bought treats, they are also more natural and healthy for your Pom because they don't contain preservatives, fillers or dyes. Don't overfeed these or your dog will want to come off his or her food, use them solely as small treats. These should be the ONLY people food you allow your dog to have and don't give them a snack when they beg for it, give it when YOU decide to.

Bones that are non-edible (as in they can't be immediately consumed like a "treat") such as hooves, rawhide chews, pig ears, etc. These are EXCELLENT and are required to satisfy your Pom's need to chew. Toys can only do so much and dogs LOVE these items because they taste great and are stimulating to chew on. For most items it takes so many hours of "work" to make any progress that they last for a long long time. DO NOT CONSIDER BONES A "TREAT", A "SNACK" OR A "SPECIAL ITEM", ALL DOGS SHOULD HAVE ACCESS TO CLEAN, SAFE BONES/CHEWS AS IT IS IN THEIR NATURE TO CHEW.

 

CLICK HERE FOR A LIST OF POISONOUS FOODS FOR DOG-SOME MAY COME AS A SURPRISE TO YOU. 

 

Grooming

Tropiclean- Quality hypoallergenic, natural dog shampoo that ****does NOT affect frontline plus flea treatments**** and that leaves our pom's coats and skin clean and healthy. Environmentally friendly and cruelty free. (Be careful with the type of shampoo you buy, you may be inactivating your topical parasite prevention, we love this brand and it works great.) UNSCENTED

Kwik Stop-styptic powder stops nails from bleeding if you accidentally cut the quick while trimming your dog's nails.Use CAT NAIL CLIPPERS, dog clippers are too big unless you can find the tiny ones that are identical to cat nail clippers. NAIL CLIPPERS COME IN OUR PUPPY PACK!

Slicker Brush: Best kind of brush we've found for Pom's coats. These get to the thick undercoat and do a great job of keeping the coat healthy by distributing oils from the skin. They also make the Poms coat fluffier and stand up better. I like the kind with a built in brush cleaner that pushes out the hair, but you can always use a comb to get the hair off the brush. Be sure to brush behind the ears and brush the legs because those areas are prone to matts. Because Pomeranians are double coated and because they shed, brushing them daily is required.***You have to be gentle with these because the metal bristles can inquire their eyes or delicate skin on their belly or bottom if you brush too hard or in an area without a lot of coat.*** You can buy these at any pet store or online. 

Angel Eyes-Some white and light colored pomeranians have eye drainage and some don't. We recommend Angel Eyes to reduce if not eliminate this cosmetic issue.

There are other grooming tools and products that we use, some you will need if you choose to do your own grooming. Electric trimmers are excellent for coat care on the feet, removing large mats and sanitary bottom trims (we use them for pregnancy shaves too:). Rounded tip scissors are great for trimming overgrown coat around the eyes, shaping the ears into rounded tops like a teddy bear (instead of pointed tips) and additional coat shaping on the feet and body. The Pom's Foot should look like a cat's foot when trimmed properly (not "grinch" like with long whispy hairs:) Other items are commercial dog blow dryers (we love ours!) and special absorbent towels for bath time.

 

 Puppy Care

SnugglePuppy: This adorable stuffed animal simulates a sleeping littermate so that your new puppy has an easier time transitioning from sleeping with his or her littermates to sleeping alone. This toy has a built in HEARTBEAT and HEATER that comfort your new puppy! These are highly recommended! 

Toys:Probably the most overlooked, misunderstood and forgotten NECESSITY of raising a puppy are toys, toys, toys! Puppies are BABIES! They are exploring everything, "playing with" everything and yes putting everything in their mouths! Would sit your 10mth old in the middle of the house and discipline them every time they touched something they shouldn't have and not offer them a variety of interesting, stimulating and fun toys to explore? Probably Not! So don't do this to your puppy! Balls, stuffed toys, toys that rattle or have a bell, puppy teething rings and pretty much any toy on the dog toy isle will do! Ice cubes are wonderful and novel treats for a teething puppy, they LOVE them. (You can even freeze chicken broth for an extra special treat!) Don't forget that when toys get lost, ruined or dirty, you have to REPLACE them with new toys, it is a monthly expense the same as dog food is. 

Most dogs do not "outgrow" their need for stimulating toys, what else do they have to do with their time when they are not interacting with you? Combine that with a dog's natural urge to chew and you have a recipe for disaster (and a VERY UNHAPPY DOG) if you do not provide toys! It is still your job to teach your Pom what is "theirs" and what is not:)  Keeping an open shoe box in each room with your Pom's toys inside usually works great because then they can access them all on their own. 

Puppy Play Pen: A Play pen is a necessity unless you are home 24/7 and can supervise your puppy every time it is out of it's crate. Pens allow your puppy a SAFE space to potty, eat, play and sleep, all without supervision. A play pen is not to replace playtime or exercise in your home or yard, it is generally used for naptimes and for those times when you cannot supervise your puppy in your home. 

Crates/Kennels are recommended for housebreaking and for older puppies and dogs for unsupervised times, but for the first 6-8mths of a puppy's life, they cannot be crated for long periods of time, which is what makes a pen so wonderful. We zip tie soft and/or unwashable toys to the sides of the pen so that they do not get puppy poop on them (they are still replaced as needed), plastic toys we wash with bleach when we clean out and bleach the pen and floor each day. It doesn't matter what kind of pen you use (we do not recommend material ones though as it's hard to keep them clean.

Pet Stairs-we use pet stairs to reduce the chance of an injury from a jump or fall from the beds or sofas. These are a must have when you own a Pomeranian Puppy. It doesn't matter what brand you use.

Harness: Pomeranians have delicate tracheas and require the use of a harness for walks. Harnesses distribute their weight and the pull of the leash, plus it's convenient if you need to quickly pick up your Pom when large dogs approach. Don't' leave the harness on a young puppy unattended as they will chew it and/or strangle in it.