Pomeranian Intelligence: How Smart Are They? (Explained)

The famous German Pomeranian dog, they’re a lovable breed that comes with a large package (despite their physical small-sized bodies). Apart from their golden mane and cheerful smiles, Pomeranians prove to us that their intelligence is not to be under-estimated. But how smart are they, you might be asking?

Pomeranians rank 23rd in Stanley Coren’s “The Intelligence of Dogs”, being of excellent working/obedience intelligence. They’re easy-to-train, extremely obedient, instinctively intelligent, and can respond to commands.

The Intelligence of Pomeranians

If you didn’t know a thing or two about The Pomeranian Breed, they’re extremely intelligent. Pomeranians thrive both instinctually and obediently. And when they’ve been properly trained, their trainability skills come to light.

Stanley Coren ranked Pomeranians #23 as an “Excellent Working Dog”.

Their instinctive intelligence shines through best when they’re feeling protective. And their obedience intelligence skills are noticed when their patience, response to commands, and respectable behavior are put to the test.

Overall, Pomeranians are quite a smart breed of dog. And even though they’re small in size, don’t underestimate their capabilities to be just as bright as any other dog!

Instinctive Intelligence

Dog instinctive intelligence relates to how well they can perform certain tasks; particularly instinctive habits they were originally bred for. This can refer to herding, guarding, or similar tasks.

Pomeranians come from and were bred (in the 1800’s decade) as a working dog. Despite their small size; they would undergo tasks such as sled pulling, safeguarding livestock, and guarding homes.

This particular dog breed thrives especially well in the “instinctive intelligence department,” given their long history of utilizing such skills.

In this day and age, they’re commonly used as family companions and on the odd-time, will guard homeowners’ homes against possible “intruders”.

Obedience Intelligence

Dog obedience intelligence relates to how well they can problem solve. It also refers to their ability to relate (with other dogs) and understand humans. For poms’, their obedience intelligence thrives best when interacting with humans.

Pomeranians, when properly trained, respond to commands by humans fairly quickly.

A pomeranian becomes particularly obedient when bribed with food, however, they’re genuinely smart dogs that can seem to pick up what their owner is telling them.

Some of the best obedience intelligence features that a pomeranian dog has are:

• Can relate to commands such as “sit,” “come,” “stop,” “off,” “watch,” etc
• Respectable behavior when socializing
• Enjoy interaction with other dogs

Trainability

Pomeranians are easily trainable dogs and are recognized for it too! A poms’ trainability goes hand-in-hand with their impressive instinctual and obedience skills. If you’re looking for a smart dog that can be easily trained, look no further than a pomeranian pooch.

When an owner is both persistent and consistent with dog-training, they can achieve amazing results! Different things a pomeranian can be trained for is stuff like learning cool tricks, serving as watch-dogs, and if lucky- potty-training too!

Beware; Pomeranians do have a stubborn streak, and this can mean it’s harder for newbie-dog owners to train their pooch. Nevertheless, if the right owner is dedicated- they can be quickly snapped out of their stubbornness and transform into the wonderfully behaved pooch you’ve always dreamed of.

The Best Pomeranian Intelligence Features

Comprehension of Commands (And Ability to Respond)

The comprehension process for Pomeranians to understand (and respond) to commands is highly impressive. Their quick-witted nature, in addition to other useful traits, allows both Pomeranians and humans to develop a closer connection due to such skill.

Pomeranians know basic commands. And despite their sometimes stubborn personalities, poms’ have no problem responding to such commands with ease.

Can Act as a Guard-Dog

If you’ve ever observed your poms’ protective characteristics before, you’ll already know that they make a good watch-dog (small size and all). Pomeranians tend to be extremely alert, which means they’ll have no problem letting you know of any activities going on outside.

Easily Trainable

One of the best (and most convenient) features of a pomeranian’s intelligence is that they’re easy to train! Yes, they can be moody sometimes. Nevertheless, they’re still easily trainable in comparison to other dog breeds.

When purchasing a Pomeranian, it’s important to keep this intelligence in mind. It’s better off to train them, as failing to do so could give you more trouble than anticipated with your dog. (Such as aggression issues, etc.)

Fantastic Working Dog

Originally bred to be a working dog, Pomeranians have this unique intelligence deep-rooted into their genetics. Sure, they’re typically used as common household pets nowadays. However, if you’re looking for a dog that can do both, Pomeranians might be your best choice!

Extremely Obedient

The top feature that makes a pomeranian so intelligent is their ability to be so obedient. If trained by the right person, poms’ might be able to listen better than your 2-year-old toddler! Nevertheless, it’s no surprise that they’re extremely obedient. As they’re commonly used in obedience competitions throughout the world.

Can Pomeranian Intelligence be Improved?

Improving your pomeranian intelligence depends on numerous factors, but most importantly- how dedicated you are as an owner. Think of yourself as the teacher, and the student (aka your pom) relies on you heavily to improve his knowledge.

When improving your poms’ intelligence, you must have time and patience. Poms’ are known to be slackers sometimes, and let’s not get into their stubbornness sometimes. For these reasons, you, as the owner, must have enough patience to deal with such issues.

If you don’t have the time nor patience, you can expect your poms’ intelligence to remain stagnant. Or at worst, decrease due to a lack of trust/respect in you.

Also, actively using new techniques to continue developing your Pomeranian’s intelligence (especially if they’re a puppy) is expected.

How to Develop Your Pomeranian Puppy Intelligence?

There is a range of techniques you can begin using to develop your Pomeranian pups’ intelligence.

Find a list of these techniques below:

• Introduce visual cues (head nodding, finger shaking)
• Partake in the hide & treat dog game– this works well for the development of using his senses
• Engage in plenty of one-on-one learning activities
• Start verbalizing basic commands like “yes” or “stop”
• Ensure to play plenty of games together (fetch, dog puzzles)
• Socialize ASAP
• Be firm, but loving (never physically abuse your dog)

How Smart Can You Expect Your Pomeranian to Be?

You should expect your pomeranian to only be as smart as how willing you’re able to nurture them. In other words, if you can’t provide or continue teaching them adequate skills required to develop their intelligence- they’ll remain stagnant.

It’s essential for you, as the owner, to tend to such needs. If your goal is to make your pomeranian as smart as possible, you need to consider the time and patience that it’ll take from you to achieve such a goal.

Yes, Pomeranians are easily trainable. But it’s their stubbornness and sometimes aggressive personalities that you’ll need to overcome.

Once you have the time, patience, and willingness to improve your poms’ knowledge, the potential of becoming an exceedingly smart dog increases.

Pomeranian Intelligence in Comparison with Shiba Inus, Akitas, Alaskan Malamutes, Golden Retrievers, Samoyeds and Shetland Sheepdogs

In Comparison With:
Shiba Inus	Shiba Inus are ranked #93 on the Dog IQ list. In comparison to Pomeranians, Shibas are highly stubborn and possess a common streak to disobey commands from his owner.
Akitas	Akitas are ranked #54 on the Dog IQ list. In comparison to Pomeranians, Akitas aren’t the sociable type. This makes them less friendly and more over-protective.
Alaskan Malamutes	Alaskan Malamutes are ranked #50 on the Dog IQ list. In comparison to Pomeranians, Alaskan Malamutes lack obedience and ignore their owners on purpose.
Golden Retrievers	Golden Retrievers are ranked #4 on the Dog IQ list. In comparison to Pomeranians, Golden Retrievers is a highly recommended breed that possesses impressive intelligent skills- so good that they’re also used for the assistance of humans.
Samoyeds	Samoyeds are ranked #33 on the Dog IQ list. In comparison to Pomeranians, they tend to become easily bored and lack patience for prolonged training.
Shetland Sheepdos	Shetland Sheepdogs are ranked #6 on the Dog IQ list. In comparison to Pomeranians, they’re another highly recommended dog with impressive skills to comprehend commands in as little as 5 attempts.

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