Why nothing works on your Pom — and the 5-minute fix built for the Spitz brain

By Victoria · 6 min read · Updated September 2026

Two years ago, I was ready to admit I'd failed my own dog. I'd had dogs my whole life — good, easy dogs — and then a six-pound Pomeranian made me feel like I'd never trained anything.

The barking at the door, the window, at nothing. The way he'd look right at me and do the exact opposite. Accidents on the rug. And the second I left, he fell apart. I did everything the internet told me — the clicker, the treats, “being the alpha,” even a trainer. Nothing stuck. And somewhere in there, I stopped blaming the dog and started blaming myself.

I was training a wolf like a retriever

A Pomeranian isn't a Labrador. It's a Spitz — an ancient arctic breed wired closer to a little wolf than to the retrievers that nearly all mainstream dog training was built for. A Spitz was bred to sound the alarm and think for itself. So “sit, stay, good boy,” the treats and the firm voice — the things that work on a Lab — quietly fight thousands of years of your Pom's instincts. I wasn't a bad owner. I was a good owner using the wrong manual.

The 5-minute method built for the Spitz brain

There is a calmer way — a method built only for the Pomeranian brain. Five minutes a day. No yelling, no clicker, no “dominance.” It starts by understanding your own Pom. The first time I trained him his way instead of the Labrador way, he settled on the very first day.

It's called the Off-Duty Method: the step-by-step plan, the Masterclass, the Calm Kit and a private community of Pom owners — everything included from day one, and yours to keep. It's on the next page.

Victoria · Brainy Pom

Victoria started Brainy Pom after spending years learning — the hard way — that Pomeranians can't be trained like other dogs. She now helps hundreds of Pom owners work with the Spitz brain instead of against it.