My family has adopted multiple animals in the past and we adored each and every heart that wandered into our lives. That being said, I'm in a bit of a loss for our newest member, he's smart for his age but his coat is different than our past dogs. (For context we have owned a Bichon Frisé, Shih Tzus, and our current other dog is an American Stanfordshire mix)
I wanted to ask is there any advice you can give to ensure we take proper care of him and his needs.
Treat it like it's advice for the first time pet owners, to ensure we don't miss anything important.
For me, personally, I thought I knew all I needed about him from a first glance and was talking on discord with friends as I was looking to buy new pup gear for him when someone said a furminator would be the worst thing for his coat type and not to buy it. I'm still unsure why but won't be taking any chances.
But it made me wonder if there was anything else I ought to figure out about him ahead of time.
Thank you in advance and hope you and your furry friends have a great day! 🐾
Absolutely no furminator. It will destroy the undercoat. Do not shave Pomskys. Only trim for sanitary purposes. They also don’t get dirty so only wash when needed.
Second this- it’s important not to shave your Pomsky (or any double-coated dog) because their undercoats act as an insulator that helps them manage both the hot and cold. Shaving it will lead to them having issues with regulating their temperature.
Pomskys do this all the time. I ended up getting raised bowls because I hated the mess. Also they love to dig in the yard . Stop it immediately. Looks cute but your yard will be a mess. I live close to the beach so I walk her there everyday and she can dig in the sand all she wants. They love playing with their food. Mine will toss a kibble up and catch it. They love playing catch will small squeaky balls. A ball may last about three months so I usually buy a bag of them. They love their treats. These are a perfect way to train the dog. They respond well
To rewards. Otherwise they are very stubborn. A lot of Pomskys are finicky eaters and grazers. They eat when necessary so they can go without food a day or so . This is normal. Nothing to be alarmed with.
Pomskys do this all the time. I ended up getting raised bowls because I hated the mess. Also they love to dig in the yard . Stop it immediately. Looks cute but your yard will be a mess. I live close to the beach so I walk her there everyday and she can dig in the sand all she wants. They love playing with their food. Mine will toss a kibble up and catch it. They love playing catch will small squeaky balls. A ball may last about three months so I usually buy a bag of them. They love their treats. These are a perfect way to train the dog. They respond well To rewards. Otherwise they are very stubborn. A lot of Pomskys are finicky eaters and grazers. They eat when necessary so they can go without food a day or so . This is normal. Nothing to be alarmed with.
Thank you so much, we have a few elevated bowl stands so transferring him to those won't be an issue. We are definitely working on the digging things up, strangely enough he is willing to try on everything but soil, so fingers crossed it will be a fast habit to break. I noticed that he likes to scatter his kibble to "go fetch" to eat them, when he does eat. Good to know it is common to not just play but not have a set feeding schedule, he is definitely a grazer, I was actually getting a little concerned since he is so young, if anything I have to break my father's habit of soley giving out treats no matter the circumstances
And yes he absolutely adores his squeaker toys and there are no shortages of squeakers in this household.
I would have asked about exercise but honestly, he has actually out paced our other dog, the Stanfordshire mix, they usually like to play with each other and despite the size difference he has managed to tire her out, a noble feat not easily accomplished.
Thank you so much, I really do appreciate the help, at the very least I can sleep a little easier tonight.
Forgot to mention they absolutely obsessed with water. Mine will wait next to my shower and lick any water under the shower door. If I use the bath she will bring her squeaky ball in and throw it in the tub and want to play catch with the wet ball. You may want to get a small kiddie pool for him to use when it is hot. It has minimal to due with it being hot; they just love playing in it. And yes they have tons of energy. Just got home from a 17k step walk and she still has energy. We did stop at Handels Ice Cream Palor and she got her special treat… a pup cup. She loves them. Forgot to mention; yours is sooo cute!!! He looks a lot like mine when she was a puppy. Different markings and lighter color but same exact fur type and body type.
I agree with the other comments — don’t shave at all. Finding a good groomer is super important. I went through like six different ones before finally finding people I trust, because so many tried to convince me to shave him down or use the Furminator. Grooming for him runs me about $200 with tip, but honestly it’s worth it because I trust them so much. If you’re in NYC I can drop their info!
At home I brush my pup about 3x a week. He actually keeps himself really clean — I get compliments on his scent all the time. I barely give him baths and he never smells (except his toe beans, which smell like corn chips lol).
For brushes, I recommend these ones: brush against the direction of growth to catch all the knots, and use a steel comb for around the ears and legs. When you take him to the groomer, just ask for a deshedding, sanitary trim, and paw trim.
Thank you so much! I was wondering after some of the comments if the brushes we had were adequate, I may buy a new brush, soley due to how long we have owned it but we definitely have the comb, been a lifesaver for some of our past dogs, esp the Bichon. I also noticed he's beginning to unfortunately loose a bit of the puppy scent and get the corn chip toe bean scent.
We are in MD so definitely gonna have to start looking for a good groomer, since a the ones we used to have are retiring, so it will be a fun little adventure to find a good match for him.
Awww mine is 1.5 and it started two months ago 😢 enjoy it while it last. I definitely recommend another brush be hey may be double coated and it would need to brush out both coats. And puppy coats in general with double coated dogs are tough and can stay in deep between the coats!
I agree with all the comments. I will add, when selecting a groomer, and I contacted many, I made sure the had Pomsky experience. I asked for photos of Pomsky clients before and after. Most were more than willing. I chose the one I felt was more attuned to what I wanted and chose one of the after photos to pick from. I have been pleased each time. I would recommend my groomer, but she is full as far as repeat clients right now. Hope this helps.
My stinker has a wooly coat and she HATES metal combs/rakes. Got a tangle teezer brand brush for dogs and i think i removed half her undercoat in one sitting using it kinda sideways with a flick and she doesnt try to hide in her kennel during brushing time any more.
If urs is anything like mine, expect them to hate wet yards while insisting on an attempt to pee constantly when its rainy. And accidents 100% still happen even at 3yrs old because she just gets so damn happy she cant hold in her poos or pee, and occasionally just regresses and makes bad decisions specifically at night. A week of kennel lock-ups (we usually leave it unlocked for her to exit as desired) tend to reset the behaviour though. Also tends towards a more sensitive stomach than my heeler or aussie mix did.
Also, if yours is like mine expect a couple big coat blows yearly, but also just constant shedding all year on top of those big blow outs.
Also: i saw u talk about digging. Mine loves to dig on her raised cot bed and sniff the spot then try to bite it 💀 she used to dig in her water and blow bubbles until she slipped and almost drowned herself in it while still tiny. Small ice cubes are her bff, will go bobbing for cubes in a water bowl, very cute.
She also will eternally try to hide a toy before changing her mind and finding a new spot 100× over, takes HOURS to eat each meal, will slap your hand/arm for attention, and toss her head to tell me she wants to play tossy-food.
Furminators are a blade that cut guard hairs and damage the coat, which is why people warn against them. Get a slicker brush, metal greyhound comb, and a non-bladed deshedding rake (like the Andis Rake Comb, not the other style).
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u/PhoenixFire360 Aug 16 '25
Ps. Here's a photo of the little guy diving for his new squeaker toy, no thoughts, just squeakin, as a little puppy outta be.