Last Updated on 16/11/2025 by Denise Leo. Post first published on June 29, 2023.
Welcome to our guide on the Pomeranian puppy stages, where you’ll learn what to expect as your little Pom grows from a newborn fluff-ball into a confident, joyful companion. As a breeder with decades of experience, I’ve watched countless Pomeranians progress through their early weeks and months — and while each puppy is unique, knowing the typical milestones and growth phases helps set you and your pup up for success.
This article breaks down the key stages of development, why they matter, and how you can support your puppy every step of the way.
Although Pomeranian growth stages are quite predictable week by week, every puppy and dog breed is unique and differs slightly at each stage of their development.
Similar to how humans develop, Pomeranian puppies also follow a predictable pattern of stages. However, there has never been an official agreement regarding the exact ages at which a puppy may be when each step is taken.
Small toy breeds, such as Pomeranians, develop quickly, with many reaching maturity before larger dog breeds.
The previous rule stating that one dog year is equivalent to seven human years is incorrect. Smaller dogs mature earlier than larger dogs, and Pom females are often only 6-7 months of age when they experience their first heat cycle.
Puppy Development Stages Month by Month
At What Age Do Pomeranians Stop Growing?
A 1-year-old Pomeranian is a fully grown adult dog. Numerous changes occur in a puppy’s first year of living. He starts as a relatively helpless newborn pup, unable to hear, see, or go potty alone.
By the end of the first year, a full-grown Pomeranian is a fully developed and sexually mature dog. Smaller dog breeds, such as Pomeranians, should not be used for breeding before the age of 14-18 months.
When Do These Pomeranian Growth Stages Actually Happen?
There are Seven Acknowledged Pomeranian Growth Stages:
- Stage One = 0 – 3 Weeks.
- Stage Two = 3 – 7 Weeks.
- Stage Three = 7 – 12 Weeks.
- Stage Four = 12 – 17 weeks.
- Stage Five = 17 – 40 Weeks.
- Stage Six = 40 – 52 Weeks.
- Stage Seven = 1 year and older.
Pomeranian Puppy Development: Week by Week
Puppy Development – 1 – 2 weeks
The Neonatal Period
Puppy Milestones:
- Touch, taste, and smell are all working. No hearing or sight.
- Recognizes pain.
- Sleeps and eats most of the time.
- Can’t regulate their own body temperature.
- Can’t eliminate on their own. Needs the mother to initiate defecation and urination.
Puppy Needs:
- Dependent on mother for food and elimination.
- If the canine mother is unavailable, human interactions must occur to provide warmth, food, and elimination.
- Dependent on the breeder for a warm environment.
- First worming at the end of this stage.
Stages of Puppy Growth – 2 – 3 Weeks
The Transitional Stage
Milestones:
- Eyes and ears open so the puppy can hear and see what’s happening.
- May be able to eat solid food by the end of this stage.
- The first significant learning time happens.
- First few steps.
Puppy Needs:
- Still needs to be warm.
- The start of interactions with the mother, other littermates, and people.
Puppy’s Development 3 – 4 Weeks
Puppy Milestones:
- Puppies start knowing that dogs and humans aren’t the same.
- Mother dog teaches puppy canine manners.
- Play fighting may happen with others in the litter.
- Puppies begin eating solid foods but continue to nurse.
- Starts to eliminate without assistance.
- Puppy is more stable when standing.
Puppy Needs:
- Introduced to loud noises and other sounds within the environment.
- Introduced to different textures and allowed to walk on various floor surfaces.
- Second worming treatment after this step.
Pomeranian Puppy Stages 4 – 5 Weeks
Puppy Milestones:
- Teeth may start appearing.
- Curiosity about everything is a big thing at this stage.
- Plays with other puppies in the litter.
- Puppies each take turns being the dominant ones.
- Weaning is in progress.
Puppy Needs:
- Needs to have plenty of new experiences.
- Puppies need time alone to overcome separation anxiety.
- Needs to be around people more than ever.
- They need excellent-quality puppy food because they nurse less frequently.
Pomeranian Growth Stages 5 – 7 Weeks
Puppy Milestones:
- Weaning begins.
- May get the first set of shots.
- Very curious and may venture away from litter mates and mother at times.
- Begins to understand boundaries and impulse control.
- Mother will spend more time away from puppies.
Puppy Needs:
- Good time for their first car ride and first bath.
- Not ready to leave litter mates and mother just yet.
- Important socialization period, human interactions, and variety of experiences.
Pomeranian Puppy’s Development 8 – 11 Weeks
Puppy Milestones:
- Good motor skills and coordination.
- Most curious phase. A puppy will move further away if his interest is piqued.
- Traumatic events can have a lasting impact.
Puppy Needs:
- The puppy must be protected from all forms of trauma.
- He must be prevented from wandering too far away.
- This is the time for the puppy’s second round of injections.
- Not fully vaccinated, the owner must strike a fine balance between health risks and socialization.
- If a puppy goes to a new home, he should start being trained immediately.
- The puppy needs to hear his name called as often as possible.
Pomeranian Puppy’s Development 10 – 16 Weeks
Puppy Milestones:
- Puppies are taken to their new homes.
- They have moved past the initial fear stage.
- Puppy doesn’t mess its bed anymore.
- Crate training should be progressing well.
- He chews everything in sight as he continues to cut his teeth.
Puppy Needs:
- Important socialization period: Expose the puppy to various things, including other dogs and animals, without overexposing it. Stress can be felt at this age.
- Good time for potty training to begin.
- Provide a variety of chew toys and bones for your dog to enjoy.
- By the end of this period, the puppy will be ready for puppy classes.
Pomeranian Puppy Development. 16 Weeks to 6 Months.
Puppy Milestones:
- Puppy is now more independent than ever.
- This is the “preteen” period.
- Demonstrates signs of a “big dog” attitude within a small dog.
Puppy Needs:
- More socializing.
- More training is needed.
- Owners must have a great deal of patience.
Pomeranian Stages of Growth 6 – 12 Months
Puppy Milestones:
- The dog begins as an adolescent and reaches sexual maturity by the end of this period.
- Very independent. He is likely to possess a mind of his own and be stubborn.
- The second fear stage typically begins around six months and can last from a few days to a few weeks. Female dogs face their first heat period. Males get extra testosterone, which can make them hard to control. Although their development is responsible for this problem, many think the dog is badly behaved or doesn’t obey instructions.
Puppy Needs:
- Reinforcement of rules must be followed up, as should ongoing training.
- Dogs should be spayed or neutered.
- You can switch to adult food for your dog once this period is over.
An Overview of Pomeranian Life Stages
Newborn Pomeranian Puppy Stage
When the puppy is firstborn, its ears and eyes are shut. Only his senses of taste, touch, and smell work, but they’re not fully functional. He can respond to discomfort, pain, and minor disturbances, and cry or whine to let you know.
His body temperature is significantly lower than that of a mature dog, and he cannot tolerate cool weather. To facilitate ideal development, the room should be kept quite warm (around 80 degrees), and breeders achieve this by using heating pads and/or heat lamps.
Newborn pups need their mother to stimulate the defecation and urination process, as they can’t do it for themselves.
A puppy’s first goal in life is to find food and warmth. Although they don’t yet have teeth, their nails are fully grown and might need to be trimmed within the first week of birth.
Their main activities are to seek nourishment from their mother and to sleep as much as possible.
Newborn pups typically sleep, sometimes twitching or moving slightly to adjust their position. The twitching occurs because their primary sleep is REM sleep, a stage characterized by higher brain activity.
Apart from that, they don’t interact with others in the litter or their surroundings except to huddle as close as possible to their mother and littermates to keep warm.
Pomeranian pups rely on their mother to supply nourishment and help them learn to go potty. The mother also has to clean up the potty messes, which she happily does.
Puppies’ eyes start opening when they’re about two weeks old. A couple of days after that, their ears also open. Their sight is blurry at first, but soon settles, and they can take their first view of their environment. Sight doesn’t get very sharp even as they start growing into adulthood.
After their ears open, they may get startled by different sounds around them. Even when their ears start working, they can hear the ultrasonic range, and their range is almost twice that of humans.
3 to 6 Weeks Puppy Growth
At three weeks, puppies will become a bit adventurous and start to move around, albeit clumsily. This can be likened to a human infant’s crawling period. At this time, progress happens quickly. By 3 ½ weeks, most puppies are stable and can move around independently.
Hearing and sight improve each day. They can start drinking liquids and eating soft, solid foods. They will have some interaction with others in their litter, but most of this will be deciding who will act as a blanket as they sleep in a pile and cuddle up underneath.
However, they don’t mind either role. This is also the time when they first start socializing. With open ears and eyes, they crawl a lot more and even begin trying to stand up and walk properly.
By the time they’re four weeks old, they know what “real” puppy food is, eat more of such foods, and reduce their nursing.
They’re not weaned at this stage. Pomeranian pups sleep less and spend more time moving around. At this point, they begin to socialize with the world around them.
They should listen to sounds like the vacuum cleaner, dishwasher, can opener, and hairdryer. They should also listen to the TV or music.
This is the perfect time for the puppy to walk on different textured surfaces such as grass, tile, wood, dirt, carpet, and concrete.
Additional textures can be added to his bedding, and the breeder can wear different textures in clothing so the puppy can snuggle up and feel them for himself.
The puppy is starting to regulate his body temperature, develop a puppy coat, and eliminate waste without stimulation from his mother.
However, she’ll keep cleaning up after him for a bit longer. At the five-week point, he’s now considered a toddler and will spend much time mixing with humans, his mother, and littermates.
If he has toys, he’ll explore them, but they won’t be an object of vigorous play until he’s a bit older. The mother will encourage her little one to wean by being unavailable for drinks whenever they desire.
Puppies begin to “play fight” with their mates, but are still too young to work out their pecking order and temperament. Some mothers regurgitate food for the puppies, but this doesn’t often happen in domesticated dogs.
Several wormings will occur at six weeks old, and it’s time for the puppy’s first shots. Tiny dog breeds, such as Pomeranians, may not receive their first set of shots until they’re eight weeks old.
Playtime changes dramatically at this stage, and toys become objects of pure fascination and delight. Puppies will explore every possible corner of their surroundings in various ways.
Breeders should provide a variety of stimuli, including smells, sounds, and textures, and change the environments where puppies can safely explore. The mother will continue to teach manners, particularly regarding “bite suppression.”
Puppies will gradually learn what is and isn’t appropriate canine behavior. These behaviors will continue for two weeks until they’re completely weaned and can be taken to permanent homes. Smaller dog breeds, such as Pomeranians, may require extra time with the litter and their mother.
At six weeks, a puppy is outgoing, friendly, curious, and eager to learn. If socializing is handled properly, the puppy will be keen to please his new owners when that time arrives.
8 Week Old Pomeranian Puppy
At the eight-week-old mark, many smaller breeds are prepared to be taken to their permanent homes. Other types may need as many as four more weeks in the breeder’s and mother’s care, especially if the puppies are the tiniest Pomeranian pups.
When the puppy is eight weeks old, it starts to exhibit caution in its behavior. Before this, he would be reckless and exuberant, running headlong into any adventure fearlessly.
Over the next two weeks, he becomes increasingly cautious as he investigates everything around him. New owners must let him go through this stage because he’ll move past it quickly.
During this time, pet parents shouldn’t baby and cuddle” the puppy. Instead, they can assure his safety without moving in to rescue him when it’s not needed.
Anxiety and fear issues may arise in puppies who get rescued too early, which can be difficult to correct down the track. When a puppy is taken to his new home, his first few nights can be hard because he hasn’t spent much time alone.
3 Month Old Pomeranian Stage
Socialization is critical during this period and should be maintained. Even before he’s brought home, the home must be ready for his grand arrival.
This includes puppy-proofing all rooms of the house and ensuring he has everything necessary to enable him to feel comfortable.
The puppy should be exposed to as many new smells, sounds, sights, and sensations as possible. The more stimuli and experiences he faces, the easier he handles changes as he ages. This is also an ideal starting point for training.
Potty training is the first essential focus, followed by basic commands. Teaching basic obedience skills is best commenced at home, and down the track, he can be enrolled in an obedience school after he has been immunized and is ready for the next phase.
Immunizations Are Critical to The Health Of All Young Puppies
They must be a top priority, even over socializing attempts. A puppy can’t go into dog parks until it has received its shots. Consider a puppy in a similar vein to a newborn baby. If you wouldn’t do something to an infant, why would you do it to a puppy?
The puppies are now in the “tween” phase, exhibiting some examples of independence. It’s likened to the pre-teen stage in humans and is demanding in nature.
Instead of the puppy sticking to you like glue, he’ll wander off to do whatever he wants. Puppy’s behavior is more erratic, and he may be a cute baby one minute and the most stubborn of tweens the next.
This is the point when teething sets in, and he’ll look to find anything he can chew on, including toys, a wooden chair, and even a person’s toes or fingers.
He should start being potty trained and basic obedience training, such as how to walk properly on a leash, not always by your heel.
At this point, his growth spurt should slow down, and he may eat less food. At the end of this stage, the puppy must have had its third round of shots and a Rabies shot as well.
Once vaccinated, it’s a perfect time to take the puppy exploring. Take him whenever you go out (if possible). It’s also good to start teaching basic commands.
6-Month-Old Pomeranian Puppy Stage
Congratulations, your fur child has finally reached his teenage years. His attitude is everything now. He’ll try to break rules and test boundaries when he sees opportunities to do so.
He won’t become a juvenile delinquent if you have been training and socializing with him. He can attend puppy classes and learn additional commands.
His baby teeth will fall out, to be replaced by a full set of adult teeth. Dental care is critical from this point on. The puppy will reach sexual maturity at some point during this time. It’s wise to have her spayed or neutered.
Most vets recommend doing this by the age of six months. A puppy needs plenty of chew toys, regular exercise, and proper discipline. Patience will be your new best friend.
1-Year-Old Pomeranian
After this stage, the puppy has grown into an adult dog and is now sexually mature. Smaller breeds will be their full adult weight, Pomeranian size, and height. If spaying or neutering hasn’t occurred, there will be visible signs of sexual maturity.
Pomeranian Sexual Maturity?
Is my Pomeranian in heat? Females will have had their first heat between 6 and 9 months old. If the males haven’t been neutered, they will commence displaying sexual behavior and mark their territory. Males may be fathers when they’re as young as seven months of age.
Final Thoughts on Pomeranian Puppy Growth Stages
Watching your Pomeranian grow through each stage of puppyhood is one of the most rewarding experiences any owner can have. From their tiny newborn days to the confident, playful companion they become, every phase brings new joys, challenges, and milestones.
Understanding the Pomeranian puppy stages helps you better support your puppy’s development — ensuring they receive the right nutrition, socialisation, grooming, and veterinary care at the right times. Remember, patience and consistency are key. The time and love you invest during these early months will shape your Pom’s temperament, confidence, and overall well-being for years to come.
Whether you’re a first-time Pomeranian owner or a lifelong enthusiast, cherish every fluffy moment. Your puppy’s journey from wobbling baby to proud little adult happens faster than you think — and with the right care, guidance, and affection, your Pom will grow into a happy, healthy, and loving companion who brightens every day. 🧡🐾
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References and Further Reading:
[1] Denise Leo, “The Pomeranian Handbook.”
[2] E. Parker, The Popular Pomeranian.
[3] L.Ives, Show Pomeranians.
