CARE GUIDES

Overstimulation Isn’t the Problem. Missing Stillness Is

Overstimulation Isn't the Problem — Missing Stillness Is: Small pauses support calmer routines and grooming for Pomeranians.

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Quick Answer

How do you teach a Pomeranian to be still for grooming?

Stillness for grooming is built through daily calm moments, not through grooming sessions specifically. Pomeranians that resist brushing have often never had extended stillness as part of their routine. Brief pauses, predictable handling, moments after play where nothing is required — these accumulate into a dog that knows how to be still when the brush comes out.

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Pomeranians are alert, curious, and engaged. That’s part of their charm.

It also means days can fill quickly with movement, play, and interaction — while stillness quietly disappears.

Why stillness is important

We don’t notice the absence of stillness until we ask for it during brushing, grooming, quiet routines, or vet visits.

Moments that require a dog to relax and be comfortable while doing very little.

This is why stillness is first thing we build before we start our grooming routine.

If stillness hasn’t been part of daily life, those moments feel unfamiliar and, sometimes, impossible.

Stillness also sits close to handling. A dog that can settle is far easier to lift, reposition, and hold, which is exactly why calm, predictable handling and stillness tend to develop together. When both are missing, grooming struggles often follow, not because the dog is difficult, but because being still while being touched is a brand-new request.

How to create still moments

What actually works is letting calm moments exist without immediately filling them.

A pause before lifting. A moment after play. Letting transitions settle instead of rushing through them.

Stillness is a skill, and like any skill, it has to be practiced.

For Beignet, this looked like changing how we woke him up from naps.

We used to rush him throughout the day, on our way to work, to a walk, or to dinner, waking him from a peaceful nap and immediately asking for full alertness. It meant he never knew if rest would be interrupted.

So we started adding a pause.

We’d say “Good morning,” then wait. Or leave the room briefly and come back.

Over time, he began to yawn, stretch, step out of his bed slowly, and then engage. Calm, alert, ready.

Those quiet transitions changed everything.

The shift wasn’t dramatic. We didn’t train stillness in a session or reward it with treats. We simply stopped interrupting it, and gave it a little room to exist. Over a few weeks, the calm became something he could find on his own.

Other ways this can look

Try observing your dog’s natural rhythm — before or after walks, play, or meals — and experiment with where you can add small pockets of quiet.

Stillness doesn’t have to mean alone time. Sit with your dog. Share the pause.

You don’t need perfect five-minute rituals. Just slower moments, repeated often enough to stick.

What stillness is not

It’s worth saying what we’re not describing, because it’s easy to confuse stillness with shutting a dog down.

Stillness isn’t forcing a Pom to hold position, isn’t correcting them for moving, and isn’t suppressing a naturally energetic temperament. A dog that has gone quiet because it feels trapped is not calm. It’s overwhelmed.

Real stillness is comfortable. The dog can choose to relax because nothing about the moment feels like a demand. That’s the version that carries over into brushing, handling, and the vet table.

The overall takeaway

Stillness isn’t the absence of activity. It’s the foundation that makes calm possible.

And when you build it into daily life, everything else gets easier.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you teach a Pomeranian to be still for grooming?

Stillness is built in everyday life, not in grooming sessions. Brief pauses, calm transitions, and quiet moments after play accumulate into a dog that can settle when the brush comes out.

Why won't my Pomeranian settle down?

Pomeranians are alert and curious, so days fill quickly with movement while stillness quietly disappears. Settling is a skill, and if it hasn't been practiced, quiet moments feel unfamiliar. Adding small, repeated pauses teaches it over time.

Is a hyper Pomeranian just their personality?

Not entirely. Energy is part of the breed, but calm is a learned skill rather than a fixed trait. Building stillness into daily life helps an excitable Pom regulate without suppressing who they are.

Read Next

One email a month

One email a month

Keeping a Pom's coat right is a rhythm, not a scramble. Once a month: the one seasonal thing to do now, a new article, and an honest product note — from our house (Beignet, Bella, and Boqui) to yours.

A few welcome emails to start, then one a month. Unsubscribe anytime. We won't sell your email.