(Part 2) Top products from r/Pomeranians

Congratulations :)

I can't speak from experience, but I remember reading somewhere that before you let your Pom meet your baby for the first time, bring a towel/blanket/onesie with your baby's "scent" home. Put it on the floor with your dog, and give treats when he smells it. The intent of this little exercise is to tell your dog that your new baby is a good thing! This "pre-introduction" will lessen the stress of the actual meet-up; dogs greet other dogs and people by sniffing them. Once it's the day your baby comes home, your dog should be familiar with the new-baby-scent!

Once it's time for the introduction, have some REALLY good treats ready, and sit on the floor/couch with baby in your lap. Allow your dog to come sniff your baby - keep treats in easy reach of your dog, and give lots of praise when he wags his tail and licks your baby's feet.

It's all about making the introduction a happy and stress-free event, and reinforcing positive behavior around the baby.

If you need to, go to a bookstore and check to see if there are any books on the subject.

I hope this helps!

It really doesn't sound like this is going to be a good environment to raise a healthy, well behaved dog. I think you guys need to put the hard brakes on this decision and reevaluate your choice here...but I somehow doubt your family is going to say no to a puppy so...

Leaving it alone all day will almost certainly create behavioral issues (chewing, self harm, destruction, barking, anxiety, aggression, etc). That's not a nice life for a dog, especially a puppy by itself. I leave my dog 6-8 hours, but he's grown and I know he can handle it thanks to the looong walks we take before and after work, and all the other work I've put into training him and steps I take to prevent separation anxiety. People have to go to work, but look into daycare or at the very least crate training to help. Try to get the family to re-prioritize getting home sooner to let the dog out.

>they're kinda crazy and very yappy / bark a lot.

A dog's behavior is 80% a direct reflection of the owner. Although this can be complicated when the dog has been adopted by various people. Sometimes the current owner is dealing with someone else's mistakes.

If dogs could be BRED to BEHAVE then there would be a lot more "naturally well-behaved" dogs. Breed and other genetic factors can play a part in your dog's personality, but early exposure and training will always be the PRIMARY determining factors of how your dog behaves.

Small dogs and big dogs have the same brains. People try to act like they're almost separate species in order to excuse their bad training. You will see more yappy little dogs because people let them get away with it. A german shepard that angrily barks and lunges at anyone passing by is not going to be around for long.

Dogs are a lot of work, especially the first year of training. You will get what you give with a dog. The dog's energy level matters, this is the 20% inherent personality that you have to shape and influence with your 80% training. Regardless of breed, you can find a low-energy, high-tolerance puppy in most litters...but it sounds like you picked a random pup, so it's luck of the draw for you. Might be the high-energy, reactive pup of the litter, or something in between.

Training a pom can be hard because they are cute and tiny and it's easy to let them get away with very bad behaviors that you would never tolerate from a big dog. I found it helped to always imagine that my tiny fuzz ball would one day be growing up to be a Samoyed. Would I let a Samoyed puppy jump and bark and bite, knowing that behavior would soon becoming from a 100lb dog? No way! So same for a tiny pom.

I read all of Cesar Milan's books, and also Monks of New Skete. There are also some good youtube channels to check out. At the very least watch the "what to do before/the day you bring home a puppy" vids, so you get the crucial first step right! Zach George channel and perhaps most helpful; "are you ready for a dog?"

Cesar is pretty strict with dogs, more about obedience/dominance
The Monks are middle ground
Zach is very positive reinforcement/treats
So check them all out a bit and see what style will realistically work for you and your family (could even do various approaches from different people).

Honestly it seems to me like it's almost the norm for people to impulse buy/adopt dogs, be very lazy about training, and leave them home 8-12 hours a day. You're not doing anything outlandish. However the consequences of these decisions remain. The fact that you clearly care about what happens with this dog should go a long way. All it takes is someone stopping for a minute to consider the dog's needs, rather than only the humans' needs, and you'll be on your way. Feel free to ask questions or PM me.

edit: other random pom-specific advice!
http://www.petpom.com/ -- this website has a lot of info you need! Buying their PDF is worthwhile.

Don't cut or shave the fur, esp in the first year, or the coat will be ruined.

Little dogs need lots of exercise too, multiple daily walks for their mental health. They are tiny so the walks can be sort.

Poms can be quite fragile so be careful. #1 cause of death in poms is being dropped. Be wary of letting strangers hold your dog.

Poms are subject to low blood sugar and seizures, so make sure as a baby it eats often.
Dogs are never too young to be trained. Start from day 1. The first few months are mainly about establishing a relationship and communication though.

Dog health insurance is a good idea, there's a comparison website online for plans in your area

Good dog food is a long term investment for the health of your dog. Cheap food = expensive health problems. You can also google the best brands of foods. I usually go for Acana or Wellness. Human food can also give them the same health problems so avoid it as much as possible!

Is he kenneled when you are not able to closely monitor him? Also, have you tried re-directing him- giving him a toy/treat that he is allowed to chew? My poms loved Kongs and the Nylabone teething keys (http://www.amazon.com/Nylabone-Puppies-Large-Puppy-Teething/dp/B0010P32E0/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1417987450&sr=8-1&keywords=nylabone+keys) when they were in a more destructive phase. The keys are soft enough to not cause damage, but durable enough to last a few months (at least with mine). The kongs can be filled with treats, spray filling, or peanut butter to make them more enticing. If I caught one of them chewing on something inappropriate, I would stop the behavior (I liked making noise or using a squirt gun) and then giving them another toy. Good Luck!

We use the Puppia soft vest harness and love it. It is a Korean brand and so it runs smaller than American brands. Our 3kg pom wears a size medium! https://www.amazon.com/PUPPIA-International-Puppia-Harness-Medium/dp/B0013MVJRW