Crazy poodle puppy

If it’s any consolation for the first few months of my latest whippets life if I could have wished her away I would have. Lost count of how many times she reduced me to tears. She’s turned out to be the best dog I’ve ever had. Still bolshy at times though!

Thanks Annizee! I am realising how headstrong she can be!!! Goodluck with your newest addition.

I've had a full poodle, a Cavachon (poodle cross Bichon Frise) and now have a 4 months old Cavapoo (Cavalier King Charles cross Poodle). They have all been challenging, very head strong and the new puppy is no exception. I am looking for someone to come and do some one to one training as I don't want a repeat of the previous two "Poos' " behaviour - they were very good at escaping, getting out and not coming to call. Poodles can be very biddable but you have to train them early - as I know to my cost! Good luck.

Lyndawads

Thank you all for your excellent comments. I will of course persevere with lots of praise and affection based training ( and treats). I probably didnt research reputable breeders enough before we got her and didnt realise about the puppies being kept with mum til 12 weeks. Every advert we saw for puppies were 8 weeks old, so we thought this was the norm! The breeder seemed very nice and we saw mum and dad- but who knows! I guess its like your own children- they are all different with their own personalities. I will do my absolute best for my crazy girl . Will keep you posted! ?

All of my Poodles have come to me at 8-weeks. If they have had the right start with their breeder, that’s fine. 12-weeks is for cats, though pedigree cats are the only ones who get that privilege. Good luck with your little one.

Once we’d started training classes we found that putting on a collar and lead when she was in a stroppy mood had an instant effect on her. Still do it now if she’s being a bit bolshy. And I’ve always used crates: covered up and with lots of bedding it’s just a cosy den. She’s on the sofa most of the time but when I’m pottering about in the kitchen where the crate is she’ll just take herself of to it: same when I’m in the garden. I also use Adaptil plug ins as well. In face I need to get a new one with firework season coming up.

I’ve always had puppies at 8 weeks and the breeder I got my latest dog from is as reputable as they come. Maybe it’s different with other breeds though.

Thank you all for your excellent comments. I will of course persevere with lots of praise and affection based training ( and treats). I probably didnt research reputable breeders enough before we got her and didnt realise about the puppies being kept with mum til 12 weeks. Every advert we saw for puppies were 8 weeks old, so we thought this was the norm! The breeder seemed very nice and we saw mum and dad- but who knows! I guess its like your own children- they are all different with their own personalities. I will do my absolute best for my crazy girl . Will keep you posted! ?

Lins1066 - my spaniel was crate trained happily. When she was spayed later, she hadn't used the crate in almost a year. I put it up the week before her op and she went straight in to sleep. After her op, I was able to leave her in there safely if I had to leave the house briefly.
I mentioned earlier up thread how helpful the crate was for one of my sick dogs.
I appreciate not everyone wants to use them, its personal choice. Used properly they're a safe space not a prison.

We have a four month old cocker spaniel. We were advised to put him in a crate to sleep. Apart from crying a little the first night, he sleeps there very happily. Puppies need somewhere safe that they can call their own, we put his feed bowl in there which has certainly helped him establish the crate as his space. We are taking him to the Dogs Trust Puppy Training classes, had three lessons so far, five in all. We were lucky in that they have just started back after lockdown. I can't praise them enough, they have concentrated so far on recall, walking on the lead, and biting. It is treat based training, lots of advise given. They also run lessons for adolescent and adult dogs. We take him on two sometimes three walks a day, socialises with other dogs and their owners. Lots of very good tips and advise on this thread.

Don’t see many Fox Terriers these days. Always make me think of those push along dogs we used to have as kids.

Is she a toy or a miniature? They are both very different temperament-wise. I have always given my dogs 2 years to fully integrate and settle down in the family. The biting is teething. Hang in there!

We have a 14 week old fox terrier. She's very lively for a couple of hours each evening. I've got a long lead and Ona field let her run and then shout her and give her a high value treat when she comes back. Have to also use the 'dog voice ' too sometimes to get her attention. I'm hoping the mouthing and nibbling are a puppy thing. She occasionally barks for no discernable reason too but seems to a be getting a bit better.

Personally, I believe that 8 weeks is too young to leave mum- and the law should insist on 12 weeks. But I am wondering about the mum and environment she was born and raised in for first 8 weeks. Did you buy from a reputable person- and did you see the puppy with the mum in its home setting?

Out of approx. 350 different breeds the Poodle comes 2nd in intelligence ( the first being the Border Collie ). Between having several Rough Collies I have had 4 miniature Poodles. The last but one was an amazing little dog I adopted through Blind Dog Rescue UK, rescued in the middle of a road in Romania,completely blind, hair down to the ground & had virtually given up on life. I only had him for 3 wonderful years before he had a fit & had to be put to sleep. I missed him so much that a year on I got another Poodle, from the Blue Cross. She wasn't assessed & has turned out to be rather unsuitable & in the 2 years I've had her I feel I've aged about 10. She's now 14, with the energy of a puppy & having obviously been thoroughly spoilt for 12 years she's better, but still a work in progress. I wouldn't consider going to a trainer after experiencing cruelty with one of them (smacking the dogs hard on their heads) when I took a very wild Rough Collie to be "socialised". If you can read as much as possible & adjust the information to yourself & your dog, in the long run I think you'll be better off & also form a lasting & more rewarding relationship.

sodapop

I think some of the methods used by Cesar Milan have been discredited now Shizam
I would go for Victoria Stillwell every time.

Yes, Cesar Milan can be too harsh

I think some of the methods used by Cesar Milan have been discredited now Shizam
I would go for Victoria Stillwell every time.

I have had poodles (Standards and Toys) for 20-years. They are not usually unpredictable at all! They are very active when young, so need games and exercise. They are not usually jumpy and nervous though. It’s a bit worrying that s/he is reluctant to come to you sometimes. If she only ever growls when she is dropping off to sleep and no longer wants stroking, she could just be communicating, rather than threatening. I have a little toy who growls if my arm brushes against him whilst asleep, but he adores me and would never dream of biting me! When he first started doing that, I ruffled his head and touched his face whilst reassuring him, just to confirm it was not aggression. Please don’t despair about your little one. I would suggest at least two walks a day, with off lead play to work off energy. Lots of recall training with tiny favourite food items as treats (forget dog treats, think cheese, liver etc). Always tell her/him they are a good dog and stroke them when you give the treat, so eventually that itself will be a reward. Do it at home so s/he gets used to coming when called. Then outside on walks. Treat every time at first, then, slowly less often, but not in a pattern, so s/he can’t predict when s/he will get a treat. You can also use a favourite toy as a treat. Try to teach fetch (lessons on youtube). If s/he comes from a caring breeder, discuss the situation with them. If s/he came from someone who doesn’t care and was all about the money, that may explain why she is nervous as the pups may not have been exposed to normal home sounds etc in those first 8-weeks. Oh yes, importantly, get her/him used to you taking away the food dish away (not too far) whilst they are eating. You can do this by putting a few bits of a tasty treat in the dish as you take it away and giving it straight back. Then stroke him/her for a couple of moments whilst they eat. Doing this teaches them that we are in charge, but a source of giving and care rather than one to provoke anxiety. Also handle her mouth briefly regularly followed by a treat. Good luck and feel free to PM any time if it might help.

I would suggest having a watch of 'It's me or the dog'. All of the above techniques are demonstrated and explained, plus it's fascinating watching Victoria training the owners.

The Dog Whisperer, aka Caesar Millan, seems to have amazing training methods. He’s written lots of books and Pick TV often features old episodes. Worth a look along with a local training group. Good luck!

I have a poodle who is 8 now. They are really smart and need training. They love the stimulation that it brings and it will also help you have more control of her. I used clicker training which is really effective. You say she won't come to you with her name. I was told to use 'come' rather than their name if you want to recall her. I would go about training this by having tasty treats and get her to come to you using these. As soon as she starts coming to you click the clicker and say 'come'. The noise always means she gets a treat (don't use the clicker as a remote control as some people do). So every time you click you have to give a reward. She will very quickly learn that if you shout 'come' she will hear the click and get a reward. This can be used for all commands. I remember my girl at about the same age deciding not to come back to me but run round me in circles. I was told by the trainer at the class I went to to snap her out of it by asking her to do something she did to command like 'sit'. This worked a treat and she stopped circling, sat down and I was able to get her. One thing I would say is that they are so bright they try to train you too! She has done this by deciding when you should stop stroking her. Her growl has worked well for her in stopping you doing this. I would try varying times of stroking and 'clicking' and rewarding with treats if she doesn't growl. Our poodle was frightened of drains and wheelie bins and would pull away from them when out walking. I used clicker and treats so sort this out and she has no problem now. If you want to message me for any help please do. The clicker is great for teaching tricks which they learn really quickly and is a positive way to interact with her and to 'shape' her behaviour. I would say they can be a bit aloof, but ours always likes to be where we are. During the day is usually with OH but at night time she comes to me. Ours in more a people dog and wouldn't go out of her way to go to other dogs. She is also passionate about her ball. I am sure your girl will be fine but do work on her training. It is time consuming but worth all the effort.

I think she has hit the teenage years for dogs and you know how some teenagers behave. My cat is a teenager and sleeps all day and then runs around all night. But not today, we have managed to keep her awake most of the day so it will be early to bed. Think you have received some good advice about dog training.

Have you had a puppy before? Chewing/biting hands is usual teething behaviour up to eight months. Did she have plenty of chew toys? Mine liked the ones you can fill with iced water. Snapping/biting needs training - plenty of vids on line showing you how. It helps to have one person do everything for a nervous dog, and to take her somewhere quiet to reassure her when life gets too noisy. Most important, don't yell at her even in play, or at each other when she's there. Poodles are at the top of the intelligence league, so easily bored and destructive. They're lovely dogs when they get the hang of what you want from them. She wants to please, just give her time.

She’s not been socialised to the world around her, or taught to rest

It is definitely not a poodle thing more a puppy thing. Poodles are very intelligent but have individual personalities. Many training classes are running they are also doing virtual classes. There is a lot of info online - if you use Facebook there is a brilliant Toy and Miniature Poodle group, also a training group with, I believe, modules you can work through.

Personally, I dislike crates, although I know some people find them very useful.

Of course, much depends upon where it is (next to you or in another room) as isolating a dog, away from the family, is seen as form of rejection and punishment by the dog.

Poodles are very intelligent and high energy. They need company and something to keep them occupied.

Don't expect them to respond well to training unless they have had an opportunity to burn off the energy first (a long walk before the class or training time).

Short, regular training sessions (by yourself or a trainer) and lots of understanding will eventually result in a wonderful companion.