# Poodles - The Inconvenient Truths



## PeggyTheParti (Sep 5, 2019)

After Peggy slipped and fell—hard—for the second time, I realized the hair between her toes was overgrown and in desperate need of attention. As I hunched over her this morning, tending to the hair in this delicate area and reflecting on how long it took us both to be comfortable with this process, I got to thinking about the “inconvenient truths” of poodle ownership. Such as:

*Poodle grooming is more like brushing your teeth than brushing your hair. It’s essential for a poodle’s physical well-being. And just like you don’t stop brushing your teeth between dentist appointments, just because you keep your poodle in a low-maintenance cut doesn’t mean you get to slack on the rest of their grooming needs.*

Got any other inconvenient truths to add?


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## Spottytoes (Jul 28, 2020)

Well, this may not be true of all poodles, I have no clue but because of the angle of the rear area, I have to wipe Bobby’s butt a lot! Way more than any dog I’ve ever known! If the poo is soft, Bobby needs a butt wipe.🤣 The real inconvenient truth is that it sometimes has to be done when people are passing by! 🤣 I have no shame and neither does he!😉
I’ve never read about that inconvenient truth but I think it may be so for some poodles? Guessing that isn’t listed as one of the 10 best reasons to have a poodle.😉


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## PeggyTheParti (Sep 5, 2019)

Spottytoes said:


> Well, this may not be true of all poodles, I have no clue but because of the angle of the rear area, I have to wipe Bobby’s butt a lot! Way more than any dog I’ve ever known! If the poo is soft, Bobby needs a butt wipe.🤣 The real inconvenient truth is that it sometimes has to be done when people are passing by! 🤣 I have no shame and neither does he!😉
> I’ve never read about that inconvenient truth but I think it may be so for some poodles? Guessing that isn’t listed as one of the 10 best reasons to have a poodle.😉


Yeah, I’ve not seen that one on any top ten lists.  But it’s totally true. I’m guessing because of the texture of their hair? So far it’s not been an issue with Peggy, but Gracie regularly needed a wipe....or a soak in the sink!


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## Starla (Nov 5, 2020)

Poodles are “keep away” masters and will trick people into chasing them before the poor person even knows what has happened.


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## Raindrops (Mar 24, 2019)

Misha grows hair both on and in his butthole. I need to trim it very clean every week if I don't want him constantly getting bits stuck. I think poodles require a lot of hygiene care because their coat type is not a natural one. That means ear care, eye care, butt, and genital trimming. You can't be squeamish about stuff with a poodle. One guy at the park teases those of us that will wipe our dogs' butts. I always reply that I'd be way more embarrassed to be the guy who doesn't mind his dog wiping poop on his car seats and at home.


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## cowpony (Dec 30, 2009)

I think many people are surprised to discover the physical and mental exercise needs of a poodle. These are not dogs which are content to lie around and look beautiful.


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## Johanna (Jun 21, 2017)

Holy cow! I have had many, many poodles over the last 50+ years and have never, ever had to wipe one's behind. I wonder if some groomers do not clip the hair right to the skin around the anus? I do.


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## Spottytoes (Jul 28, 2020)

Johanna said:


> Holy cow! I have had many, many poodles over the last 50+ years and have never, ever had to wipe one's behind. I wonder if some groomers do not clip the hair right to the skin around the anus? I do.


I guess we just got lucky! 🤣
Seriously, I have no clue why this is the case for Bobby. Bobby is a funny fella. He sometimes will poop as he’s lifting his leg and he tends to not stay in one place until the job is done. He comes from the groomer nice and clean in his sanitary area and his anus is clean as a whistle so who knows? Just adds a bit of humor to our home. 😉


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## Spottytoes (Jul 28, 2020)

Another truth about poodles is their mouthiness although they aren’t the only mouthy breed. This is something that gets better with training and maturity, for sure, but I was totally unprepared for the major mouthiness and how long it lasted. Bobby is still quite mouthy but we know how to channel and or redirect it now.


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## twyla (Apr 28, 2010)

Lots of tooth brushing for my littles, and I even use a water pik to get the gunk between Lenny's front teeth,


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## Basil_the_Spoo (Sep 1, 2020)

The mental stimulation can feel like a double edge sword. But, I like to think it helps us be better furparents... Like we have to step up our game.


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## Mfmst (Jun 18, 2014)

Do not assume maturity at one or two. Upside is that they stay’ young at heart’ for a very long time. It’s a long game...


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## Dianaleez (Dec 14, 2019)

For me, it's Normie's high-pitched bark. Are other mini's as piercing?

Do standards have lower voices?


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## PeggyTheParti (Sep 5, 2019)

Dianaleez said:


> For me, it's Normie's high-pitched bark. Are other mini's as piercing?
> 
> Do standards have lower voices?


YES! Most people would _not_ picture a poodle if they heard Peggy’s bark. It’s very deep and intimidating.


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## Newport (Jul 16, 2014)

I am currently spending a lot of time wiping dog butts, but I don't usually have to wipe Navy. Violet on the other hand... After reading what Johanna said, I think I'll try clipping her closer than I have been and see if that makes a difference.

An inconvenient truth: poodles grow big, sticky-outie nails. I'm grinding twice a week to keep them looking good. I really don't see how you can possibly get by on just a professional groom every 4 weeks. Poodle owners pretty much HAVE to have some grooming equipment. I think sometimes people might think "oh, I'll just take them to the groomer once a month." To the rich I'd say, make that twice a month for a extra FFT and grinding.


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## Oonapup (Oct 16, 2020)

My poodle has taught me that intelligence is not the same as trainability even if they overlap. I feel like the reason that poodles score so high on the intelligence rankings is their trainability, but I think that their trainability is really a combination of their high intelligence and high people-orientedness (Ie, their people orientedness is what makes their intelligence tractable for us, because engaging with their people is rewarding for them, and I believe there are other intelligent dog breeds that score low on intelligence rankings because they are simply less interested in us and most of us aren't creative enough to be interesting). But poodle intelligence also means you being outsmarted a lot of the time and them looking for novel opportunities for testing/boundary pushing and goofing off. So the inconvenient truth about poodle intelligence is that you really do need to think fast and stay a couple of steps ahead, from keeping things fresh in training to anticipating the loopholes and gaps that they will ferret out.


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## For Want of Poodle (Feb 25, 2019)

Ibreseaxher s


Dianaleez said:


> For me, it's Normie's high-pitched bark. Are other mini's as piercing?
> 
> Do standards have lower voices?


I wish. Annie's bark is low and deep and scary if she is upset, but ear piercingly high and loud if she is excited. Squirrels! Chippies! Another dog! Woohoo! (Ouch) I call it yodelling not barking. And she is by far the most talkative (and opinionated) dog I have ever had. I swear sometimes I hear English words in her yodelling/mumbling/complaining, too. A huge range of vocalizations and tones. 

My inconvenient poodle truth is that burrs are far more of an issue than with a normal coated dog.

Also that intelligent doesn't mean long attention span. As a herding breed lover, that has taken some time to get used to. Poodles apparently get bored quickly and don't believe in repetition.


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## Oonapup (Oct 16, 2020)

For Want of Poodle said:


> My inconvenient poodle truth is that burrs are far more of an issue than with a normal coated dog.
> 
> Also that intelligent doesn't mean long attention span. As a herding breed lover, that has taken some time to get used to. Poodles apparently get bored quickly and don't believe in repetition.


Oh my gosh yes, their coats are worse than velcro for burrs. It's almost like it attracts them and then the coat, if it's long, sucks it in.


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## Dechi (Aug 22, 2015)

Johanna said:


> I wonder if some groomers do not clip the hair right to the skin around the anus? I do.


I do my own groom and unfortunately, I’ve nicked this area and made it bleed. Quite traumatizing for me and the dog both. Now I use a comb and scissors ton top but it doesn’t do a perfect job. Merlin often has poop stuck, but Beckie never does. They eat mostly the same foods. Go figure…


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## Bigbark (Jan 9, 2021)

Dianaleez said:


> For me, it's Normie's high-pitched bark. Are other mini's as piercing?
> 
> Do standards have lower voices?


My mini boy has an embarrassingly high-pitched bark. Luckily, he’s not a big barker.

My standard’s bark was deep and loud. People were always surprised that such a big bark came out of such a fluffy creature.


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## WinnieThePoodle (Sep 1, 2020)

For me its the bottom wiping too. When Winnie gets clipped short it's fine for a while but as soon as the hair starts growing it covers 'the pencil sharpener' and occassionally feel bits of poo stuck in the fur and she needs a soapy bottom soak. I had a GSD/Lab mix and never had to wipe her bottom in 16 years. 

I agree too with the mouthiness. She is a lot less now but it's still there, especially when she is having a tumble around with us playing. It's very gentle but still annoying. Other times she just tries to get a quick lick before anyone can stop her.

I do also agree about boredom/intelligence. Winnie will quickly pick up a new command at puppy class and do it a number of times and then lie down while she watches everyone else do it. When the trainer looks over at us I have to apologise and say sorry she has done it and now doesn't want to do it anymore.


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## Bailey_Whiskey (Jan 18, 2021)

This is what I learned after 4 months of Spoo ownership:

1. 20kg Spoo has a higher pitched bark than my tiny 4kg Shih tzu. Delivery men are always surprised by the mini pony greeting the door.

2. Brushing and more brushing. And then when you think you’re done, another round of brushing. Then the teeth brushing 😂

3. Training in short bursts as opposed to repetition. And making the poodle think he has something other than treats to gain.

4. Needing to think a step ahead to avoid being outsmarted by said poodle. Even when you think the idea is foolproof, think again.

5. Amount (and variety) of grooming tools required. People would think I have a groom shop with my supplies.

6. The snuggliness of a lap dog in the size of a pony 🥰 And the pain of being stepped and pushed so that he “fits” on your lap like the tzu.

7. Low heat tolerance of the poodle compared to a Shih tzu in full coat 🤷🏻‍♀️ Whiskey has a personal fan and unlimited access to iced water AND ice cubes while he sleeps on marble floors (ie very cool in the heat)

8. Not as brave as reflected by the size. Have you seen a spooked large dog? Pretty hilarious the way Whiskey slinks off like he’s a small dog while the real small dog is barking ferociously at giant baby brother’s “scawy thing” 🤣


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## Brownie_mom (Dec 1, 2020)

Spottytoes said:


> Well, this may not be true of all poodles, I have no clue but because of the angle of the rear area, I have to wipe Bobby’s butt a lot! Way more than any dog I’ve ever known! If the poo is soft, Bobby needs a butt wipe.🤣 The real inconvenient truth is that it sometimes has to be done when people are passing by! 🤣 I have no shame and neither does he!😉
> I’ve never read about that inconvenient truth but I think it may be so for some poodles? Guessing that isn’t listed as one of the 10 best reasons to have a poodle.😉


I had the same issue with my standard schnauzer lol .


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## Brownie_mom (Dec 1, 2020)

For me that inconvenient truth is the overall amount of work this puppy required. I knew that he is going to be more grooming then my other dogs and was ready for it, but I was totally not prepared for the overall complexity of owning a poodle. Some time I feel totally overwhelmed. Starting from his biting habits, picky eating, stubbornness, and now he added barking to the bouquet of problems to deal with. I try my best but some time I am just thinking that it was a mistake. Hope one day he will be not so difficult and I will think about this hard time in a past sense. But now I am really tired and helpless.


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## PeggyTheParti (Sep 5, 2019)

A quick sniff under our California lilac bush means I just spent five minutes plucking pollen and petals from Peggy’s coat. Time to take a Claritin!


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## Mr.Ziggy (Jul 14, 2020)

My roommate, myself, and most people that visit our apartment are all women with long hair. 

Since I am trying to give Ziggy enough mental exercise, I always feed him meals from feeder balls or through training. He ends up eating off of the ground and not out of a bowl. 

As a result it is not uncommon for him to have a long strand of human hair holding the last piece of poop to his butt and I need to pluck it from him. Luckily I was able to train him to patiently wait for me to remove it. At first he would panick and sit!


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## PeggyTheParti (Sep 5, 2019)

I think the most inconvenient truth about poodles is that they’re not good beginner dogs. In popular culture, they’re known for their looks and not what’s under the hood....and there’s a whole lot going on under the hood!


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## dogsavvy (Mar 6, 2015)

My boy has a BIG deep bark. Window rattling. I'm glad he's not a dog to require the butt wipe however for all his big bad, tough guy ways... one little puppy makes him dance like an old time tap dancer. The ear hair issue...ugh the ear hair. And he's not fond of the butt shave.


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## Dianaleez (Dec 14, 2019)

Brownie_mom said:


> For me that inconvenient truth is the overall amount of work this puppy required. I knew that he is going to be more grooming then my other dogs and was ready for it, but I was totally not prepared for the overall complexity of owning a poodle. Some time I feel totally overwhelmed. Starting from his biting habits, picky eating, stubbornness, and now he added barking to the bouquet of problems to deal with. I try my best but some time I am just thinking that it was a mistake. Hope one day he will be not so difficult and I will think about this hard time in a past sense. But now I am really tired and helpless.


How old is he? Is this adolescent or adult behavior? (There's a great thread here on helping humans survive poodle adolescence.)

Some of the posters here have great ideas. Perhaps you could start your own thread and get a few kindly suggestions.

None of us have perfect dogs; they're as imperfect as their owners.


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## PowersPup (Aug 28, 2020)

Maybe it's because he's my first puppy, but the inconvenient truth about Topper is the sheer amount of time I spend with/on him. House-training. Nail trimming (as others have noted, it has to happen every week). Ear cleaning. Brushing (I keep him in a short coat so it's not a terrible job, just a frequent one). Grooming appointments. Obedience training classes and practice. Physical exercise. Mental exercise. Figuring out how to stay a step ahead of him in training so I don't bore him to pieces or get tricked by his cleverness. 

And all of this time I've spent with him has created a little Velcro dog! The neediness!! I feel I can't leave him without making a plan for how I'm going to tire him out enough that he'll sleep in the crate while I'm gone. I should have taken him to doggy day care, but couldn't find one near me that was open or that I liked. It's too late to start now because he's 9 months old and not neutered. I just hope that as he matures he'll get a bit more independent. On the other hand, my Velcro dog has a fabulous recall!


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## Bailey_Whiskey (Jan 18, 2021)

As I was falling asleep last night, I thought of one more inconvenient truth.

Despite all the inconvenient truths everyone here is talking about, Whiskey has gotten me in love with poodles where I am already looking forward to getting another when he gets older 🥰


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## Carolinek (Apr 2, 2014)

The intensity! Gracie is one intense dog for sure, the most intense dog I’ve owned. This can be good when focused, and it’s an asset in agility… but there’s a flip side.
For example, she loves to chase the water coming out of the hose. When it’s eighty degrees out- it’s a cute, fun game we play. However, when it’s 45 degrees and we’re watering the new grass and she’s besides herself yodeling away at the door because she feels she has to be one with the sprinkler….well that's not so cute!

And did I mention she yodels when excited? I call it a yodel, but I guess it’s like a hound dog howl, but different. It’s high pitched and she kind of croons and points her muzzle to the sky And really gets into it. My sister had a mini poodle years ago that did something very similar, and would specifically go to the stairwell so the sound would echo as much as possible. I often wonder if they have similar ancestors!

ETA - Gracie‘s breeder told me I should name har after an opera singer, as evidently her singing talents surfaced very early in life!


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## cowpony (Dec 30, 2009)

Aww, 


Carolinek said:


> The intensity! Gracie is one intense dog for sure, the most intense dog I’ve owned. This can be good when focused, and it’s an asset in agility… but there’s a flip side.
> For example, she loves to chase the water coming out of the hose. When it’s eighty degrees out- it’s a cute, fun game we play. However, when it’s 45 degrees and we’re watering the new grass and she’s besides herself yodeling away at the door because she feels she has to be one with the sprinkler….well that's not so cute!
> 
> And did I mention she yodels when excited? I call it a yodel, but I guess it’s like a hound dog howl, but different. It’s high pitched and she kind of croons and points her muzzle to the sky And really gets into it. My sister had a mini poodle years ago that did something very similar, and would specifically go to the stairwell so the sound would echo as much as possible. I often wonder if they have similar ancestors!
> ...


Aww. I'm glad to know someone else has a howling poodle. Pogo and Snarky used to howl when they were very excited. They would sit facing each other, noses to the sky, hitting harmonics off each other. Pogo only howled a single time after Snarky died. I think it just wasn't fun for him without being able to sing in chorus.


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## 94Magna_Tom (Feb 23, 2021)

Carolinek said:


> The intensity! Gracie is one intense dog for sure, the most intense dog I’ve owned. This can be good when focused, and it’s an asset in agility… but there’s a flip side.
> For example, she loves to chase the water coming out of the hose. When it’s eighty degrees out- it’s a cute, fun game we play. However, when it’s 45 degrees and we’re watering the new grass and she’s besides herself yodeling away at the door because she feels she has to be one with the sprinkler….well that's not so cute!
> 
> And did I mention she yodels when excited? I call it a yodel, but I guess it’s like a hound dog howl, but different. It’s high pitched and she kind of croons and points her muzzle to the sky And really gets into it. My sister had a mini poodle years ago that did something very similar, and would specifically go to the stairwell so the sound would echo as much as possible. I often wonder if they have similar ancestors!
> ...


We gotta see a video of this yodeling! Haha😍


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## Starla (Nov 5, 2020)

Phoebe has so many vocalizations, including the cutest howl. I’m trying to keep it; I’ve always wanted a dog that howled on command! My childhood dog howled at fire trucks, and we lived near the fire station… but I could never get him to do it when I wanted.


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## For Want of Poodle (Feb 25, 2019)

Another inconvenient truth. A standard poodle only requires half of a queen or double bed. But it's the same half their person is in


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## 94Magna_Tom (Feb 23, 2021)

For Want of Poodle said:


> Another inconvenient truth. A standard poodle only requires half of a queen or double bed. But it's the same half their person is in


Ain't that the truth! 

Sent from my Moto G (4) using Tapatalk


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## Christine.G (Nov 19, 2020)

Dianaleez said:


> For me, it's Normie's high-pitched bark. Are other mini's as piercing?
> 
> Do standards have lower voices?


As others have said - Yes! My SPOO DayZ has a very intimidating bark! You'd think a doberman lived at my house! After living for 20 years with TPOO's, a low deep bark is much easier on the ears.


On the "stuck poo" pieces left on your doggies, at my house, we refer to those as "dingleberries"


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## Brownie_mom (Dec 1, 2020)

Dianaleez said:


> How old is he?


Ruger is 8 month old, so I guess it is his adolescence self. I know that my post sounded horrible, but I can add that he is the sweetest boy when he likes to be. Some times I think that he has multiple personalities. He is just much more work then I anticipated. I talked to a personal trainer and starting session on Monday, plus obedience classes next week. He completed two puppy classes and he was one of the best students, but it did not help much with his character. Anyway, we love him to pieses.


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## Dianaleez (Dec 14, 2019)

Brownie_mom said:


> Ruger is 8 month old, so I guess it is his adolescence self. I know that my post sounded horrible, but I can add that he is the sweetest boy when he likes to be. Some times I think that he has multiple personalities. He is just much more work then I anticipated. I talked to a personal trainer and starting session on Monday, plus obedience classes next week. He completed two puppy classes and he was one of the best students, but it did not help much with his character. Anyway, we love him to pieses.


Split personality - sounds familiar. It gets better, I promise.


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## Brownie_mom (Dec 1, 2020)

Dianaleez said:


> Split personality - sounds familiar. It gets better, I promise.


You gave me HOPES! Thank you. I can take on anything, but I have to be honest, my hubby is not too happy with my choise of the breed right now. He loves Ruger, but feels that I took on too much. Our other dogs did not have the barking issues. I thought that I did my research and the barking did not come out on the Poodles profiles. Ruger on the other hand recently developed the barking habbit that drives us crazy. Hope that we can train him out of it, not sure how so. Got the whole library of the Dunbar videos, hope they will help in addition to the trainer and classes. Yes, it is A LOT OF WORK.


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## For Want of Poodle (Feb 25, 2019)

Brownie_mom said:


> Ruger is 8 month old, so I guess it is his adolescence self. I know that my post sounded horrible, but I can add that he is the sweetest boy when he likes to be. Some times I think that he has multiple personalities. He is just much more work then I anticipated. I talked to a personal trainer and starting session on Monday, plus obedience classes next week. He completed two puppy classes and he was one of the best students, but it did not help much with his character. Anyway, we love him to pieses.


Puppy blues and adolescent blues are a real thing, and I regret that people often recommend poodles as easy dogs. They definitely are not. Both of my parents have said Annie was a far more challenging adolescent than any of the many dogs they have owned (including a livestock guardian breed!!!). That being said - she is pretty fantastic as an adult. 

One thing that has helped recently with barking (and YMMV), other than making sure she is well occupied (she barks from boredom and needs a lot of physical and mental exercise each day), is just saying 'leave it!". I have had no success with teaching no bark as a command, limited success with LAT, but have done a lot of work with powerful distractions working on 'leave it' meaning leave the awesome thing and come to me for a treat. Discovered this in a moment of being flustered where I tried the wrong command and weirdly, it worked. I've continued to use it and am seeing some real progress, she seems to be learning not everything is supposed to be barked at. 

I am not going to admit to people I use the same command to get Annie to stop barking at the delivery guy as I use to get Annie to not go after a fragrant road kill squirrel on our walks, but whatever works, right?


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## Carolinek (Apr 2, 2014)

cowpony said:


> Aww,
> 
> Aww. I'm glad to know someone else has a howling poodle. Pogo and Snarky used to howl when they were very excited. They would sit facing each other, noses to the sky, hitting harmonics off each other. Pogo only howled a single time after Snarky died. I think it just wasn't fun for him without being able to sing in chorus.


We’ll I’m glad some else has been serenaded! I am sad Pogo lost his choir partner though.

It’s interesting you mention the chorus….my 11 year old poodle mix, Max, often joins Gracie with similar howls, although nowhere near as intense. He never did that before Gracie, she awakened something in him!


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## Carolinek (Apr 2, 2014)

94Magna_Tom said:


> We gotta see a video of this yodeling! Haha😍


And I need to get a idea of it…stay tuned!


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## Carolinek (Apr 2, 2014)

Starla said:


> Phoebe has so many vocalizations, including the cutest howl. I’m trying to keep it; I’ve always wanted a dog that howled on command! My childhood dog howled at fire trucks, and we lived near the fire station… but I could never get him to do it when I wanted.


Hmmm…there are a lot of things I’ve tried to teach her but howling on command isn’t one of them! It is kind of cute though…unless I’m in the middle of a Zoom meeting.


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## Carolinek (Apr 2, 2014)

For Want of Poodle said:


> Another inconvenient truth. A standard poodle only requires half of a queen or double bed. But it's the same half their person is in


Good one!


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## Charmed (Aug 4, 2014)

PeggyTheParti said:


> YES! Most people would _not_ picture a poodle if they heard Peggy’s bark. It’s very deep and intimidating.


Sailor had a high pitched bark,but was barkless the first seven years of his life, except on command. Our female had a deep bark, and was not afraid to use it.


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## Thomazine (Aug 9, 2020)

John Steinbeck described his black poodle’s bark as a roar. I did not know this before I got a poodle.

Can I just say how relieved I feel when I read that poodle puppies are not easy for first timers? Because my puppy arrived beautifully socialized, potty-trained perfectly, and developed a soft mouth by twelve weeks or so, and I have STILL found him utterly, utterly exhausting at times. He’s nine months old now, and I have found some teenage huskies for him to play with in the mornings. People, he wears out the huskies playing keep-away. I had no idea poodles could have so much energy.


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## cowpony (Dec 30, 2009)

I have described Galen's play style as "roller derby." He will kneecap you with style.


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## Brownie_mom (Dec 1, 2020)

For Want of Poodle said:


> Puppy blues and adolescent blues are a real thing, and I regret that people often recommend poodles as easy dogs. They definitely are not. Both of my parents have said Annie was a far more challenging adolescent than any of the many dogs they have owned (including a livestock guardian breed!!!). That being said - she is pretty fantastic as an adult.
> 
> One thing that has helped recently with barking (and YMMV), other than making sure she is well occupied (she barks from boredom and needs a lot of physical and mental exercise each day), is just saying 'leave it!". I have had no success with teaching no bark as a command, limited success with LAT, but have done a lot of work with powerful distractions working on 'leave it' meaning leave the awesome thing and come to me for a treat. Discovered this in a moment of being flustered where I tried the wrong command and weirdly, it worked. I've continued to use it and am seeing some real progress, she seems to be learning not everything is supposed to be barked at.
> 
> I am not going to admit to people I use the same command to get Annie to stop barking at the delivery guy as I use to get Annie to not go after a fragrant road kill squirrel on our walks, but whatever works, right?


WOW! It worked. Ruger was exchanging barks with another dog from the next door neighbor's yard. So I told him 'leave it' and he ran to me for his treat. No more barking to follow. Hope it will work consistently - time will show. 
Thank you for the tip.


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## Starla (Nov 5, 2020)

Starla said:


> Phoebe has so many vocalizations, including the cutest howl. I’m trying to keep it; I’ve always wanted a dog that howled on command! My childhood dog howled at fire trucks, and we lived near the fire station… but I could never get him to do it when I wanted.


mad puppy howling this morning


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## Newport (Jul 16, 2014)

Starla, that is adorable. Violet agrees.


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## 94Magna_Tom (Feb 23, 2021)

Elroy says hi right back! 

Sent from my Moto G (4) using Tapatalk


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## Brownie_mom (Dec 1, 2020)

Ruger jumped from his sleep when he heard this. I guess puppies brotherhood


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## cowpony (Dec 30, 2009)

Brownie_mom said:


> Ruger jumped from his sleep when he heard this. I guess puppies brotherhood


Galen and Ritter leapt to their feet, barking.


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## PeggyTheParti (Sep 5, 2019)

Brownie_mom said:


> WOW! It worked. Ruger was exchanging barks with another dog from the next door neighbor's yard. So I told him 'leave it' and he ran to me for his treat. No more barking to follow. Hope it will work consistently - time will show.
> Thank you for the tip.


Really you can use any word you want, as long as that word is consistently paired with something that is highly reinforcing. With Peggy we’ll often say “Thank you!”

I’ve heard people complain, _My dog won’t come when I call. They’ll only come if I say “treat.”_

Can’t help but laugh.


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## For Want of Poodle (Feb 25, 2019)

PeggyTheParti said:


> Really you can use any word you want, as long as that word is consistently paired with something that is highly reinforcing. With Peggy we’ll often say “Thank you!”
> 
> I’ve heard people complain, _My dog won’t come when I call. They’ll only come if I say “treat.”_
> 
> Can’t help but laugh.


I do laugh at those people a bit too  Admittedly I had a recall song for my childhood dog 'Treat time, treat time, Puppy want a treat, puppy want a treat! Treat time, treat time!' I didn't know how to train dogs, but my dog had a great recall with me since 8 year old me understood that my dog was coming for the food, not for me, and my sense of fair play would have been appalled if I had sung that song and not delivered!

I think 'leave it' has been working for me better than anything else I have tried to stop barking because I have reinforced it heavily, and also worked at it really deliberately through tiny distractions progressing up to bigger ones in a way I have never managed to have patience to do with LAT or some other barking strategies.

I have tried thank you, and Annie (and especially Trixie) just think they are getting a reward for barking! I have watched Trixie hear a sound, glance at us, then stare at us and bark. If we don't produce, she barks again, longer and louder. If we do produce, she barks again short, then longer and louder if we don't give her more. If we give multiple treats in between barks, she still barks when we run out. It seemed to make her more aware of things to bark at. Gah! 

I can say Annie sit, or Annie come while she is barking and she comes or she sits- still barking or yodelling her heart out. She can multitask. I sometimes have her at a down after I call her inside while she is overexcited (squirrel on the porch railing), practically vibrating as she mumbles and moans and howls, waiting for a good minute for her to be quiet and calm enough to reward. 

Leave it, because of how it is taught, has a more specific 'not fun and not for you!' meaning than come or sit. It's 'ignore that exciting thing' rather than 'do this!'. 'Leave it' doesn't always mean barking, so she seems to understand she is not being rewarded for barking (and stopping), she is being rewarded for ignoring. 

Anyway, not necessarily something that would work for everyone, but something's clicked in Annie's head and helped and I am grateful. Poodles are sure complicated sometimes.


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## Dianaleez (Dec 14, 2019)

Normie's trainer suggested using 'leave it' for the fascinating robins we encounter on morning walks and, I will say, it works far better than 'no.'


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## Maggied (Sep 6, 2018)

Dianaleez said:


> For me, it's Normie's high-pitched bark. Are other mini's as piercing?
> 
> Do standards have lower voices?


My mini's bark is very piercing, especially since we moved to a log home with high ceilings. It just bounces around the house. Often, she is just discussing something interesting, but it goes to your spine.


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## Pat Mc (Sep 27, 2020)

After having the joy of sharing our lives with four poodles (one at a time) and currently one poodle mix, I think the two inconvenient truths common among them all are the need for frequent grooming and the need for frequent dental care (preferably regular brushing at home). Our last little girl required frequent butt cleaning, but that was due to ongoing challenges with the consistency of her stool. She also had the loudest bark in the world. Neither was much of an issue with the others. On the positive side, all of our poodles have been smart, playful, affectionate and quick to learn. Poodles really seem to have a sense of fun and to enjoy being in the spotlight. Just delightful companions. 💖🐩


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## Mel Marsac (Apr 16, 2021)

Bigbark said:


> My mini boy has an embarrassingly high-pitched bark. Luckily, he’s not a big barker.
> 
> My standard’s bark was deep and loud. People were always surprised that such a big bark came out of such a fluffy creature.


Emma occasionally has a problem with needing to be cleaned after going to the bathroom, I would say three times in the last 6 months. She definitely needs her walks and chasing the ball every day. She also needs a nap and bedtime around 9:00 PM.


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## PeggyTheParti (Sep 5, 2019)

Yeah, don’t mess with a poodle’s bedtime!


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## Carolinek (Apr 2, 2014)

For sure! When 9-10 o’clock comes around, and we’re not in bed yet, Gracie trots herself down to the bedroom and goes to bed for the night. Lily used to do the same thing, but stopped a couple years ago….handed off the torch I guess!


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## Brownie_mom (Dec 1, 2020)

PeggyTheParti said:


> Yeah, don’t mess with a poodle’s bedtime!


Ruger actually bit me pretty hard when I attempted to take him off bed before he was ready. I was really shocked. I still think this is very wrong for a dog to bite his people. Never had this issue with my other dogs (not poodles), and I had pretty serious dogs before. For sure - Inconvenient truth.
There is a funny outcome from that incident - now my husband avoids to take Ruger off the bed and trusts me to do it every morning. That little stinker (dog, not husband) growls when he is being taken of the bed and attempts to bite. I just growl back and take him anyway. The growling back tip was given me by my Schnauzer breeder many years ago. Worked with the schnauzer, not so much with this poodle. I still try.


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## Blazenoliver (Jun 18, 2021)

Spottytoes said:


> Well, this may not be true of all poodles, I have no clue but because of the angle of the rear area, I have to wipe Bobby’s butt a lot! Way more than any dog I’ve ever known! If the poo is soft, Bobby needs a butt wipe.🤣 The real inconvenient truth is that it sometimes has to be done when people are passing by! 🤣 I have no shame and neither does he!😉
> I’ve never read about that inconvenient truth but I think it may be so for some poodles? Guessing that isn’t listed as one of the 10 best reasons to have a poodle.😉


I have said Blaze is not a "clean pooper." I have to wipe his butt too! He is a SPOO, very wooly hair. My little guy Oliver has very soft curls. I had a female SPOO with very different hair from the boys. Even the long haired dogs I've had never had this problem. Only Blaze needs to have his butt wiped. He's just special, I guess.


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## PeggyTheParti (Sep 5, 2019)

Brownie_mom said:


> Ruger actually bit me pretty hard when I attempted to take him off bed before he was ready. I was really shocked. I still think this is very wrong for a dog to bite his people. Never had this issue with my other dogs (not poodles), and I had pretty serious dogs before. For sure - Inconvenient truth.
> There is a funny outcome from that incident - now my husband avoids to take Ruger off the bed and trusts me to do it every morning. That little stinker (dog, not husband) growls when he is being taken of the bed and attempts to bite. I just growl back and take him anyway. The growling back tip was given me by my Schnauzer breeder many years ago. Worked with the schnauzer, not so much with this poodle. I still try.


This isn’t something to keep rehearsing. You’re setting Ruger up for serious failure by ignoring his growls. We talked about it in another thread, how you need a command for getting him off the bed and Ruger should be positively reinforced for obeying it. Pushing him to bite by ignoring his growls is setting a very bad precedent.You’re ignoring his very clear “I’m uncomfortable” message, forcing him to escalate.

What if he bites someone else because he’s learned his efforts at communicating politely are futile?

I’m sorry, @Brownie_mom, but this isn’t a good situation at all. Ruger isn’t your previous dogs. He’s Ruger. You signed up for a poodle and you got a poodle. You need to treat him as such. He’s telling you he’s uncomfortable. Why aren’t you listening?

Please get help from a certified trainer or behaviourist. The pandemic puppy primer has some good resources for this:









Pandemic Puppy Primer


The pandemic has created some unique challenges for families adding a new puppy or adult dog to their home. On the one hand, we finally have the time to devote to a four legged family member; on the other hand, surging demand has led to adoption and sales scams, and social distancing...




www.poodleforum.com





Edit: Sometimes small dogs get taken less seriously than larger breeds. This is not good. It creates a stressed dog and a very unstable dynamic, which indeed is an inconvenient poodle truth.


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## Dianaleez (Dec 14, 2019)

I used treats for training 'off' and 'on.' We started with the sofa and apply it everywhere. An 'up' can save me from picking him up from the floor. Easier on my back. And the 'offs' are priceless.


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## PeggyTheParti (Sep 5, 2019)

Dianaleez said:


> I used treats for training 'off' and 'on.' We started with the sofa and apply it everywhere. An 'up' can save me from picking him up from the floor. Easier on my back. And the 'offs' are priceless.


I agree. Priceless. Poodles have a keen sense of fairness. Rather than fighting it, use it to your advantage!


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## cowpony (Dec 30, 2009)

Dianaleez said:


> I used treats for training 'off' and 'on.' We started with the sofa and apply it everywhere. An 'up' can save me from picking him up from the floor. Easier on my back. And the 'offs' are priceless.


Galen loved it when I made a game out of up and off. Being a runt, he was extra thrilled when he finally grew big enough to hoist himself onto furniture he couldn't previously reach. Being ASKED to get up onto it - and getting treats too - just awesome in his opinion. And, of course, one needs to get off the furniture in order to get onto something else.


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## Redqueen (Jun 13, 2021)

Oonapup said:


> My poodle has taught me that intelligence is not the same as trainability even if they overlap. I feel like the reason that poodles score so high on the intelligence rankings is their trainability, but I think that their trainability is really a combination of their high intelligence and high people-orientedness (Ie, their people orientedness is what makes their intelligence tractable for us, because engaging with their people is rewarding for them, and I believe there are other intelligent dog breeds that score low on intelligence rankings because they are simply less interested in us and most of us aren't creative enough to be interesting). But poodle intelligence also means you being outsmarted a lot of the time and them looking for novel opportunities for testing/boundary pushing and goofing off. So the inconvenient truth about poodle intelligence is that you really do need to think fast and stay a couple of steps ahead, from keeping things fresh in training to anticipating the loopholes and gaps that they will ferret out.


You are so right about trainability and intelligence. I raised and exhibited Afghan hounds for many years. Yes you all have seen the lists on Yahoo or whatever that say Afghans are one of the stupidest breeds. It used to offend me but I got over it. Afghans taught me that a lot of intelligence is (or should be) a function of the ability to solve a problem. Afghans are incredible problem solvers. So are greyhounds and salukis. The problem they are trying to solve might not be a problem you want them to solve but...


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## PeggyTheParti (Sep 5, 2019)

cowpony said:


> Galen loved it when I made a game out of up and off. Being a runt, he was extra thrilled when he finally grew big enough to hoist himself onto furniture he couldn't previously reach. Being ASKED to get up onto it - and getting treats too - just awesome in his opinion. And, of course, one needs to get off the furniture in order to get onto something else.


We have a rule here: Whenever possible, if we ask Peggy to get down off the bed or the couch, we invite her right back up, then ask her to get down again. Turns it into a mini training session, which she always loves.


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## Oonapup (Oct 16, 2020)

Redqueen said:


> You are so right about trainability and intelligence. I raised and exhibited Afghan hounds for many years. Yes you all have seen the lists on Yahoo or whatever that say Afghans are one of the stupidest breeds. It used to offend me but I got over it. Afghans taught me that a lot of intelligence is (or should be) a function of the ability to solve a problem. Afghans are incredible problem solvers. So are greyhounds and salukis. The problem they are trying to solve might not be a problem you want them to solve but...


You know what is funny, I was thinking of the Afghan hound I grew up with as my first family dog as I wrote this. I knew from living with her that she was extremely intelligent, and I was ticked off when the book "The Intelligence of Dogs" came out in the 90s which ranked the Afghan hound at the bottom. My parents would tell me stories of her young disobedience that were all really stories about her outsmarting them all (including the cat). I also knew several Salukis who were equally weird and wonderful beings. They were definitely not dumb, they just weren't as interested in playing our strange games on our terms.


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## Vita (Sep 23, 2017)

This one. *Buying an inky black toy poodle puppy is no guarantee it will remain black*. A surprising number of them will have a very slow, gradual color coat change beginning between 1-1/2 to 2-1/2 years old. I have not seen this happen with Standards or Minis.

In mine, I noticed this first in the sunlight, not so much with indoor lighting. I thought the *ashy black* color with strands of brown was the result of fading from the sun or the type of shampoo or even the water quality (hard vs soft water) from baths. Then the gray hairs slowly came, so by the time she was three, visually she looked much older than her age. It was a real downer.

Technically & genetically these "black" toy poodles are _blue_, aka "bad blacks". They aren't the type of blues that are born blue so you can't tell when they're puppies. Even researching pedigrees is misleading; many win their championships when they're young, before the coat color changes, so the ancestors on the pedigree list black when in fact they aren't. 

The best way to tell is if neither the sire or dam are jet black but some or all the litter is, eventually those pups will color change to blue. I didn't know this when I got Bella; her father is white and her mother was a strange color. Well, it was strange b/c she was 3 years old and her color was transitioning. Later when I told the breeder about Bella's coat, I learned the mother had also been jet black as a pup.

I tried the Opawz Color Dye, but that's a big, messy job that few groomers will do. The problem with dyeing your poodle is when you trim their face every two or three weeks, and their hair grows so fast you're back to square one. 

On a positive note, mine is close to 4 years old now, and her coat has transitioned to a silvery black which is pretty. 

The other inconvenient truth is that unless you're good at adjusting the lighting on your camera, taking good indoor photos of a black poodle is hard.


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## For Want of Poodle (Feb 25, 2019)

Inconvenient Poodle Truth - if a poodle decides to have an upset stomach, it will be at 4-5 pm on a Friday night, because the vets office will be closed until Monday except for the direst of "you want to interrupt the vet at home, with her kids and horses?" emergencies.


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## Newport (Jul 16, 2014)

@For Want of Poodle yes, this has happened to me three different times with two different poodles in the last two months... Wee bit frustrating. However, I now have a dog medicine cabinet and knowledge on how to prevent dehydration in my dogs. Hopefully I can keep at least Navy out of the emergency vet office on the weekends. Violet had an unexplained hemorrhagic gastroenteritis, and bloody poop is a vet visit no matter what the calendar or clock says. I have often wondered why Mondays (like after a debauched weekend) are not the unexpected-vet-visit day. But nope, it's Friday night. The poodles make the rules.


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## For Want of Poodle (Feb 25, 2019)

Newport said:


> @For Want of Poodle yes, this has happened to me three different times with two different poodles in the last two months... Wee bit frustrating. However, I now have a dog medicine cabinet and knowledge on how to prevent dehydration in my dogs. Hopefully I can keep at least Navy out of the emergency vet office on the weekends. Violet had an unexplained hemorrhagic gastroenteritis, and bloody poop is a vet visit no matter what the calendar or clock says. I have often wondered why Mondays (like after a debauched weekend) are not the unexpected-vet-visit day. But nope, it's Friday night. The poodles make the rules.


Our vet is on vacation apparently and not taking weekend calls or any calls until Monday... So now debating emergency vet - hovering right on the edge of 'is it bad enough to drive an hour and wait in the parking lot for several hours, or will she be fine by the time I get there?' I swear every time she has an issue it starts Friday evening, she must have a calendar hidden.


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## Johanna (Jun 21, 2017)

Redqueen said:


> You are so right about trainability and intelligence. I raised and exhibited Afghan hounds for many years. Yes you all have seen the lists on Yahoo or whatever that say Afghans are one of the stupidest breeds. It used to offend me but I got over it. Afghans taught me that a lot of intelligence is (or should be) a function of the ability to solve a problem. Afghans are incredible problem solvers. So are greyhounds and salukis. The problem they are trying to solve might not be a problem you want them to solve but...


With the exception of whippets, most sighthounds focus on their own preferences and have little interest in accommodating your interests! They are not stupid, but they are very stubborn.


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## cowpony (Dec 30, 2009)

Johanna said:


> With the exception of whippets, most sighthounds focus on their own preferences and have little interest in accommodating your interests! They are not stupid, but they are very stubborn.


It makes sense that both sight hounds and terriers would be independent. A shepherd or a gun dog needs to work in coordination with a handler. Running down a rabbit is a solo task.


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## Brownie_mom (Dec 1, 2020)

PeggyTheParti said:


> you need a command for getting him off the bed a


Problem is - he has a broken leg and I cannot let him to jump off the bed. He was fine jumping off it until this happened. So the only alternative I have is to pick him up, and he does not like to be taken off bed,even when he desperately needs to pee. So it is two choices: peeing on the bed (happened once already) or be taken off. Ruger has very strong personality. The trainer sessions are starting today, so hope he will help to get it under control.
Our vet also recommended to neuter him to deal with his behavior. I was hoping to hold on until he is about 18 moths old, but vet insisting on getting it done next month. Ruger is going to be 9-1/2 month by then. Decision to be made.


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## For Want of Poodle (Feb 25, 2019)

Brownie_mom said:


> Problem is - he has a broken leg and I cannot let him to jump off the bed. He was fine jumping off it until this happened. So the only alternative I have is to pick him up, and he does not like to be taken off bed,even when he desperately needs to pee. So it is two choices: peeing on the bed (happened once already) or be taken off. Ruger has very strong personality. The trainer sessions are starting today, so hope he will help to get it under control.
> Our vet also recommended to neuter him to deal with his behavior. I was hoping to hold on until he is about 18 moths old, but vet insisting on getting it done next month. Ruger is going to be 9-1/2 month by then. Decision to be made.


That's hard with a broken leg. Is it possible he is in some pain, too? 

With 'difficult' dogs I find it really helpful to work on cooperative care and reducing opportunities for conflict. 

Something that helps me with dogs is a cue to be picked up. Ours is 'Ready, up?' and I wait until the dog moves to be picked up, and puts themselves in a comfortable position. It may cause a small delay, but it means way less conflict. It helps get their buy in to what is happening to them. 

You might consider stairs to the bed or a ramp of some sort, but honestly, if I was having a dog regularly growl at me on the bed, my solution would be no more bed, dog sleeps in crate. In my house the human bed and couch are privileges.


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## Brownie_mom (Dec 1, 2020)

For Want of Poodle said:


> That's hard with a broken leg. Is it possible he is in some pain, too?
> 
> With 'difficult' dogs I find it really helpful to work on cooperative care and reducing opportunities for conflict.
> 
> ...


I tried it. I was using 'time to go' cue and he knows what it means. Interestingly, he actually tries to cling to the bed when I let him know that it is time to go. I am sure that I am not doing it the right way, otherwise he would let me pick him up. It is getting better, but more work to be done.
And I cannot use the bed ramp - he is not allowed to go down the stairs.
He was sleeping in the crate ever since I got him from the breeder up until he was about 7 month old. Then one day he started to cry like a nut in the crate until I got him out of it. And ever since he is sleeping in our bed. Not all the time. Usually he starts with 'grooming' my husband and I, then either sleeps on the bed or asks to be taken off and sleeps on the rug next to the bed almost all night, and around 4 am he asks to be taken to the bed, or just jumps on the bed.
I do not think he is in pain. Vet told me that he should not feel anything, plus he is running around and acting totally normal, just limping because he has a splint on his front right leg.


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## Rose n Poos (Sep 22, 2017)

Brownie_mom said:


> Our vet also recommended to neuter him to deal with his behavior. I was hoping to hold on until he is about 18 moths old, but vet insisting on getting it done next month. Ruger is going to be 9-1/2 month by then. Decision to be made.


There is absolutely no guarantee or even a reasonable suggestion that neutering will change his behavior - for the better. It's as likely to get worse. 

Recent threaad








How did your male spoo's behavior change after...


Hi everyone! I have an 8 month male spoo who is quite the handful. We are working with an excellent trainer who doesn't seem concerned about his antics and says it's typical puppy behavior. I'm curious to learn how your male spoo changed after being neutered. We will probably neuter him around...




www.poodleforum.com


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## Rose n Poos (Sep 22, 2017)

Follow up...

If a human adolescent entering or going thru puberty was having behavioral problems, who would ever suggest removing the source of hormones vital to maturity of their whole system to fix behavior?

Dogs and humans are different species but many systems are fundamentally the same. We wouldn't dream of editing a human in this way, altering all future growth, why do we do it to dogs when it isn't proven to be a sure fix, or even worse, can make their behavior worse?


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## Brownie_mom (Dec 1, 2020)

Rose n Poos said:


> There is absolutely no guarantee or even a reasonable suggestion that neutering will change his behavior


I though so. I have no idea why our vet is trying to neuter him ever since he was 4 moth old. our breeder advised to do it at 18 moths. So I will probably stick with it.

We had a session with a personal trainer yesterday. That was a total disappointment. Probably he was a good trainer once in his life, but not at the high 80th. He had his and his wife pictures on the website and looked around 45, but in reality he was an old dud who could hardly hear and walk. I feel really bad writing this, but you would expect one to be able do work if you are charging 100$ per hour (and it was only 40 minutes because he looked so tired that I had to end that session ahead of time). Not to mention that he was 30 minutes late. Not to mention that he was teaching me how to train Ruger sit and down, even so Ruger perfected both commands months ago and I made it clear (or so I think?). So still at ground zero on behavior training.


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## PeggyTheParti (Sep 5, 2019)

You’ll weed out folks like that by sticking to certified trainers:









Certified Dog Trainer and Behavior Consultant Directory - CCPDT







www.ccpdt.org





Regardless of age or physical ability, you want someone who is up to date on modern training methods. You also want someone who will do no harm to Ruger or your relationship with Ruger. _Many_ so-called trainers do harm. Consider starting a new thread to keep us updated on your progress and solicit advice when needed.

As far as neutering goes, many vets are still fixated on juvenile spay and neuter. Ours is, too. They “prescribe” it as a cure for everything. I don’t know why this is. There are lots of threads on this topic, discussing pros, cons, and various studies.


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## Raindrops (Mar 24, 2019)

Rose n Poos said:


> Follow up...
> 
> If a human adolescent entering or going thru puberty was having behavioral problems, who would ever suggest removing the source of hormones vital to maturity of their whole system to fix behavior?
> 
> Dogs and humans are different species but many systems are fundamentally the same. We wouldn't dream of editing a human in this way, altering all future growth, why do we do it to dogs when it isn't proven to be a sure fix, or even worse, can make their behavior worse?


I like this explanation. I have seen Misha change _so much_ between 1 and 2 years of age. I think 6 months to 2 years in dogs is like our 12 to 30 range. A lot of maturing happens and the brain needs time to finish developing and learning naturally. A 30 year old is a much more reasonable and mild version than their 18 year old self. A lot of the positive changes attributed to neutering will happen anyway with age (for most dogs). Misha also became more snuggly, affectionate, biddable, and reasoned as he aged without any hormonal manipulation. Obviously some dogs do really benefit from it (like some humans) so it is best on a case by case basis.


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## Rose n Poos (Sep 22, 2017)

Brownie_mom said:


> I have no idea why our vet is trying to neuter him ever since he was 4 moth old. our breeder advised to do it at 18 moths


It's a very simple reason but not much studied for long term implications for the individual dogs at the time. There have been studies on effects on the individual dogs since.

Most vets stick with the "party line" because they know it's the surest way to keep overpopulation down but, hopefully, are keeping up with the studies and will be willing to discuss postponement or even foregoing. A lot of their cooperation depends on them betting on the responsible behavior of their clients.

_Sterilizing dogs wasn't always common practice in the United States; throughout much of the 20th century, few dogs were neutered. That changed during the 1970s, when animal welfare groups began to advocate for sterilization as a means for reducing unplanned litters and curbing the euthanization of unwanted animals. Today, between 69% and 78% of dogs in the U.S. are neutered, according to surveys by the American Veterinary Medical Association and the American Pet Products Association, respectively.

Spay/neuter convention gives way to nuance - News - VIN _

similar info
AKC Canine Health Foundation | The Health Implications of Early Spay and Neuter (akcchf.org)

The number of dogs euthanized has dropped dramatically but studies are now showing little to no benefit to to the individual dog for early (aka juvenile or pediatric) desexing, and may be a factor in detrimental outcomes.


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## kontiki (Apr 6, 2013)

They only time I have ever had to wipe my Spoos rear end is if he eats kibble.


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## kontiki (Apr 6, 2013)

I am just reading this thread today. I am so surprised to be reading about so many barking problems. I trained my Spoo the first week not to bark except one, or two barks to get my attention. Maybe we need a thread on how to train your dog not to bark? In a thread with this title it will just be lost if anyone ever looks for the topic.


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## PeggyTheParti (Sep 5, 2019)

kontiki said:


> I am just reading this thread today. I am so surprised to be reading about so many barking problems. I trained my Spoo the first week not to bark except one, or two barks to get my attention. Maybe we need a thread on how to train your dog not to bark? In a thread with this title it will just be lost if anyone ever looks for the topic.


Just one or two sharp barks can be nerve jangling. Peggy is queen of the single bark and it blasts my ears. Luckily she’s learned to bark with her mouth closed, but that’s not all the time. Sometimes she just can’t help herself.

Please do start a thread describing your method.


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