# Newbie Question



## Liz (Oct 2, 2010)

The number one thing poodles need to learn from the beginning is how to be calm, and the best way to do that is to reward calmness in all its forms: stay, down, place, settle, sleep, etc. Look at That is a great game to teach a puppy that she can watch something fun and exciting without reacting to it. I would also start the Relaxation Protocol, where you desensitize your puppy to stimuli and reward for not leaving a down stay. You can find both of these games through the search function here on PF or on YT.


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## BennieJets (Oct 10, 2021)

Liz said:


> The number one thing poodles need to learn from the beginning is how to be calm, and the best way to do that is to reward calmness in all its forms: stay, down, place, settle, sleep, etc. Look at That is a great game to teach a puppy that she can watch something fun and exciting without reacting to it. I would also start the Relaxation Protocol, where you desensitize your puppy to stimuli and reward for not leaving a down stay. You can find both of these games through the search function here on PF or on YT.


Well now I'm just super excited...(maybe this is where pup gets it from! Haha!)
I searched the Relaxation Protocol and found it linked. I intuitively started something similar with Bennie, calling it "place." A yoga mat (to prevent sliding on the hardwood floor) with a blanket on top. She does well with it with zero distractions. However I've been leaving it out and sometimes she just goes to it on her own with a chew toy. I wonder if I shouldn't leave it out? I do like that she's beginning to use it on her own.

I'm SO grateful to have a daily protocol to use rather than winging it on my own. Thanks @Liz ! I'll also be mindful of rewarding whenever she is showing calmness on her own. 

Something that is occurring to me just now is that I could loosen up a bit... I may be a bit strong in my effort to communicate my desire that she be calm. I think she'll be teaching me as much as I teach her, I'm definitely someone who could learn to relax and play and lighten up a bit. 

I also ordered Ian Dunbar's book as well, I keep seeing it mentioned in various threads and figured it sounds like a good read!


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## Liz (Oct 2, 2010)

Ian Dunbar has lots of fans here! He has two free books available here that we highly recommend.

ETA: If you haven't already seen the Pandemic Puppy Primer, it's worth a read through and has lots of resources for bringing home a new puppy.


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## Dianaleez (Dec 14, 2019)

Just like with your children - never reward undesired behavior. With dogs it's not tantrums on the cereal aisle, it's jumping up or licking the faces of those sleeping on the sofa. Turn away or move away. 

btw, I was far better at doing that with kids than dogs!


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## Mfmst (Jun 18, 2014)

Ian Dunbar taught me, the best route to getting a good recall. Which is a check in, call the puppy, reward, and then release her to have fun. Sometimes it’s the end of fun, but not always. Poodles are crazy smart, MENSA level. My previous breed was 69th in intelligence, so I had to up my training game fast. Great trainers and resources here. Get a flirt pole


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## TK9NY (Jan 6, 2017)

Note: to discourage jumping, use "OFF" not "Down" for the command as "down" is often the command used to get a dog to "lay down". Can make things confusing for puppy if you use "down" for two different behaviors. 

When Limerick gets too amped up and mouthy, we cease all play and he gets... not put in time out, so much as he gets removed from whatever is amping him up at the time. Sometimes that means i have to make myself boring and sometimes that means removing him from Dublin's vicinity. Then i re-direct him to something more appropriate like a toy or a training game. I've found that i have to do this with Dublin now, too. Half the time he's the one amping things up and he's the one that needs reminded "no ping ponging around the house". 

So when your pup is getting riled up.... don't just address the puppy, find out what in the environment puppy is getting excited over. It could be a specific way someone in your family is acting or speaking. It could be a sound on the TV. Eventually, yes, puppy should learn that these things do not mean it's time to go crazy but for now if there are certain things TRIGGERING puppy... sometimes addressing the triggers themselves are the way to go. Build up to teaching puppy proper behaviors around those triggers.

You want to set puppy up for success. A pup that young, that new, should not be expected to ignore (or not react to), say, a child screaming in their face and waving tempting chompy things (fingers, clothing, etc) around. That comes with time, age, and with you figuring out how much exercise and mental stimulation your puppy needs. My boys are much less hyper after they've had a good long walk, and if they don't get their walk (or a run around the yard) then they can be hellions. 

I cannot WAIT until Lim is old enough to start hiking....

Nine weeks old is still young, puppy is still getting used to you and your family and the home. It'll come with time, and patience. Have you found a good training group/class? 

PS - I made a flirt pole out of PVC pipe and rope for $5... best. Thing. Ever. We can't use it inside but in the yard? The dogs go nuts!


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## fjm (Jun 4, 2010)

I have found that Freddy, even at 12 weeks, needs far more sleep than I remember from other puppies. 10 minutes of interactive play, 10 minutes of play by himself, and he is ready for another long snooze. He gets regular trips outside to run and play and sniff, and two longer "walks" each day, running across fields or beginning to practice leash skills. At the moment we are having a family get together - it was a bit of a revelation to see how much more OTT he got when there were lots of people around and lots of things going on!

One thing I have done is to get down on the floor or sit in a different chair to play tug and chasing games. If I am in the yellow chair I am ready to play; if I am in the big red chair he can come up, but only to settle with a chew. A very easy distinction for a puppy to learn. I would also teach your children the Be like a Tree game - when the puppy gets too bouncy and nippy stand very still, hands tucked under chin and head down, not looking at him. You can make it fun, like a game of musical statues, with a small prize for the quickest response. Bennie also gets praise and a treat for backing off, and a jackpot for sitting when the children freeze.


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## BennieJets (Oct 10, 2021)

You all have no idea how grateful I am! These are wonderful suggestions, offers, and ideas. I've definitely taken something from each one of you. Thank you so very much @Liz , @Dianaleez , @Mfmst , @TK9NY , @fjm . I hope one day to be able to offer the same in turn for new poodle owners-- to pay it forward.

Have to say, too, that because I've been reading poodle forum for a while before getting Bennie, I recognize so many of you. So it's nice to be really conversing now. Have a great day/evening wherever you are!


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## Liz (Oct 2, 2010)

BennieJets said:


> Well now I'm just super excited...(maybe this is where pup gets it from! Haha!)
> I searched the Relaxation Protocol and found it linked. I intuitively started something similar with Bennie, calling it "place." A yoga mat (to prevent sliding on the hardwood floor) with a blanket on top. She does well with it with zero distractions. However I've been leaving it out and sometimes she just goes to it on her own with a chew toy. I wonder if I shouldn't leave it out? I do like that she's beginning to use it on her own.


Dogs benefit from having at least one safe space to retreat to when they want a break from the action. A crate, an x-pen, or a dog bed (even in the form of a yoga mat and blanket) can all work, though crates and x-pens have added benefits of boundaries without compromising visibility in and out. Anecdotally, many owners find that regular nap periods throughout the day in a crate or x-pen help their dogs learn to self-regulate arousal and help the owners retain their sanity when managing young, active dogs.


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## BennieJets (Oct 10, 2021)

Liz said:


> Dogs benefit from having at least one safe space to retreat to when they want a break from the action. A crate, an x-pen, or a dog bed (even in the form of a yoga mat and blanket) can all work, though crates and x-pens have added benefits of boundaries without compromising visibility in and out. Anecdotally, many owners find that regular nap periods throughout the day in a crate or x-pen help their dogs learn to self-regulate arousal and help the owners retain their sanity when managing young, active dogs.


This makes total sense to me. I need lots of "me time" myself and I'm a bit of an introvert. Which offers beautiful food for thought about teaching my whole family to give the pup space when she goes to that mat. I'll reward her for a spontaneous settle there and let her be. 

I currently crate her for nap time through the day, and she is really getting the hang of that. But I do pick her up and put her in, she's yet to offer to go in on her own, even after tossing treats in to entice her. We're going to keep working on that, too. Firstly, a dog figuring it out on their own is better, yeah? And secondly, eventually manhandling a Spoo into a crate just won't work anyhow!


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## Liz (Oct 2, 2010)

You definitely want to work with Bennie to see the crate as her safe space. It will make the rest of her life a lot easier if she's happy in a crate until released. Crate Games (found on YT and probably here) is a popular way of crate training, and yes, it depends on positive reinforcement to build a reliable behavior that is freely offered. At age 11 Mia still seeks out her crate at various times in the day for a cozy snooze.


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

Keeping in mind that Bennie is a baby, and will be for the next year or so (so don't have to start working on everything today, and the world won't crash to a halt because you just enjoy your puppy for a few weeks), I like the following for teaching 'off'.

Have treats. Lure the dog to jump on you (treat). Lure the dog to get off, four feet on the floor (treat). When that is going well, introduce commands - I use hug and off. Treats for hug, treats for off. Next session, no treat for hug, treats for off. Start giving multiple treats for staying off, maybe occasionally a treat for hug, but only on command. Dog should pretty quickly know that staying off gets rewarded, jumping up is only rewarded on command. 

Then you can start using it in greetings. Say 'off!' and reward. You can even say it before the dog jumps up. 

I also use 'off', taught in a similar way, to mean '4 ft on the floor, get off the couch!'

Annie still loves the hug command as a fun trick but hasn't even thought about jumping on a person in probably a year. 

For crate training - have you watched the crate games videos? Watch how this trainer gets her dog to start going into the crate.


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## Basil_the_Spoo (Sep 1, 2020)

Your in good hands. 

Naps are one of your best first tools to survive puppyhood, like with small children, their battery needs recharging often and they should be getting 12+ hours of sleep per day.

You will observe Bennie "lose his brain" or his poodle wits over the course of a day because he's tired. He's going to follow commands way better in the Am then in the Pm. Again, he's just a baby and doesn't have the bandwidth to be mentally at 100% all day. You just need to recharge him like a phone.

This could be hard with small children, but it could also be a good family lesson to help Bennie. Here's what we did (no children) - blinds down, all lights off, Alexa play calm music, and importantly DO NOT MOVE OR MAKE A SOUND lol. Go to your room and don't make a peep. To my semi retired 65 y/o parents who watched Basil during the day this was easy lol.

But, naps are how we survived and that is how we did it. It was a whole team effort.

Did Bennie have a good bath yet since being home to help with allergies?

Then, when you get there, we can help you with nails. Our "puppy package" with the vet came with 2 nail cuttings... But it's also one of those things a mom or dad can do better and with more love at home. Im using the same $30 dremmel on Amazon that Ive had since Basil was 8 wks, and she's 1 yr 4 mo now. Total return on investment. Once you cross that bridge we can help...


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## PeggyTheParti (Sep 5, 2019)

Peggy has a fierce memory for rewards. This is pretty normal for dogs, but I think it’s even more so for our genius poodles.  So if puppy gets rewarded, even inadvertently, for jumping up, it’s going to be a longer road to deterring that behaviour.

Because it’s impossible to control the actions of every single person Bennie interacts with, stack the deck in your favour by rewarding _mightily_ for the behaviour you like. The moment Bennie’s little bum plops onto the floor? She gets her heart’s greatest desire! That may be attention, play, treats, freedom, etc.—whatever suits the moment best.

During particularly exciting times, a reward may come for simply having all four paws on the floor. Tell her she is the most clever, wonderful girl and watch her start offering up that good-girl behaviour more and more.

You can also stick a toy in her mouth the moment she starts getting amped up. If that doesn’t work, quietly remove yourself from the situation for 30 seconds. Try again. Still doesn’t work? Time for a puppy nap.

With maturity, she’ll start automatically grabbing a toy when she’s excited. Maybe it’ll happen just once every few days to start. Maybe she’ll backslide a little. But give her time. Everything you’re teaching her—intentionally or not—is constantly getting filed away. Eventually she’ll be mature enough to apply those lessons consistently.


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## lily cd re (Jul 23, 2012)

I can't add much to what has a lready been said. So I will just say be patient and consistent and you will be just fine. One of the things you really want to be careful with is to not reward bad behaviors by accident, especially as regards jumping all over people.


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## BennieJets (Oct 10, 2021)

For Want of Poodle said:


> Keeping in mind that Bennie is a baby, and will be for the next year or so (so don't have to start working on everything today, and the world won't crash to a halt because you just enjoy your puppy for a few weeks), I like the following for teaching 'off'.
> 
> Have treats. Lure the dog to jump on you (treat). Lure the dog to get off, four feet on the floor (treat). When that is going well, introduce commands - I use hug and off. Treats for hug, treats for off. Next session, no treat for hug, treats for off. Start giving multiple treats for staying off, maybe occasionally a treat for hug, but only on command. Dog should pretty quickly know that staying off gets rewarded, jumping up is only rewarded on command.
> 
> ...


I really appreciate this piece about permission to enjoy her... Gosh I can get so uptight sometimes! Recovering "perfectionist." And each time I perceive I've really made a mistake-- in parenting and now fur-child-training, I beat myself up so hard. But this bit about poodle sensitivity (thank you @PeggyTheParti!) is so valuable for me to keep reminding myself of. She's just as sensitive to my energy, I'm sure. 

I love the "off" training. Will tuck that into my pocket for the days to come. 

Today was the first day she voluntarily went into her crate twice and laid down. She was rewarded very enthusiastically.


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## BennieJets (Oct 10, 2021)

PeggyTheParti said:


> Peggy has a fierce memory for rewards. This is pretty normal for dogs, but I think it’s even more so for our genius poodles.  So if puppy gets rewarded, even inadvertently, for jumping up, it’s going to be a longer road to deterring that behaviour.
> 
> Because it’s impossible to control the actions of every single person Bennie interacts with, stack the deck in your favour by rewarding _mightily_ for the behaviour you like. The moment Bennie’s little bum plops onto the floor? She gets her heart’s greatest desire! That may be attention, play, treats, freedom, etc.—whatever suits the moment best.
> 
> ...


I love the bit about rewards because I'd forgotten that they can come in so many forms! I've been a bit befuddled about how to treat as much as is needed in these early days and not go overboard with calories 😜 I can't use her food because she's being fed raw and... well, I just don't much fancy sticking my hands in that 😝 But PRAISE and FREEDOM and PLAY, these are all the things I get to figure out about her, what makes her tick. I love psychology. I love my little fluffy girl. Combine the two and I get to learn fluffy girl's psychology! Win Win.


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## BennieJets (Oct 10, 2021)

Basil_the_Spoo said:


> Your in good hands.
> 
> Naps are one of your best first tools to survive puppyhood, like with small children, their battery needs recharging often and they should be getting 12+ hours of sleep per day.
> 
> ...


Oh I love me a gooooooood puppy nap! She's been good going down for those, thank goodness! I throw a blanket over the crate, turn some white noise on, or some music, or just let it be quiet if I am home alone, we've watched movies in the past, just varying up the noise so she gets used to it all and it seems to be working! 

She's had her first bath. Didn't love it, but also didn't fight it too hard either. She's pretty middle of the road for a lot of things, it seems. The nails! Just wait to see my post when that time comes 😂 I feel like I'm needing advice for everything even though I was so sure I'd done my due diligence with research. I bought clippers rather than a dremmel... but a dremmel does seem like it would smooth edges out more, yeah?


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## Basil_the_Spoo (Sep 1, 2020)

Yes, smooth edges.

This is how her nails looked when the vet tech did them when she was littler. Very sharp. It was that point where I decided to do them myself.

Vet tech w/ nail cutter: 
$16/apt


















Dremmel by Dad: 
$30 upfront cost for tool


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