# What a sly little poodle!



## sandooch (Jan 20, 2011)

Poodles are indeed a smart breed. Gigi, like many dogs, likes to chew on things she knows she shouldn't and loves the game of chase when we walk into a room and she's got a hair band, pencil, candy wrapper, etc... in her mouth and she knows you've seen her. All is takes is for her to hear, "What are you chewing on?" and the chase is on all over the living room. It takes two of us to trap her on the couch and pry the object out of her mouth (guess I should be working on "drop it" more often). Lately, though, we found it was just easier to say, "Do you want a goodie?" She'd follow us into the kitchen for her treat, drop whatever is in her mouth and eat her goodie. That's when we grab the object she shouldn't be chewing on.

Well, yesterday she kept coming into the livingroom with one receipt after another, and we'd do the "Do you want a goodie?" routine to get them away from her. I couldn't think of where she was getting all these receipts from, and then I remembered I had put my purse on my bed and she was digging her nose in there to bring them to us. She learned that if she does this, she gets a goodie, so she just kept going back and forth finding anything she knew she shouldn't be chewing on to bring to us.

I just thought that was really cleaver of her.


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## Rayah-QualitySPs (Aug 31, 2010)

Yes, your Gigi is very clever but you are obviously no slouch either to have given up the chase routine.

Aren't poodles wonderful!


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## sandooch (Jan 20, 2011)

They certainly are wonderful. And as frustrating as the chase routine was, I would sometimes just bust out laughing because here I am, a grown woman, chasing her around like a crazy person while she is just loving it and bounding off the sofa and around the dining table. She certainly does make me smile. シ


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## 4Paws (Dec 11, 2010)

Sandooch, Polo does this too! He has another version of the same thing: he used to push his front paws on me when I had a treat, so I would say "off" and he would stop and get a treat. Then he started to think, "well, I just have to climb all over her til she says stop then I get a treat!" He's good about stopping once he knows he's getting the reward so I had to start tricking him and making him do something extra, like "off" then "shake" or "down" THEN he gets the treat LOL! 
For the chewing, he will stop if I call him to me. If I ask what he's got, he'll stop and get another toy and put it beside the object he's not supposed to have and trick me. I'll say, "stop chewing my boots!" and he will stand and have his toy chicken in his mouth, like, "You're silly. I have MY toy, duh."
They need to make Poodle-specific training, because regular methods are too basic for them LOL. Too smart...


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## faerie (Mar 27, 2010)

HA! they are so smart! that is clever.


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## schnauzerpoodle (Apr 21, 2010)

Nickel's version is:

He knows that when I say "enough" after he barks at someone outside the door, he will get a treat if he shuts up right away. So there was a week or so he would run to the door and bark, turn around and look at me and wait for me to say "enough" and then he came running for the treat.

He was training me to be his treat dispenser!


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## JE-UK (Mar 10, 2010)

sandooch said:


> They certainly are wonderful. And as frustrating as the chase routine was, I would sometimes just bust out laughing because here I am, a grown woman, chasing her around like a crazy person while she is just loving it and bounding off the sofa and around the dining table. She certainly does make me smile. シ


That's the HARDEST thing for me, not bursting into laughter when mine does something against the rules, but entertaining. My trainer grumbles at me for this all the time .... "don't laugh at him, then he thinks he's done something cute" ... ah, but he usually has :smile:.


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## katbrat (May 8, 2011)

That is too funny! I have been trying to train Lexi to alert me when she has to go outside instead of just watching for the "signs." She did start to go and sit by the front door. I thought I would reinforce this behavior by giving her a treat once she went outside and did her business. That lasted almost two days. She then would go to the door, we would go out and she would immediatley sit down, wag her tail and wait for her treat. Umm, that's not the order that is supossed to work!


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## outwest (May 1, 2011)

I have trained Bonnie to make a little whine or ruff at the back door to let her out to go pee. A couple days ago I noticed a pattern. When I was slouching on the couch watching TV and she didn't think I was paying enough attention to her, she would wander over to the door and whine. I immediately got off the couch to let her out, but when I opened the door she just ran the opposite direction toward the garage door where the treats are kept. Since I was already off my duff, I followed her and opened the garage door where she promptly shoved her nose over by the treat box. I gave her a treat. WHAT A MISTAKE!

For the past two days whenever she is bored, she will go the back door, ruff or whine, look at me to get off the couch and then run to the treat box. 

Sigh. I created a monster.


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## schpeckie (Jun 29, 2010)

These are all too funny but have I got one for you! My girls are also pretty swift! Sadie, the bigger one is always in my purse, gym bag, etc. digging out stuff and Lacey the little one, stands watch! Just the other day, I was getting ready for the gym, put all my change clothes for work in my bag, and behold - when I got to the gym - no bra! I had to go to work in my sweaty workout top under my jacket! Geez, when I got home at lunch time - sure enough, my bra was on the couch hidden with the other toys! Very very sneaky little girls!


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