# Training poodles vs. other breeds



## that_poodle_noodle (Jul 24, 2020)

I know every dog owner thinks that their breed is completely different from all the others haha, but I have noticed a difference between Noodle and the other dogs at her training class. Noodle picks things up very quickly but after too many repeats she either ‘turns off’ (presumably out of boredom) and goes for a sniff or starts jumping the gun and predicting what you’ll ask based on what happened last time (e.g. Sometimes I ask her to sit and then lie down to practise for changing positions at distance, but if I do it enough times, she will just start lying down straight away because she’s worked out that’s what always comes next). So I often have to take breaks while other people in the class are repeating one thing to keep her on track.

Anyone who has trained both a poodle and another breed (or been in a class with other breeds etc.) - have you noticed any differences between them?


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## MyMiles (Apr 21, 2012)

Elmer was the only poodle in his puppy class and he was definitely different from the other puppies. I think part of it was that they were just more willing to relax than him, but some of the difference could also have been breed.
During downtimes, while we were supposed to be running through the few basic cues they had taught us, other puppies were either resting or cooperating with their handlers. While I was teaching extra 'tricks' just to give myself enough to keep him engaged. "Look" and "Sit" and "Touch" just don't have enough variation to hold his attention, and if I let my guard down for a minute, he'd be trying to start a wrestling match with whatever dog was in his line of sight. 

It's funny to compare puppy experiences with non-poodle people. I was talking to someone with a young golden retriever, who would steel laundry as a pup. She handled it by calmly reclaiming the item and going about her day and the dog grew out of it. 
I've been using the 'Trade' technique to save my stuff from destruction, but have now taught my puppy that finding my stuff is a good way to get attention. Yesterday he followed me around the house with the headlamp I use for night time walks dangling out of his mouth - shaking it, making eye contact, dropping it, looking at me expectantly, picking it up again...


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## cowpony (Dec 30, 2009)

Definitely my guys have never appreciated repetition. Pogo and Snarky had spent so much time playing with the barn dogs before they went to their first training class that they were merely average in their interest in meeting other dogs. They had also developed some impulse control. Ritter and Galen are more distractible. However, some of the other dogs had their own challenges. One of the rescue dogs, some kind of cur pulled from a southern shelter, was so nervous around strange people that it had to do the entire class in an alcove. One of the retrievers was incapable of staying in one place for more than 5 seconds at a time (though I think the handler might have contributed to that problem.)


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## that_poodle_noodle (Jul 24, 2020)

MyMiles said:


> Elmer was the only poodle in his puppy class and he was definitely different from the other puppies. I think part of it was that they were just more willing to relax than him, but some of the difference could also have been breed.
> During downtimes, while we were supposed to be running through the few basic cues they had taught us, other puppies were either resting or cooperating with their handlers. While I was teaching extra 'tricks' just to give myself enough to keep him engaged. "Look" and "Sit" and "Touch" just don't have enough variation to hold his attention, and if I let my guard down for a minute, he'd be trying to start a wrestling match with whatever dog was in his line of sight.
> 
> It's funny to compare puppy experiences with non-poodle people. I was talking to someone with a young golden retriever, who would steel laundry as a pup. She handled it by calmly reclaiming the item and going about her day and the dog grew out of it.
> I've been using the 'Trade' technique to save my stuff from destruction, but have now taught my puppy that finding my stuff is a good way to get attention. Yesterday he followed me around the house with the headlamp I use for night time walks dangling out of his mouth - shaking it, making eye contact, dropping it, looking at me expectantly, picking it up again...


This is so funny 😂 Noodle does something a bit similar - I trained her to so that when she’s out in the garden, she will come back into the house on command. But now, even if she has tapped on the door herself, after I go to open it she will wait and stare at me until I ask her to come in so that she gets a treat 😅


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## Skylar (Jul 29, 2016)

I’ve never had another breed of dog except poodle but I’ve seen many breeds and mixes in class.

I don’t like to be disruptive or disrespectful in class, but I also recognize that my poodle can’t do too many repeats.

I do the exercise being taught 3 times then I switch to something else that I can do that doesn’t draw attention from the rest of the class. By the time the trainer has come by us to check what we’re doing it’s time to switch back to what they were training. I don’t want my dog anticipating me, so I try to really randomize my training both in class and home.


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## Misteline (Mar 10, 2019)

Evelyn was highly distractible in class and very difficult to work with if he could see, hear, or smell another dog. It didn't matter if he knew the command or not. On our own he was fun to train and very easy to teach basic commands. He's very willing to do commands over and over again if he understands what he's supposed to do, but if he doesn't he gets frustrated easily and will give up. He doesn't always seem to connect a behavior with a payout and seems more routine oriented. He does what he thinks he is supposed to do even if I'm inconsistent or it never gets him anything.

My Tibetan terrier is very focused on me in class and picks up commands quickly, but has a very "what's in this for me?" attitude. He has a lot more stamina and frequently picks things up on his own as long as he thinks he'll be rewarded.


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## Dechi (Aug 22, 2015)

that_poodle_noodle said:


> I know every dog owner thinks that their breed is completely different from all the others haha, but I have noticed a difference between Noodle and the other dogs at her training class. Noodle picks things up very quickly but after too many repeats she either ‘turns off’ (presumably out of boredom) and goes for a sniff or starts jumping the gun and predicting what you’ll ask based on what happened last time (e.g. Sometimes I ask her to sit and then lie down to practise for changing positions at distance, but if I do it enough times, she will just start lying down straight away because she’s worked out that’s what always comes next). So I often have to take breaks while other people in the class are repeating one thing to keep her on track.
> 
> Anyone who has trained both a poodle and another breed (or been in a class with other breeds etc.) - have you noticed any differences between them?


That’s what Beckie was doing when I did a class with her. She would never want to do more than 2-3 times the same thing. The trainer said it happens with smart dogs. They get it quick and have no interest in repeating the same thing over snd over.


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## PeggyTheParti (Sep 5, 2019)

There were some highly intelligent herding dogs in our classes who thrived on repetition, sometimes to an obsessive degree. They are clearly wired completely differently than poodles.

Peggy would have preferred “one and done,” but I could coax a rep or two out of her if I was engaging enough. Then it was on to something different, whether that was another command or just working on staying calm while watching the other dogs.

We only had one other poodle in our classes, and something I noticed was that she and Peggy, along with the Dobermans, were the least likely to bark.


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## Asta's Mom (Aug 20, 2014)

Springer spaniels do not match much - poodles out and out smart springers Will say my spaniels are more goofy and that is great fun.ohh poodles ca be goofy too.


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## WinnieThePoodle (Sep 1, 2020)

that_poodle_noodle said:


> I know every dog owner thinks that their breed is completely different from all the others haha, but I have noticed a difference between Noodle and the other dogs at her training class. Noodle picks things up very quickly but after too many repeats she either ‘turns off’ (presumably out of boredom) and goes for a sniff or starts jumping the gun and predicting what you’ll ask based on what happened last time (e.g. Sometimes I ask her to sit and then lie down to practise for changing positions at distance, but if I do it enough times, she will just start lying down straight away because she’s worked out that’s what always comes next). So I often have to take breaks while other people in the class are repeating one thing to keep her on track.


Winnie was exactly the same and got bored after a few repeats. She would often lie down and watch the other dogs and I had to keep saying 'sorry, she did them and now she is bored' to the trainer. And jumping the gun too. Even now when I have some special treats that she knows I'm going to ask her to do things for, she starts doing them before I ask her.


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## Click-N-Treat (Nov 9, 2015)

I train dogs professionally. Poodles are different. They arrive at class like a superball fired out of a cannon. Ever have your poodle in a room full of border collies and aussies? Yeah, that's fun. The other dogs are all focused on handler. Poodle is focused on everything. Distractible? Yes, but not in a hyperactive way. And not inattentive. They're over-attentive, aware of everything. Flickering light, temperature of room, you, sound of heater, smell of dogs in the room, smell of people in the room, smell of last 45 dogs in the building, smell of bacon, chicken, hot dogs, sound of cars outside, sound of people talking in the building next door, car engine starting, car engine stopping, texture of floor... All of this information is bombarding your poodle. The other dogs aren't noticing all this stuff. The poodle is. Picture being in a room with 70 TV's blaring different channels and trying to pay attention to only one show.

Once I understood that about Noelle, I discovered how to help this dog learn to have filters. I learned to be amazed by her. I am still amazed by Noelle. She's inquisitive, sensitive, exquisitely aware of her environment, and intensely aware of me. 

When I train other dogs, especially Belgian Malinois, the more they repeat a behavior the better they get. Teaching a Mal to sit in heel position can be a 40 minute lesson on square sits. Try that with a poodle and you'll get worse and worse and worse sits. I cannot drill poodles. Some poodle mixes also have very little tolerance for repetition. They get bored. You can almost hear them saying...

"Learned that. What's next?"
"Learned that. What's next?"
"Learned that. What's next?"

That's why Noelle likes rally and doesn't like traditional obedience. She knows 100+ different rally signs. What she doesn't know is what order they are in, and that's exciting to her. It prevents that feeling of repetition. There are breeds that thrive on it for sure. Poodles? Nope.

Have patience with your poodle. Learn about auto-check-ins http://www.mwbcr.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/Auto-Check-In.pdf Practice them. On Sunday, I had a dancing singing toy Snoopy wandering around the ring as a distraction. Noelle ignored it completely thanks to auto-check-in practice. Read it, learn it, and take that knowledge with you to class. Instead of drilling sits and downs, work auto-checkins during class. Just let your teacher know. Yup, poodles are different. That's why we love them.


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## 94Magna_Tom (Feb 23, 2021)

Yes, yes, yes! All of that! Elroy is sooo interested in investigating everything the moment we show up to class! While he's still taking notes, all the other dogs are waiting for class to begin! It kind of makes me feel like we're not doing as well as the rest, but once class actually begins, Elroy is like, "been there, done that! Next!" Last week we had like 5 or 6 dancing, singing Disney dolls to practice loose leash walking with serious distractions. Dogs, humans, and singing/dancing stuffed animals! Who can resist! Answer? Elroy!! What a good boy😍!


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## that_poodle_noodle (Jul 24, 2020)

Click-N-Treat said:


> I train dogs professionally. Poodles are different. They arrive at class like a superball fired out of a cannon. Ever have your poodle in a room full of border collies and aussies? Yeah, that's fun. The other dogs are all focused on handler. Poodle is focused on everything. Distractible? Yes, but not in a hyperactive way. And not inattentive. They're over-attentive, aware of everything. Flickering light, temperature of room, you, sound of heater, smell of dogs in the room, smell of people in the room, smell of last 45 dogs in the building, smell of bacon, chicken, hot dogs, sound of cars outside, sound of people talking in the building next door, car engine starting, car engine stopping, texture of floor... All of this information is bombarding your poodle. The other dogs aren't noticing all this stuff. The poodle is. Picture being in a room with 70 TV's blaring different channels and trying to pay attention to only one show.
> 
> Once I understood that about Noelle, I discovered how to help this dog learn to have filters. I learned to be amazed by her. I am still amazed by Noelle. She's inquisitive, sensitive, exquisitely aware of her environment, and intensely aware of me.
> 
> ...


Yes, this is exactly what it’s like with Noodle! It makes me feel better knowing it’s like this for all poodles because sometimes I wonder if it’s because of the way I train (Noodle is the first dog I’ve owned from a puppy and trained myself, and I’ve been told I’m too soft with her a number of times).

Thank you for putting a link to the check-in game - I’ll definitely start doing this with her 😊


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## PeggyTheParti (Sep 5, 2019)

Click-N-Treat said:


> I train dogs professionally. Poodles are different. They arrive at class like a superball fired out of a cannon. Ever have your poodle in a room full of border collies and aussies? Yeah, that's fun. The other dogs are all focused on handler. Poodle is focused on everything. Distractible? Yes, but not in a hyperactive way. And not inattentive. They're over-attentive, aware of everything. Flickering light, temperature of room, you, sound of heater, smell of dogs in the room, smell of people in the room, smell of last 45 dogs in the building, smell of bacon, chicken, hot dogs, sound of cars outside, sound of people talking in the building next door, car engine starting, car engine stopping, texture of floor... All of this information is bombarding your poodle. The other dogs aren't noticing all this stuff. The poodle is. Picture being in a room with 70 TV's blaring different channels and trying to pay attention to only one show.
> 
> Once I understood that about Noelle, I discovered how to help this dog learn to have filters. I learned to be amazed by her. I am still amazed by Noelle. She's inquisitive, sensitive, exquisitely aware of her environment, and intensely aware of me.
> 
> ...


This is so good. I’m tempted to sticky this thread for new poodle owners.


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## that_poodle_noodle (Jul 24, 2020)

PeggyTheParti said:


> This is so good. I’m tempted to sticky this thread for new poodle owners.


If not this one, it might be worth creating a new thread specifically for forum members’ advice to new poodle owners. I sometimes think about what I would do differently if I got another puppy, knowing what I now know. It would probably be something like 1) actually read Ian Dunbar, 2) prepare myself for how long it actually takes to properly train a puppy, 3) start crate/separation training straight away, and 4) don’t bother with any kind of negative reinforcement that you see dog trainers do on tv/online (e.g. correcting by tugging on a lead) because it doesn’t work.


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## Liz (Oct 2, 2010)

that_poodle_noodle said:


> If not this one, it might be worth creating a new thread specifically for forum members’ advice to new poodle owners. I sometimes think about what I would do differently if I got another puppy, knowing what I now know. It would probably be something like 1) actually read Ian Dunbar, 2) prepare myself for how long it actually takes to properly train a puppy, 3) start crate/separation training straight away, and 4) don’t bother with any kind of negative reinforcement that you see dog trainers do on tv/online (e.g. correcting by tugging on a lead) because it doesn’t work.


#1 Made me laugh
#2 Made me tired just thinking about those first _five _years
#3 ... and calmness! From the get-go
#4 This one's sad. Measar Cilan should be banned. Blech (that's the nicest thing I can say about him and his tv ilk)


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