# Is your poodle sensitive?



## Michelle (Nov 16, 2009)

This morning Yuki decided to start humping my golden, so I grabbed him by the collar told him "off!". His feelings were so hurt he sulked over to his crate and pouted for a few minutes. I didn't shout, and I wasn't rough with him...just saying "off" sternly really hurt his feelings.

Atticus on the other hand doesn't care if "yell" at him. He will just blow it off and go about the rest of his day. Yuki will carry it with him for a few minutes and act like I ruined his whole day. 




How about your poodle(s)?


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## MollyMuiMa (Oct 13, 2012)

Oh My YES! A raised voice alone will make Molly cower or run away! I can never, ever, raise my voice to her, or she makes me feel like a big mean monster!!!! Hahaha!!!! I do speak firmly to her sometimes, but she's okay with that!!!! She really is a softie!!!!


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## ericwd9 (Jun 13, 2014)

Grace will sulk when left alone, for even a short time. "I know where you have been. You have been to the park throwing the ball for another doggie!!! I saw it on U Tube!!!"
Eric.


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## Dolly's Mom (Feb 14, 2014)

Oh no. Dolly smiles "rudely" and then we talk about how rude it is to smile when I'm disciplining her and Georgie just wiggles like "I totally wasn't doing anything mum!"


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## Streetcar (Apr 13, 2014)

Yes oh yes! Just a bit ago, I caught Oliver as he stole a (blech) "goodie" from the litter box. I told him off and that was bad, and he just crouched like he had been hit (he of course had not been hit), and crawled into a nearby crate. (ETA: told him off meaning not scolding in the idiomatic sense, but off in the sense we tell our dogs to release something they have in their possession.)

When I say bad (not often; it just came out this time), he has this reaction. I've no idea how his original family handled that, but he came with this and because of that I try to avoid labeling anything he does that way. It breaks my heart to see him creep away to a crate like that. I got him to come out but he went into another, so I took him out for a little walk and gave a good snack and he perked back up.


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## Charmed (Aug 4, 2014)

My first spoo, that I got when she was ten months old, was very sensitive. If she felt that she was unjustly corrected she would hold her neck very stiffly and, while she did obey, she would avoid eye contact and stare off into space. We call it "going to her happy place and not inviting us." On the few occasions when she really did do something wrong, like jumping up on the kitchen counter and foraging, she actually cried real tears! If my male's feelings are hurt, he will sit with his back to the offending person. It is so very obvious, and makes us laugh every time it happens. He does not appreciate this, at all.


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## kayfabulous6 (Nov 19, 2013)

Ruby doesn't care if I raise my voice at her if she's acting up because half the time she just zones me out cause she's after my socks!!! It makes her even wilder! So then I have to ignore her. She challenges me. Strong headed girl is like her moma


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## Oreo's Mommy (Dec 18, 2012)

Oreo is only sensitive sometimes. I guess it depends on his mood and what he is getting in trouble for b

He does feel bad when he nips me when going for a toy. He gets very still and then slowly approaches me for a kiss. 

When he steals socks, he runs around crazy and once he finally drops it, he prances away. 

He does not like to be told to move. Somedays he sits right up against me and invades my space. I make him move but he pouts. 

He sure is silly!


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## Ciscley (Jul 16, 2013)

*The poodle sad eyes get me every time*

Of all of ours, the border collie is the most sensitive. We cannot laugh loudly or have a verbal argument and she really puts a cramp on our sports watching, especially World Cup. Roxy will just get right in your face and start barking like mad for the laughing / cheering and she cowers and shakes the few times we fight. Which of course makes you feel a million times worse. 

Danno is oblivious to human drama. Too much eye contact scares him. Dropping anything on the floor scares him. But yelling or using a firm voice? Nada. It's probably because he's never experienced it directed at him, but he just has zero reaction to it going on around him. He even got over all the noise and screaming from the toddlers while my family stayed with us. He didn't enjoy it, but he felt no need to leave the area if he was getting good loving while they were carrying on.

Desi is very soft when he's at our house, but when he's at his breeder's house surrounded by all his lovely older lady poodles, he's the epitome of confidence and he's super outgoing with visitors (which is how we fell in love with him.) He's also much more confident when he's being regularly exercised to the point of exhaustion in the summer. 

We don't use negative verbal corrections and honestly he's so well behaved in the house that I can't think of a time I'd need to, but like Danno if you pay him too much attention - which people often do because he's so handsome - he will roll over and show you his belly or duck his head and give you his sad eyes. And out in public he gets very shy about being petted by strangers. 

Poor sweet little man. He's just all lover. Until there's a mole or squirrel or heaven help us a deer and then he's lord of the hunt. 

He's had the sad eyes down pat since we first brought him home.


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## mom2Zoe (Jun 17, 2014)

Sometimes if she doesn't want to be picked up by my 15 year old she will lightly snap at her, not nip.She doesn't do it with the 6 and 10 yr olds. If i am around I reprimand her and she looks up at me, like oops you saw that.


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## My babies (Aug 14, 2012)

Both Gucci and Miu Miu are extremely sensitive. You can't even ask "who did this". The one that did it would look so sad and innocent (while the other one who didn't is wagging it's tail). Most of the time it's Gucci. He's my naughty boy. He'll shred tissues if you lay them out and when I see it I'll ask who did this and he would immediately tuck his tail, lower his head, and try to stare at me out of the corner of his eyes. He'll stay in that position till I tell him ok I forgive you. Once I tell him that I forgive him he'll come running over and kiss me all over my face like he's telling me he's sorry. It's so cute.


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## lily cd re (Jul 23, 2012)

If I come home and find naughty things have happened Lily will put herself in a time out spot in the dining room. I used to yell when i found that she had surfed the counter and such when I was gone. She remembers that I would make her go sit in the corner while I cleaned up. I am not convinced that dogs don't understand being disciplined at a time distant from their misdeed. I don't yell anymore when I find problems (very rare now anyway) but she knows when she's been bad and puts herself on time out even though I think the naught things are usually done while I am still in the driveway on the way out..


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## My babies (Aug 14, 2012)

lily cd re said:


> I am not convinced that dogs don't understand being disciplined at a time distant from their misdeed...


Me too. Believe me they know. Lol


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## lily cd re (Jul 23, 2012)

My babies said:


> Me too. Believe me they know. Lol


Maybe some breeds don't get it, but poodles sure do!


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## patk (Jun 13, 2013)

lily cd re said:


> I am not convinced that dogs don't understand being disciplined at a time distant from their misdeed.


heresy. apostasy. :biggrin1:

btw, i stumbled on a victoria stillwell episode in which she noted in passing that some dogs don't like the all-important sound of the clicker. almost fell of my chair. more apostasy!


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## lily cd re (Jul 23, 2012)

patk said:


> heresy. apostasy. :biggrin1:
> 
> btw, i stumbled on a victoria stillwell episode in which she noted in passing that some dogs don't like the all-important sound of the clicker. almost fell of my chair. more apostasy!


You know my timing for the clicker just stinks. I don't use them, just a marker word (yes, nice, good, AWESOME (with the emphasis when it really is). The word doesn't cost anything to buy, comes direct from me and can be altered to fit the response.


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## FireStorm (Nov 9, 2013)

patk said:


> heresy. apostasy. :biggrin1:
> 
> btw, i stumbled on a victoria stillwell episode in which she noted in passing that some dogs don't like the all-important sound of the clicker. almost fell of my chair. more apostasy!


One of my mom's dogs hates the clicker. She didn't stick around long enough to get a treat, just hid under a chair and wouldn't come out until she was sure it was gone. She is also suspicious of squeaky toys. Hans chases her with them, and I swear he thinks it's funny.


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## patk (Jun 13, 2013)

we already know that hans is naughty and clever! no surprise, then.


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## Minnie (Apr 25, 2011)

Bella is very sensitive to the point of a stink eye look to her can be too much. I found this out the hard way in agility that I had to stay extremely positive even when frustrated or she shut down and gave up. Positive only methods for her we don't even mark with oops we just move on. It's been quite an education as I have never experienced a dog quite this sensitive.


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## ericwd9 (Jun 13, 2014)

Never EVER underestimate a standard poodle. Their reputation for being smart is well earned. And yes if they have done something they KNOW is bad, they will have a degree of conscientious appeasing behavior. Grace after being told off (lightly) will always come to me and apologize. I show her what she has done and say "NO" and she knows, believe me. That being said I have not had her do anything bad for weeks??? I have even got her, half barking (Huff huff) at other passing dogs she sees through the large sliding door/windows. I want to know what she sees but the full throated bark and growl was too much for my ears and I'm a little deaf. 
Eric.


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## Suddenly (Aug 8, 2013)

Brandon is also very sensitive. Tonight he jumped on my bed and I had just put a brand new white down comforter on. When I told him no he kinda rolled his eyes and most of the white was showing, it was so sad.


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## Dolly's Mom (Feb 14, 2014)

Georgie promptly proved me wrong. She peed in my room and while I was trying to clean it up she was wiggling around I mildly mentioned it was naughty and she laid on the floor and waited while I cleaned and when I went back to get her she was hiding pathetically in the living room.
So sad.


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