# Excitement.



## Cruella (11 mo ago)

I acquired a St. Poodle. Her first home let her go at 1 yr. Couldn't cope with her over the top excited behaviour. With years experience in dog sports I could not foresee a problem. Flash forward a year later. Wow ! Love her so much but while she is a teeny bit better she is absolutely uncontrollable when people come around. Still. Impossible to even pet her. Not looking for help really, but would love to hear of similar experiences. She’s 2 1/2 now and apart from her over the top happiness (wish I could bottle some of it) she’s been a wonderful addition to my life.


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## PeggyTheParti (Sep 5, 2019)

Welcome! What is your poodle’s name? And what does this excitement look like?

It took Peggy about 2 years to be mature enough to be polite by human standards. And even as she approaches her 3rd birthday, she still has moments it all goes out the window.

Standard poodles _love_ to occupy vertical space.  That’s my polite way of saying they like to jump on people. It helped when I realized Peggy was actually trying to defuse exciting (i.e. stressful) situations by licking at faces. Harsh corrections or frantically grabbing at her only made it worse. We had to redirect calmly and consistently, and then reward for appropriate behaviour. But the reward _also_ had to be very calm.

As a very experienced handler, I’m sure you’re well-versed in these techniques. But if you’ve never had a standard poodle before, I understand why you might be a little stunned. Lol. They can be a lot. You’ve found the right place for commiseration.


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## Dianaleez (Dec 14, 2019)

Yesterday during our walk as our mini wiggled and wagged his way toward the neighbors, the comment we got was 'he sure does love people.' He does.

He goes on the leash when we let someone in. After about 20 minutes (and calm) he's released to suck up. He does.


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## BennieJets (Oct 10, 2021)

I love your response PtP. Still working here on the bouncy greetings— hard to do in COVID where the only practice is the household members. But maybe that’s for the best. The reminder to keep the rewards calm was just what I needed 😋


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## BennieJets (Oct 10, 2021)

I am attempting to cue a Place command when my kids or partner come home. Or I come home for that matter. That usually consists of me standing next to her to ensure she stays. She does remarkably well attempting to quell her butt wiggles as she awaits release. I KNOW the mistake we are making is releasing her before she’s calm. I blame my partner 😝 as it’s usually him coming home from work who releases her way too fast and then acknowledges her with exuberance thereby undoing the whole point of being on her place 🤦🏼‍♀️ The reason why I have a hard time correcting HIM is twofold: he’s been slow to really engage in a playful way that demonstrates he enjoys her, and I admittedly like seeing his smile and pleasure in greeting her. And secondly because he’s learning effective training (sloooooower than I am), I don’t want to extinguish his attempts if that makes sense. At least he doesn’t become irritated with her jumping, because then I’d have to point out to him his faults. For now I just suggest, with a smile, “I think maybe she needs a bit longer before you greet her next time. Until the wiggles have stopped.” Between us, I think he likes the wiggles and her being happy to see him 😉


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## BennieJets (Oct 10, 2021)

PS Cruella, they call it the tax around these parts, but the idea is that you have to share your bouncy love with us via a picture or two 😁


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## Sroodle8 (Dec 23, 2021)

Does she settle down eventually when people come to visit? If she was on leash and your (carefully selected) guests ignored her, would she calm herself? Is this behavior location-independent or better/worse at home?


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## PeggyTheParti (Sep 5, 2019)

BennieJets said:


> I love your response PtP. Still working here on the bouncy greetings— hard to do in COVID where the only practice is the household members. But maybe that’s for the best. The reminder to keep the rewards calm was just what I needed 😋


Just stay patient and consistent. Today we easily called Peggy back from a stranger approaching on the beach. She was trotting towards him and turned on a dime. Let’s just say, I did a silent cheer. 

Here are some more training techniques we’ve used and still use:

Shoot a treat straight out from your hip. Don’t hold it up. Don’t wait a beat. Poodle is standing in front of someone and not jumping? _Treat goes in mouth._
Reward for jumps with no contact. Slowly increase the reward threshold to no contact _and_ ample space.
Spend time with people who will absolutely not reward a dog who jumps on them. If those are just family members right now? That’s fine. Every time my husband returns home, he texts me from the driveway. I leash up Peggy, grab a little chicken jerky, and we go out to greet him. If she approaches him too eagerly, he turns into a boring statue. No contact, not even eye contact. When she turns back to me, she gets a treat. My husband will also occasionally go for solo walks and text me when he’s about a block away. I’ll walk Peggy to meet him and treat her for looking to me rather than straining towards him.


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## cowpony (Dec 30, 2009)

PeggyTheParti said:


> Reward for jumps with no contact. Slowly increase the reward threshold to no contact _and_ ample space.


Rewarding for jumps with no contact was huge for Galen. Poor puppy was just too full of happy wiggles to keep four on the floor. He would find his brain again much quicker if he was allowed to jump for joy at a socially acceptable distance.


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## Cruella (11 mo ago)

PeggyTheParti said:


> Welcome! What is your poodle’s name? And what does this excitement look like?
> 
> It took Peggy about 2 years to be mature enough to be polite by human standards. And even as she approaches her 3rd birthday, she still has moments it all goes out the window.
> 
> ...


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## Cruella (11 mo ago)

Thank you ! She also loves the vertical life. She’s just expressing pure joy all the time. You’re right re: correcting her. It did nothing. I’ve just learned to live with her and she’s quite perfect. But a visitor ? It’s either her crate (which she loves) or on leash. It accomplishes nothing to try and stop her. I’m happy just to wait her out. I’m sure the day will come where I’ll wish she could jump. They really are the most magnificent dogs !


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## BennieJets (Oct 10, 2021)

PeggyTheParti said:


> Just stay patient and consistent. Today we easily called Peggy back from a stranger approaching on the beach. She was trotting towards him and turned on a dime. Let’s just say, I did a silent cheer.
> 
> Here are some more training techniques we’ve used and still use:
> 
> ...


Thank you! I can see how these approaches will help me to generalize with others outside the house. As opposed to simply cueing her to her place. Brilliant. Taking notes 📚 🤓


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## Audi (Aug 3, 2021)

Am I the only one ( I probably am ) that thought she was talking about a half St. Bernard and half poodle?


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## X skully X (Nov 21, 2021)

Lol No @Audi that was my first thought too but I realize after PeggytheParti posted that the St was shortened for standard haha.


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## Audi (Aug 3, 2021)

X skully X said:


> Lol No @Audi that was my first thought too but I realize after PeggytheParti posted that the St was shortened for standard haha.


Thank goodness! Lol. I always see standards referred to as Spoos.


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## Cruella (11 mo ago)

Audi said:


> Thank goodness! Lol. I always see standards referred to as Spoos.


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## Cruella (11 mo ago)

Lol ! No. Not. St. Bernard mix. All Poodle !


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## X skully X (Nov 21, 2021)

Could you imagine a Saint Bernard poodle mix with that level of excitement when meeting people? I’ve never seen that mix but I bet they would be massive dogs! 😂 by the way, welcome to the forum Cruella. Glad you’ve joined us.


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## MaizieFrosty (Apr 12, 2019)

Cruella, mine are still nuts when anyone comes over and they are almost 7 years and 5 years old. I just have to walk them straight outside with my guest and they will go and get a toy for me or the guest to throw for them LOL They have me so well trained. They settle down within a few minutes and are fine for the rest of the visit.


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## Cruella (11 mo ago)

X skully X said:


> Could you imagine a Saint Bernard poodle mix with that level of excitement when meeting people? I’ve never seen that mix but I bet they would be massive dogs! 😂 by the way, welcome to the forum Cruella. Glad you’ve joined us.


Thank you ! I’m going to enjoy it all !


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## Basil_the_Spoo (Sep 1, 2020)

Yeah, if I knew ahead of time that vertical space would have been a thing with my Spoo (standard poodle), then I would have opted for a mini. 

When Basils jumpy, 50% of the time it's straight up and down. 50% of the time it's on you. It's 100% of the time though when someone comes over or when she's excited.

1-3/4 years old.

She just loves to be in your face. Obviously, I have no regrets.


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## Oonapup (Oct 16, 2020)

Oona likes to greet people briefly but is likeliest to jump into MY face after a quick hello when we are out and about. I think she's still a little bit nervous about strangers and she offloads that tension where she feels the most comfortable. Sometimes that results in a nose in my eye, at least it's my eye I guess! Weirdly she has been great the few times we've had people in the house. Because of her tendency toward nervousness we have a protocol which is crate when strangers/guests first come in to let her observe. When she relaxes in there after they've been seated and welcomed in she is allowed out on a leash. She usually goes back and forth sniffing and getting pats for a while at this point. Once she's shown she can be confident and friendly with guests and they are ok with her being in their space, we can take the leash off. If people are already sitting down when she's let out to say hi, it decreases the likelihood that she will put her paws on them.


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## Liz (Oct 2, 2010)

Good news for those of you with young spoos... at age 11.5 years old, Mia is finally content to let me bend down to say hello to her, and no longer jumps up to say hello to me  🐩


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## 94Magna_Tom (Feb 23, 2021)

Liz said:


> Good news for those of you with young spoos... at age 11.5 years old, Mia is finally content to let me bend down to say hello to her, and no longer jumps up to say hello to me  🐩


Thanks for the vision! Only 10½ years more and we'll be good!


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## PeggyTheParti (Sep 5, 2019)

Oonapup said:


> Oona likes to greet people briefly but is likeliest to jump into MY face after a quick hello when we are out and about. I think she's still a little bit nervous about strangers and she offloads that tension where she feels the most comfortable.


She could also be checking in with you, to make sure everything’s okay. I posted a thread a while back about Peggy doing this to me when I was in the _bath_.


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## Audi (Aug 3, 2021)

Cruella said:


> Lol ! No. Not. St. Bernard mix. All Poodle !


Welcome. And I bet your poodle is gorgeous!


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## Audi (Aug 3, 2021)

94Magna_Tom said:


> Thanks for the vision! Only 10½ years more and we'll be good!
> View attachment 488559


He is gorgeous


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## Cruella (11 mo ago)

Liz said:


> Good news for those of you with young spoos... at age 11.5 years old, Mia is finally content to let me bend down to say hello to her, and no longer jumps up to say hello to me  🐩





Liz said:


> Good news for those of you with young spoos... at age 11.5 years old, Mia is finally content to let me bend down to say hello to her, and no longer jumps up to say hello to me  🐩


Good news ! I’ve only got 9 more years ! She’s more “kite” than 4 on the floor. But this stage with my girl can’t be rushed. She will settle down....someday. All my other dogs (retrievers) did settle with obedience and showing. This girl is a Covid dog and is on her third (and last) home. All this contributes to her over the top approach to life. I’ve learned to love it. Such a smart girl. Her name is Elle.


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## PeggyTheParti (Sep 5, 2019)

Aw. Welcome home, Elle.


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## Cruella (11 mo ago)

PeggyTheParti said:


> Aw. Welcome home, Ellie.


Thank you !


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## Moni (May 8, 2018)

Not quite at the same scale but Mini Louie (who just turned 4 this week) is also easily overstimulated. He is not exactly a pandemic pup but I feel his socializing has suffered because of it. I have loads of dog experience and never in a million years would I have figured a Poodle to be this challenging. I have found two things that work for us - calmness and CBD. Cbd is obvious (do your research) it works well to create alternatives to anxious behavior and I have successfully used to nudge him into reassessing triggers and react differently which then of course you can majorly reward and get out of the vicious cycle of anxiety. Calmness is mainly yours that counts. I am sure you have seen the many lists that rank Border Collies as the smartest dogs and Poodles as the second smartest? Knowing both breeds well I always say that I believe Poodles to be the #1 when it comes to reading people and picking up on their emotions anxieties included - which is of course a vicious cycle. I am now keenly aware of situations that will get Louie to get overstimulated and try to first and foremost reign in my own anxious expectations of what is going to happen and my own reactions to his overdramatic diva behavior. I try lean in what works for him - picking him up (he is a mini - and it has to be done so it is not restraining but rather supporting) and lately I am experimenting with a head massage (over the temples gently strokes it truly calms him - it is almost like a magic trick! When he wants to push me around vocally (which is a polite way of saying screaming like a Banshee) I freeze and stop doing whatever it is he wants me to do faster. He knows that he cannot get away with it, but honesty I am waiting for him to slow down a bit...


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## Cruella (11 mo ago)

Moni said:


> Not quite at the same scale but Mini Louie (who just turned 4 this week) is also easily overstimulated. He is not exactly a pandemic pup but I feel his socializing has suffered because of it. I have loads of dog experience and never in a million years would I have figured a Poodle to be this challenging. I have found two things that work for us - calmness and CBD. Cbd is obvious (do your research) it works well to create alternatives to anxious behavior and I have successfully used to nudge him into reassessing triggers and react differently which then of course you can majorly reward and get out of the vicious cycle of anxiety. Calmness is mainly yours that counts. I am sure you have seen the many lists that rank Border Collies as the smartest dogs and Poodles as the second smartest? Knowing both breeds well I always say that I believe Poodles to be the #1 when it comes to reading people and picking up on their emotions anxieties included - which is of course a vicious cycle. I am now keenly aware of situations that will get Louie to get overstimulated and try to first and foremost reign in my own anxious expectations of what is going to happen and my own reactions to his overdramatic diva behavior. I try lean in what works for him - picking him up (he is a mini - and it has to be done so it is not restraining but rather supporting) and lately I am experimenting with a head massage (over the temples gently strokes it truly calms him - it is almost like a magic trick! When he wants to push me around vocally (which is a polite way of saying screaming like a Banshee) I freeze and stop doing whatever it is he wants me to do faster. He knows that he cannot get away with it, but honesty I am waiting for him to slow down a bit...


I agree with everything you’re saying. I am very conscious of my mood level as it definitely impacts on her. They definitely read us well. CBD oil. Used it for years. But more than that is adequate exercise for Elle. Paramount to having a relaxed dog. Takes a lot though. Best dogs.


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## kontiki (Apr 6, 2013)

The first thing my breeder said when I picked up my spoo was "Do not let him jump on you or anyone". That was when he was 13 weeks old. Yup, that was the first thing I taught him. If they never do it then you do not need to worry about it when they are big. So glad I listened after hearing others


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## TuttoBene (Apr 23, 2021)

I don’t know how you can apply this to your dog because it will be individual. Out Standard Poodle is also very exuberant on greeting people he knows in our home (but calm on the street). Besides jumping, is there a trick, like spinning that she enjoys to do. Maybe a trick with a toy? We have our dog channeling his jumping exuberance into “spinning” for guests. Our guests laugh and clap and that’s his reward. It’s a training in process but it is working!


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## Audi (Aug 3, 2021)

X skully X said:


> Could you imagine a Saint Bernard poodle mix with that level of excitement when meeting people? I’ve never seen that mix but I bet they would be massive dogs! 😂 by the way, welcome to the forum Cruella. Glad you’ve joined us.


That combo would be so huge!! I can’t help but think it would be a big, goofy dog. Cute,too.


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## ivy1 (12 mo ago)

Scout can be an an absolutely crazy mood one minute and fall asleep the next. With training every day gets a little better. Your spoo is just getting a bit of a late start. But poodles are so loving and live to please us. Time will make up for the lost months of training. Scout at 16 weeks is like bull in a china shop. He has big bones like his mom. Big paws. He likes to run those big paws over my face in the morning. And kiss my face right after he has a big drink of water. Everything makes him happy. Even correction. That's why it usually takes 3 corrections in a row for him to listen. I still pine for my toy poodles, which are no longer with me. All special in their own way. They were easier to train than my standard. But it was always a party when I came home. Their little legs were like rubber bands jumping up and down. Even if I was only gone a few minutes. Life can be so crazy with a poodle. But having lived with one now for many years I would never want to be without at least one.


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## Minie (Oct 4, 2021)

Welcome to you both. We would love pictures 🙏 
Matteo our 5 month old spoo pup has a default position - sit. We ask him to sit and wait. When the guest is inside, they take a treat from a jar we have right by the door and give it to him. His bum is glued to the floor in anticipation of which treat he gets.
On the other hand Luca our tpoo would rather see the guest leave. So the guest is advised to toss his treat away from them. That way Luca is allowed to distance himself.


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## X skully X (Nov 21, 2021)

Here is a link to her other thread with a pic of Elle if you’re interested. My Girl “Elle”.


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## PowersPup (Aug 28, 2020)

This thread has given me a lot of ideas about handling Topper's excitement. He absolutely loves people and thinks everyone who looks at him wants to be his new best friend. (If we encounter someone on our walks who ignores him, he keeps walking with me). He jumps on friendly people, regardless of my efforts to have him sit calmly. This is one reason I keep taking him to training classes - every class is an opportunity for him to make the right choices. He loves to spin, so I may try to have him do that before we introduce him to new people. I also might enroll him in the "Four on the Floor" class at a our training school again. He is showing some progress with not jumping on me when I come in the house. I ignore him if he jumps on my and reward him with pleasant, calm conversation and slow back scratches when he doesn't jump.


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