# Dear poodle people - help!



## doditwo (Nov 7, 2017)

Mimi walks through the PetExpress door on two feet, making the grand entrance.
Her two paws reach high up into the air and wave to all the people and dogs.
The only time her four feet go back on the ground is when I get her in an empty aisle.
The rest of the time in the store is spent by her getting heavy reinforcement from other shoppers who think this is very cute and feel sorry for the poor puppy with the grumpy owner who won’t let them pet her if she doesn’t SIT!
Errghrrgherrrrrrghghghrrrrrrrr
Help!
How do I make it stop???!


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## lily cd re (Jul 23, 2012)

Well I may not really be of much help here, but I don't mind being the grouch. I tell people my dogs are "working" and not to pet unless I give permission.


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## chinchillafuzzy (Feb 11, 2017)

It may help to get leash wraps that simply say “in training” or even a vest that says that. My girl is a SDIT but I have one leash wrap that just says “in training” I put that one alone on her when we are going to dog friendly places and not working on specific SD training. That way if anyone comes towards her or asks to pet her I can just motion towards the leash wrap and say I’m sorry but she is training right now and she will lose her focus if she says hello.

ETA They also make leash wraps and patches that say things like “no touch, no talk, no eye contact” and such. Those may also be helpful in these situations.


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## zooeysmom (Jan 3, 2014)

I would probably just carry her in and only put her down in aisles where it is calm and give her rewards for keeping her four on the floor.


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## Vita (Sep 23, 2017)

doditwo said:


> Mimi walks through the PetExpress door on two feet, making the grand entrance.
> Her two paws reach high up into the air and wave to all the people and dogs...
> ... How do I make it stop???!


Make it stop? For heaven's sake, why would you want this to stop?

Dodi, you hit the _Poodle Diva Lottery!_ You might as well get her some pink rhinestone sunshades and matching collar, paint her toenails and throw some bows in her hair. A play date with MollyMuiMa would be a hoot. 

Your girl has personality, confidence and attitude so count your lucky stars. She'd be a hit in the show ring circuit or with her own YouTube channel. Sounds like she'd be a good trick dog too b/c she aims to please.

Roll with it.


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## doditwo (Nov 7, 2017)

Vita!
I was just this minute standing in the kitchen thinking maybe I should get this girl enrolled in a trick class.
Maybe all those people were right... I am a grouch, poor Mimi!
Also I’m so lucky because not only does the local AKC club offer trick classes but right across the bay from me in Oakland there is Canine Circus School.
Link: https://thebark.com/content/canine-circus-school
Link: https://bayareadogtrainer.wordpress.com/
I know what I have to do now, go with the roll  
Ps. And definitely get a play date & fashion consultation set up with MollyMuiMa ❤











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## Vita (Sep 23, 2017)

Mimi in 2019 with her home girlz!

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## Mfmst (Jun 18, 2014)

A future star is discovered! If Buck was on two legs it meant he was jumping not acting human.


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

Poodles are smart and love doing tricks for attention. Put the walking on hind legs on cue, and use it as a fun trick for the dog, but doing this trick should be your idea, and only on command. 

If you want the diva parading to stop, here's how to make it stop. Walk to building. Is the dog on four legs? Praise and reward. Walk in the store. Is the dog on two legs, say nothing, spin around, exit the store, return to your car and drive away. 

Go back. Is the dog on four legs? Reward and praise. Walk into the store. Stands up on hind legs, say nothing spin around, exit the store, get back in your car, drive away. 

Going up on hind legs means nothing good happens. While on four legs, praise and reward like crazy. While on hind legs, the praise stops, the attention stops, the fun stops. Your dog will learn that diva parade isn't what you want.


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## lily cd re (Jul 23, 2012)

Click I agree with you 100%. Tricks on cue are fun and fine as a way to show how talented poodles are but only on cue and at appropriate times and places. If any of my dogs tried to enter a store pulling so hard they were on their hind legs we would turn around and leave too.


To go back to my earlier point I don't spend much time in pet stores since I cook our dogs' food and also make their own treats/use string cheese, but when I do go into a pet store I expect decorum while I am there. I trained Javelin for his CGC in pet stores where I really would not have found it helpful for people to have been bringing their dogs to say hi or to pet him themselves, although I did ask people who looked interested and who looked like they understood what I was doing to help on occasion. 



The other thing that bothers me at pet stores is that some people assume they can introduce their dog for a spontaneous play date in the toy aisle. I don't allow my dogs (especially Javelin) to greet other dogs in those settings. One of the last times I was in a big pet store with Lily and man who was there with two children and a dog approached us while saying to his dog go say hello towards Lily. He hadn't asked me if it was okay. As they got closer I said to her (and by extension to him) "no saying hello missy" as I sued her leash to pull her around behind me. He still approached. Then I had to say directly to him that I thought I had made it clear I didn't want her to interact with his dog. His stupid reply was something about he heard me talk to my dog but not to him. Uhh Duhh? He cursed at us in front of his young children as we walked away. This kind of event is part of why I prefer to fly under the radar as much as possible in those settings and keep my tricks out of the store aisles.


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

Noelle struggles to pay attention to anything in the pet store and her manners melt faster than a snow cone in 100 degree heat. I don't know what it is about pet stores. I think it's like taking a kid to Disneyland, sitting them down at a picnic table in the middle of the park, and teaching fractions. This is just not working at all. Pet stores overstimulate Noelle and I hate taking her in them.


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## doditwo (Nov 7, 2017)

Thank you for all your replies, I haven’t found any I disagree with and they’ve given me much inspiration and information.
I do like Vita’s suggestion to go with the flow as far as getting Mimi into Trick Class. Maybe putting a behavior start on que helps to cue it to stop as well kind of how Ian Dunbar teaches shush by also teaching speak.
At the same time I need to stop the jumping and standing on two feet when Mimi greets people. I am going to take her out of situations when she does it, maybe not drive away but definitely back to the car for a time-out until she can demonstrate better behavior.
Also thank you all who suggested not letting people come up and pet her unless I invite them to do so and that will only happen if they understand the ground rules and are helping me teach Mimi. Just one person at Pet Express did help me. He works there and remembers the last time it took me almost 20 minutes to walk Mimi through the front door on four paws. He actually makes her stay in a sit before he’ll acknowledge her.
It is crazy how many people don’t even ask before petting her and most don’t care if I object because I want her to stop jumping. They almost always say “oh it’s alright” and do it anyway. And not just in Pet Express but out walking wherever.
From now on I’m just gonna say don’t pet her and not bother with explanations.
But also the trick training too... she obviously will love it and might even have some talent for it. 
The Oakland Canine Circus Class 1 is actually an obedience class, and according to the description it’s pretty intense. The founder who teaches the classes has a long resume and lots of cred both here and in Europe. His position is that obedience training is a prerequisite and so the beginners start with all the basics. The difference is that the exercises are fun with a Circus style flavor and can be strung together into a trick composition.
Learning to sit stay well enough to balance a ball on the head pretty much cancels out jumping, maybe by advanced class Mimi will be able to do her Diva Walk with 2 balls on top? 
That would be ok.


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## doditwo (Nov 7, 2017)

Click-N-Treat said:


> Noelle struggles to pay attention to anything in the pet store and her manners melt faster than a snow cone in 100 degree heat. I don't know what it is about pet stores. I think it's like taking a kid to Disneyland, sitting them down at a picnic table in the middle of the park, and teaching fractions. This is just not working at all. Pet stores overstimulate Noelle and I hate taking her in them.



Good point. Maybe pet food stores should wait and be saved as the final proving ground, not the classroom.


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

I'm far meaner than you are, which is why I actually drive away when my dog fails my expectations. Return to the car and get in like you are going to leave, is also an option. However, poodles are so smart, be ready with the keys, because your dog might figure out that you are bluffing. If you get in the car, start it and actually leave, that makes your dog think, what just happened? That's not what I wanted at all! Feel free to just park in a different parking space. It really freaks out the dog to think they lost their chance for something fun.

Reward for four on the floor once every two seconds and really praise. Praise your dog like Mimi won an Olympic Gold Medal, the Pulitzer Prize, a Nobel Prize, a Grammy, a Tony, and an Academy Award on the same day. Make it clear to your dog that you are super pleased with four on the floor. Make it also equally clear that you are not pleased with the diva parade. Not through harshness, not through correction, but by a rapid spin move and an exit. No treats, no praise, no fun, no talking, out we go, back in the car. The contrast will not be lost on your dog.


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## doditwo (Nov 7, 2017)

ClickNTreat,
You are right. Playing back the whole thing in my head I realize Mimi has me very figured out.
She got a ton of reward not just from other people but most importantly from me. I didn’t leave because I “needed to buy her kibble she likes” that had run out... instead of leaving and giving her what was left in the house, I.e. her least favorite food. Not only that but I also bought her new toys.
This is probably why she doesn’t listen to me.


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## fjm (Jun 4, 2010)

I spent months teaching mine not to jump up, only to have it undermined by people offering them greetings and treats at waist height. Eventually we reached the stage when, with the occasional reminder from me, they got pretty good at judging who wanted to be leaned upon and who didn't, and very good at making like a meerkat and reaching the treat without setting a paw on the human! I think it is one of the problems of owning a small cute dog, although people in the UK usually ask before petting - if not me, then the dog.

Poppy loves Pets at Home. We only visit occasionally, and when we do she is allowed to hunt for lost treats under the display stands and, within reason, to eat what she finds (she will leave things when asked). Both dogs are endlessly impressed by the magic door that opens for them automatically and slightly stunned by the cornucopia of smells. Add in the lights, the people and the other dogs and it can be an overwhelmingly exciting environment. I use a visit as exercise when the weather makes a walk impossible - 15 minutes wandering around, followed by polite sits at the check out, wears them out as much as a longish walk.


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

doditwo,

Don't be hard on yourself. Try to remember you have a poodle on your leash. If a poodle was a person, they would work on the catwalk as a fashion model in Paris. Meanwhile back stage, they would be frantically working on their third PhD. dissertation in Aeronautical and Astronautical Engineering. Poodles are smart. They are observant. They recognize patterns. They figure us out. Also, poodles have a sense of humor and enjoy making people laugh. 

Blend together intelligence, pattern recognition, and a sense of humor, no wonder you're getting the diva parade! Your poodle has figured out it is a crowd pleaser. When you were running your errand to the store, your focus was on getting kibble. Next time try to focus on training Mimi. Order kibble online. Train in the store.


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## Mufar42 (Jan 1, 2017)

Well I prefer people NOT to pet my dog. Its just easier for me as new people and petting get hm worked up. We are getting better and when he sits and stays calm I will allow certain people to pet him. I can kinda get a feel of how he will react to different people. We did a week of training and the trainer introduced me to a pet convincer, just a shot of air. This morning I have him off lead loose in the house, usually he is tethered to me because I am afraid he will knock my husband over. He gets so excited he will jump up n down and start barking it me. So this morning I grabbed my pet convincer and just gave a puff. He sat down and remained sitting until I said it was ok. No more barking or jumping since and now he is lying on the floor next to me as I type. I'm sold on this and will bring it on walks in thee event another dog approaches us, it may work on them too, LOL. As for walking in on hind leg I think I'd walk out again until she settles and repeat walking in. My guy has a pretty good heel now, he pretty much knows that means stay on all 4's at my side.


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## lily cd re (Jul 23, 2012)

doditwo said:


> Good point. Maybe pet food stores should wait and be saved as the final proving ground, not the classroom.
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk



Pet stores can be the lesson location, just make sure you have a lot of time. As I said above I trained Javelin on all of the CGC exercises in pet stores before his first birthday. There were days where nothing more than getting in the door happened, but by the end I had him on long lines doing down stays laying in front of the glass wall of the doggie day care. You have to also be prepared to look kind of crazy in front of people who won't have a clue about what you are doing.


I absolutely think that doing tricks with Mimi will be a blast and great team building! Even the AKC thinks tricks are important, right?


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## doditwo (Nov 7, 2017)

I’m sitting in my chair on the porch while Mimi is playing in the yard and I decided to try some shaping.
She has been running back and forth to me with a stuffed kitten & trying to interest me in playing. When she does this she jumps on my knee & pushes it to my face or hand, if I go for it she tries to tug it away or get me to chase it. So annoying.
So I started to shape her to drop it at my feet and she quickly learned to offer that so I’d throw it for her.
Then I upped the ante to dropping it and sit. Again she figured it out and did that a few times.
She suddenly started to experiment with the Diva move??! Lol. She’d drop the kitty at my feet and then stand up walking around in front of me for extended amounts of time, as someone said - a meerkat. It was quite impressive and funny. She always gets a big reaction from the general public for this although she’s never tried it directly on me before and this had to be her best performance ever.
I resisted even looking at her. She repeated over and over. With my phone in my hand I decided to take a photo for you guys, but at that moment she gave up and SAT. Good girl Mimi  


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## Vita (Sep 23, 2017)

Reading your last post, Mimi is really into entertaining and learns fast. I think it was MFMST who said show poodles are born, not made. Either they've got that love for the ring and that sparkle or they don't. Mimi has sparkle and the smarts to go with it. 

Here's a couple of circus poodle videos. My introduction to poodles came at a young age at the circus, and I've been attracted to them ever since.


The first one is entertaining.

The second one, _The Poodle Trainer_, has a melancholy feel to it, and gives us an inside look at the fascinating lifestyle of Irina Markova and her circus poodles.


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## doditwo (Nov 7, 2017)

Thank you Vita ❤
I’m going to watch these tonight on the AppleTV big screen so Mimi can see it too. (She loves TV, sticks her face right up to the screen and wags her tail if she particularly likes what’s happening.)
Good news, we’re signed up for Canine Circus Level 1 class to start October 10.
Mimi has you to thank Vita, a star is born [emoji16]


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