[puppylove2009]

I have a 2 year old Minature Poodle and a 1 year old Terrier mix.

They are 2 very different dogs.

Our Terrier is a people pleaser. She obeys all commands. She is loyal. No complaints, she is just overall a good dog.

Our Poodle is a good dog for the most part. But he is very independent. He has no respect for me and very little respect for my husband. He is a constant barker. He nips at me (my heels mostly) if I don't obey his every whim. He has never nipped at anyone else. He only obeys his commands when he wants to. He isn't that loyal, he would just as soon stab you in the back for a cookie. he still poops in the floor on a daily basis. But he does tell me when our other dog needs to go potty. And he is somewhat dog agressive toward larger dogs.


At this point, I'm exhausted. I feel like a servent to my dog. And a prisoner in my home at times because if I leave during the day, he screams and barks and its not long before I get a call saying your dog is barking loudly again. So I have to come home, which appeases him.



Some background:

I am housewife and currently I am 12 weeks pregnant. (3 months). We purchased our poodle Zack. When he was 9 weeks old from what is known as a Back Yard Breeder. We didn't know anything about BYBS back then. he was a very sweet puppy well sort of. But he was into everything. We tried several different training methods nothing seemed to work. At age 5 months he was attacked by a group of larger dogs. Since then he has had DA toward larger dogs, unless he has known them as a puppy. He came down real ill around 8 months of age, spent months going back and forth to the vet trying to figure out what was wrong.

Finally at a little over a year of age we figured it out, got it fixed. He is now a very healthy dog, but for awhile there we were pretty sure he wouldn't make it to his second birthday, which is coming up in 2 weeks.

And now he pretty much runs the place. He's been in training. We've worked with several trainers. Nothing has helped. He is perfect in class by the way but at home well he can be a real terror.

This has to stop before the baby comes.



Our terrier was real easy to train. She is very well behaved. Was recently in a CGC class, but it got cancelled due to the extreme weather, starts back up in the fall.

No complaints.

But I don't know what else to do about my poodle. WE have probably put more into his training than our Terriers.


I'm exhausted, pregnant. And don't know where to go from here.


Any advice would be greatly appreciated.



ADD: I have had poodles in the past but none quite like him, and definately not this kind of behavior issues

[Corky/Max]

Originally Posted by puppylove2009

I have a 2 year old Minature Poodle and a 1 year old Terrier mix.

They are 2 very different dogs.

Our Terrier is a people pleaser. She obeys all commands. She is loyal. No complaints, she is just overall a good dog.

Our Poodle is a good dog for the most part. But he is very independent. He has no respect for me and very little respect for my husband. He is a constant barker. He nips at me (my heels mostly) if I don't obey his every whim. He has never nipped at anyone else. He only obeys his commands when he wants to. He isn't that loyal, he would just as soon stab you in the back for a cookie. he still poops in the floor on a daily basis. But he does tell me when our other dog needs to go potty. And he is somewhat dog agressive toward larger dogs.


At this point, I'm exhausted. I feel like a servent to my dog. And a prisoner in my home at times because if I leave during the day, he screams and barks and its not long before I get a call saying your dog is barking loudly again. So I have to come home, which appeases him.



Some background:

I am housewife and currently I am 12 weeks pregnant. (3 months). We purchased our poodle Zack. When he was 9 weeks old from what is known as a Back Yard Breeder. We didn't know anything about BYBS back then. he was a very sweet puppy well sort of. But he was into everything. We tried several different training methods nothing seemed to work. At age 5 months he was attacked by a group of larger dogs. Since then he has had DA toward larger dogs, unless he has known them as a puppy. He came down real ill around 8 months of age, spent months going back and forth to the vet trying to figure out what was wrong.

Finally at a little over a year of age we figured it out, got it fixed. He is now a very healthy dog, but for awhile there we were pretty sure he wouldn't make it to his second birthday, which is coming up in 2 weeks.

And now he pretty much runs the place. He's been in training. We've worked with several trainers. Nothing has helped. He is perfect in class by the way but at home well he can be a real terror.

This has to stop before the baby comes.



Our terrier was real easy to train. She is very well behaved. Was recently in a CGC class, but it got cancelled due to the extreme weather, starts back up in the fall.

No complaints.

But I don't know what else to do about my poodle. WE have probably put more into his training than our Terriers.


I'm exhausted, pregnant. And don't know where to go from here.


Any advice would be greatly appreciated.



ADD: I have had poodles in the past but none quite like him, and definately not this kind of behavior issues

Can't tell you how to go about fixing this problem but Guess you would start by 1st knowing what the problem is. Zack was sick and therefore not as active as he is now because he is healthier now. I'm sure you gave him a lot of attention and did everything for him when he was sick and not feeling well--which is understandable. Now he is still expecting and liking all that doting attention he had before and being healthy now and stronger --He knows how to demand it from you in a stronger way--The nipping at your heels and no one elses confirms this for me because you were prob. the most doting when he was sick. He wants you to continue to be his servant.
Poodles are one of the smartest (If not the smartest) breeds. He has got your number!!!! You have to show him that you are the alpha dog. I don't have the slightest idea as to how you can do that. You might check out a book from the library (have them find you one through their system,if they have nothing on hand) on how to teach your dog who is boss. You might find out some ideas on the web too. Put the words of what you are looking for in your browser. And I'll bet some member will post you with some ideas yet too. Good luck!!

[puppylove2009]

The vet thinks some of this stems from the fact he is always going to be in a bit of discomfort, its part of his condition.

The behaviorist doesn't think much can be done, except to keep working with him. He feels his bad temperment stems from he bad breeding. He has been one of the biggest challeges hes had.

He likes to do tricks, but the behaviorist has seen his behavior.

We aren't doing anything wrong, we just haven't found the right method for my poodle


Ofcourse then there there is the whole I catered to his every whim while he was sick. And the jealousy factor he has toward our other dog, and even my husband at times

[Lara's mom]

I wish I knew what to suggest to you. Are you afraid that he'll be a danger to your baby when it arrives? If that is the case, you must put the baby's safety first. It seems that you've tried just about everything to change this dogs behaviour. I know it's a hard thing to contemplate but, have you considered rehoming the dog to a place where he'd be the only pet in the house? I've found with "problem dogs" that I've fostered that they generally do much better in a one animal environment.

[puppylove2009]

Originally Posted by Lara's mom

I wish I knew what to suggest to you. Are you afraid that he'll be a danger to your baby when it arrives? If that is the case, you must put the baby's safety first. It seems that you've tried just about everything to change this dogs behaviour. I know it's a hard thing to contemplate but, have you considered rehoming the dog to a place where he'd be the only pet in the house? I've found with "problem dogs" that I've fostered that they generally do much better in a one animal environment.

Rehoming is not an option

i'll admit I was ticked when I wrote the original post. And I exaggerated his behavior to an extreme.

I was just ticked.

its over, he is being his good old self again.

Forget about this.


No I do not see him as a threat to my child. I just see him as a very needy dog and I needed some space, which I got.

He is being a perfect angel now

[Lara's mom]

I know that feeling where you just get temporarily overwhelmed. It's happened to me a lot since I lost my mom - not with the girls but, with all of the stuff that you have to do and the places you have to call. etc. after a death occurs. I've been in tears a few times and I am not a person who generally breaks down and cries.

I'm just glad that everything is o.k. We all need to vent sometimes. It's healthy!!!

[german sheep]

Your poodle is overstrained with the whole situation.
He marks the territory because he thinks it is his with all the responsibility he has to take. He "tells you" when the other dogs have to go potty so that there is no risk for the other dogs to poo inside and mark through this way HIS territory.

And to nipp in your heels, reminds you that you are his ressource and you are not allowed to move freely in HIS territory when he does not give you the allowance.

You need immediately a professional therapist for your dog, it is not funny because of the child that is coming.

gs

[puppylove2009]

Okay after getting so stressed and overwhelmed I got up and left the house for a few hours. And started thinking and looking at his behavior more objectively.

I had noticed a lot lately that he was panting a lot, his heart was always racing, I may have posted on her about his vomiting in the cage recently.

Well the vet diagnosed his seperation anxiety, which he had way before i brought him home as a pup. And he is now being treated with a mild sedative. I feel so bad for having to put him on medicine but he is like a different dog.

His barking has ceased, accidents have ceased for the most part....he was sick with a bug a few days ago. He isn't running the show and for the most part he is obeying his commands. The vet and I plan on the medicine to be a temporary solution and we hope to ween him off gradually.

Now the only downside is since being on the medicine he is a bit touchy, and he has snapped at me a time or two. Something he never did before the medicine so we are working on that, and the vet says it could just be an adjustment to the medicine. But it concerns me with the new baby and all.


But there has been a lot of progress since. And I feel like I am in control of my life again which is a very good thing

[lil mutt]

Originally Posted by puppylove2009

Rehoming is not an option

i'll admit I was ticked when I wrote the original post. And I exaggerated his behavior to an extreme.

I was just ticked.

its over, he is being his good old self again.

Forget about this.


No I do not see him as a threat to my child. I just see him as a very needy dog and I needed some space, which I got.

He is being a perfect angel now

Good to know that you changed your mind about rehoming your pet.

[puppylove2009]

Originally Posted by lil mutt

Good to know that you changed your mind about rehoming your pet.

I never had any intention of rehoming him, I couldn't do that to an animals