[TerraFirma]

If you go with a board and train or daycare, you may want to look for one that is Fear Free Certified. I worked in a boarding/daycare facility when I was in undergrad, and if people saw them behind the scenes...they'd be very careful about selecting one. Owners think that it's good their dogs come home exhausted, but it's not. Daycare puts dogs into an unnatural and dysregulated mode.

You may want to check out Spirit Dog Training or Susan Garrett's Recallers program online (Just saw @Mufar42 mentioned it too) . I'm doing the latter, and it's a full year of modules and her team is quite helpful. It's not just about recall at all. It would help you develop a much deeper bond with your dog through a few, short sessions each day. And there is a community of educators through her program who will work with you remotely to problem solve/assess your progress. My adolescent was hitting the point that he could not handle the stress of a class environment. Recallers has helped bridge the gap.

I suspect with some foundation work in training, your girl will do a 180*. She honestly does not sound like a difficult dog. Just a bouncy, energetic teen. It's also plausible that if you've been through a lot of stress, she's expressing it through acting out. Though, her acting out sounds very mild for a teen dog. I know that's all subjective, because you're living with it, but take heart. With some work and patience and bonding, she'll be an all-star.

 

[peppersb]

I had a friend who sent her Jack Russell to a board and train place. The results were not good. I don't remember the details (it was many years ago), but I do remember that her dog came home with even more problems, and she ended up successfully rehoming her.

I agree with others that board and train is not a good idea. I would add that not all poodles are alike. Some are much more aggressive and energetic than others. Also not all people/homes are alike. There have been some good suggestions here, and you may well be able to successfully train your dog. But if in the end, you are not able to get to the place where you and both of your dogs are happy, and where you feel that trips to the dog park are safe and enjoyable, then I would seriously consider the option of rehoming your poodle. Fortunately, it is pretty easy to find a home for a young, healthy standard poodle. I have participated in a handful of poodle rehomings, and in every case, it was good for the first owner, good for the second owner, and very good for the dog.

Best wishes to you whatever you decide.

 

[NDFeldman]

Such good advice here. Where are you in Central Jersey? I’m in Hopewell and can recommend some excellent training schools and a wonderful private trainer whom I’ve worked with since my Standard was 9 months (she will be 3 on Feb. 1). Don’t lose heart your dog will calm down!

 

[Laurel]

Hey everyone,

I have a 10 month old female Standard, and looking to enroll her in a board and train program. Would you have any affordable and reputable recommendations in the NJ, NY, or NYC area?

Current behavioral issues include: Jumping when excited. This happens when I come from being out, meeting new people, when playing with me or other family members, when being asked to sit before going on a walk and when being asked to sit for a treat. I also have another dog at home, and she will play nip at him. From what I understand that is a puppy behavior, but I think she should have outgrown that by now. I also recently moved to a big apartment complex with a dog park, and I noticed she has done the same with smaller dogs when playing with them. While on walks she also pulls on the leash, and does not walk at the pace I am walking. She will also try to run after squirrels or birds she sees near by.

Any tips I can use to help make this better in the mean time would be greatly appreciated!

Really think about Board and Train Facilities. They can be abusive to your dog. A lot of dogs can get overheated and have died in these facilities. Some dogs have been lost And never found. Really screen where you are going to leave your loved dog. A better alternative is to get a private well researched dog trainer to come to your home and train you to train your dog. Training with your dog actually increases your bond and your relationship. Really be careful. I work with rescue I am a volunteer with Missing Dogs Volunteer group and a vet tech. None of these facilities are regulated. So many horrible things I have seen happened to dogs. Your dog is a puppy, this is all normal behavior which is a lot of work to train. Be consistent and redundant with your dog and your training. She will learn to respond perfectly to you if you get trained to train her. It takes time and patience and love. You will find when she out grows puppy hood which can be 2 to 21/2 years old-yet with each month you will see her get better and better behavior if you put the time in. Get help from a reputable good -well know -great credentials trainer. Spend your time with your dog. You only will have her puppyhood for 2 years and you can’t get it back. Mold her for you by you training her and allowing your relationship and bond with her to grow together through this process. It does happen! Don’t let some stranger just train her like a soldier. She will bond with you and love you more for your involvement in this wonderful growing process for both of you. By this she will be your forever best friend for life!

 

[TuttoBene]

In regards to play; can you find her other Spoos to play with. That has saved my hair. They have such a unique sense of play that when you see a standard poodle playing with another you realize that it’s Poodle Play. It’s not for timid dog owners. They use their mouths (mine likes to bite collars and lead dogs around). They use their paws. They use their body and when older, they use their mind to out smart other dogs. I’ve taught him “Time Out” if play gets heated. When they shake it off.. play resumes. They need to play and chase. It’s a beautiful thing to watch.

Take a fun class togethee; nose work or agility? Learn to have fun as a team. Flirt pole? If you don’t have one you might want to look it up.

 

[Click-N-Treat]

I'm a certified professional dog trainer. Here's the truth about your situation. You can spend thousands and thousands of dollars to hire a board and train trainer who will teach your dog manners. The dog will be super well trained to work for the trainer. The trainer will show you all the wonderful things your dog knows how to do. Fantastic, right? No, wrong. Because you will not be trained to work with your dog. You cannot drop your piano music off at the piano teacher's house and expect to know how to play a concerto. You cannot drop your dog off at a trainer's house and expect your dog to behave for you. Board and train isn't the answer to your problems. The answer is you need to form a training relationship with your dog. Learning how to train a dog is a skill, like learning to play the piano. The more you learn, and practice, the better the results will be. Dog training isn't magic, but it is a skillset. Find someone to help you learn, and practice every day.

Another thing about dog trainers. It's an unregulated industry. Anyone can say they are a dog trainer. You wouldn't allow someone who claims to be an electrician wire your house. You'd hire a certified professional electrician. Certified professional dog trainers have been educated on how to train dogs, and more importantly, how to train people. When you look for a trainer, find a professional. Look for certifications. CPDT-KA or KPA-CTP trainers will guide you well.

Your young poodle is acting like a perfectly normal young poodle. Nothing you can't fix with some guidance. If you want to hire me, I do work VIA Zoom. You can send me a DM at any time. Good luck with your dog and happy training.

 

[peppersb]

...
Your young poodle is acting like a perfectly normal young poodle. Nothing you can't fix with some guidance. If you want to hire me, I do work VIA Zoom. You can send me a DM at any time. Good luck with your dog and happy training.

Fabulous post from Click-N-Treat. I remember reading every installment of a long thread on how Click-N-Treat trained Noelle as a diabetes alert dog a few years ago. I learned a lot about training and a lot about type 1 diabetes just from reading those posts. Hiring Click-N-Treat sounds like the perfect solution -- a fabulous opportunity.

 

[kontiki]

Alarm bells! Board and Train!
Here it is Dec 6, 2022 and I am just now reading your post. I am so grateful to all of the wonderful poodle owners that have responded with the answer to NOT send your dear puppy there. I am so grateful to the Board and Train man in my area who actually recommended to me that I Not send my puppy to him! I was at wits end during his teen years, and I so needed him to become my well trained Service Dog. But he was a handful and I could not figure out what to do! Thank goodness the conscionable Board and Train owner who said to me: "If that is what you want I recommend that you Not send him here." Yes, it turned out they were using aversive methods. Instead I looked for local dog trainers. One I even paid for three expensive private lessons ahead of time. I never took the last two lessons even though I lost my money because of how my spoo reacted to him, and his insistence on using a chain training collar, which my spoo went crazy with. The first command he taught him was "NO!". Ugh. Unbelievably he now calls himself a Service Dog trainer.

The trainer I ended up with is amazing, and she is not on any of the 'certified' lists mentioned. But she is a Behaviorist trainer, and a psychology teacher in the local University. I found her word of mouth. She trained Me to be the best trainer Sometimes the absolutely best trainers are not searchable on the internet. Or they would be overwhelmed with requests.

My spoo ended up an incredibly intelligent, top of the class, and best service dog anyone could imagine. I wish he was still 3 years old.

I now have people asking me to train (Both their dogs, and their kids!). I have no problem training dogs. It is a delight. It is the owners I have a problem with and not enough patience to deal with. I am 76 now and do not know what to do. I do not have the energy to deal with all of the puppyhood and adolescence and leaning over to pick up toys and poos, and ?, and still be able to keep going, even though I know that my adorable 13+ year old spoo would help me in the training. .

 

[kontiki]

... We were doing in person home training when she was a puppy and then I stopped shortly before my Dad passed away... so going through my grief and getting back on track with my life did take away from her having more progress.

... Took her to the dog park today and her reaction to the other dogs really underscored the work that needs to be done.

I apologize. I had not thoroughly read all of your posts. I am so sorry that your Dad died. Of course you are in grief and that would make training a teen poodle so much harder than it normally would be.

Do not give up on finding a great trainer. Some of the best are not on any list online with credentials. Check with many multiple sources. Any and all local vets; all feed stores and pet supply stores; on-line; word of mouth ( go to the dog park and ask people who have well behaved dogs); anyone you see out walking whose dog appears happy but still behaving and friendly; any local AKC; good breeders in the area; any dog training facility in the area; the local humane society or dog pound; .... And then take all of these recommendations and consider. Then go watch them in a training session with another dog. Only then would I let them interact with my dog, and see what happens. If they use any aversive methods, or if my dog reacts negatively to them, I would be very cautious.

There are also good online trainings, ie Fendy. You can do this!