Building confidence in the puppy

3353 Views 15 Replies 10 Participants Last post by dt7624, Oct 22, 2009

KPoos

Discussion Starter · Oct 20, 2009

How do you personally build confidence in your puppies? Jasper is a bit of a cry baby puppy. He is a little needy and if he's not with you he gets upset and will cry. I don't like that type of attitude in a puppy because it can develop into severe separation anxiety if it's allowed to continue and if you handle the situation poorly. I know that he doesn't like going out in the yard without me and sometimes I just cannot follow him out in the yard and wait for him and he needs to spend some time by himself and build confidence and learn independence. So I'd like stories of how you raise your puppies to be independent and happy without constantly being under your feet.

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cbrand

· #2 · Oct 20, 2009

Well I think you might have gotten the wrong breed.

Poodles are NOT independent dogs. They have been bred for years to be the ultimate companion dog. It is totally normal and expected for a Poodle to follow his owner around from room to room even waiting outside the bathroom while his owner showers or does her business. Poodles are not outside dogs. For them, the only point to being outside is to potty or be with their owner doing things outside. If owner is inside.... they want to be inside. I would actually go so far as to say that independence in a Poodle would be a temperament fault.

I find that confidence in Poodles comes from work. Poodles love to work for and with their people. Working, in the form of skills and tricks makes a Poodle feel like it is fulfilling it's purpose in life.

My Sabrina was a cry baby when she 1st came home. The first lesson she learned was how to be quiet. It was her 1st job. Today, she is closely bonded, but I would never say that she has any sort of separation anxiety.

Have you looked at the Crate Games video. You might want to use that training system.

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BFF

· #3 · Oct 20, 2009

I agree with cbrand. I would add that poodles, once trained, are not high maintenance (from a behaviour perspective). I simply don't know how to make it through the day without my best friend beside me.

I'm curious though. cbrand, how did you teach your puppy to be quiet? Zulee has been barking (kinda like a back talk). I have been teaching her the command 'Quiet' and reward her as soon as she is. I don't always carry treats with me, so a lot of times the reward is praise. If she is not able to focus or doesn't seem to understand what I want, I have her do something she does know like sit, down, ect. I've noticed for the most part that she stops barking and does the command.

Am I on the right track? Any further suggestions? PS...She is 4 months old today!

kristylynn

· #4 · Oct 20, 2009

I agree, the main reason I decided to get a poodle, one was cause of allergies, but their is other allergy friendly dogs too. But the most was I wanted a dog that would want to be with us all the time we did not want an independent dog.

cbrand

· #5 · Oct 20, 2009

Squirt bottle with vinegar in it.

I think you are seeing the downside to only positive training. Positive training is great and you can do amazing things with it. However, in some ways you have trained your dog to bark because she gets treats or attention when she stops.

This is a situation where I think compulsion training is effective. Rule: house dogs don't bark.... if you break this rule then there is a negative consequence.

Many times you can get by just with a squirt bottle and water. However, my Sabrina was a big old baby and she really cried and barked if she had to be left alone in the Xpen. It took a mix of vinegar and water to get her to stop.

Today, eight years later, she is as quiet as a mouse. Ahhh... a quiet dog is a thing of beauty.

Fluffyspoos

· #6 · Oct 20, 2009

cbrand said:
Squirt bottle with vinegar in it.

I hear this works REALLY good!

bigredpoodle

· #7 · Oct 20, 2009

cbrand said:
Well I think you might have gotten the wrong breed.

Poodles are NOT independent dogs. They have been bred for years to be the ultimate companion dog. It is totally normal and expected for a Poodle to follow his owner around from room to room even waiting outside the bathroom while his owner showers or does her business. Poodles are not outside dogs. For them, the only point to being outside is to potty or be with their owner doing things outside. If owner is inside.... they want to be inside. I would actually go so far as to say that independence in a Poodle would be a temperament fault.

I find that confidence in Poodles comes from work. Poodles love to work for and with their people. Working, in the form of skills and tricks makes a Poodle feel like it is fulfilling it's purpose in life.

My Sabrina was a cry baby when she 1st came home. The first lesson she learned was how to be quiet. It was her 1st job. Today, she is closely bonded, but I would never say that she has any sort of separation anxiety.

Have you looked at the Crate Games video. You might want to use that training system.

I agree every poodle needs a job. Excellent advise. The squirt bottle works with plain water I am worried about the vinegar idea, getting in the eyes would that ever burn ! So we use PLAIN water. WE Find that if you squirt and say no bark

After a while all you have to do is say NO BARK .. Works like a charm ..

Olie

· #8 · Oct 20, 2009

KPoos said:
How do you personally build confidence in your puppies? Jasper is a bit of a cry baby puppy. He is a little needy and if he's not with you he gets upset and will cry. I don't like that type of attitude in a puppy because it can develop into severe separation anxiety if it's allowed to continue and if you handle the situation poorly. I know that he doesn't like going out in the yard without me and sometimes I just cannot follow him out in the yard and wait for him and he needs to spend some time by himself and build confidence and learn independence. So I'd like stories of how you raise your puppies to be independent and happy without constantly being under your feet.

What I am doing with Olie is I have a tie out and I sit off from him on the porch I will throw balls and get him wound up then walk away and watch from the window.

I also give him bones or kongs in his crate. I will also attach a tie leash to his crate (one because he is still on strict potty training) and I will allow him to wimper and whine without saying anything. I will shower and come back and when he starts I give him a stern look go on with what I do and then talk to him from another room just a little.. Somethings I will overplay or aggravate him at times and then he wants me to go away! Theres some creativity I am sure you can think of. But thats what I do.

BFF

· #9 · Oct 20, 2009

Thanks for the squirt bottle idea. I didn't mean to steal the thread.

Evik

· #10 · Oct 21, 2009

cbrand said:
Ahhh... a quiet dog is a thing of beauty.

I love that cbrand

. I will remember that idea when my future poodle will get his first job :smile-big:

KPoos

Discussion Starter · #11 · Oct 22, 2009

Okay I think most of you have misunderstood what I meant by my post. I'm not asking for answers about independence, I'm asking for confidence. Those are two different things. I don't want a dog that's not a family dog that just likes to go off and not be part of the family, independent. I want a dog that carries itself well, isn't afraid of what's outside in the yard so that he can go potty alone (maybe all of 20 mins) or stay inside a gated area without crying, confidence.

I cannot devote all of my time to my puppy. I've got a family and a house to run and I also homeschool my kids. We have things to do that don't include Jasper so I can't have him under foot all of the time. Other times are great and I love that he will go out front with the kids and follow them up the sidewalk as they ride their bikes or whatever. What I don't like is that he has no confidence when it comes to doing something on his own so that's the question I was asking.

I'm pretty sure a poodle is the dog for me. That answer is a little harsh and not completely fair since you don't know me personally so you can't say what is and what isn't for me. I do appreciate your effort to answer my question but I think the answer got a little away from you. As far as working the dog, he's 13 weeks old and like I said I don't have the time at the moment to work him in anything than what we already are doing. Once we've got conformation showing down, I can move on to something else but one thing at a time.

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bigredpoodle

· #12 · Oct 22, 2009

KPoos said:
Okay I think most of you have misunderstood what I meant by my post. I'm not asking for answers about independence, I'm asking for confidence. Those are two different things. I don't want a dog that's not a family dog that just likes to go off and not be part of the family, independent. I want a dog that carries itself well, isn't afraid of what's outside in the yard so that he can go potty alone (maybe all of 20 mins) or stay inside a gated area without crying, confidence.

I cannot devote all of my time to my puppy. I've got a family and a house to run and I also homeschool my kids. We have things to do that don't include Jasper so I can't have him under foot all of the time. Other times are great and I love that he will go out front with the kids and follow them up the sidewalk as they ride their bikes or whatever. What I don't like is that he has no confidence when it comes to doing something on his own so that's the question I was asking.
I'm pretty sure a poodle is the dog for me. That answer is a little harsh and not completely fair since you don't know me personally so you can't say what is and what isn't for me. I do appreciate your effort to answer my question but I think the answer got a little away from you. As far as working the dog, he's 13 weeks old and like I said I don't have the time at the moment to work him in anything than what we already are doing. Once we've got conformation showing down, I can move on to something else but one thing at a time.

Wait until he is done teething before any training Right now his mouth is in pain from teeth..

KPoos

Discussion Starter · #13 · Oct 22, 2009

Yeah we aren't training at the moment. I will start with conformation training soon enough but so far just training stand and to follow me when I move around and then stop when I stop.

bigredpoodle

· #14 · Oct 22, 2009

KPoos said:
Yeah we aren't training at the moment. I will start with conformation training soon enough but so far just training stand and to follow me when I move around and then stop when I stop.

So unless this puppy has a problem with temperment The confidence will come. No harsh punishments,,,, no other dogs being Alpha over him. The confidnece comes from you being the alpha. Being a good leader.. Take him everywhere that you can take him. To the hardware store , to the outside mall to the library and sit outside with him. If you plan to show this socializing is very important .. Right now you are his pack leader and he NEEDS you.

roxy25

· #15 · Oct 22, 2009

I wish I could help you with your situation but I can't. Enzo is our first poodle and he was very confident at his age. He always has his tail up and just is happy go lucky.

We also live in an apartment so its not like I would leave him outside anyways lol. He did cry when we first started to leave him in the crate but he got over that once we corrected him.

Right now I am working on him and noise. ( he is such a weirdo) he hears loud noises all of the time while I walk him and he has no problem. The minute I get a book and slam it together he gets nervous ?!?!?! So I am going to continue to give him confidence that the noise of a book is nothing.

dt7624

· #16 · Oct 22, 2009

I think puppy school also helped with confidence even though it does take time. Lucy was scared to go in the first class but can't wait now.
For me, going outside alone came with time. She's 5 months and it's only been the last few weeks that she goes out alone. Now she won't come in. It also helped to put her in a crate where she could see or hear us during the day or times that we were too busy to have her underfoot.
I forgot how much time a puppy involves!

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