[bentleypoodlepup]

Hi!

I have only really ever own mixed breed dogs in my childhood but now that I am in college and on my own, I decided on a poodle.

Here are my reasons:

1. they are said to be one of the smartest dog breeds there is
2. they are eager to please
3. they are easy to train
4. they are stunning to look at
5. they are hypoallergenic

If you have any training tips or advice please feel free to post it here. I am very anxious to take advantage of all of the wonderful assets poodles have.

Bentley is 8 weeks old yesterday and is a sable-colored little bundle of joy. I showed him the first time to use his "potty park" (I can't exactly train him to go outside yet since I live on the 17th floor of a downtown highrise) and he has used it without me putting him on there. It hasn't even been 48 hours yet! But he is also peeing if he gets excited or if he can't see me and starts barking. I think that may just be due to his lack of ability to hold it. i give him ample praise each time I see him walk onto his potty park and use it. He also seems to already know his name.

Are all poodles this smart?

 

[JE-UK]

What a cute little guy! I think poodle puppies must be in the top-ten all-time cutest pups ever.

Can't speak for all poodles, but my mini had the idea of housetraining after a week and was reliably housetrained by 16 weeks. And has never had even one accident since.

I was also new to poodles, and my biggest revelation were -

1. They are scary smart. It is incredibly easy to teach them both good and bad things!

2. They are the happiest dogs I've ever been around.

3. A good quality diet seems to be particularly important for them; we were plagued by grotty ears until I got him on a super-premium food.

4. They have to be handled/groomed their whole lives, so early work on body/feet handling is critical.

5. They are magnets for 10 y.o. girls!! If there is one within half a mile of us, the 10-y.o.-girl radar kicks in and they come running.

Good luck with your pup!

 

[bentleypoodlepup]

training

Thanks for your reply and advice!
I was wondering a few things about training.

I am currently choosing to crate train and Bentley is not taking to it very well. He barks ALL night, especially if he knows I am there and knows I will give in just to get some sleep. I did make it through one whole night by leaving him in another room and the next night he got to stay in my bedroom and I put towels over his kennel so he wouldn't see me or be disturbed. This seemed to have worked for the most part but I still wish he would enjoy his crate, it is so comfortable in there! Any advice on if it will get better?

Also, I have been walking him frequently. I started at once a day with a very short walk but since I live next to a very busy street he was very nervous at first and would sit or even lay to get me to stop. He is in a very comfortable harness so I don't hurt him if I give him a little tug but I just wish he would walk in front of me instead of behind. I try to go at his pace and he is getting better; however, he is not yet confident enough to go ahead of me and lead. I feel like with most pups I've had in the past the struggle was trying to get them to focus and not pull so hard on the leash but with Bentley, its a struggle to get moving and get him interested. I am also looking for any advice on leash training. He has a hard time with treats, even the small chewy ones, so it's nearly impossible to give him that kind of incentive without taking 10 minutes out for him to chew. Any treats you might know of that would work? Increasing the frequency of the walk and changing up where we go every now and then seems to help a bit but he still rarely even walks beside me.

Also, when is a good time to start with simple commands such as sit, stay, heel? He is now about 9 weeks.

 

[Purley]

I would be happy if a dog walked beside me. I wouldn't want the dog walking ahead. Why do you think the dog should be doing this? I have small treats that are soft and I often break them into smaller pieces. You could get a hot dog and cut it into tiny little pieces so he could swallow them. A friend told me that turkey hot dogs are not as greasy as the regular ones but I haven't tried them.

He is only really young. I personally would not be taking an eight week old puppy out on the public streets because he cannot possibly have had all his Parvo shots yet. However, I don't live in a highrise and so I have absolutely no idea what people do if they don't have their own yard for the puppy to play in until he has had all his Parvo shots.

I will leave that to others.

 

[partial2poodles]

I have a silver standard named Bentley....But we call him Ben, or Ben Ben or more often Bun Bun. He is just the best. But I always say I am gonna get a potty grass thingy. I actually started to make it but I need to get the right "turf"...the normal stuff has no holes. You gotta get K-9 turf with holes. I don't envy you living on a 17th floor with a poodle. I'd have to have pee grass in the elevator cause thats a long way to hold it to go outside.
I hope you post lots more pictures....I wanna watch your Bentley grow up.

 

[bentleypoodlepup]

shots

Yes, that is a concern of mine because there seem to be a lot of other dogs in the building and I know they use the same places as my dog. But seeing as he is two doses in to his vaccinations, I'm hoping he will be fine. I have seen friends whose dogs have gotten that virus and I know how nasty it can be. My concern isn't necessarily when he is walking beside me it is when he is behind me and just sits because he is nervous of the traffic. It is definitely something he is getting used to and I think the more exposure he gets, the better he performs on walks. He has yet to have real contact with other dogs and I plan on keeping it that way at least until he is 16 weeks and has had all of his vaccinations.

But as for living in a high-rise and having a dog, I would say at least 1/3 of the people in this building have a dog or two. Bentley doesn't seem to mind it either, he is very comfortable in his surroundings. He does get very nervous around strangers and other people but he is getting better. He mostly buries his head in my shoulder if he knows we are leaving the apartment.

Being around him about every hour of the day, I can check to see for mood changes and changes in stools. So hopefully if he gets sick, I'll be able to catch it quickly. But I would think it is unfair to keep him locked up when his muscles are still developing and growing.

As for the "potty park" mine is actually a more generic one I bought on amazon called the petzoom pet park. Right now it is listed at around $26. Not bad considering the majority are $100+. However, I think if i ever do get the money I will purchase one of the more expensive ones with real sod and put it on my porch. But first I will have to install some plastic chicken wire so he cannot get through the rails. It is amazing that you are making your own! Tell me how that turns out---but for now if you want a quick fix I have been very happy with my petpark. It dries very quickly and I clean it about once every three days without it ever smelling.