[gwtwmum2]

Help fellow poodle owners! Wrigley is really loveable, sweet, GREAT with my kids...but he is also driving me crazy. He chews up everything so I must keep him in my eye sight at all times unless I keep him gated in the kitchen but even then - he manages to steal things off of my counter top (a plate of cookies - covered in saran wrap - ate every one of them! A new roll of paper towels - shredded everywhere, a baby lock off of my cabinet doors...)
If I let him outside with Sophie to enjoy the sunshine - he goes right for dirt spots and digs, digs and digs some more. This is a frustration for two reasons: 1) He is tearing up my yard 2) He comes in with filthy paws - I'll wipe them off but there always seems to be dirt in his paws that he gets all over the place.
Lastly, when I settle in with he and the other dogs and we sit to try and chill, I don't mind the dogs rough housing for awhile - but when the other two are ready to sit and chill, Wrigley just starts pacing and pacing and pacing. So I'll tell him to sit and he does obey but then he starts the panting (I'm guessing this is because he really wants to be up and moving?) When he finally realizes I mean business and he does relax - the farting begins. BAD BAD smell. Seriously - it lingers in the house. I have to shut the door to the room we are in and when any other family member comes in (hubby, sons) they all react like they've been smacked.
I know that Wrigley is a smart boy - he is doing well in obedience. He is a loveable boy - lets my kids play with him and love all over him - but these other things are driving me crazy! Will he out grow it? Or is he just a more high maintenance poodle?
Sophie is more relaxed - she plays but she doesn't seem as high strung...I think that also points out Wrigley's personality more.

 

[starkeeper]

He sounds like a rascal!

How old is he?

My poodles all started like this and eventually settled down.

(after their adolescence).

 

[gwtwmum2]

He is 9 months. When did the "settling down" begin? Just to give me a bit of a time frame.

 

[spoofan]

He will outgrow it.
He is still a puppy and they can be hell.
Are you letting him burn off some energy?
Can he run it off some place?
Is your yard big enough to throw a ball?
Maybe time out,when he won't settle down would help....just a short crate time.
As far as the digging...I heard if you put their poop in the hole,they will not dig.Or, try the stuff they sell to keep dogs out of flower beds.
For the gas problem,try giving him some charcoal cookies,that are sold in most pet stores...they help with that as well as mild digestive issues.
If you get to the point where you are too overwhelmed,it might not be a bad idea to have a couple one on one sessions with a trainer in your house.
Good luck and remember it will pass...Stella,my daughter's spoo,was a very high strung puppy for the first two years of her life and now is a doll.

 

[gwtwmum2]

I had no idea they sold things to keep them out of flower beds - I'll definitely look into that. And the cookies! That would be great. I think one of the reasons his tummy is always upset is because he is always eating things he shouldn't (crayons, paper, etc.) so I would imagine that his tummy is always fighting something hard to digest.
What gives me hope (besides hearing from you guys) is that my parents had a lab that was a terror his first 18 months and then he was an angel. The bad part is...will I have ANY house or yard left when Wrigley gets to that age?
Oh, I do have a fenced in yard and I've tried to throw a ball but Wrigley is funny, he'll chase it once or twice but when you take it away from him, rather than let him chew on it - he loses interest in the game. Definitely a chewer right now!

 

[Pamela]

oh my goodness! are you sure you don't have a sibling of Teddy? Boy you described Teddy to a T and, althought the chewing has gotten better, he is still doing the other things including the stinky farts! He is, sadly, over 3. I will al so try the charcoal cookes. I have tried plain yogurt and that works too. He also loses interest in the fetching and will lay down and chew the toy, whereas Ginger LOVES to fetch again and again and agin lol

 

[spoofan]

Give him a big bone to chew.
Apple bitter spray works well to keep them chewing on forbidden things.
It's a trial and error.
Just don't give up.
Gunther is a very good puppy,but there are days when I get frustrated too.
Poodles are smart and they like a challenge...mental and physical.
Did you try to fill kong with treats?
I never used it but a friend of mine would put peanut butter in and freeze it first.It kept her dog occupied for a long time.

 

[spoofan]

One more thing...regarding the ball.
If they won't bring it back,you can tie a long thin rope around a kong,throw it and pull it back...they love that.

 

[MakeShift Heart]

Belle is a major chewer as well!! Once we got her a few bones to chew, and hard rubber toys we taught her what she can and cannot chew one. Whenever I caught her chewing one of my niece's toys I would firmly tell her, "No!" and take away the toy and give her a bone to let her know "This is yours." It's pretty successful for me. Belle also is pretty hyper as you described Wrigley to be. Once i started taking her for long walks and taking her to play with the other dogs in my neighborhood though she seems to be a lot more relaxed. And by long walks I mean, we walk for about an hour, then play at the park for maybe another 30 mins to an hour, then walk back home !

 

[roxy25]

Help fellow poodle owners! Wrigley is really loveable, sweet, GREAT with my kids...but he is also driving me crazy. He chews up everything so I must keep him in my eye sight at all times unless I keep him gated in the kitchen but even then - he manages to steal things off of my counter top (a plate of cookies - covered in saran wrap - ate every one of them! A new roll of paper towels - shredded everywhere, a baby lock off of my cabinet doors...)
If I let him outside with Sophie to enjoy the sunshine - he goes right for dirt spots and digs, digs and digs some more. This is a frustration for two reasons: 1) He is tearing up my yard 2) He comes in with filthy paws - I'll wipe them off but there always seems to be dirt in his paws that he gets all over the place.
Lastly, when I settle in with he and the other dogs and we sit to try and chill, I don't mind the dogs rough housing for awhile - but when the other two are ready to sit and chill, Wrigley just starts pacing and pacing and pacing. So I'll tell him to sit and he does obey but then he starts the panting (I'm guessing this is because he really wants to be up and moving?) When he finally realizes I mean business and he does relax - the farting begins. BAD BAD smell. Seriously - it lingers in the house. I have to shut the door to the room we are in and when any other family member comes in (hubby, sons) they all react like they've been smacked.
I know that Wrigley is a smart boy - he is doing well in obedience. He is a loveable boy - lets my kids play with him and love all over him - but these other things are driving me crazy! Will he out grow it? Or is he just a more high maintenance poodle?
Sophie is more relaxed - she plays but she doesn't seem as high strung...I think that also points out Wrigley's personality more.

How often do you walk him ? IMO he sounds born and has penned up Energy , I did not realize how much energy poodles have until Enzo. We actually have few problems with him since we run him on the treadmill or take him to a dog park. I do admit we do not give him enough exercise and this is why he does some crazy stuff( acting wild and running round the apt like a mad dog lol) He will also test my mom. When she is watching him since he does not see her as alpha lol When we run him its bed time all day lol he is much calmer also.

 

[highhorse]

Inca is now 2½ and has just recently settled down. Unfortunately today, I left the treats in my pocket over the chair back - now no treats left. I sort of missed her silly ways but I know they're in there still, just better controlled. Exercising their bodies just isn't enough. They need gymnastics for their very fertile minds. We do obedience, agility and as of this Wednesday, doggy dancing (heal work to music). I teach her tricks too, all this on top of long walks off lead in the meadows. Your boy is just dying for something to do and you are going to have to divert him from what he has already learned - chewing and fooling around. Love his personality, just put things away out of reach. I have another little girl, Coco, and she would no more dream of pinching things and chewing than visiting the man in the moon, but Inca's personality makes me laugh and that's pretty rare these days of Swine Flu and all the rest.

 

[gwtwmum2]

I agree - he probably is bored. My problem is this - I babysit 3 kids M,W,TH,F. During those hours, I can get Wrigley out when the youngest babies are sleeping but I can't have him out while everyone is awake. He is kept in the kitchen with Sophie and I am in and out of there interacting briefly all through the day. He can come to the gate and the kids come over and love him and pet him. I let him out at least 4 times during the day to play out in our fenced in back yard with Sophie and Torie (I also have chew toys outside in various places in the yard for he and Sophie to play with).
My last child leaves around 4:30. (Although I still have my two) So I make supper, get homework done, work around the house and can give Wrigley a walk then. Then that is the time that he is out playing with the kids and dogs for awhile. My other two are very happy to veg out on the couch but he still seems to have energy.
I am definitely willing to try some of the things mentioned here but I have to say I can't really do an hour of walking. I take him to obedience every Thursday night for an hour to try and learn new things to teach him. I think it is hard because of my schedule and my kids schedules - I'm trying to balance what the dogs need with what the kids need.
I tried the bitter apple on my woodwork but he did lick that off. I tried peanut butter on the Kong but I haven't frozen it - good idea. I should try that. I also like the idea of the string around the kong - I think he would think that was funny.
But from reading this site - I do think he is of the more energized poodle type. Sophie seems to be the lower energized type. I just hope I can give him enough stimulation to help us through the puppy bordom times.

 

[passion4poodles]

I did not see this mentioned in any of the other posts so I thought I would put it here, the chewing, puppies go through a second teething stage after their adult teeth come in and they can be even more distructive then the first time around, just a thought so this may be his problem at this time. The gas, do you have him on lamb and rice formula dog food?? That caused mine to have MASSIVE gas and after I changed it they were good again if he is that could be it. Digging, is a sign of being bored and can sometimes be stopped with the whole poop in the spot thing, but that did not work with mine. Mine dig seasonally lol, belive it or not, they dig the most when there are mushrooms and truffles to be found, Tynk has brought truffles to me out of our back yard...not the good kind but still truffles and that is usually when she digs the most maybe there are some fungi growing underground he smells and tries to find? Just a couple ideas as to what might be going on.

 

[spoofan]

How are things going at your house?
Please,give us an update.
Also...some new pictures would be nice.

 

[jbsmomto1]

This describes Ruby as well, I swear she is part goat, she eats anything, she loves kleenex and toilet paper, fresh from the trash in the bathroom. The other week she ate her bedding foam, this past week she ate cotton balls that I had nail polish remover on. She likes to chew anything she can. I know it will pass, just not sure when, but while in the moment it seems like its never gonna end.

 

[gwtwmum2]

Here is our update:
After much debate and consideration, we have decided to rehome Wrigley. I got Wrigley in October and Sophie in March - they are both wonderful dogs but getting two big puppies that close together was a bad idea for our family. I did lots of reading on the breed but reading and having experience are two different things as I'm learning from experience. I have two young children and I babysit. I say these things only to say that Wriggs and Sophie are penned up during the day (and let outside to play often) and the kids can come up to the gate to love on them BUT Wrigley has so much energy that I'm finding that he gets bored so easy and then starts looking to make his own fun (as I've discussed here). I definitely don't take rehoming lightly. I'm going through a process of screening where I'm telling people everything about Wrigley's personality and seeing if they've had big dog experience before. As well as other questions.
We are keeping Sophie vs Wrigley for many reasons - she is calmer for us, she is going to be smaller (our house and back yard is on the smaller side) and she isn't fixed yet and I wouldn't want to place an unfixed dog. (She will be fixed down the road).
We love both dogs very much but can see where we've taken on too much at once (with neither my husband or I having much big dog experience before getting these two). I have put Wrigley through obedience and I know he is a great dog and will be a great dog but his perfect home will be with someone who can give him a job to do regularly to make him think and wear him out. Sophie is more content to just sit by me and chew on a toy.
I feel like I'm bumbling around with this post - I am feeling really bad and sad and frustrated...basically I feel like I've failed.