Hi!
Please bear with me here.
We rescued a perfect little poodle 12 years ago, making her 13 now. She has been raised with my children and has been an integral part of our family.
She is trained, gentle and we have worked hard with her.
We had a beautiful black full standard poodle fall into our laps this summer. He has sebaceous adentitis, which means he produces no oil. It is genetic and many dogs are put down due to it. Their hair falls out, they get open sores, etc. I was willing to take on a skin condition, but not a behavior problem. The owners were irresponsible and had not neutered him, even after knowing about this condition. He is 3. The SPCA let me know he was a bit hyper, but ensured all would be changed after neutering (which I knew was wishful thinking). I asked the veterinarian treating him many questions, asked them to ask the owners about any problems, aggression, barking, etc. All was a no, it was just the skin condition.
I read for hours and bought many products for him. I have worked out a perfect regimine and after 3 months, his hair has grown back beautifully. It will never be fully curly, but is wavy and thick with no fall out. This is what I signed up for.
The bad: He barks LOUDLY and barked at people without warning with scary lunging on a leash. No biting actions, though. We got a gentle lead to stop pulling and I took him on TONS of walks despite embarrassment, giving him treats before he could bark and telling him Quiet. It has worked beautifully. We go hiking and walking every day and he does not bark.
I can now take him to parks and throw for hours with him running to the ball and coming back every time. He responds to come very well.
He remains VERY hyper and is obsessive compulsive with balls and he knows they are not allowed in the house, dropping them at the door out back. We hike with him, taught him to swim for balls with his cute life jacket, he is loved, cuddled, has an asenal of chuck it balls for all times of day, he has learned sit, shake, come, quiet, spin, roll over, wait, down, hug, etc.
He was VERY underweight and after hand feeding him to get weight up, he is eating mostly independently and looks great.
PROBLEM: Each a few days apart
1st instance: We were leaving as a family and he ran from the house and into the car without permission. He loves to go in the car to soccer games, hiking, etc. When my teenage daughter went to call him out, she did not even go for the collar or anything, he began growling VERY aggressively and then jumped out and went toward her. Not really to bite, but barking loudly and scarily right at her. I jumped out, ran around to get in between them and yelled to break his attention. I got him into the house. I never hurt him, just made a sound to break his attention.
2nd instance: He was up on the couch we love to snuggle him on and I just came up to hug him. He began growling horribly and jumped up still growling while coming right up to me. I turned around and walked to the door, called him and put him out.
3rd instance: He was again on the couch and my youngest daughter called him to come up to the kitchen. They had been sleeping together for an hour together just before, with her snuggled on top of him. He just was sitting, not making a sound so she came down to call him (not grabbing at him) and he again growled loudly and then barked aggressively and jumped off to bark right at her.
Now she tries to play with him abit, but I can tell she is very scared.
I am HEARTBROKEN.
Do I give him back?
If it were just the couch, I would not worry as much. We will sadly keep him off it from now on as he is resource guarding it. But with him doing it in the car as well, and with him being aggressive towards my children AT ALL, I just don't know what to do.
I know we can train this, but I feel I will always be afraid of him. Aggression is the ONLY thing I was not willing to deal with.
Please bear with me here.
We rescued a perfect little poodle 12 years ago, making her 13 now. She has been raised with my children and has been an integral part of our family.
She is trained, gentle and we have worked hard with her.
We had a beautiful black full standard poodle fall into our laps this summer. He has sebaceous adentitis, which means he produces no oil. It is genetic and many dogs are put down due to it. Their hair falls out, they get open sores, etc. I was willing to take on a skin condition, but not a behavior problem. The owners were irresponsible and had not neutered him, even after knowing about this condition. He is 3. The SPCA let me know he was a bit hyper, but ensured all would be changed after neutering (which I knew was wishful thinking). I asked the veterinarian treating him many questions, asked them to ask the owners about any problems, aggression, barking, etc. All was a no, it was just the skin condition.
I read for hours and bought many products for him. I have worked out a perfect regimine and after 3 months, his hair has grown back beautifully. It will never be fully curly, but is wavy and thick with no fall out. This is what I signed up for.
The bad: He barks LOUDLY and barked at people without warning with scary lunging on a leash. No biting actions, though. We got a gentle lead to stop pulling and I took him on TONS of walks despite embarrassment, giving him treats before he could bark and telling him Quiet. It has worked beautifully. We go hiking and walking every day and he does not bark.
I can now take him to parks and throw for hours with him running to the ball and coming back every time. He responds to come very well.
He remains VERY hyper and is obsessive compulsive with balls and he knows they are not allowed in the house, dropping them at the door out back. We hike with him, taught him to swim for balls with his cute life jacket, he is loved, cuddled, has an asenal of chuck it balls for all times of day, he has learned sit, shake, come, quiet, spin, roll over, wait, down, hug, etc.
He was VERY underweight and after hand feeding him to get weight up, he is eating mostly independently and looks great.
PROBLEM: Each a few days apart
1st instance: We were leaving as a family and he ran from the house and into the car without permission. He loves to go in the car to soccer games, hiking, etc. When my teenage daughter went to call him out, she did not even go for the collar or anything, he began growling VERY aggressively and then jumped out and went toward her. Not really to bite, but barking loudly and scarily right at her. I jumped out, ran around to get in between them and yelled to break his attention. I got him into the house. I never hurt him, just made a sound to break his attention.
2nd instance: He was up on the couch we love to snuggle him on and I just came up to hug him. He began growling horribly and jumped up still growling while coming right up to me. I turned around and walked to the door, called him and put him out.
3rd instance: He was again on the couch and my youngest daughter called him to come up to the kitchen. They had been sleeping together for an hour together just before, with her snuggled on top of him. He just was sitting, not making a sound so she came down to call him (not grabbing at him) and he again growled loudly and then barked aggressively and jumped off to bark right at her.
Now she tries to play with him abit, but I can tell she is very scared.
I am HEARTBROKEN.
Do I give him back?
If it were just the couch, I would not worry as much. We will sadly keep him off it from now on as he is resource guarding it. But with him doing it in the car as well, and with him being aggressive towards my children AT ALL, I just don't know what to do.
I know we can train this, but I feel I will always be afraid of him. Aggression is the ONLY thing I was not willing to deal with.