[Kristi]

Hi, We have going on 6 month old Poodle...mix. He's 80 - 90% poodle. The rest is newfoundland. We're crate training him and have since we've gotten him. Normally he's fine with it but my husband and I have noticed a new trend. As soon as my husband walks in the door he goes crazy. He barks and whines and won't stop. The past two weeks alone he's trigged my migraines to the point I've had to take my pills for it. We've tried covering and uncovering the kennel. Moving the kennel to another room. Ignoring him, talking to him, giving him a treat, making sure he has his teddy bear. My husband has been walking him at night. Today I took him for a 3 miles walking in the morning, my husband for a 1 mile walk when he got him. What can we do?

 

[Meisha]

Hi, We have going on 6 month old Poodle...mix. He's 80 - 90% poodle. The rest is newfoundland. We're crate training him and have since we've gotten him. Normally he's fine with it but my husband and I have noticed a new trend. As soon as my husband walks in the door he goes crazy. He barks and whines and won't stop. The past two weeks alone he's trigged my migraines to the point I've had to take my pills for it. We've tried covering and uncovering the kennel. Moving the kennel to another room. Ignoring him, talking to him, giving him a treat, making sure he has his teddy bear. My husband has been walking him at night. Today I took him for a 3 miles walking in the morning, my husband for a 1 mile walk when he got him. What can we do?

Hi,
Would love to see a photo. What is his name?

As to your question, when you say "crate training" do you mean he is in the crate whenever he is at home? If not, when is he in or out of the crate other than walks?

 

[Kristi]

Hi,
Would love to see a photo. What is his name?

As to your question, when you say "crate training" do you mean he is in the crate whenever he is at home? If not, when is he in or out of the crate other than walks?

His name is Coco Pebbles. We try to let him out through out the day. I work from home 4 days a week but he doesn't let me work if he's out of his kennel. We have gates up and he'll just sit out by the gate and bark and cry. So I walk him in the morning, almost 3 miles and he's calm in his kennel. I take him out around 9 - 10 to play and get some energy out. Then my husband take him for a walk around noon (around a mile) and let's him out for awhile. The hard part is that he'll nip and bite us. And we need a break from that.

 

[Meisha]

He is adorable. I'll let some of the more experienced members answer your question, and you will find a lot of discussion of bitey puppies on this site.

 

[Dianaleez]

How large is his crate? Do you have a picture of Cocoa Pebbles in his crate?

I found that a larger crate really helped my dog settle down. But even with a really big crate, I let him out all day; his crate is just for sleeping.

Have you tried an exercise pen? It would give him more room to move around.

 

[Basil_the_Spoo]

What are you doing to exercise his mind?

More physical exercise means... A more physically fit poodle lol. How do you exercise a physically fit poodle? More exercise.. by the time you know it you have a super athlete.

My favorite way to let Basil exercise her mind are sniff-stuff walks. Basically just let her smell everything like a metal detector on the ground. The fresh air + that tires her out more then an A to B and back walk.

 

[PeggyTheParti]

Welcome to Poodle Forum! We’re happy to have you.

Have you ever rewarded your pup for barking, even inadvertently? Rewards can come many forms, such as attention (even negative attention), treats, or freedom.

If so, you’ve got some remedial work to do, to teach Coco Pebbles that good things happen when he’s quiet, and nothing happens when he barks. This can be as simple as releasing him the moment he’s silent and then slowly building duration. (I mean really slowly. Like seconds to start. But once he gets it, you can progress faster.)

I’d also suggest jotting down his schedule for the next 24 hours and then letting us take a look.

Also wondering, is Coco Pebbles your first poodley dog? You’re walking him an awful lot for such a young, leggy puppy. As Basil’s human said, you don’t want to build a super athlete. You also don’t want to stress his growing joints. Short training sessions, meandering “sniffy” walks (ideally on soft surfaces), and puppy classes are what I would suggest at this stage in his development. You might find this gentler, more diverse, more mentally engaging exercise is all it takes to help him settle better when it’s nap time.

 

[cowpony]

I was thinking along the same lines as others. First, keep in mind that you have the doggy equivalent of a six year old child. Little kids are emotionally needy. Little kids also thrive on mental stimulation. Same with puppies. My guess is he is a bit bored and lonely while he's confined to his crate. He's letting you know. And, really, that's a good thing. You'd get a houseplant if you wanted to care for something incapable of loving you back.

Regarding the actual screaming - remember, he is still a youngster. You can help set him up for success by controlling his schedule. Make sure he is tired enough to go to sleep when you need him to sleep. Wake him up for training and potty breaks before he gets around to screaming. And, as PeggyTheParti advised, try to avoid accidentally rewarding him for screaming.

My current puppy Ritter used to shriek when he saw me while he was in his pen. My response was to duck out of sight and stay hidden until he stopped for a breath. Then I would step back into view. Another shriek: I stepped out of sight again. (It wasn't hard; his screaming was ear piercing.) After a few repeats he figured out I left the room every time he screamed, and he stopped screaming long enough for me to get to the pen to let him out. Important concept: his reward for stopping the noise was to be let out to play with me. He's a puppy that wants to be with me, not a houseplant.

In general, good behavior requires a balance of physical exercise, mental exercise, and plenty of naps. I assume your pup is getting plenty of nap time if he spends much of the day in his crate. I find several short walks mixed with short cardio sessions (five minutes of playing fetch or playing with a flirt pole) spaced through the day are fine for physical exercise at that age. The idea is simply to blow off the yeehaws, not start conditioning for an Iditarod run. Stop the workout once the pup is breathing heavily.

What sorts of mental exercise are you doing with him during the day? My boy Galen needed quite a bit of intellectually challenging training time during the day. The AKC CGC skills and AKC Trick Dog list are both good sources of ideas for training exercises. We would do five minute training sessions throughout the day and try to get a longer 20 minute session in after work. We also did some quick cardio exercise sessions: playing with a flirt pole, playing fetch, etc. The sessions didn't need to be long, really five minutes at a time was enough. We were just working the yeehaws out, not trying to build an Iditarod competitor. As soon as he started panting heavily it meant he was cooked, and it was time to take a break. With enough of both types of exercise he would zonk out for a couple hours.

 

[Basil_the_Spoo]

@PeggyTheParti did a trick of the month for a few months. They're very beginner friendly and PF-Approved tricks to start engaging with your poodle. Most of us are amatures like you just trying to maintain our sanity at first until we are rewarded with a snuggle-bug.

The longer you hangout here, then the more smooth the rough edges will be.

Search results for query: Trick of the month

www.poodleforum.com

 

[PeggyTheParti]

@PeggyTheParti did a trick of the month for a few months. They're very beginner friendly and PF-Approved tricks to start engaging with your poodle. Most of us are amatures like you just trying to maintain our sanity at first until we are rewarded with a snuggle-bug.

The longer you hangout here, then the more smooth the rough edges will be.

Search results for query: Trick of the month

www.poodleforum.com

And I’ll be starting it up again in September! Let me know if there are any tricks you’ve been wanting to try.

Trick training was a breakthrough in my relationship with Peggy. It’s still the most efficient way to settle her mind and body.

 

[Kristi]

What are you doing to exercise his mind?

More physical exercise means... A more physically fit poodle lol. How do you exercise a physically fit poodle? More exercise.. by the time you know it you have a super athlete.

My favorite way to let Basil exercise her mind are sniff-stuff walks. Basically just let her smell everything like a metal detector on the ground. The fresh air + that tires her out more then an A to B and back walk.

We walk him. I'll throw a ball for him, though he isn't the best at brining it back. Ok, so letting him smell around is good for him? I can do that!

 

[cowpony]

We walk him. I'll throw a ball for him, though he isn't the best at brining it back. Ok, so letting him smell around is good for him? I can do that!

Definitely add interactive training. It makes his brain work harder, which gives you a sleepier dog.

 

[Kristi]

Definitely add interactive training. It makes his brain work harder, which gives you a sleepier dog.

Awesome Thanks!

 

[Kristi]

Welcome to Poodle Forum! We’re happy to have you.

Have you ever rewarded your pup for barking, even inadvertently? Rewards can come many forms, such as attention (even negative attention), treats, or freedom.

If so, you’ve got some remedial work to do, to teach Coco Pebbles that good things happen when he’s quiet, and nothing happens when he barks. This can be as simple as releasing him the moment he’s silent and then slowly building duration. (I mean really slowly. Like seconds to start. But once he gets it, you can progress faster.)

I’d also suggest jotting down his schedule for the next 24 hours and then letting us take a look.

Also wondering, is Coco Pebbles your first poodley dog? You’re walking him an awful lot for such a young, leggy puppy. As Basil’s human said, you don’t want to build a super athlete. You also don’t want to stress his growing joints. Short training sessions, meandering “sniffy” walks (ideally on soft surfaces), and puppy classes are what I would suggest at this stage in his development. You might find this gentler, more diverse, more mentally engaging exercise is all it takes to help him settle better when it’s nap time.

Yes, he's our first dog over all. How much walking should he be doing? Right now he's at about 3 - 5 miles a day. I guess I didn't think about it being too much. I'll keep track of his schedule tomorrow and show you guys. Any and all advice would be welcomed!

 

[Skylar]

Yes, he's our first dog over all. How much walking should he be doing? Right now he's at about 3 - 5 miles a day. I guess I didn't think about it being too much. I'll keep track of his schedule tomorrow and show you guys. Any and all advice would be welcomed!

Wow, that's a lot of walking for a 6 month old puppy. My 6 month old puppy has recently started to go on block walks, prior to that we walked past several houses. This is a walk on grass with time to stop and sniff. I could walk my puppy for 20-30 minutes - but longer could potentially be damaging to his joints. Here's some links to explain.

APPROPRIATE EXERCISE

PUPPY FITNESS THAT FITS THE PUPPY Age Appropriate Exercise Guidelines By Jane Killion Director of the film “Puppy Culture - The Critical First 12 Weeks That Can Shape Your Puppy’s Future” THERE'S AN IDEA that’s caught on like wildfire that exercise is some kind panacea that will solve all...

shoppuppyculture.com

Exercise Guidelines for Puppies (By Puppy Culture) – Inugami – Finnish Spitz

www.inugami.ca

Your puppy is very cute and I can see the Newfie fur on him. You have a mix between as very large and heavy boned dog (Newfie) with a fine boned poodle - you don't know how the DNA was mixed in growing your dog - because of this I would aim to be more cautious about activity until the bone plates are closed and your dog is fully mature. I'm also not sure - is your dog a miniature or standard? A miniature newfie mix adds another layer of size difference between parents. Don't feel bad about what you've done already - just change your management. Less walking, lots of sniffies and focus on training. Train for important life skills like sit, down etc. and tricks. Consider other things you want your well behaved dog to do - for example I don't want my dogs to run outside when someone comes to the front door. My dogs always have to sit before getting released to go over the threshold. My puppy has to sit or lay down silently and calmly before I release him from the pen or crate. I like my dogs to remain laying down while I prepare their meals. Think about what behaviors you would like to train in your dog and work on those. Training the brain uses more energy than exercising does - of course your dog does need some walking too but in proportion to his age.

 

[Kristi]

How large is his crate? Do you have a picture of Cocoa Pebbles in his crate?

I found that a larger crate really helped my dog settle down. But even with a really big crate, I let him out all day; his crate is just for sleeping.

Have you tried an exercise pen? It would give him more room to move around.

Not the best picture but he doesn't sit still very long. We want to let him out all day, we put gates up so he can't get into rooms we don't want him in but if we're not around to watch him he gets too destructive. Scratching up walls, tearing furniture...

 

[cowpony]

It looks like he might be on the verge of outgrowing his crate. My 24" spoo will fit in a 42" crate, but he's happiest in a 48." Weight based crate recommendations are misleading when it comes to Poodles, because Poodles are so leggy and lanky. It became very obvious I needed to switch out the crate when he could lie with his back against the crate wall and touch the opposite wall with his toes.

 

[PeggyTheParti]

Very good advice from Skylar re: exercise limits. Peggy’s perfect puppy walk was a slow sniff around the outside of a big box store like Home Depot or Petco. We went at her pace and let her soak up the world.

For rest periods, I think you’d probably be better off with an exercise pen to contain the chaos during the day and teach safe, comfortable, easily enforced boundaries. This was Peggy’s set-up:

Crate training is not putting a puppy in the crate and leaving him there while he thrashes and squeals in misery. That’s no fun for him or you! Crate training is teaching him that the crate is a safe and comfy space, and that he is rewarded for quiet, rewarded for calm.

Have you read Ian Dunbar’s Before and After Getting Your Puppy? If not, I’d read it cover to cover tonight and start implementing some of his methods. Consistency is key, especially for clever poodles.

Before and After Getting Your Puppy: The Positive Approach to Raising a Happy, Healthy, and Well-Behaved Dog: Dunbar, Dr. Ian: 8601200633603: Amazon.com: Books

Before and After Getting Your Puppy: The Positive Approach to Raising a Happy, Healthy, and Well-Behaved Dog [Dunbar, Dr. Ian] on Amazon.com. *FREE* shipping on qualifying offers. Before and After Getting Your Puppy: The Positive Approach to Raising a Happy, Healthy, and Well-Behaved Dog

www.amazon.com

Also available online for free:

https://www.dogstardaily.com/files/BEFORE%20You%20Get%20Your%20Puppy.pdf

https://www.dogstardaily.com/files/downloads/AFTER_You_Get_Your_Puppy.pdf

 

[Kristi]

Very good advice from Skylar re: exercise limits. Peggy’s perfect puppy walk was a slow sniff around the outside of a big box store like Home Depot or Petco. We went at her pace and let her soak up the world.

For rest periods, I think you’d probably be better off with an exercise pen to contain the chaos during the day and teach safe, comfortable, easily enforced boundaries. This was Peggy’s set-up:

View attachment 479313

Crate training is not putting a puppy in the crate and leaving him there while he thrashes and squeals in misery. That’s no fun for him or you! Crate training is teaching him that the crate is a safe and comfy space, and that he is rewarded for quiet, rewarded for calm.

Have you read Ian Dunbar’s Before and After Getting Your Puppy? If not, I’d read it cover to cover tonight and start implementing some of his methods. Consistency is key, especially for clever poodles.

Before and After Getting Your Puppy: The Positive Approach to Raising a Happy, Healthy, and Well-Behaved Dog: Dunbar, Dr. Ian: 8601200633603: Amazon.com: Books

Before and After Getting Your Puppy: The Positive Approach to Raising a Happy, Healthy, and Well-Behaved Dog [Dunbar, Dr. Ian] on Amazon.com. *FREE* shipping on qualifying offers. Before and After Getting Your Puppy: The Positive Approach to Raising a Happy, Healthy, and Well-Behaved Dog

www.amazon.com

Also available online for free:

https://www.dogstardaily.com/files/BEFORE%20You%20Get%20Your%20Puppy.pdf

https://www.dogstardaily.com/files/downloads/AFTER_You_Get_Your_Puppy.pdf

ooh...I'm wondering if we could fix our place up for that. Our living is kinda small but if we could even fix up our computer room so he could be with me. I did try the sun room, cuz it's open and we don't really have anything in there right now but he did not like to be alone.

 

[PeggyTheParti]

ooh...I'm wondering if we could fix our place up for that. Our living is kinda small but if we could even fix up our computer room so he could be with me. I did try the sun room, cuz it's open and we don't really have anything in there right now but he did not like to be alone.

What you don’t want to be doing is constantly switching up his routine while you’re trying to teach him what’s expected. Make a plan that meets your current goals—using the advice of your chosen expert, such as Dr. Dunbar—and then stick with it.

It’s annoying seeing your space get gobbled up, for sure, but well worth it. I’ll never go back to trying to raise a puppy without an x pen.