How to Obedience Train a Poodle

Hello, I recommend working on the Leave It method. As an intelligent breed, get pup working for you and using his brain more to wear him out also. When he gets really wound up, I would still give some time in the crate, not as a punishment but with a dog food stuffed chew toy they can work their frustrations out on, and because often puppies will throw what looks like puppy tantrums and get a bit crazy when they are overtired, so sometimes they actually need a forced rest time. The rest time isn't what will teach pup, that's the Leave It method, but it does help pup get that quiet time they need so you can then train when they come back without them being overtired and harder to work with. Leave It method: https://wagwalking.com/training/train-a-shih-tzu-puppy-to-not-bite I would also teach Out - which means leave the area, and Place so pup can just go lie down somewhere calmly and chew on a toy and give you space as needed. Out: https://www.petful.com/behaviors/how-to-teach-a-dog-the-out-command/ Place: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O75dyWITP1s Best of luck training, Caitlin Crittenden Best of luck training, Caitlin Crittenden

Sept. 6, 2022

Hello Grace, I suggest combining a few things in your case. First, you need a way to communicate with her so I suggest teaching the Quiet command from the Quiet method in the article I have linked below - don't expect this alone to work but it will be part of the puzzle for what I will suggest next. https://wagwalking.com/training/train-a-shih-tzu-puppy-to-not-bark Next, once pup understands what Quiet means you will choose an interrupter - which will be a form of punishment - neither too harsh nor ineffective. An e-collar or Pet Convincer are two of the most effective types of interrupter for most dogs. A pet convincer is a small canister of pressurized, unscented air that you can spray a quick puff of at the dog's side to surprise them enough to help them calm back down. (Don't use citronella and avoid spraying in the face!). An e-collar, aka remote training collar, uses stimulation to interrupt the dog. Only use a high quality e-collar for this, such as E-collar technologies mini educator, Dogtra, SportDog, or Gamin. A good collar should have at least 40 levels, the more levels the more accurately you can train - finding the lowest level your dog will respond to, called a "Working level" so the training is less adverse. In situations where you know pup will bark or is already barking (catch them before they bark if you can), command "Quiet". If they obey, reward with a treat and very calm praise. If they bark anyway or continue to bark, say "Ah Ah" firmly but calmly and give a brief correction. Repeat the correction each time they bark until you get a brief pause in the barking. When they pause, praise and reward then. The combination of communication, correction, and rewarding - with the "Ah Ah" and praise to mark their good and bad behavior with the right timing, is very important. Most bark training only gives part of that equation. Fitting an e-collar - it should be put on while she is calm, just standing around - Ideally have her wear the collar around for a while before starting any training so she won't associate the training with the collar but just with her barking: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DLxB6gYsliI Finding the level to use for her (sometimes you will have to go 1 or 2 levels higher during training while the dog is aroused but once she improves you can usually decrease back to her normal level again) - this training level is called a dog's "Working level": https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1cl3V8vYobM Once pup is calmer in general after the initial training, practice exposing her a lot to the things that trigger the barking normally (make a list - even if it's long). Whenever she DOESN'T bark around something that she normally would have, calmly praise and reward her to continue the desensitization process. An automatic bark collar can also be used during times when she likes to bark while you aren't there after the initial training is done - so she understands that the correction is for her barking at that point in the training. While you are not home, confine her in a crate or room that doesn't look out the windows right now - barking at things out the window lets her practice the bad behavior over and over again and barking is a self-rewarding behavior because of the arousing chemicals released in a dog's brain - so once a dog starts she is encouraged naturally to continue it and stay in that state of mind if you aren't there to interrupt. If she has ever shown any form of aggression toward you or redirected aggression toward you while aroused, I would also desensitize her to wearing a basket muzzle and work on building trust and respect calmly for you through adding in more structure to her day and more structured obedience practice with you, with the safety of a basket muzzle in place first, and consider hiring a professional trainer who specializes in behavior issues like aggression to work with you in person. Best of luck training, Caitlin Crittenden

Jan. 11, 2022