(Closed) Am I Expecting too much??

• Horseradish
• 5 years ago

• Wedding: October 2014

Sounds like a puppy who needs some training. You have to teach the dog what proper behavior is. teaching her commands is good but it’s only part of the training any dog needs.

• carolinabelle
• 5 years ago

• Wedding: May 2015

teacherbee01:  Both goldens and poodles are extremely intelligent dogs. The more intelligent, the more interaction and training they need on a daily basis, IMO. That said, I have a dog of a completely different breed who is 5 and a half and he still wants to play/chew/fetch/wrestle for 3 + hours a day. Some of them never grow out of it. 

• ajbates
• 5 years ago

• Wedding: July 2016

She sounds like she is still being a puppy, though goldens are a bit on the hyper end.  They also are very needy.  Poodles not so much as they are hunters, but with a mixed breed you never know what side will pull more.

• ajbates
• 5 years ago

• Wedding: July 2016

How are you reprimanding her that she is doing something wrong.  Has the trainer ever placed the puppy in an alfa roll before?  If not and she is misbehaving a lot I suggest doing that, it’s how other dogs naturally put others in their place.  Basically you roll the dog on their back and just hold them until they stop squirming,  they may fight it for a bit depending on how alfa the dog is but will give in eventually and then you release them.  Normally they are very affectionate and trying to make up for it afterwards, which is a good reaction in my book.  Evil glares aren’t.  I have show dogs so lots of attitude.   Nipping can’t be allowed to be gotten away with even if it is what I would call a flea bite.  Someone else may think it is a big deal and that’s a no no.

• BaxterBride
• 5 years ago

I agree with Horseradish that it just sounds like she still needs more training, aside from just teaching her commands. 

For a start, when she jumps up at you or guests, firmly tell her ‘down’ until she actually gets down. Make sure that NO ONE gives her any attention other than that when she jumps.

Also, even at 10 months she is still a puppy with a heap of energy. If she is finding things to chew on I would recommend that you get her some more of her own toys and encourage her to play with those, but also play with them with her. Encourage her to play with the toys and she won’t find other things to play with. 

 

• annb9
• 5 years ago

• Wedding: June 2015

teacherbee01:  We have a Goldendoodle. She’s 4.5, and honestly, some of what you’re describing is definitely breed-specific. Our dog is crazy calm when we’re not home, and after we’ve been home for awhile, but when we walk through the door she is CRAZY excited to see us. And honestly, I love it. She also seeks out attention at random throughout our evenings and weekends. She taught herself to paw as a puppy and she uses it as a way to get our attention. It’s impossible to ignore. She looooooves people and is so much more excited/hyper when others are over rather than when it’s just DH and me. I do think your dog’s sleeping patterns will improve as she gets older, as our dog sleeps a LOT (though our dog was not still up that early at her age). 

Otherwise, I think a lot of your issues could be solved with training. We use a harness with our dog, and it solves the pulling problem. Our dog is 45 lbs., so I’m sure with a smaller dog, it would be just as efficient. Goldendoodles are really smart dogs and respond well to love, affection and training. They love to be rewarded for positive behavior, and love feeling like they are part of the family.

I never had dogs growing up, and I honestly love my dog more than I ever thought possible. She grew out of all her puppy habits (chewing things, etc.) by a year old, so hopefully your dog will do the same. But, at the same time, it’s a breed that’s known for always having a lot of energy, personality and spunk. I love that about our pup, and I think you will grow to appreciate it, too!

• SilvanArrow
• 5 years ago

• Wedding: October 2015

Some of that sounds like classic puppy energy and the adolesecent phase of testing boundaries. Our neighbor has a year old pit bull who is still in her gawky teen phase and doesn’t know her own strength when playing with his other dogs. A few things that might help:

-Exercise, exercise, exercise. A tired dog is less needy, less destructive, and less energetic. She also sounds crazy smart, which is totally on par with goldendoodles (My aunt and cousin both have full size goldendoodles). She probably instinctively craves a job to do, and she would probably learn fetch or some other high-energy game with little difficulty. You mentioned an agility trainer? That’s an awesome outlet as well.

-Dogs pick up on our emotions and energy. When I puppy-sit our neighbor’s pit, she is super chill in the house with me while I’m chilling out or working on my computer. DH, on the other hand, has a knack for getting dogs hyper! Try to maintain a calm atmosphere in the home. I know that’s probably difficult with a high-energy puppy, and it will get easier with time.

-For jumping, I’ve read and watched some training tips where the owner simply removed the dog from the room where he jumped on someone and gave him a time-out to calm down. It was extremely tedious, because he would come back in the room, jump on someone, and immediately need to be taken away from the situation. But he learned quickly that jumping = being separated from the pack. And they did this every. Single. Time. Consistency is key. Same with nipping. As soon as she nips, firmly tell her “No” and put her in a time-out situation. Just don’t use her crate as punishment, as you want the crate to be a positive place. Maybe a bathroom or basement.

-For leash pulling, I’ve done this trick with a few different dogs when puppy-sitting, and it worked quickly. The dog pulls because he thinks he’s in charge and can lead you somewhere. When he lets you pull him or when you walk in the direction he’s pulling, it reinforces the behavior. Take your pup into your backyard, driveway, or sidewalk on a leash, and start walking in a straight line. The instant you feel tension on that leash, change directions and make your dog walk in the opposite direction. Even if you have to manhandle her a little bit to make her go, do it (carefully of course). If you only make it two feet before she pulls, change direction again. The goal is to teach the dog that pulling the leash does not get them where they want to go and that you’re the one calling the shots. I was puppy sitting for my best friend’s dad one day, and he has this insanely hyper but sweet lab mix. We had a few short training sessions, and he went from manhandling me all over the backyard to walking calmly by my side up and down the driveway within an afternoon. I also carried treats in my hand and would reward him for every few paces where he walked beside me without pulling. 

Good luck, OP! I hope she settles down a little more with time and that you find some training tricks that work!

ETA: DH and I aren’t dog owners yet, but I’ve dog-sat for people plenty of times, have done a LOT of reading online and consulted reliable dog trainers/rescue volunteers, and helped socialize wolf puppies. I didn’t want you to think I was making stuff up or speaking without enough experience!

• This reply was modified 5 years, 1 month ago by  SilvanArrow.

• yorp127
• 5 years ago

teacherbee01:  training as PP’s have mentioned is a must. also remember, a tired dog is a good dog. It sounds as though your puppy might not be getting enough stimulation. is the puppy alone while you both are at work all day? I recommend long walks, 30-60 minutes on week days and 60-120 minutes on weekends. Also, puppy playdates have worked wonders for tiring out my puppies. 🙂 good luck bee!

• dishwateranddiamonds
• 5 years ago

Ermmm our 4 year old German Wirehaired Pointer does almost everything you mentioned! We had to break him of the jumping-on-people with a shock collar because he’s now about 105 lbs and could do some damage. Luckily he’s never been a biter.

He’s also wickedly sneaky smart about some things, which is exactly the problem. A working-breed dog takes extra training and extra time spent working out their wiggles because they have it ingrained in them to be doing something and pleasing someone for attention ALL. THE. TIME. That’s why yours keeps bugging you for attention by doing naughty things and look, it works every time! 😉

Pampered breeds for generations or not, Goldens and Poodles both began as retrievers and sporting dogs, so your puppy has a lot of that in her genes and will just need an extra firm hand for longer than, say, toy breeds or non-sporting. Give her “jobs” like fetch, but demand that she sit and drop the item…or teach her the names of her toys (she’ll learn!)…or do problem-solving games with her like hiding things under a cup…I know it’s tedious to you, but she’s bored and needs stimulation most of the time she’s being bad.

• Horseradish
• 5 years ago

• Wedding: October 2014

teacherbee01:  well the trainer is supposed to be working with you, too, and training you in how to teach the dog. Then you’re supposed to constantly be reinforcing what you’ve been teaching the dog. Are you training the dog and practicing in between sessions with the trainer?

ajbates:  many modern dog training methods ignore bad behavior(as in zero response or acknowledgement),  and reward good behavior with treats and praise. The alpha roll is attention, and is therefore a reward to many dogs, so for many dogs, that approach actually reinforces the bad behavior. 

• leembee
• 5 years ago

• Wedding: December 1969 - City, State

You’ve received some good advice so far, but just want to say DO NOT “alpha roll” your dog as suggested by 

ajbates.  That Caesar Millan type training is archaic and you can end up damaging the relationship/bond between you and your pup.  It is completely ineffective at doing anything helpful, making the person doing it look like an idiot.

I would remove all shoes and things she can steal for the time being.  Clear countertops so that there’s nothing interesting up there for her.  I have a high energy breed, and he needs 1-2 hours daily of off leash hiking plus mental stimulation.  Even then, he’s looking to keep busy in the evening, so he gets a bully stick or a trachea to chew on for an hour which puts him right to bed.  

What leash training are you doing with her?  When my boy pulls we stop and put him in a heel, then move forward.  It’s taken a loooong time to get him to walk nicely but now he’s great at it.  Hang on OP, she’ll get there!

• Horseradish
• 5 years ago

• Wedding: October 2014

If she jumps on people when they come over, teach her to do something else as a greeting. Something like sitting, something that’s not compatible with jumping. It’s better (and easier) to prevent bad behavior than it is to correct it. This is the kind of thing your trainer should be working with you on.