BEHAVIOR ...help.... " SNAPS & GROWLS "

[Pam]

Welcome to Pet Talk. I have two poodles, a mini and a standard, and have owned a total of 6 over the years in all colors and sizes. I have never had a small white poodle. They are the ones most often seen with tear stains, and my Bella is a standard so it has not been a problem with her. I have seen products in stores like Petsmart that supposedly work on fixing this problem but can't tell you from first hand experience if they truly do work. My one suggestion would be to keep Bentley's face cleanly shaved all the time. That should help a little with the tearing, and any tears can be wiped away before they stain. It is most often a problem of the toys and minis.

There are many folks here who can help you more with the behavior problems you describe. Again, I have not dealt with what you are describing so I will allow them to weigh in and we can both learn.

[sunshine92064]

THANKS SO VERY MUCH " FOR RESPONDING TO MY
POST PAM!!! YOU ARE SO KIND...

I DO HOPE YOU WERE ABLE TO SEE MY PHOTOS
OF MY LITTLE SHIH-POO "BENTLEY" ???

I AM A NEW MEMBER JUST LEARNING MY WAY
AROUND HOW TO POST & UPLOAD, ETC...

I WILL BE GETTING HIM NUETERED THE END OF
MARCH...HOPING THAT MIGHT HELP AT LEAST A
LITTLE WITH CALMING DOWN AND LISTENING???

WISHING YOU A BEAUTIFUL DAY!

[Giselle]

1 - Give enough exercise. He's a puppy. He naturally has a lot of energy. Give him a healthy outlet to get rid of that energy. A jog around the block, a game of fetch, a training session, etc. Poodles are high energy dogs and Shih Tzus are not mellow, either. A Shih Tzu/Poodle mix puppy needs a fair amount of exercise and mental stimulation. He's "stealing" things because he's bored and curious, as most puppies are.

2 - Teach "Give" and repeat this command several dozen times DAILY. The command "Give" should be so natural to your dog that it's like asking for a "Sit". To teach Give: Hand your dog a low value treat or toy, like a carrot stick. Let him hold the carrot stick. Hold a high value treat in your hand (like boiled chicken). Let your dog sniff it. As soon as your dog loosens its grip on the carrot stick and starts to go for the chicken, say "Give", take the carrot stick from his mouth, and give him the chicken. Repeat repeat repeat!! Gradually, you can start doing this with high-value toys and treats and your dog should still give up whatever in its mouth. Over time, you can phase out the treats.

3 - If he's jumping on you or acting uncontrollably excitable, first consider exercising him. If that's not possible or if you've already done that, you need to teach him self-control. While he may be 10 months, he's old enough to learn a fair amount of self-control. Say he's jumping on you. Quickly ignore him and walk out of the room. Walk back in, and if he jumps on you again, leave the room again. Repeat this until he chooses not to jump on you. At this point, you can praise/treat him. Use this give-take method for anything that requires self-control. For example, if he's jumping at the door to go out, close the door and walk away. If you try to open the door again and he's jumping, close the door and walk away. Gradually, your dog will choose not to jump at the door. At that point, treat/praise and allow him to exit the door.

[sunshine92064]

MANY THANKS FOR ALL YOUR GREAT HINTS!!!
...WILL TRY THEM ALL ....

[Pawsitive Thinking]

Welcome to PT! Bentley is a cutiepie

[NoahsMommy]

Welcome to PT, Bentley and parent!

I think that once Bentley gets fixed, he'll calm down some. What about positive rienforcement? When he doesn't act agressive, give him treats. Being sure NOT to reward the negative behavior when he is agressive. I have cats, but know that when you reward negative behavior - even if it makes them stop growling or biting for 30 seconds, it reinforces a bad behavior.

I would find a way to STOP this behavior, not reward it with treats. If he is doing this at a hospital. Maybe he shouldn't get to go to a hospital - where he is essentially being rewarded for his naw-tee behavior.

Luckily, he's a pup and will probably catch on real quickly.

Good luck!

[sunshine92064]

SO WONDERFULTO RECEIVE YOUR REPLY AND
LOVELY WELCOME TO THIS WEBSITE!

THANK YOU FOR TAKING THE TIME TO GIVE ME SOME
NEW IDEAS FOR CONTINUING TRAINING OF MY BABY
SHIH-POO " BENTLEY " ... MY UNCONDITIONAL LOVE-BOY!
HE IS SCHEDULED TO BE NUETERED THE END OF MARCH.
HOPEFULLY, IT MAY CALM HIM DOWN A BIT

SENDING BIG KISSES TO " NOAH " OH, WHAT A BEAUTIFUL
KITTY!!!

[sunshine92064]

THANK YOU FOR NOTICING MY SWEET SHIH-POO
BABY " BENTLEY "! HE'S BLUSHING OVER YOUR
BEAUTIFUL COMPLIMENT...

" BRODY " IS JUST SO ADORABLE!!! AND, HE IS SO BLESSED
TO HAVE SUCH A LOVING MUM...

WONDERFUL FOR YOU TO WELCOME US TO THIS
GREAT WEBSITE...HAVE A GREAT DAY!