Introducing Titus-Poodle or Poodle Cross? Hmm...

[Melissa]

Titus is getting groomed on the 26th by this wonderful Lady.

Check out the do's!

http://www.rockstarpoodles.ca/Site_2/Welcome.html

 

[mamarat2]

Have fun! Most poodles or dogs with involved coats need to be "groomed" monthly or at least every 6-8 weeks.

 

[Melissa]

S'all good.

 

[jorats]

Wow, lots of great info here...

I wish I could get Jax to behave, sounds like you guys have complete control of your dogs.

 

[Moon]

My big problem with Dog walkers in TO is that most grab a group of dogs, and take them to a dogpark.. or at least, all the ones I have talked to do. So group walks with them may not be the best starting point (and I've already touched on my opinions on dogparks). There's also lots of dog walkers that know Nadda about dog behaviour, which is why classes or "socialization groups" are great.. a trainer is there to help you make heads or tails of the behaviour you're seeing.

And Jo, I currently do not own my own dog, but the "family" dogs are very much my responsibility. Last month Rocko lost his off leash privileges.. so really, even the most well behaved dogs (which he's not) have off days, weeks or months. Lucinda (the obedience trainer I work with) has three dogs who all compete in obedience competitions at the highest level. But she is the first to attest that dogs are never completely consistent and with certain things you have to start from scratch if they're not sticking. I know you watch The Dog Whisperer, and you see him with his dogs, he has to correct them on a regular basis too. Dogs aren't robots. I'm sure Jax acting the way he does just adds to the fun of owning him

 

[unglued]

It also doesn't matter if he had smelled another dog's spot on a tree previously. He wouldn't somehow know the dog in any way. It's a spot.. On a tree. It would be just as much a stranger as any other dog on the street. Just because you've smelled a certain perfume doesn't mean you innately know someone who's wearing it.

you're thinking too much like a human, dog's ain't the same as humans, they are born with instincts, the potential to be aggressive, and they don't know how to speak English, they only know how to speak dog. sniffing things, marking things, even rolling in poo, are things dogs do, and that we don't.

some other dog's smell is like a description on a dating website.

if i understand correctly, Titus has been around other dogs, i would be OK with him going to the dog park on leash, even on a long leash, like the 30 foot ones. just don't go during the busy hours, and as soon as you see another dog get him in a sit or down.

and if he's not doing so well with learning commands, try clicker training. in the beginning it uses small, frequent food rewards., but eventually they get the treats less frequently and more "Good boy!"'s. you can do this with his own kibble right before dinner time you can buy clickers in pet valu's and some other stores.

 

[Melissa]

I never said I had any problems training him. He is very smart and I believe I am doing very well at training him. I am not taking him to dog parks any time soon, if at all. I'm going to try and find some play buddies for him that he will know, not random run ins at the dog park.

Titus is back from the vet. He is even better than he was this morning with walking.

 

[Moon]

From what I understand, Titus was from a breeder (of some sort) so chances are best he was a kennel dog, and probably spent most of his time with lots of barking dogs in runs without any real socialization. I still wouldn't take him to a "dog park" on leash or not, as chances are best the other dogs will be offleash and not at all controlled by their owners. If there was some guarantee that he would be going when only stable, friendly, well managed dogs were there, that would be different.

As for peepee postcards, I don't think anyone is saying that him sniffing around is a bad thing, but that letting him sniff isn't really going to move along his socialization any. Yes, he WILL learn about other dogs in his neighbourhood, but a one-on-one date is much different from instant messaging on a dating site.

 

[unglued]

yay, no balls!

why are you so against the dog park?

 

[Melissa]

yay, no balls!

why are you so against the dog park?

Just what Moon said. I'm not ready and he's not ready.

 

[user 78]

you're thinking too much like a human, dog's ain't the same as humans, they are born with instincts, the potential to be aggressive, and they don't know how to speak English, they only know how to speak dog. sniffing things, marking things, even rolling in poo, are things dogs do, and that we don't.

some other dog's smell is like a description on a dating website.

if i understand correctly, Titus has been around other dogs, i would be OK with him going to the dog park on leash, even on a long leash, like the 30 foot ones. just don't go during the busy hours, and as soon as you see another dog get him in a sit or down.

No, I'm not thinking like a human. I'm thinking like a person who has trained or assisted to train dozens of dogs, has had excellent relationships with obedience trainers, and a groomer besides. I've a fairly decent handle on dog behavior.

The fact still remains that Titus, having smelled where Bailey peed on the bush, will most definitely not allow him to be in any way more comfortable around Bailey when they meet face to face. Titus will feel the need to mark over where Bailey peed, establishing his own territory. Nothing else. You're the one reading too much into a simple territorial behavior. One dog pees, another dog pees, random stray pees, etc.. Then it starts all over again. They don't *know* each other in any way, or atleast not in the way that you're stating. That is the point. The smell may be familiar, but that doesn't mean they're going to go for each other and act like BFFs. To use your example : You may have read the description, but that doesn't mean you'll recognize, acknowledge, or have any inclination towards the person on the dating site.

I don't know how dog parks are up there, but down here they're fenced in parks, and dogs are absolutely not allowed to be on leashes within the play areas. A normally laid back dog can become extremely aggressive when 'attached' to it's owner in such a way. Again, a territorial sort of thing. As Moon has already pointed out, 9 out 10 people at the parks don't have any sort of control over their dogs and their dogs are generally somewhat aggressive. With an unsocialized barely trained standard poodle, you can't guarantee anyone's safety. Also, how is having Titus go into a sit or down in a dog park when another dog comes around helpful? In a down, he's in a submissive position, which the new dog may try to use to assert their own dominance. See above about dog parks and irresponsible owners. In a sit, he's going to be stressed about not holding the command like he's been trained while a strange dog approaches him. Again, see above about irresponsible pet owners.

I believe it was mentioned that he was a kennel dog at the breeder's. Most breeders that board dogs like that don't take the time to really socialize the animals beyond the basics. Meaning they don't go after humans and aren't overtly aggressive. He was also most likely housed with littermates, or was placed in there when he didn't get immediately adopted and thus grew up with those dogs. They're familiar, just like Lady is now familiar to him because they're living in the same space. Tossing him into a dog park at this point has the potential to seriously backfire in several ways.

I'm glad to hear Titus came through his surgery alright and is doing okay.

 

[unglued]

the dog park i go to is very good, it consists of a hiking trails, a paved road (no cars), and one area that is for playing. The dogs can play anywhere really, now the place where dogs are allowed to go nuts is dog hill, but on the trails it's the dog and it's owner, one on one, sometimes two dogs to a person, but the dogs are under control. On the paths there are people with strollers, bikes, and ski's occasionally, so people need to keep their dogs under control. the area i live in are NUTS about their dogs, they go to training, and the dogs that do go to the park usually go on a regular basis, i walk dogs there twice a week and walk into the same people. now that being said there are people who go there and just let their dogs off leash and chat it up with the person beside them, leaving the dog unsupervised, but this only happens on dog hill.

and the possibility of an aggressive dog is always there, but the park is big enough that if you encounter a problem dog you can go on a trail.

 

[Melissa]

Titus keeps jumping on the couch and laying on Lady... poor little thing, lol.

 

[Melissa's ZOO]

He loves her :lovestruck: Maybe she is cold and he is her new blanket :wink:

 

[Melissa]

So I stupidly stuck my fingers in Titus's mouth when I was trying to take a bunny toy from him... ouch.

 

[KMG365]

Titus is beautiful!

My sister's former in-laws have a standard poodle named Canelle that looks a lot like your dog. Canelle still considers herself a lap dog and, for some strange reason, often prefers to sleep in the closet.

 

[Melissa]

What a cutie!!!! Now I know what Titus will look like groomed.

She probably like the closed because it is cave-like and enclosed.

 

[jorats]

Canelle is so pretty and well named.

 

[mamarat]

What a gorgeous dog.

 

[Melissa]

I don't know if I want Titus's face shaved that close.