fence

Question
QUESTION: I will be getting my first toy poodle in Sept. Is there a big difference in temperment and ease of training between a male or female? I am home all day and want a companion dog.

ANSWER: Hello Lynette,
In my personal opinion, I perfer males over females.  I like that males seem a bit more dependant on their person, and are therefore more willing to do as you ask.  Females tend (in my opinion) to be more independant and therefore a bit more hard headed.  You will hear different things depending on who you ask, and it can differ between dogs as well.  

The most important thing to know is socialization with your dog.  Begin at an early age (as soon as you get the puppy) and get him/her out around people and other dogs.  This will make training abit eaiser, and will help your puppy to be more comfortable around people and dogs.  Visit shopping centers, pet shops, and even the dog park (after you are sure your dog has had its vaccinations) and let people pet your dog and give him/her a small treat.  You can also let your dog visit with other dogs as long as you know that they are friendly.  

One thing that will help with training is to let your dog know that you are the boss.  By doing this exercise, you teach your dog that since your head is over his, he needs to listen to you.  He also learns that even though he is in a vaunrable position, you aren't going to let anything happen to him and so this helps build his trust in you.  
To do this, try this exercise.  
Puppy Exam Position:
Start with your puppy on his back in your lap (with his/her head towards your belly).  You will notice that when you first lay your dog in your lap, his feet may be straight up in the air and he will be tense.  You will want to rub his belly and cause him to relax.  Praise him when he relaxes.  Next, start to examine his head area.  Look in his eyes, mouth, ears and on his topknot.  Work with him until he is comfortable with having this done.  Move down to his legs.  Feel down the joints and bones, and also check in the leg hair.  Move on to his feet.  Dogs really dislike having their feet messed with, so do this until he accepts it without fussing or moving around.  This helps alot when taking your dog to be groomed, because the groomer will need to shave in-between the feet and toes.  Lastly, check the rear area of your dog.  Go down the tail and the belly area.  Finish by rubbing his belly until he is calm (because you don't want to let him up unless he is laying quietly in your lap) then release him and praise.  You can do this in the evenings while watching tv or during your quiet time.  It will help him relax in the evenings as well.

I hope this helps you some.  If you have other questions for me, please feel free to ask.

Thanks for using AllExperts.com,
Kim


---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: I'm still not sure what sex I will get,I don't want a dog that is too clingy and gets upset every time I leave or are to busy to pay attention to them. But on the other hand I do want a sweet, fun little companion.I also can't have a barker or aggresive dog.Wow lots to think about before Sept. Any advise will be appreciated.Thanks

ANSWER: Hello again,
To conqure the problem of a dog that whines or barks everytime you leave, you need to train your dog to accept and stay in a crate when you leave.  To do this, when you get your puppy, start out by feeding your dog in the crate, putting him in the crate when he is eating a treat or chewing a chewie, and when he is sleeping.  The rule to remember when your dog is in the crate is to NEVER give your dog attention when he is in the crate.  This means to ignore him when he is in "crate time".  Don't look at him, talk to him, or give him any type of attention when he is in his crate.  If you do, then he will expect it and will whine to get attention, whether its positive (you telling him "HI" or saying sweet things to him) or negative (yelling at him to "Hush", or "Be Quiet").  The type of attention doesn't matter to him, just that you give him some.  If you can teach yourself to ignore him in the crate, then he will learn that while in the crate, you aren't going to pay attention to him in there and he won't try to get you to pay attention to him.  When you are going to get him out of the crate, make SURE that he is quiet before going over and opening the door.  Otherwise, he will think that in order to get out of the crate, he needs to make noise.  

When he barks at you, look him in the face and tell him, "Hush" or "Quiet".  If he doesn't do it, lay him on the ground, make him put his head on the floor and lay still until he submits to you and lays still.  After a few times of doing this, he will start being quiet when you say the magic word.  

Again, if you have other questions for me, please feel free to ask.

Thanks again,
Kim

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: How tall of a fence and how close should the pickets be for a toy poodle?

Answer
Hello again,
I would say that the fence should be at least 4 ft tall for a Toy Poodle, and the slats should be either touching (with no spaces) or no less than 3 inches apart.  You have to consider that Toy Poodles can be very determined, so you need to make sure that there is nothing that your dog can use to climb on to get over the fence.  You should also consider making it high enough that other dogs can't climb in, especially if you are going to have a female and keep her intact (where she will come into heat).  A determined male can and will find any way possible to get to a female in heat.  If you think that your Poodle will try and dig under the fence to get out, you can bury chicken wire under the fence and attach it to the bottom of the fence to prevent your dog from digging under.  

I hope this helps you some.  
Thanks for using AllExperts.com,
Kim