11 yr. old female Standard Poodle - CJ

Question
CJ has been with me and my husband all of her life.  She is the only dog here.  She is perfect.  I am her Alpha.  Lately, she tucks her tail, drops her head and stays away from me.  If someone were observing they would say from her behavior that I had hit her or abused her.  I do not understand.  It really hurts my feelings!!!  Anyway, she seems physically ok. Yesterday, I put her on a leash and had her beside me all day.  I petted, loved and gave her treats.  She seemed better this AM, but when I got to stirring around making up the bed, gathering clothes, etc.  she started that circling, with the dropped head and tail and stayed away from me.  I have noticed that when we are playing fetch in the yard that she doesn't always see the ball.  Suppose she can't see and my "noise" frightens her?  I am really puzzled and distraught over this!!

Answer
Hello Patsy,
If you think that your dogs sight might be going a bit and that is why she is acting this way towards you, try coming up with words that let her know what you want her to do.  Such as if you want her to play ball with you, tell her "Ball Time" and get out her favorite ball.  They have toys for dogs that are having trouble seeing, such as balls that light up or balls that have scents in them that help the dog find them.  
When you want to pet or cuddle with her, tell her "Cuddle Time" and then touch or pet her.  This way, she knows you are going to touch her and pet her and you won't frighten her.  When you do pet her, get down on her level or sit on the floor so that she will come down to you.  This way, you don't seem so intimidating to her.  It seems that she is giving you too much submission and is shying away from you.
Be very positive with her, speak in a higher, happy voice and lots of praise when she is being good.  Make it as fun as possible.  
You might also want to start her in Obedience or do some training with her.  Give her a reason to be happy.  Poodles love to please and doing things like obedience makes them feel like they have something to acomplish.  They feel really good about pleasing you and doing something that makes them feel good.  Plus, its fun for you also, and its a good way to show you are dominate in a positive way.  If you don't know where to find trainers in your area, check with your local Pet store, such as PetSmart or PetCo, or contact your Vet and ask about trainers that they know of.
Give this a try and let me know how things are.  If you have other questions about this or other questions in general, please feel free to ask.

Thanks for using AllExperts.com,
Kim