Fear Aggression/Standard Poodle

20 10:25:42

Question

Charlie, Charlie, 4 year old unfixed standard,male, has been rejected by his latest groomer ( Big Box Pet Store). He's not happy when groomers/or myself try to groom his feet, and ears. Of course, the first groomer pulled hair from his ears, now, the vet sedates him, in order to do that. That groomer , who works in a multi-dog environment, gave up since he seemes terrified going in there, gets to growling and tries to bite when they handle him, until you give in and stop. So he's learned that resisting get's him his way. A product of the best quality dog food has made him a lean and strong 45 pounds. We had a mobile groomer who seemed to do OK, although I don't get any details on what they did, and how they were successful, maybe in a private environment.

Now, I'm at wits end with advice to have him neutered since that may help with his issue. I'm more inclined to think, we're dealing with a dog who occasionally thinks he's the pack leader. so it's more of a behavior issue. In other areas, such as walking, sitting, staying, etc he's a model citizen.

In desperation I contacted th State Poodle Recue group. Rejected because of this biting reputation. Si I'm at my wits end with him however I am still looking for guidance on how to get him turned around. Or for someone with background in this area tells me to just forget it!

Any guidance you have will really be appreciated. Thanks in advance JJM

Answer
Hello Joe,
First off, don't get rid of your dog unless you want to get rid of him. You have to be the boss of your situation, not Charlie.

While getting your dog neutered is good for the dog if you don't plan to breed him, I don't think it will help your situation much. It might lessen the aggression, but may not either. Still, it would be a good idea to get him neutered because it makes your dog more healthy.
What you are going to need to do is to dominate this dog. When he growls or snaps at you, you need to hold the dog down in a submissive position (laying on the ground with his head on the floor) until he relaxes, look him in the eyes until he looks away, and when the dog decides to submit then you should just walk away and let the dog up. This shows the dog that both of you are the Boss and that the dog needs to respect you. Even if your dog tries to bite or get more aggressive you need to continue to do this. He can't be led to believe that he can get away with any aggressive behavior. If he thinks that he can scare you by snapping, growling or biting, he will continue to get worse until he controls you.

You also need to start doing the "Dog Exam" with Charlie. To do this, start with him in your lap on his back with his head towards your stomach. At first, just pet him and get him to relax in this position. Rub his belly, talk softly to him, but don't let him dominate you or get up until you let him get up. After a few sessions where you just get him to relax, you can move on to the exam part. Start off by looking at his head. Check in his eyes, ears (don't pull any hair or tickle the ear yet, just get him used to you being able to look in them) and mouth. Hold his mouth and give a firm but gentle shake and tell him NO! in a firm voice if he tries to bite or pull away. Praise and pet him if he will lay still for you and let you go over his head nicely.
Next move to his front legs. Feel down the leg so that you get to know what the bones in the leg feel like, and then move down to the toes. At first, just handle the toes, don't get near the toenails. Play with them, spread them apart and run your fingers around the toes like a clippers would go. Get up under the pad at the back of the foot and run your finger around the pad also. Again, don't be afraid to get rough with him the moment that he starts getting roudy. Nip it in the bud. Praise him though if he is good letting you handle his feet. Next you can go on to the toenails. Give them a gentle pinch and click your fingernails on his toenails, as this will help alot when he goes to the groomer. Lastly, you can do his barrel and his back legs.
Do this in the evenings when you have TV time or whenever you have some quiet time that you can spend with him. Not only does it help with getting him used to being handled, but it also shows him that you are dominate and that he needs to submit to you in a gentle and non-threatening way.

You might also think about getting him into an Obedience class. It will show him that you are in control of him, but at the same time, it is something fun for the dog. Poodles do great at Obedience, it gives them an out for all their energy, and most Poodles really enjoy it, plus it will make him a more behaved member of your family.

I hope that this will help you and your dog some and that he will settle down at the groomer. If you have other questions about Charlie or other Poodle questions in general, please feel free to ask me.

Thanks for using AllExperts.com,
Kim

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