dogs getting along

Question
I own a 12 year old lab mix female and we just adopted a 5 month old standard male poodle. We have had him about six weeks. And my lab is constantly barking and snarling at him when he gets close, walks by, or plays with one of the kids. I hired a very expensive trainer who basically told me that it was natural and that a pecking order will be established on their own. My questions are:
1. Is this the right way to handle it. Not reprimanding either dog. Letting the barking drive the whole family crazy!
2. The behavior escalates with rawhide toys but its the only thing that will keep the poodle from chewing up everything we own!
3. Am I putting my lab in danger? I mean she is old and is all this barking good for her heart? She is normally a quiet and loving dog. Maybe I made a big mistake. I always thought I was doing her a disservice by not having a playmate around - but now I'm second guessing myself.

Seperately on the poodle...
1. I am training him to go outside the doggy door but he only goes if I take him out. He does not yet understand that if he has to go that he can go out the door by himself. Is there anything else I can do to help him make the connection? I think he simply doesn't want to leave my side (or my daughter's).
2. How long should I expect all this chewing! It's been a long time since I had a puppy.

As you can see my 300 an hour trainer wasn't much help!

Thank you!

Answer
Hello Lisa,
First off, sorry that your $300 an hour trainer did squat for you.  I would demand a refund if his advice didn't help at all.

As for your Lab and the Poodle working out their differences, they can do that to a point, but there should also be some human intervention here.  
I would get onto your Lab for barking by giving her a NO! when she makes too much of a fuss.  You also need to correct the puppy when he bothers the Lab.  Understand that your Poodle is trying to get your Lab to play, but since your Lab doesn't want to play, she shouldn't have to be tortured by a rambuncious puppy.  

What you need to do for your Lab is to let her know that this "New Kid" isn't going to steal her position in the household, bother her toys and treats or mess with "her" kids.  To do this, you need to continue to spend one-on-one time with her.  Put the puppy up in his crate and love and pat on your Lab.  When its feeding time, she gets fed first.  If they are both vying for attention, she gets it first.  She gets goodies first and taken out for walks first, etc.  This lets her know that she is the dominant dog and also tells the Poodle that she is top girl, because you are putting her first and making him wait until second.  

If there are problems with bone chewing, let the Lab have her bones in one part of the house and give the puppy his bones in another spot.  If the puppy tries to take the Labs bone away, you can let her growl and bark, because she needs to tell the puppy to leave her stuff alone, but then you can step in and take the puppy to his bone in his area and let him chew his bone there.  What it is, is a respect issue and your puppy doesn't have it yet.  He is full of himself and thinks that he can do or take whatever he wants.  Both the other dog, and you should help teach him that you, not him, are the owner of the house, that Miss Lab is second-in-command and that he is the low guy on the totem right now.  

On a side note, while Rawhide bones are ok for an occasional treat, Rawhide has been known to ball up in the stomach and cause intestinal blockage.  Rawhide gets sticky when wet and when the dog bites off small pieces, these pieces can stick together in the stomach which can sometimes have difficulty passing through the bowel.  A better chew item is smoked knuckle bones that you can get from your Local Pet Store or even Wal-Mart.  Dogs love them and they tend to last a long time.  Pig Ears and Dental Bones are also great but don't usually last as long.

To help with normal puppy chewing, you can get a product called Bitter Apple that you can spray on the objects that your puppy tends to chew on.  It has a really bitter taste that most dogs don't like and will help keep your puppy from distroying your house.  

As for the Doggie Door, when you go to take him outside to potty, you go out the big door and have him come out through the Doggy Door.  Praise and give him a treat when he comes out, then have him potty like normal.  You can even throw a treat or toy out of the D.D. to encourage him to use the door.  Make it a game so he doesn't see the door as something bad.  Lots of praise when he uses it on his own (when he comes back inside of course)
As for teaching him to use the door on his own, you need to go slow with this process so that you don't scare him into not using the door at all.  
Try to get him on a schedule of going potty every so often.  He is old enough that he should have control of his bladder now, so that isn't an issue.  
I would take him out when you first get up in the morning, after he eats his morning meal, after he plays, after he naps, after he has his evening meal and just before bed.  If you can, put him outside and put the slider back in the Doggy Door so he can't come back inside.  Watch him until he potties and then let him in and give him a treat.  If he stays outside for a time, but doesn't potty, put him in his crate and wait for about 10 minutes then have him go back out.  Repeat until he potties, then let him in and praise him.

Obedience classes for your Poodle will help alot.  I would suggest a Group class where he will get interaction with other dogs and people.  Poodles usually do WONDERFUL in obedience and it gives them an "out" for their energy.  Your local Pet Store (such as PetSmart or PetCo) should have Training Classes or might know of some in your area.  

I hope this helps with your dogs.  If you have other questions or concerns, please feel free to ask.

Thanks for using AllExperts.com,
Kim