Adotping a 4year old male standard poodle

Question
Hello~               01/01/2004
      My husband and  I are planning to take on a four year old male standard poodle but have really no idea what to expect.  All I know is that he is a family dog but is really attached to his owner that he has now.  The reason we are taking him into our family is because the owner and his wife just recently took on a new job and have a new baby and really have lost the time to take care of him the way they know he requires.  They have given me some incite to how his behavior has been the last six months to a year and it sounds like we may be taking on quite a chore.  We ready and willing to take on whatever comes our way.  I fell in love with the dog the instant  I saw him and still after hearing the problems they've been having look forward to having him as part of our little family.
      They informed me that he has been messing, potty and poo, on the carpet a lot lately and he's even been doing it after he has just gone out to go potty.  Also he has been taking food off of the counters.  He has also been vomiting off and on.  He barks a lot and whines, and because the new job that his now owner has, the dog has been stressing so badly that he has been losing weight.
      I have a main fear in taking on this dog, I fear that when he doesn't see his now owner he may not eat or may lose even more weight.  
      Like I said in the beginning I really don't know what I am getting into completely, but I am writing you hoping that you may be able to send some advice my way.
      How do I retrain an adult standard poodle on manners, housebreaking, and to accept me as his new owner?
      What type of food should I be feeding him to help him out on weight?    
      Do you have any recommendations on types of books that will provide me with all the information I am going to need, food, bedding, training methods, and types of comforts that will make him feel more at home here?

Happy new owner ~
Candice
St. Helens, Or.


Answer
Hi!  

Well, first off, poodles are considered one of the smartest breeds, so you have an intelligent new member of your family.  As for food, I feed mine Science Diet or Iams - both are good brands with proper nutrition for your dog. The Science Diet is more costly, but your pet will need less of the food to sustain him because it isn't 1/2 fillers - it is all good nutrition.

As for his acting out - he feels displaced. It may be awhile before he settles into your family, but it shouldn't be too long. I would suggest finding a reputable trainer and going with your new addition to "school".  It gives the dog a sense of structure and something to work for - it also shows him you care enough to spend time with him working.  Lots of love and affection will go a long way toward settling him down.

Another thing that I find helps is to give him toys that are his very own, and his own bed, etc. Sounds silly, but it is pretty obvious he feels pushed aside and neglected.  You may want to crate train him - when you're gone for awhile, leave him in a crate with some water. Dogs will rarely pee or poop where they sleep.  As soon as you come home, take him out to pee, and be very effusive with your praise when he does his business outside.  Positive reinforcement will probably give much better results than negative will.

There are some fine dog books out there - and some specifically for poodles. I am really not sure which would be termed the best, but any book store or pet store will have a variety of them to choose from in all likelihood.

One thing about poodles - they've had most of the "pack mentality" bred out of them. They truly believe themselves to be "people" - and need love and attention.

This may sound like a lot to swallow, but I have found that like anything else in life, you get back what you put into a project or a person/dog.  

I wish you all the luck in the world!!