UNRULY Terrier/Poodle Pup

Question
My neighbor adopted a male terrier/poodle puppy (14-16 months?, about 22lbs) who is, basically, Dennis the Menace. He's super sweet, loving and playful with all people and other dogs, but has a ridiculous amount of energy and curiosity. He's clearly very smart, but has no attention span and basic obedience class was a bust. He bolts out the front gate (we're on a major road in Los Angeles), follows everyone (jumping up on them and barking) and won't come when called (turns into a game of chase). He finally stopped opening cupboards and making a mess with the use of spray deterrents, but will jump onto the kitchen counter if something interests him. He gets lots of attention and exercise (lots of toys, dog park weekly, runs several times a week, etc). But it doesn't seem to be enough. He barks and jumps/ pushes to get attention - and keeps on my 10 yr old maltese (1/2 his size) when she growls/ bites to get him away. We decided to get him a shock collar (sad face) after he ran into the street yesterday (to deter him from leaving the front gate except on leash). She's looking for a good local trainer and wants to get him into a Dog Obstacle Course training when time allows, but his attention span is an issue. Is there anything else we can do here? This sweet dog is kind of a nightmare. Thank you.

Answer
I'm guessing his owner tried a group obedience class with him. Am I right? This dog (and owner) needs a trainer who can come to the house and work one-on-one with them to establish the basics. THEN a group class can work for proofing the obedience around other dogs/people/distractions.

The dog needs to be kept on a leash when he is outside, so that he cannot leave the yard, and if you KNOW he isn't going to come when called, the best thing to do is to NOT call him. That only reinforces the fact that he doesn't have to obey the command. He needs to be broken from bolting out the gate, which can be accomplished by putting him on a leash & training collar, and practicing opening the gate and correcting him for trying to bolt through, over and over until he gets the idea. This is, of course, a nutshell explanation, but her trainer can show her how to do it.

This dog needs more >>productive<< exercise. He needs to be taken on a walk EVERY DAY, and the walk should last at >>least<< 30-45 minutes. He should not be allowed to pull while on the walk, nor should he be allowed to just run all over and do whatever he wants (NO FLEXI LEAD!). He should be made to walk beside his owner on a slack leash (which the trainer can show her how to accomplish - it really is not hard). The trick is to tire him out mentally AND physically.


I would also question the type of food the dog is on. Foods that can be purchased at the grocery store, or at Wal-Mart/K-mart type stores can often lead to hyperactivity because they contain more carbs than protein. Have his owner take a look at my dog food page, located at http://dogfoods.angelfire.com

I'm betting that if she puts him on a food with more protein and fewer grains/carbs, she will start to notice a difference within just a week or two.