bea@alice.UUCP (Bea Chambers) (07/13/85)
We have a 1.5 year old standard poodle and it had the same problem of nervous piddling. Our dog did this from puppyhood whenever she got excited. However, after she was a year old, this diminished and now at 1.5 years, it only happens if she hasn't been walked for a while and if something really excites her. We have virtually elimated the problem with frequent walks. Our breeder told us this problem usually disappears between 1.5 and 2 years so hang in there.
ned@SCIRTP.UUCP (Ned Robie) (07/17/85)
We inherited a toy poodle, "Bonnie," about a year ago and she's very pretty and lovable. However, she has several problems which we have been unable to correct. First, some background... Bonnie is spayed and lives most of the time in a medium-sized room in our house. We let her run free outside several times during the day so she's not cooped-up all the time and gets exercise. My wife and two kids are in and out of the house throughout the day so she's alone sometimes but not all the time. We have another medium-sized mutt, "Dee," that lives in the same room as Bonnie. She was a stray that we adopted. She had obviously been abused and, over the years, we have managed to calm her down and turn her into a very loyal and lovable companion. She obeys very well and is completely housebroken. Bonnie and Dee get along well and tag along with each other when they are outside (Dee is the "leader"). Now for the problems... Bonnie has the same submissive urination problem discussed in previous postings. We don't scold her for it, but it seems like anytime she gets loose in the house and we catch her (gently) she urinates. She had this problem when we got her. Bonnie barks at the slightest noises, which is very irritating. We do raise our voices at her when she does this but it hasn't been very effective. She behaves as though she doesn't know we're scolding her and just looks confused. Then she starts barking again. Bonnie stinks! Even after she's been given a bath and clipped, she still smells bad. Because of this it has been very difficult to be affectionate with her. I want to hold her and be close to her but the smell rubs off. I have never known such a small dog to smell so bad. I can see how this could be part (all?) of her problem since no one handles her alot. But the smell is pretty bad. We DO talk to her (albeit at a distance). Bonnie was paper trained before we got her. We tried to break the habit and have her go outside, but she doesn't seem to get the idea. She always goes on the paper, and many times she misses. Cleaning up after her has turned into a real chore. How do we train her to go outside?? The paper training seems hard to break. Any suggestions? (We like her and do not want to give her up.) Thanks... -- Ned Robie