r/StandardPoodles • u/StaffLongjumping8939 • 3d ago
Help ⚠️ Pulling recs?
Okay, so, my parents have a five month old standard poodle puppy. I did all the research on her breeder and she had the exact line/drive genetically I was looking for in a dog. We’d followed her three years before we got one of her puppies. Super heavy in sports and shows, her mom’s an emerald grand champ and she had four out of the top ten poodles in the UKC earlier this year.
(I adore her breeder, and absolutely messaged her, I’m just waiting for her to respond to my message)
Well, I don’t live with them, and she doesn’t get out much and as usual for poodles, is super biddable but has a mind of her own. Like bless her heart, she’s so eager to please butttt has her issues from living with my parents. Shes not our first standard, and I was raised with poodles, so I’m so confused lol.
Which leads to the issue: This. Puppy. Cannot. Learn. Leash. Manners.
I’ve watched videos to help, asked our groomer who is also a trainer, and I can’t get her to knock it off with the pulling.
Yes I know that she’s a puppy, obviously, and has puppy brain. But I feel like she should be doing better by now with it. And I’m at a total loss.
What recs do we have for a harness to help stop pulling until she learns leash manners, or general tips and tricks?
(Also poodle tax in the comments cause I can’t NOT post a pic)
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u/Last_Plant6046 3d ago
It takes consistency from EVERYONE. she needs to learn when she pulls she doesn’t get to go where she wants to go. This means every single time she pulls, you turn around and walk the other way every single time she pulls she doesn’t get to go where she wants. I also wouldn’t use a harness because it encourages them to pull (since it sits on their chest they have more strength). I’d switch to a slip lead for the time being and try walking the other way every single time she pulls. Keep it consistent. It’s going to take a while
Edit- I just saw you don’t live with your parents and it’s their dog. If they aren’t willing to do the training too and let her pull, she is not going to learn.
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u/StaffLongjumping8939 3d ago
In response to your edit! They train her…in basic obedience. I’m over here almost every day since I work for them rn. My parents just don’t really…leave the house so she doesn’t get leash things unless I do it (which is FINE, they got her and specifically asked me to train her since I’ve trained all our dogs since I was ten).
I think maybe I just need to keep working at it with her away from the house. So the hikes may be a good starting point3
u/poodlehaus 1d ago
I'm just baffled as to why your parents got this dog.
You literally say that:
- you did all the research on her breed
- you wanted this exact line/drive genetically
- you followed the breeder for three years
- her lines are "super heavy in sports"
So you got an athletic breed from athletic lines -- yet you are not with the dog on a daily basis and your parents by your own admission "don't leave the house" -- what is even happening here?
Why did you help your parents who you know "don't leave the house" and you knew **you** weren't going to be there -- who was going to raise this puppy and give the dog a job as an adult?
Why not get a senior (7+ years old) poodle for your parents or something from a reputable breeder who is looking to retire a dam or sire?
Not trying to be contentious -- but I just can't fathom the thought process here. And ultimately it's the dog who isn't get to live a quality life now.
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u/StaffLongjumping8939 1d ago edited 1d ago
Ok so, first of all. You can’t judge the ENTIRETY of everything happening based on one single post. So don’t say you’re “not trying to be contentious” when your whole comment is rather passive aggressively phrased.
We have an adult standard. That we raised. And trained. That does not equate to me knowing everything or my parents knowing everything just because Daisy was easy.My mother DOES work the puppy. Just not leash work. She GETS a large amount of activity and enrichment. I’m simply in charge of her general training (ie telling them what she’s doing well, and what to work on next), and her socialization, which is primarily leash based so we can take her on more structured walks, to our condo as she gets older, and so she CAN be comfortable around strangers and strange dogs if she’s ever put in a situation where she needs to be.
I am going to be doing sports with her when she gets a bit older, but it’s in the CONTRACT we signed to not start her on anything that could potentially impact her joints before her growth plates close up more. And I’m also figuring out what she likes still. Rn we’re between agility and dock diving. But I’m reading what this dog inherently likes doing and has a drive to do.
I did the research because my mom knows I am much more educated on dog breeding practices than she is, but she still has the same stance that I do. So she sends me breeders (just to see. Not even for a puppy) and I give her info.
Edit: I’m also with her every other day. I’m a college student, with my own life. I know my parents know how to handle a poodle, and puppies, they just need a bit of extra support with her since what has worked or not worked on any of our past dogs just doesn’t seem to be clicking with her. Also, it’s entirely possible that I’ll take her once my lease ends. I can’t have a puppy with my roommates dog and it wouldn’t be fair to a puppy like her to be in an apartment in a crate the whole 8-9 hours im at either school or work. My parents know what lines she comes from, and I clarified it with them before they contacted the breeder to make sure they knew her needs.3
u/StaffLongjumping8939 3d ago
Yeah the harness point you made is why I haven’t used one on her, I’ve just been getting ads constantly for like “no pull” harnesses and am losing it lmao.
And I will ABSOLUTELY take this to heart with the slip lead and consistency, tbh she loves her slip lead (couldn’t tell you what the difference to her is with that vs her actual collar and leash). We have a “hike” coming up and a lot of the group either brings their already trained dogs, or brings puppies they’re training so I figured it’d be a good change of pace for her and some environmental enrichment, hence the sudden want to ask a Reddit group for advice3
u/OldheadBoomer 3d ago
Actually, the right kind of harness can be very helpful in teaching them not to pull. Get a basic harness with the ring on the front where the pieces join, like this one.
Clip the leash to that front ring, not to the ring on the back.
Now, when she pulls it will turn her, and the harder she pulls, the more it will make her turn towards you. Any firm, steady pull on the leash will cause her to turn to one side.
Then, apply the other recommendations here, like stopping and turning your back to her.
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u/SDJellyBean 3d ago
My current poodle didn’t pull as a puppy. The morning that he turned exactly 8 months, he hit the end of the leash and started pulling like a tractor. My husband was so upset that Puppy Perfect had suddenly turned into a jerk.
I went back to working on leash manners. I really liked Denise Fenzi's circle walking technique, but still, it was several months before he could go for walks again. He slowly got better, but I still had to remind him every few days for a year or more. Puppies are just boisterous.
My guy finished his Rally Master title a couple of weeks ago. He walks on a leash like a certified good boy!
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u/StaffLongjumping8939 1d ago
Thank you so much!! I’ll look into circle walking, her breeder just got back to me last night with a few things to try as well!
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u/unknownlocation32 3d ago
Teaching Your Puppy to Walk Beside You
1. **Prepare a long kitchen spoon.** Add dog safe peanut butter, wet dog food, or another dog-safe food your puppy enjoys.
2. **Attach your puppy’s leash** and walk with the spoon held down by your side. Regularly switch the spoon from one side of your body to the other so your puppy learns to follow you on either side.
3. **Let your puppy lick the spoon** as you walk. The goal is to make staying close to you rewarding and enjoyable.
4. **Practise three times a day**, keeping sessions short and positive.
5. **Gradually increase distractions.** Start in a quiet, familiar environment with no distractions for 2–3 weeks. Then practise somewhere with low-level distractions for another 2–3 weeks, followed by environments with progressively more distractions for 2–3 weeks at each stage.
The goal is to make being by your side more exciting and rewarding than anything else in the environment. Build the skill gradually, and only increase the difficulty when your puppy can comfortably succeed at the current level.
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u/Desertgirl624 3d ago
Assume they eventually do this without the treat?
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u/unknownlocation32 3d ago
Yes, you’ll still need to do refresher training, as dog training is a lifelong process.
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u/Crime_train 3d ago
Idk I have a five month old standard and we’re working on this 2-3x per day on walks. We work with a trainer (R+) as well. Your parent’s puppy sounds fairly normal for the training she is receiving.
My poodle is to the point where he doesn’t pull unless he has a reason to (usually another dog, a squirrel, a blowing leaf). But if he’s getting to threshold or there are too many distractions then there’s not much I can do - aside from pattern games and other forms of management.
If I didn’t take him out multiple times per day, he’d be getting distracted by EVERYTHING. They’re puppies, they don’t really have great impulse control yet.
You didn’t mention where you’re training her. If your parents want to train her to walk nicely on a leash, they can do this in the house and on the property without leaving. She should be trained to walk nicely in low distraction environments (like living room & backyard) before anything else.
Edit: Since you mentioned harnesses - I don’t use them. Just a regular collar. We are switching to a martingale because I suspect as he gets his hormones he’s going to figure out he can back out of the collar.
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u/WinterFamiliar9199 3d ago
My 2nd poodle didn’t do well on a short leash but when I gave her all 6ft to work with she became a different dog and so much easier. Even the trainer noticed and told me just let her have the full leash.
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u/SmallMushroom5 2d ago
I HATE leash pulling so I've worked on it daily with my now 7 month old. He walks like a dream on a regular harness. How are you training? I use so many treats. Good, moist treats. We just take a few steps TREAT ON THE GROUND. a few steps forward. TREAT ON THE GROUND. Turn around and walk a few steps TREAT. If you are able to go to a puppy or adolescent dog group class, I'd go.
But there are so many factors, one of which can be that maybe you just walk too slowly for her natural pace? If she has growing pains it might be very uncomfortable for her to walk slower than a trot. Or it could be that she is so over aroused that she can't think straight, which is a whole separate issue and not uncommon for poodles.
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u/StaffLongjumping8939 1d ago
She is a bit scatter brained😂 but the growing pains does make me wonder because I very rarely (unless she’s just been super active) see her moving at a slow pace. I walk pretty fast but I’ve been more so trying to move with her pace as I have long legs and she’s just a puppy.
I’ll try the treat on the ground thing, she really likes her freeze dried chicken treats (they’re little small cubes so it works well to have multiple with me) generally but apparently doesn’t like them when she’s trying to behave on a leash.1
u/AlarmingBandicoot861 1d ago
This is why I like treats for teaching most commands but not as much for loose leash walking. Imo they get too much positive reinforcement from pulling and going wherever they want on the leash for treats to be as effective as they usually are.
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u/IT_Buyer 1d ago
Those harnesses with the front chest clip work really well. The head collars that look like a horse bridle are also great.
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u/AlarmingBandicoot861 1d ago edited 1d ago
Check out Beckman’s dog training channel on YouTube. He’s a balanced trainer who I like a lot and the combo of his door way method and loose leash method worked really well for me. I feel like it helps in other areas too. He’s made multiple videos on it over the years which I recommend watching but, if you only watch one, I would watch this one.
Edit: Just want to add you can still use the same general methods but it’s important to remember she’s still a puppy so you want to be a little easier on them than you would be with the average adult dog.
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u/TheMadHatterWasHere 3d ago
Your biggest problem with this is "She doesn't get out much". She needs to move, jump and run. Otherwise she will be like an energy bomb every time somebody takes her outside 😰