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Posted by Poodle Girl on March 12, 2008, 12:54 am
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I found this forum by accident a couple of weeks ago. I don't have the kind of dogs you do, but you seem like a knowledgeable crowd and I hope you won't mind my posting a question here.
I have 2 standard poodles, a 3-year-old female and a 4-year-old male, both neutered. I've had the female since she was a puppy, and other than being a terrible sneak food thief she's an absolute sweetheart. She dominates the male, who won't even bother to try to get a drink of water until she's left the bowl.
I got the male as a rescue dog about 6 months ago. Although he seems essentially good-natured, he's sometimes aggressive, and I'm considering returning him to the rescue people. Examples: A couple of weeks ago he had an ear infection. He growled and snapped at me when I first tried to put medicine into his ears. I muzzled and restrained him and he has calmed down about his treatments, but I still feel like I have to muzzle and restrain him for treatments. And he's nasty about having his nails clipped and his feet shaved--another occasion for muzzling and restraint.
Last week I started both dogs with a very experienced and highly regarded trainer, in large part to get a handle on the male's aggressive behavior. (It would be nice to stop the female's food thievery, too.) The trainer worked with us and with the dogs, and sent us home with some routines that have been very effective even over these few days. However, yesterday my adult daughter and the male got into a ruckus, and he bit her. He wasn't playing, either. She was working with him this morning, and he went for her again, though he didn't manage to bite her this time. In neither instance did my daughter let the dog back her down, and she eventually got control of him. But we all are shaken.
I called the trainer and asked for his advice. He said that, while it might take a few weeks, we certainly can get control of the animal, he's seen much worse, etc.
What would you advise? Is this an example of trainer machismo, or should we work with the dog? Your thoughts?
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