Poodle puppies are cute, cuddly, and curly and definitely a pet anyone would want to take home. Poodles make great pets, and have the most fun with them you will need to know as much about poodle puppies so that they are comfortable when you take them home, so read on to see what you should know in order to be a responsible poodle owner.

No matter which poodle breed you decide to purchase, you should know that some poodles tend to be a little reclusive or anti-social, and aren’t very friendly around strangers – unless they are trained. You will need to socialize your poodle puppies by placing them in an environment where people will be present often, so that it won’t be so overwhelming for the dogs when you have people over or take the puppies on an outing.

One of the things you need to do is to ensure that your poodle puppies are taken to vet often for their checkups, this is because poodles generally have vision problems quite often, Their eyes need to look alert and should be shiny. If you start noticing film around the eyes, or even if your poodle puppy’s are often running, it is a possibility of the onset of a cataract. being able to treat this condition in it’s early stages is an important factor, and you should take them immediately to your vet should you notice that your poodles vision seem cloudy. Poodle puppies tend to also be prone to ear infections, so you have to ensure that your puppy’s ears are check out by your vet also. Having a hearing test for your poodle puppy should also be done and don’t forget that the proper medication is given to them as directed by your vet.

You may also notice that your poodle has very sensitive skin, and that certain grooming products should not be used on your poodle puppies. Poodle owners are often dying their dog’s hair in a variety of colors, or shampooing the thick fur of the poodle with expensive shampoos that come in a variety of scents. However, the chemicals in some of these cleaning agents could be harmful to your poodle puppies, and could cause rashes and skin irritations. Your puppy could also develop an allergy to these products, so if you notice that your dog is more sluggish than usual, or is sneezing often, you should let your grooming professional know, or shampoo your poodle at home.

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Dogs understand and respond at roughly the mental level of a human two-year-old, but there the similarity ends. Their senses operate differently – their color vision has a different response pattern to reds and greens, for example, and obviously their noses are infinitely more sensitive – and their minds process information differently as well. Anyone training dogs has to take this into account in order to avoid human frustration and canine misbehavior.

Dogs are pack animals by nature. Descendant from wolves – where even the ‘lone wolf’ is an anomaly – they’re social and function best with active interplay and within a strict hierarchy.

So, set aside half-an-hour per day, an hour would be better, for at least the first few months of training. Start your training as young as possible. Some puppies can be started as early as four weeks old.

Elimination (‘potty’) training details we leave for elsewhere, but all training follows similar guidelines.

The sooner you establish your dominance, the fewer problems you will have to correct. Dogs have a natural hiearchy- there are alpha dogs, beta dogs, and the bottom dog is the omega. For a sane household, and a well-adjusted dog, the human (whether male or female) must always be the alpha male of the pack.

Each dog or dog breed will make it easier or more difficult. Like humans, some are simply more assertive than others. The most important training aid is your attitude, followed by collars, leashes and other training aids. Remember, you are the boss, not the dog.

That guideline doesn’t imply you must enforce your dominance with physical force. Sometimes, used appropriately, that will be necessary. Usually, simply being firm and willing to wait for compliance will be enough.

For many, placing them on their backs when young and placing a firm hand in the middle of the chest until they lower their paws – a sign of submission – will be enough. With some, reinforcing this by putting your face close to theirs, emulating dominant dog behavior, can help.

Keep a short leash to restrain the dog’s natural tendency to roam. Allow plenty of time for free running behavior, essential to dog health, but that’s before or after training, not during. At least, not at first.

Start simply by choosing short, clear commands that sound distinctly different: sit, stay, down, come. Use a firm, but not harsh voice. You’re in charge, but not angry. Avoid double-word commands like ‘sit down’ or ‘stay down’. These sound too much alike and quickly confuse the dog.

Each verbal command should utilize the same look, tone and gesture. Eventually these can separate, but at first it’s essential to provide the simplest, most consistent form of communication.

Just like two-year old humans, dogs have limited capacity for grasping the subtleties of language. Assist their understanding by rigid consistency. Don’t use a single command word to mean more than one thing. ”Down’ needs to mean only one thing, you must choose if it means ‘don’t jump on me’ or ‘lay down on your belly’.

Be clear, be patient and be committed and the result will be a dog who trusts and listens to you. And that makes it worth the effort. Find more on dog training at Luvurdog.com/dogtraining

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