Your Toy Poodle

Cape Rose Toy Poodles

TRAINING YOUR
TOY POODLE

The first and most important word to teach your puppy is “come.” The second is “no.”

Even the most puppy-proofed house will present temptation.

To keep your pup from exploring things he shouldn’t or behaving badly, say his or her name first followed by a firm “no.”

We use the words “leave it” as in, “Chris, leave it!” The pup will get the point. When s/he does, praise the puppy in a high-pitched tone of voice.

But before that age, you need to teach your puppy the basics:

come when called
learn what “no” means
poop and pee in right place
not jump on people
not mouth human flesh

Many professional dog trainers--like Joan Brenneke, shown above with her poodles “The Irish Boys”--recommend against serious training until a puppy is 6 months old.

Email Joan Brenneke to learn more about the Killarney Obedience School.

YOUR BEST FRIEND’S BEST FRIEND

Big to Little Poodles ( l to r ) - Standard, Miniature, Toy, Teacup

Teddy & Miesha

FEEDING YOUR TOY POODLE

Teaching puppies to eat on their own isn’t difficult. Like grown dogs, they love their meals. During the two weeks or so it takes to wean puppies from mother’s milk, puppy mush (a growth formula dog food softened with warm water) is available virtually all the time.

Puppies need a lot of food to grow and develop well. In a way, it’s comical to watch young pups eat because they generally walk into, fall into, and “wear” their food. An attentive breeder will keep the pups clean with a wash cloth rinsed with warm water.

By the time the pups are ready to go home at 10 weeks of age (or after two of their three puppy shots), they are eating well on their own three times a day. You should continue using the same food the breeder used. Good breeders will give you a bag of food to assure continuity in the pup’s feeding regimen. What should I feed my toy poodle?

HOUSE TRAINING

When pups are firstborn they will eliminate (pee and poop) a lot, especially after each trip to the milk bar or upon awakening from a nap. The dam will clean their rear ends and eat their poop to keep the den clean. Sounds gross to us but it’s normal in the world of nature.

A dog will do everything to keep its den clean. And that is the secret to successful house training. Problem is: toy poodle puppies are tiny (maybe a pound or two when they go home) so they cannot possibly keep your whole house free from “accidents.”

Did you know poodles come in three varieties?

Toy, Miniature and Standard

CRATE TRAINING

A crate is your dog’s den. Giving your puppy “quiet time” in his crate during the day and overnight gives him or her a chance to develop bladder and bowel control. Many puppies can hold overnight. During the day it’s a different story. A rule of thumb is that your puppy can hold one hour for each month of age; a 12-week (3-month) old puppy can hold for about 3 hours.

During the day, your puppy will need to “go” shortly after eating, playing, or waking. At these times, you need to be vigilant. The puppy will usually give you a clue that s/he needs to go by becoming agitated or moving in circles.

Immediately pick up your puppy and take him or her to the designated spot. That could be a particular spot outdoors. Or it could be a wee-wee pad set up in an easily cleaned room such as the laundry room or bathroom.

LITTER BOX?
PUPPY PADS?
POTTY PARK?

Toy poodles are smaller than many cats so indoor training methods work great. Some people train their toy poodles to use litter boxes. Some people use disposable wee-wee pads. We use washable chair- or bed-size pads designed for incontinent humans. We don’t recommend newspapers since paper doesn’t absorb well and your puppy (and floor) will always look dirty because of the ink.

Patience and consistency are key. Dogs want naturally to be clean and they want to please you. Use positive reinforcement, praising your toy poodle with great excitement when they eliminate in the right place.

Teacup and Toy Poodle between two red standard poodle puppies

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Enjoy a Healthy, Well Adjusted Pet for Life

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