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6 month old standard poodle, palliative client

4K views 3 replies 3 participants last post by  Bluemchen 
#1 ·
This post may be a depressing one for many of you, but I am hoping to get a little help!

Last week I started with a new client, she is middle aged, palliative, very weak and tired but still mobile, husband and 2 grown children living with her! One other family member is a 6 month old standard poodle. He has had puppy training classes but is not going to any training at this time.

Puppy is friendly, and socialized. When excited he still jumps up on people. He also still mouths a lot and of course loves finding "treasures" like socks to chew on. Otherwise he is well behaved, and very sweet!!!

In those few hours I have spent with the family last week, I have given my client some tips about not trying to pull things out of his mouth, when he chews on something they don't want him to have, to rather "trade up"; turning your back to him and walk away when he jumps up; the peanut butter in a Kong placed in the freezer idea, for times where they need him to be quiet (doctor's visits for example); to praise him a lot for the things he does right, to redirect him to do something else when he does something they don't want him to do, like when mouthing on the hands to then instead direct him to chew on a toy or a chew stick! I've also mentioned calming signals, but I'm sure that all these new ideas were overwhelming for her to take in, given the fact that she is heavily medicated.

Is there something that the more experienced members here would recommend for this family? The one book for example that covers a lot of that, or an internet site. Keeping in mind that for this client time is running out quickly, but she very much wants to learn a bit more about handling her dog! I'm sure the whole family would appreciate the help! Thank you for reading!
 
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#3 ·
To leverage off of the previous comment, many dogs have a need to be active and certainly in the puppy stage. It is important for a dog to burn energy in order for them to calm down. The trainer that I do business with suggest at least 45 minutes of walking or other activity per day is ample to keep a dog calm. Obviously she can not do this herself but maybe the family can help. Something like doggy daycare would also suffice assuming they allow the dogs play time.

Positive training certainly helps but if the dog has excess energy, it will act up. Keep in mind it is not as simple as training. The "vibe" of the surroundings have a big impact on the dog. If everyone is calm the animal will tend to be more calm. If someone comes in the door and starts acting hyper with lots of cute puppy phrases, the dog will also become hyper and mimic the surrounding environment.

Hope this helps.

www.SpoilYourPooch.com
 
#4 ·
Thank you so much for your replies, and your suggestions are great! I found out 2 days ago that he goes for play-time to someone once or twice a week who has 3 or 4 dogs of her own. She (or maybe another person, I'm not sure) also takes him for walks, not sure how often though!

Just the other day someone on DF posted a new internet link for Kiko-Pup and I gave my client the internet address for it. It may be better to be able to pick and choose from there what kind of issues they would like to work on, than having to read a whole book.

I was considering to suggest a visit to DF but it seems inappropriate when this client is so unwell.

Thanks again!
 
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