Updates and some issues

[Lari]

My boy just turned 7 months old!  He's doing so well and we only have a few issues we are still working on.  I was told to wait until about a year old before having him neutered but we have already made an appointment for next Thursday.  Do you think this will harm him in any way?  We are considering doing it now for a few reasons...

 

First, he's starting to show that he has a pair.  He's getting very protective of his toys around other dogs and things like that.  He's fine with us or any people touching his toys, food, etc... but other animals he goes into angry bark mode.  This seemed to happen overnight almost.

 

He still submissive and excited pee's.  He doesn't have accidents in the house but he does have little piddle accidents if he gets excited or when clipping his leash to his collar.  Because of this when going for a walk I usually let him out of the house without his leash and clip it once we're outside.  Luckily he doesn't dart or run off.. he's actually very good about staying right with me..but obviously I need to be able to clip his leash to his collar without him having a little accident.

 

Other than those little issues he's doing very very well.  He knows all sorts of commands and tricks, he's a very quiet dog and not much of a barker like I was expecting.  He loves his crate..

 

another weird thing he does he always has to have his leash in his mouth when we're walking.  This isn't really an issue for me.  It bothers my fiance when he walks him but I can work with it.  He's done this since he was a puppy.  He doesn't chew the leash or break it..just wants to hold it while out on a walk.  He almost always has to have something in his mouth..if we go to Petsmart to buy dog food if we pass the toy isle he will pick something up and literally carry it to the register.  I've walked out twice with him holding a toy without paying for it.  I always go back and pay for it..but it's so silly!  It's kind of cute and doesn't bug me so much but he's so fascinated with keeping items in his mouth.  I was just wondering if this was a common trait with doodles.  He's my first!

 

Anyway..here is an updated photo of him.  As you can see he loves shoving his face in the dirt.

 

 

[Kaytlin and Cooper]

I dont think having him neutered will harm him in any way. Many breeders have their puppies spayed and neutered before they go to their forever homes

[Bonnie and Kona]

Oh, he's a cute guy! You can certainly have him neutered now! Even people who object to early neutering think 6 months is fine. Our doodles both love to carry things in their mouths. They have to greet people, especially family with something in their mouths always.

[Elizabeth & *Kosci*.]

Yes, I think most Groodles like to carry something in their mouths, I've bought heaps of toys after reading on DK how a lot of dogs greet the owners with a toy.And when it comes to neutering most experts recommend around the 6-7 month time frame as it's before all the hormones start. If all my reading on this subject It's actually healthier for them to do it now.

[Jane, Rooney & Stuart]

Very good looking fellow!!!!

[Lisa, Daisy & Dexter]

First I LOVE that face...typical doodle nose. Second, everything you mentioned Daisy also did, typical puppy behavior at that age I think, the excited pee thing went away for good at about 15 months (finally) and it slowed down considerably at around 1 year. Lastly, I think 6 months is the recommended time for both sexes, that is when we had D spayed so obviously don't expect the pee thing to stop because of neutering.

Oh and our previous Dood use to walk himself with the leash until the day he died so if you don't find it cute or your fiance doesn't, probably you will need to stop it now with training.

[Susan and Sasha]

Hi Lari...

Your boy sure is a cutie!!

From what I read and what our Vet told us...6 months is a good time to have this done with no problems at all.

With some of the issues you're having...it sounds like a good time to have him neutered.

It's interesting about holding the leash in his mouth when you walk him.

Sasha did this in the Very beginning as a pup...and our trainer told us to teach her Not to do it.

He said that it was a "control...dominance issue"...and meant that she was in control and was actually walking us. (smile)

We worked on it and it stopped.

Just a thought...

[Jennifer,Chloe & Myla]

I think a lot of dogs are done around 6 months! That should be fine.

That is SO funny that he picks out his own toys!!! The leash holding is also cute, Myla gets ticked off when she wants to get to someone or wants to keep walking and especially if she sees a squirrel and then she jumps up biting and tugging at her leash like I'm just gonna let her go! So you should be happy he's just trying to help with the leash and not trying to bite it off of him!

[Allyson, Peri & Taquito]

Do it now!!!!!!!!!!

[Jennifer Tramell]

Sounds like you have a wonderful doodle.  Large breed dogs do seem to go through a "teenage" stage from 6-12 months.  Often they are testing to see what they are allowed to do, what attitudes are allowed, etc.  It's a great opportunity to reinforce lessons that have already been taught.  Some dogs are so compliant that you don't realize what lessons have been missed.  Webster stayed with me and followed our other 2 dogs so much that I didn't realize that I hadn't taught "come" as a command, not a suggestion.

Charlotte is 11 months old and the past couple months she has been barking at Webster about toys.  It sounds angry but it's just play - Webster doesn't mind and he just ignores her. 

I had a golden retriever/collie, Cody, who piddled when he was happy and excited.  We taught him to sit and give us his paw.  We would pet the underside of the given paw and it seemed to calm him.  He quickly learned that he got great attention by sitting nicely, he charmed visitors his entire life because he shook hands on greeting, and (best of all!) the piddling stopped. 

I have also had numerous dogs who held the leash in their mouths.  Cody would take his leash and we'd let him walk himself :-)  He was the most submissive, well-mannered dog you could imagine.  Webster will take his leash because he doesn't like the feel of the leash tickling his neck and back.  Charlotte will take her leash when we are taking too long and she's ready to go.  I don't mind a dog holding his leash as long as he/she is paying attention to me and willingly lets it go.  Sometimes Charlotte grabs her leash to play tug - this I don't allow.

It is natural for both retrievers and poodles to carry things; in fact, they have been bred over the years to have a "soft mouth" and hold things gently.  All of my retriever mixes have been carriers - I've always loved that trait.

[Adrianne Matzkin]

A friend of mine, who is also MY trainer, would tell me to sign up for more sessions with her if either of my girls started being territorial about toys or food. Just because he is good with humans taking his toys or food, that could change, especially with children.

Dogs go through age appropriate changes about every 3 months or so. Training must be worked on everyday. Even my 'perfect' Samantha smelled something in the middle of the street in front of my house last night and went to investigate it. She never goes in the street! I always watch Charli because she goes with her heart and not her training head all the time - I never worry about Samantha. That changed!!

My GrandDoodle always squirts whenever he comes to visit. We always greet him outside and bent over. I have had to clean my Ugg slippers too many times before that became the ritual - WOL!! He is now over 2 and I have come to believe that will always happen. 

Suggestions for you:

Try putting his leash on at a different door - one that you usually don't go out of. See if it is the door or the leash that excites him to the point of excitement peeing. 

Try not talking to him about going out - just pick up his leash (at the door) calmly and see if that works. Maybe without the anticipation of going out he won't get so excited.

I would not let him walk with the leash in his mouth. He is not walking you. If he needs to walk with something in his mouth, bring a toy.

 

Now to that picture - I am crazy of big doodle noses and his is just delicious!!! Whoever trims his face and head does a fantastic job!! How big is he???

[Lindsey]

Oh my!!! How precious is he!!! He looks a lot like a male version of my Molly!! Although, Molly is a Shepadoodle (GS/Poodle).
I can't say much about him walking around with items in his mouth, I try to get Molly to carry a stick when we're out walking...as part of her training...but she usually won't do it, or she drops it half way.

There is no harm in getting him fixed now...I was worried about that with Molly girl, but she's still the same exact, crazy, pup :-) (Molly is just now 6 months)

[Sherri, Sophie, Winston, & Kitty]

What a cutie pie!! My doodle also likes to grab the leash while we're walking. She tries to play tug with me. I am trying to nip it in the bud. It went away for a while but came back. i don't want her to think she gets to walk me so I don't let her do it. I let her have her fun when we get out of the elevator, I give her the leash to walk herself to the front door, and she loves it, but that is the only time.

 

My doodle was spayed at 7 weeks!!