Training questions

I have 2 toy poodle puppies, sisters. They are 4 1/2 months old. The one seems a bit calmer and more affectionate, even smarter and easier to train. She will come to me when I call and does real well when I give her a bath. The other one is sweet enough but does seem a bit more independent. She loves to be out in the yard. They both do but she does especially. But when it's time for them to come in and I call them, Lucy will come running to me but Lilly doesn't. If I try to go after her she backs up or runs away. It's a little frustrating at times when it's late at night and I'm taking them out for their last potty session. I'm not sure what the best way would be to get her to come to me when I call her. Suggestions?
Also, when I bathe her she does ok till I get to her head. She does not like water on her head or near her face at all! And if I try to hold her nose or lift her head up to rinse she struggles and cries. I'm getting ready to find a groomer to give them their first hair cut since their hair is getting pretty long but I'm worried how she'll be with being bathed and having clippers around her face. I'm afraid she'll freak out or have a bad experience. They both really need a hair cut, though. It's getting hard to see their eyes, they're hair is so long. I don't want it to be a bad experience or make things difficult for the groomer.
How do we get her over not liking her face messed with?
And how do I get her to come to me when I call her?

[Sandra_G]

I am so happy that you got sisters. I wish I did that when I got my Julie who is a toy/mini Poodle also. (she is borderline toy).  Julie also dislikes her head washed. lol
I always bathe her in the kitchen sink since she's so small. I just tilt her head back & hold her eyes with my hand & spray her head & eays. She doesn't cry or struggle anymore but surely doesn't like water in her face. (Hey, I thought Poodles were water dogs..what happened here?? lol)  I do a great massage with shampoo on her body & shes calm by the time I do her head & ears. Try that. Your babies are puppies, time will make them better.  
For the poodle who won't come to you, try putting 2 leashes together & let her go out that way but you control her. She will eventually get the idea.
Poodles are adorable & loving & great travelers,but they can be hard headed at times & have an attitude like you never saw before, than be as REGAL as she can be.
Go figure. I do love them alot though.. Thats all in the breed.
Why don't you try cutting thier hair around thier eyes. I did it when I first got Julie & I did a great job...surprised me!  Now I do my own grooming & she looks great.
The 1st year was trial & error though, but just put a pretty tee shirt on them if u get bald spots. Doing it yourself will save you lots of money.
Here in New York, the groomers charge from 60.00 to 150.00 for a cut & bath. Than there's the 10.00 tip to boot. And you have TWO babies. wow

Take care & good luck & just be patient. Please send pictures of them.

[April2]

I thought about doing it myself. I used to groom Willow but he was older and would hold still. I'm afraid to try it with the puppies, especially around the face and eyes. I'd be afraid I might accidentally hurt them. Maybe when they're older and calmer I'll have more confidence to do it. I think right now I'd rather someone with experience. It used to cost me $34 to get Willow groomed and I thought that was a lot!

They're doing better on a leash but won't go potty on a leash. I've tried that. Yeah, they're stubborn all right! I still want her to learn to come to me when I call her. I'm wondering if I should try holding a treat and calling her or is that bribery? lol

Yeah, I'm glad I got the two sisters too. They're very close. They will stay out in the back yard for hours chasing each other and playing. It's so cute to watch. They sleep together and do everything together.

[Sandra_G]

Hi...Oh go ahead & cut thier adorable little faces. lol  You can get someone to hold them. They will comply. Try holding thier ears back..not to hurt them but to keep them from moving. They usually stay still if u do that.

I would get them used to going potty on a leash, right away, don't count on later.. If you ever take them somewhere, you have to leash them.
They will do it if you take walks with them daily.

Use a special treat if they listen to you on command. No listen, no treat. Don't give in, you must be consistant, eventually they will know that there are consequences if they don't listen.

Please take more pics when u can. I love seeing them.

[Dextersmom]

I jmine just got a toy poodle also. He is 2.5 months. I have never had a dog and everything is sooo scary and new. As for bathing, when you get to the face its way better to use a wash clothe. It will be better for them. But if you still arent getting them clean enough... Paul Mitchell makes a dry foam shampoo for doggies. Totally safe and great for the cold weather seasons. If you cannot find it in stores then look online or go to your local Salon and ask about it. If they dont carry it, ask them to order it for you. Typically, any good salon will.

[Ghilly]

Isn't it amazing how two litter sisters can have such different personalities?  It serves as a great reminder that even though they are not humans, they are still individuals, with their own likes and dislikes and their own quirks.  Because of this, while generally accepted training techniques are usually successful, they work better if you customize them a bit and tailor them to the personalities of the individuals.

With regard to her not wanting to come in from the yard when you call her, I think I would try the following with her.   Dogs are intrinsically nosy.  When there's something going on, and ESPECIALLY something involving their owner, they just can't help themselves, they HAVE to check it out.  The next time you bring the girls in from the yard and Lilly tries her "I don't wanna do it now!" trick, deposit Lucy in the house and then go back out into the yard.  Call to Lilly just one time, not only to see if you can get her to come to you, but also to draw her attention to you and the fact that you are outside with her.   You might get lucky, she might come in on the first try.  If she doesn't, don't call her again, and then simply sit down on the patio, put your face in your hands, and make sobbing sounds as though you are crying.  This should pique her curiosity to the point where she comes, if not running to see what is going on, at least she wanders over to see what has you making the noise.  You can also try stooping over, covering your face with your hands, and making some type of high-pitched mewing sound or whatever sound you think will capture her attention.  When she comes over to investigate, uncover your face and then pet her and praise her, telling her how good she is for coming over to you.  You can also try taking a treat out with you so that when she comes over to investigate the noise, you can reward her with the treat.  If she is food-motivated, that might make her more likely to want to investigate the noise night after night, even though the game becomes routine, knowing there's a food tidbit at the end of the line.  If you think she'll follow you at this point without breaking away to run around again, then tell her "let's go!" in a bright, happy voice and make your way into the house with her.  If you think she'll bolt away as soon as the game is over, when you hand her the tidbit, scoop her up and carry her into the house, telling her what a good little girl she is.  Give her another small tidbit when she is safely in the house and the door is closed behind her.  That way she'll know that as long as she cooperates with you, there are a couple of tasty rewards in store for her.

Depending upon how motivated she is by the treats and how willful she is, you might be able to break her of wanting to remain outside alone in relatively short order.  If she is stubborn, it could take a while, but with perseverance, you'll eventually get her to the point where she will come inside with Lucy the first time you call them.

Ghilly