Toddler with Poodle

[ToddlerWithPoodle]

Hi friends,
I'm new here and I need your help.
I'm mum of a 3 years old girl and a 3 months old poodle.
Our sweet poodle doesn't want to accept me as "the boss in the house". My husband and I are trying to teach the dog to eat only from its bowl on the floor. My girl is allowing the puppy to eat on the table from her food.
The puppy is listening only to my daughter.
We are trying to be calm and to discuss with our girl what she's supposed to teach the puppy. No effect! Our daughter is not collaborating. We want to keep the puppy because it's already a family member, but it's so hard to train it.
In our small village, there's no professional trainer or a veterinarian, that can help us.
What would you do in this case?
Thank you for your time!

 

[JoanneF]

Please don't think me unkind, but the issue seems to be with your daughter, not with the dog. Dogs are opportunistic scavengers, and to quote the amazing Emma Judson, this is a **** opportunity!

Can you use baby gates, a pen or even a crate when your daughter is eating?

That said, the idea of ”being boss” is quite outdated. Obviously we want our dogs to be well mannered but we achieve that through teaching them and rewarding, not by expecting them to comply because we are ”the boss”. It's all about willingness to follow. You might find this article interesting.

Leadership versus Dominance

 

[Hemlock]

I agree. Sometimes we can be so caught up in the middle of a "problem" that we don't always see that it isn't a problem. Simply separate your two mentally-similar-aged youngsters when either is eating. Training is not the way to succeed here - management is. And when you are moving puppy away from child, make it super-rewarding for puppy by giving a stuffed kong or another food-related item that will take her a while to demolish. And before you allow them back together, ensure that there is no food lying around.

 

[Josie]

I’m not surprised pup is listening to your girl over you she has all the tasty snacks!

like the others have said I would remove puppy from area when food is around. It’s going to be a game that your daughter enjoys to do and bad habits will form.

Your daughter is only three but let her know that feeding pup isn’t allowed

 

[paperweight]

We are trying to be calm and to discuss with our girl what she's supposed to teach the puppy.

Thumbs up for keeping calm! Even though your daughter is too young to reliably keep food away from the dog, toddlers are little sponges and she'll be learning from you. By keeping calm, asking for advice from people with more experience, and trying new solutions, you are setting a wonderful example for your little girl as she grows up. Well done!

I hope you have some good success with keeping them separate at meal times.