Transform Your Doodle Puppy with Essential Dog Training: Comprehensive Tips from Basics to Advanced
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Training your Doodle puppy—whether a Goldendoodle or Bernedoodle — can be an exciting journey, made easier by their natural intelligence and eagerness to please. These breeds excel in learning new commands and adapting to routines, making them well-suited for everything from basic obedience to more advanced training. This guide will provide essential dog training tips, starting with foundational skills and progressing to more advanced obedience commands. With a consistent approach, your Doodle will grow into a well-mannered and highly obedient companion.
Complete Dog Training Guide for Your Doodle Puppy:
From Basic Commands to Advanced Skills
This guide covers each stage of training for your Goldendoodle or Bernedoodle. From foundational socialization and basic commands to intermediate impulse control, advanced obedience, and fun enrichment activities, learn how to help your Doodle puppy thrive. Plus, troubleshooting tips for common challenges!
#1 - Setting the Foundation:
Early Socialization and Basic Commands
The first few months of your Doodle puppy’s life are crucial for establishing good behavior and socialization. Introducing your puppy to various environments, people, and other animals helps reduce fear and build confidence.
Start with Socialization
- Introduce New Environments: Bring your puppy to parks, pet-friendly stores, and sidewalks in your neighborhood. This exposure helps them feel comfortable in unfamiliar settings.
- Meet Different People and Animals: Invite friends over, especially those with well-behaved dogs, to help your puppy become accustomed to new faces. This sets the stage for a well-rounded, social Doodle.
Teach Basic Commands
Start with simple commands to lay a solid foundation. Keep training sessions short (5–10 minutes) and enjoyable. Here are some essential commands to begin with:
- Sit: Hold a treat above your puppy’s nose, moving it back so they naturally sit to follow it. Once they sit, reward and praise them.
- Stay: After teaching “sit,” work on “stay.” Take a small step back, and if they stay, reward them. Gradually increase the distance and time to strengthen the command.
- Come: Use a happy, inviting tone and call your puppy’s name, followed by “come.” Reward them when they come to you, reinforcing the behavior.
Repetition and positive reinforcement are key. These early commands will serve as building blocks for advanced obedience.
#2 - Moving to Intermediate Commands:
Establishing Good Behavior
As your Doodle puppy grows more comfortable with basic commands, it’s time to advance to intermediate training. These commands help control impulsive behavior and can be essential for daily life.
Leash Training
Doodles are enthusiastic and energetic, making leash training important to teach them how to walk politely without pulling.
- Loose-Leash Walking: Maintain a firm yet gentle grip on the leash, rewarding your Doodle whenever they walk beside you calmly. If they pull, stop moving until they return to your side, then reward and continue walking.
- Heel Command: Once your puppy is comfortable walking on a leash, work on the “heel” command, encouraging them to stay close to you while walking.
Wait and Leave It
These commands are essential for impulse control and can keep your Doodle safe in potentially dangerous situations.
- Wait: Use “wait” to prevent your Doodle from dashing through open doors or leaping out of the car. Start with the “sit” command, then say “wait,” slowly increasing the time they stay in place before releasing them.
- Leave It: To teach this, hold a treat in your hand and let your puppy sniff it. Say “leave it,” and when they stop trying to get the treat, reward them with a different treat. This reinforces the idea that “leave it” means they’ll get a reward for following directions.
#3 - Advanced Obedience:
Enhancing Focus and Expanding Skills
Once your Doodle has mastered basic and intermediate commands, it’s time to move on to advanced obedience. Doodles are intelligent and respond well to challenges, so they’ll enjoy learning new and more complex skills.
Place Command
“Place” is a helpful command, teaching your Doodle to go to a designated spot and stay there until released. This is especially useful when guests are over or when you need your dog to settle down.
- Teaching “Place”: Use a specific mat or dog bed as the “place.” Guide your Doodle to the mat, reward them for stepping onto it, and use the “place” command. Gradually increase the time they spend there before allowing them to move.
Recall Training
An advanced recall is crucial for Doodles who enjoy off-leash activities. It ensures they’ll come back to you even with distractions.
- Reinforce “Come” in Different Environments: Practice calling your Doodle in various environments, gradually introducing distractions. Start in low-distraction areas, rewarding them heavily when they obey, then work up to more challenging settings.
- Emergency Recall: Have a specific word or whistle sound for an “emergency recall.” Use it sparingly and reward your Doodle with a high-value treat to ensure they respond instantly whenever they hear it.
Touch and Targeting
Teaching your Doodle to touch a target with their nose or paw can be a fun mental exercise and can help guide them or keep their focus on you.
- Nose Targeting: Hold your hand out and encourage your Doodle to touch it with their nose. Each time they do, reward them. This can expand into tasks like pushing doors closed or ringing a bell.
- Paw Targeting: Teach them to target with their paw, which can be helpful for certain tasks and tricks.
#4 - Positive Reinforcement Techniques:
Keeping Training Fun and Effective
Doodles thrive on positive reinforcement and enjoy feeling rewarded for their efforts. Here are some tips for effective reinforcement:
- Use Treats and Praise: Doodles respond well to food rewards and verbal praise. Keep a stash of healthy treats or use their favorite toy as a reward.
- Vary Rewards: Switch up rewards to keep your puppy interested. Use treats some days, and other times offer affection or a quick play session.
- Short and Fun Sessions: Doodles are intelligent and curious but can get bored if training drags on. Keep sessions short, end on a high note, and revisit skills often for reinforcement.
#5 - Training Tools and Enrichment Activities
Incorporating training tools and enrichment activities can help prevent boredom and engage your Doodle’s mind in productive ways.
- Puzzle Toys: Doodles love a challenge, so provide puzzle toys that reward them with treats when they figure out how to unlock the puzzle.
- Agility Equipment: Setting up simple agility equipment at home or in the backyard, like tunnels or jumps, provides exercise and mental stimulation.
- Clicker Training: Clicker training can reinforce good behavior quickly. Once your puppy associates the sound of the clicker with rewards, it becomes a powerful tool for teaching new skills.
- Remote Training Collar: For dogs with challenging behavior issues, a remote training collar can be an effective tool when used correctly. It helps reinforce commands from a distance, especially in outdoor or off-leash environments. To ensure safe and effective training, use low-intensity settings and pair the collar with positive reinforcement. This method is best used as a last resort.
#6 - Troubleshooting Common Training Issues
Even with Doodles’ intelligence, there can be moments when training gets challenging. Here are some ways to handle common training obstacles:
- Dealing with Distractions: If your Doodle gets distracted easily, work on focus commands like “watch me” to regain their attention.
- Reinforcing Commands: If they seem to “forget” commands, reinforce basic commands regularly to keep skills sharp.
- Patience with Slow Progress: Sometimes progress can feel slow, especially with more complex commands. Be patient, and celebrate small wins.
In Summary:
Building a Lasting Bond through Training
Training your Doodle puppy is a rewarding experience that strengthens the bond between you and your furry friend. With consistent practice, patience, and plenty of positive reinforcement, your Doodle can master commands from basic obedience to advanced skills. By investing time in training, you’ll not only shape a well-behaved companion but also create a relationship based on trust and mutual understanding.
So grab those treats, bring plenty of enthusiasm, and get ready to enjoy the journey of training your Doodle puppy. This journey will lead to a lifetime of joy, companionship, and shared adventures!
Contact us about getting your new puppy trained!
