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We often hear about how smart and intelligent Goldendoodles are. While they’re intelligent dogs, training them can sometimes be difficult for people, especially for new dog owners. Fortunately, this guide will help ease the process for you with how to train a Goldendoodle puppy. Before we move forward, here are several things for you to keep in mind about this prestigious dog breed.
Goldendoodles have some of the best qualities passed down by the Golden Retriever and the Poodle combined. The intelligence of a Goldendoodle comes from the Poodle breed, while their friendly behavior comes from the Golden Retriever breed. However, genetics is not the only factor in the beautiful appearance and behavior of the Goldendoodles you see around. Like any other dog, you have to train your Goldendoodle and shape them into a good dog. We will give you some great tips on training a Goldendoodle!
Training a Goldendoodle
We mentioned it earlier – Goldendoodles are intelligent and friendly dogs. These traits don’t mean that your companion will naturally be well-behaved. The intelligence of a Goldendoodle only means that it’s easier to train when compared to other dog breeds. Goldendoodles are quick-learners and will understand your commands well. Their friendly nature makes them highly eager-to-please. While you may face challenges along the way, your journey training this dog will be rewarding for you.
Take a Training Class
Fortunately, thanks to the evolution of technology – there are numerous resources available online to train your newly beloved Goldendoodle. They’ll guide you and provide you with tips to getting the best results during your Goldendoodle training session.
Many people can’t afford professional dog training. Thankfully, many cities offer local puppy training classes that you can attend for free. These classes will teach you how to train your Goldendoodle puppy. As a bonus, many puppy training classes will allow your companion to socialize with other puppies around. This can be beneficial for your Goldendoodle because it’ll significantly improve its socializing skills.
Stick to a Schedule
During training, it’s essential to stick to a schedule for your companion. For Goldendoodle puppies, having a schedule will help them feel more comfortable in their new home and reduce stress. Ensuring your Goldendoodle companion feels safe and comfortable in a new environment will help them ease their minds, which can drastically improve their training. You don’t want your companion to feel any stress or anxiety.
When you stick to a schedule, it can help reduce the stress for older Goldendoodles as well. If your puppy is stressed out, it can display aggressive behaviors out of fear and anxiety. As advised, keeping a set schedule will help your Goldendoodle throughout its growing phases in life. This is great for basic command training and potty training.
The secret to getting the best results when training your Goldendoodle is to start early. Whether someone owns a Goldendoodle or not, it’s recommended that every dog should start their basic training at a young age. Dog communities and experts highly advise this because when puppies are young, they haven’t developed any habits yet. At a young age, you can shape your companion’s habits into a better loving dog.
Bringing Your Puppy Home
Once you’re prepared and have everything set and ready. It’s time to introduce your Goldendoodle to its new home. Your Goldendoodle may likely feel nervous in an entirely different environment, which means you’ll have to find ways to give it comfort. Their nervousness may manifest in undesirable behaviors such as causing accidents, chewing, or constant barking. You can prevent these behaviors by providing them with a chew toy and allow frequent bathroom breaks.
Fast-forward, your Goldendoodle will eventually become more comfortable around you. Once they’re comfortable, you can start working on the most crucial step of your Goldendoodle training: establishing trust. You have to build your companion’s trust for them to begin to obey you. Forming a trusting bond with your Goldendoodle is essential and makes giving command easier. When your Goldendoodle trusts you, it knows that you’ll never want it to do anything harmful, which means they’re likely to obey your commands. Goldendoodles are people-oriented dogs. The trust and bond between you and your companion will make your journey and friendship unbreakable.
Even though Goldendoodles are adorable, owners should still establish dominance during training. After gaining its respect, establishing authority will help them learn helpful commands. You have to show your Goldendoodle who’s the boss and that saying no to these commands isn’t an optional choice. It’s inevitable, but situations and unnecessary problems can arise at any moment, and these commands could help prevent them from happening.
Preparation
Before the arrival of your Goldendoodle companion, you should begin to prepare in advance. We have tons of Goldendoodle guides on our blog, but we still recommend that you find and learn any helpful information possible. If you don’t know anything about Goldendoodle’s temperaments, we recommend reading about it. Learning about the Goldendoodle dog breed will not only help you understand its personalities, but it’ll help you with training ideas.
For example, knowing Goldendoodles thrive on pleasing their owners will help you understand the importance of positive reinforcement during training. Researching specific training theories can provide you with greater insight into your dog’s behavior. Understanding why your Goldendoodle acts a certain way can help you establish procedures for stopping unwanted behaviors.
Another important thing you should do before your companion’s arrival is to puppy-proof its new living environment. The intelligence of a Goldendoodle fills their mind with curiosity, so puppy-proofing is essential for your dog’s safety. Your Goldendoodle will want to explore its new surroundings around your home. We recommend you remove any chewing hazards such as wires and small dangerous items. If you live in an area without any gates in your yard or neighborhood, we advise finding ways to reduce your companion’s escape route. When dog’s chance after something, whether it’s a car or a bike, they can run pretty fast. Investing in a dog gate or using your creativity to reduce its escape route would be best when they’re not fully trained.
Manners
Your Goldendoodle’s manners and how they interact can influence the way people view you as a dog owner. We’ve all seen perfect dogs strolling around before. Behind the scene, these dogs are the type of dogs taught how to behave and listen to their owner’s every command. Some of these basic manners are also essential for keeping your companion from barking or causing strangers’ problems. No one wants their dogs to bite, and no one wants to be bitten by one. Focusing on these critical commands ensures that your Goldendoodle has the fundamentals down.
- No Jumping: Goldendoodle puppies get highly excited and sometimes jump around the house and all over you. While they’re cute and hard to resist, these habits can cause more problems as they grow older. It can annoy and become dangerous. You should train your Goldendoodle while it’s still a puppy to prevent this problem from occurring as it gets older.
- Stay: The next command is teaching your Goldendoodle to stay. Teach your companion this by slowly walking away from it. If it follows you, try again. If it abides by the time you return, reward it with a treat. The more frequently you do this, the more aware your companion will become to stay seated. Over time, your Goldendoodle will recognize that it’ll get the treat if it stays rather than move.
- Sit: Getting your Goldendoodle to sit should be the first step to keeping it calm. Teaching your Goldendoodle to sit can be done by holding a treat in your hand and giving it to your companion whenever it sits. If your Goldendoodle shows signs of excitement, you may gently push it down until it’s in a sitting position. Once it’s in a sitting position, reward your dog with a treat.
- No Biting: Teaching your Goldendoodle puppy not to bite is extremely important. Goldendoodles can’t think like humans. Without training, they could bite others, believing that they’re in danger when they’re not. Understand the importance of this command. If your puppy nips at you, firmly command it to stop. It would be best if you always used the same command word when teaching this. For example, if you start training your Goldendoodle with the command “no biting” but switch to “stop,” your companion will be confused. Consistency ensures your Goldendoodle puppy will know biting is not allowed.
Basic Obedience Training
Now that you have a better understanding of the foundations of training a Goldendoodle, it’s time you learn specific commands. Keep in mind that basic obedience training is the most important type of training. This will establish the basis for more complicated demands in the upcoming future. When you have basic obedience training, you’ll have a well-behaved and disciplined dog. Anything more complex is a bonus for both you and your Goldendoodle companion.
Here are some basic obedience commands you can try:
- Come
- Stand
- Spin
- Crawl
- Heel
- Sit
- Down
- Touch
- Catch
- “Bang”
- Wait
- Backup
- Come
- Go to bed
Potty Training
If you don’t like finding potty surprises around your home, potty training is another vital thing. Potty training is essential to maintain a clean environment both for you and your Goldendoodle. Dog’s have an instinct to avoid soiling their den. However, when you bring a new dog home, it doesn’t know your house is its new living place. Therefore, it’s natural for dogs to cause accidents.
What you need to do is teach your companion the location of its potty spot. Taking your dog to the same place in the yard can help it associate going to the bathroom. If you find your dog having an accident in the house, try getting its attention and leading it outside. You should always avoid getting angry at your Goldendoodle. This can cause your companion anxiety and lead to more accidents.
The most important aspect when potty training your Goldendoodle is to keep on a specific schedule. This means that you should take them out 15 minutes after each meal and in regular intervals that you have been taking them outside. Additionally, many Goldendoodle owners like to use potty bells that they hang on their doors. Your puppy will ring these bells when they need to go potty outside.
Crate Training
Providing your Goldendoodle puppy with a crate gives them their personal space in your home. When crate training your puppy, always ensure you make the crate comfortable. You can do this by adding your companion’s favorite blankets or toys. It may seem daunting to some dogs initially if you suspect that you can add a treat in the crate with the door open if you suspect that about your dog.
The #1 tip for crate training your Goldendoodle is to make sure that the crate is not too big. If your crate is too big, your Goldendoodle puppy will likely want to pee or poop during the middle of the night. That’s why it’s often useful to have a divider or fill your dog’s crate with toys, so they have a smaller area to sleep.
Socialization
Another crucial thing to keep in mind is making sure your Goldendoodle gets to socialize. Make sure your dog has experiences with other animals and people first. It can take time and patience for your dog to get used to it. Socializing helps your Goldendoodle become less nervous in the presence of others. Even if your Goldendoodle is not typically aggressive, anxious dogs can become aggressive out of fear. By preparing your Goldendoodle for exposure to others, your companion will feel more comfortable and calm.
Final Thoughts
Remember – Goldendoodles are brilliant and affectionate dogs. However, this doesn’t mean you should let them skip training. It just means that training them is more manageable. Your Goldendoodle companion will be eager to please you, so train it and create unforgettable memories in your new chapter in life.