Teaching Your Puppy To Mind

Training your new Goldendoodle puppy to follow your commands can be extremely rewarding. And let’s face it, showing off these feats of obedience for others can be a proud moment in the life of a dog owner. But more importantly, this training is helpful for your relationship with a new pup, and will allow for a more pleasing experience down the road.

Expert behaviorists say you can begin training your little one as early as seven weeks old, providing your sessions are presented as gently play. Give him a few days to adjust to his new life with you, and then begin.

Getting Started

Remember that puppies have very short attention spans, so you’ll want to school your pet for only a few minutes per lesson. That said, you could try mini-sessions several times per day. When your pup is between four and six months of age, you can begin formal obedience lessons. A few pointers:

Whenever possible, try to arrange the situation so your pup can’t fail. For example, throw only one ball into the backyard and ask him to “fetch the ball.” (Giving him access to several toys at once would add too many variables to the game.)
Bribery does wonders. Reward desired behaviors with praise, food, and toys.
Be consistent. If you don’t want Puppy to jump on neighbors in greeting, don’t let him jump on you either when you walk in the front door. Also, use the same simple words or phrases for the same specific behaviors.

Basic Commands

As anyone who has tried to rein in a crotch-sniffer will tell you, your pooch must be able to respond to a handful of basic commands instantly. Here are a few that might get you out of an embarrassing (or an emergency) situation:

Off/No Jumping: Back up when you see your pup coming towards you and say “Off!” or “No jumping!” Reward him when his feet are planted on the ground.

Kennel: Present your pet with a treat, then put it in his kennel while saying “Kennel!” (or “Go to bed!”). When he goes inside, praise him, but don’t shut the door yet. Practice this scenario, and then begin closing the door, rewarding him with a treat through the bars.

Gradually extend the time in the crate. (A word of caution: If he whimpers, don’t let him out, as that rewards the behaviour.) When you do open the door for good, don’t do cartwheels. You don’t want coming out to be better than going in.

Speak: Show the puppy a treat and say “Speak!” (You may have to actually bark yourself so that he gets the idea. DO this inside so your neighbors don’t think you’ve gone to the dogs.) Once he barks, praise him.

Quiet: After Puppy masters barking, really get him going. Then, suddenly bring your finger to your lips and say “Quiet!” He will likely be startled and immediately stop barking. Reward him effusively.

Drop it: To help avoid unwanted aggression and guarding behavior, teach your puppy to hand over his toys and food. Begin by offering him a toy-for-food trade. Say “Drop it!” as you make the exchange.

Get it/leave it: Leash your dog and go for a walk. Toss a treat in front of him and say, “Get it!” Once he masters this concept, try asking him to “Leave it!” Drop the treat. When he goes for it, cover it up with your hand and say, “Leave it!” Make a game out of “getting” and “leaving”.

Sit: Place a treat in front of Puppy then gently move it upwards over his head. He’ll raise his head to follow your hand and, in the process, lower his rump. Push his hindquarters down to the ground with your free hand while saying, “Sit!”

Lay: Present your pet with a treat then lower it to the ground while saying, “Lay!” Try gently guiding his shoulder to the floor. Give the reward when he lies down, even if it is only momentarily.

Stay: Have your pup sit down. Back away from him a few steps while saying, “Stay!” Then praise him for doing just that. After a split second, reward him. Always praise him while he is still waiting, not after he gets up so that he will associate the word with the correct action.

Come: Carry treats with you throughout the day and randomly call to your pup using his name, “Zeus”, come!” When he races to you, reward him.

Training your puppy can be a hugely rewarding enterprise for the both of you. Not only will your pet be manageable at home, but in public when you happen to run into your boss who, by the way, is terrified of dogs.

We fully train our English Goldendoodle puppies, including hundreds of hours of work with each one. Click below to find out more about our Puppy Training Institute