I know many of you won't want to hear this, but you're responsible for making the commitment to train your Goldendoodle to behave properly at home, when guests are visiting, and away from home. Unless taught, your puppy doesn't know right from wrong.
And this can only be accomplished with dedication and repetition, repetition, and more repetition! Dogs don't fail . . . owners fail their dogs.
How To Treat Your New Puppy
First, treat your puppy from the day you bring him home as if he's already full-grown. What do I mean by this? Your cute little 15-20 pound Goldendoodle puppy is going to grow up (fast!) into a large dog.
Don't allow or sanction any behavior in your puppy you would not allow a full-grown dog to do. For example, it's so cute when your new puppy jumps up on you to get attention! It's obnoxious, not to mention dangerous, when six months later your now large eight-month-old Goldendoodle puppy has just knocked someone to the floor!
Labradoodle and Goldendoodle breeder Michael Waggenbach of Sunshine Acres says it best, "Training is vital because, if they aren't challenged, that boredom makes them trouble. So, I usually tell people if you're going to have a great dog, you have to keep them challenged. I tell people, a well trained dog makes for a happy family."
Have Honest Expectations
He adds, "When you take a puppy home, many times people have this glorious idea they will take this puppy home and it's going to be perfectly trained. It's not! They need to do training!
And there are people who give up after three days of not sleeping. They think they have the worst dog in the world! So, I think it would be good to set these expectations straight. When you take a a puppy home, it's not going to be everything you want it to be."
So, house training with a crate should be one of your first priorities when training your Goldendoodle. A crate is useful, but stock up on carpet cleaner, deodorizer, and some puppy training pads as accidents are inevitable.
You will also train on basic good manners. There are many puppy-training classes available in a variety of levels. Check the yellow pages or ask someone at your local pet store, because it's best to get a referral or recommendation.
There will be times in your Goldendoodles life when it's critical to their safety they obey your commands. Make sure they're trained that obeying you is not optional!
As you can see, the problem of training your Goldendoodle is not uncommon and by committing to training, you'll
make your life a lot easier when dealing with your new puppy.
This article is part of a chapter in Edie MacKenzie's
"The Defintive Guide To Goldendoodles." For
more great tips on how to raise a healthy, fun loving,
well-behaved Goldendoodle, go to
http://www.discoveringgoldendoodles.com
