Goldendoodle training should be pretty easy because of their excellent temperament. However, this doesn’t mean that you don’t need to do any research, and it’s still vital to know what not and what to do to ensure that your Goldendoodle is well-trained and balanced. Let’s get to it.
Table of Contents
Positive Vs. Negative Reinforcement
As a rule of thumb, the team at Barksinthepark suggests you always use positive reinforcement over negative reinforcement. Especially with dogs that are as soft-natured as Goldendoodles, negative reinforcement can sometimes exacerbate problems by making your dog afraid and skittish. You may create phobias and secondary issues in your efforts to address the primary issue.
When your Goldendoodle does something right, take the initiative to:
- Encourage him or her with positive words such as “yes” or “good boy/girl.”
- Offer treats when your Goldendoodle is particularly successful at following instructions.
- Give your dog a rub on the head or back.
If you do, however, have no choice but to use negative reinforcement, make sure to do so smartly. Generally, it’d either involve making them wait for things if they’re impatient or demanding or ignoring them when they misbehave.
As a dog owner, shouting or even hitting your dog is not only frightening and painful for them, but it’s ultimately unhelpful.
Personality
Goldendoodles have a best-of-both-worlds kind of situation, and by this, I mean that they have some of the best traits from a poodle and some of the best from a golden retriever. This boils down to them being as bright as a poodle and as friendly as a golden retriever.
But this doesn’t mean that just because Goldendoodles are always like this: they’ll automatically be these great dogs. Remember the nature vs. nurture argument? Well, that applies to dogs too! You’ve got to train them well and understand what they need to get the best out of them.
They are quick learners, so at least you won’t have to undergo your own training, too – training in patience, that is! They’re also agreeable animals and will be eager to please, so you undoubtedly won’t have too many difficulties.
With this in mind, do remember that for the first few months of your dog’s life, they will usually attempt to acquire whatever they want at any given moment. So while they’re easy animals, puppies are still puppies!
Developmental Stages
Understanding the developmental stages of your Goldendoodle will go a long way to helping you know when and how to train your dog. Dogs will be more capable/receptive to training at certain stages.
Days 1 to 30ish
For most of this stage, your Goldendoodle puppy won’t be able to see or hear. They will be temperature sensitive and have great touch and scent abilities. Generally, the mother will lick and clean them, which the puppies find pretty stimulating.
However, in the absence of a puppy mom, you can do some early stimulation yourself by exposing your puppy to small temperature changes. You can do this with a q-tip, and it helps the dog deal with change and stress.
And because puppies also go through their early scent introduction (or ESI for short) during this time, exposure to calming scents can positively affect their development. Remember that Goldendoodles have scent receptors that are twenty-five times better than ours, so a little bit goes a long way!
Days 30-45ish
At this point, your Goldendoodle will begin to socialize. Being around other dogs (that aren’t going to harm your still-developing puppy) is very important, as your Goldendoodle will pick up social skills from other dogs.
Days 45-60ish
Here, it’s more than plausible to attempt to train your Goldendoodle puppy with some basic commands (we’ll get to specific techniques soon). They should be able to learn “come” and “sit.”
Days 60-90ish
Along with deep curiosity, you can also anticipate that your dog will be pretty apprehensive about things at this stage. They’ll begin to react with matched negativity, unsure about the items in their surroundings. Be extra gentle and patient with your puppy, during training sessions, at this stage.
Months 3+
At about three months old, Goldendoodles will be bursting with energy and, at the same time, will be slipping out of their fear bias into deeper curiosity than before. And at this point, it also becomes extra important that you read our “safety tips” section! Because they’ll be developing adult teeth, you may find a lot more chewing occurring.
After a Year
Now you can attempt a bit of advanced Goldendoodle training, teaching your Goldendoodle how to play dog sports and even scent training (such as identifying allergens in food).
Getting the Most Out of Your Goldendoodle Training
There are a couple of techniques you can apply to your day-to-day Goldendoodle training and to your dog’s life, in general, to ensure that you get the best out of your companion (without putting too much pressure on it, of course).
Helping Your Puppy Adjust
If you’ve only recently got your puppy, either from the local kennel or a breeder, and you’re preparing to bring your tiny one home, we highly recommend you give it time to adjust. How can you do this? You might be wondering. Well, you could:
- Provide your puppy with a chew toy to project its nervous energy into an item instead of letting it bark excessively or chew on the furniture (or your lovely new slippers).
- Allow your puppy frequent bathroom breaks (even if it seems excessive at first) to give it time to adjust to the new environment and the schedule you’d like it to be on ultimately.
- Be patient with your puppy during the first few weeks. Allow time for your dog to relax, and don’t try to pressure your dog into learning basic commands and other behaviors they don’t seem ready to acquire yet.
Keeping to a Schedule
Especially when they’re young and still in training, it’s so important to stick to a schedule. Goldendoodle puppies who have a schedule will automatically feel less stressed and more receptive to you and your training. Like with people, a consistent routine creates a sense of security in animals.
A stressed dog can become more aggressive because of its anxieties and harder to teach because it’s focused on what it’s feeling instead of what you’re trying to do. Especially during potty training (which I’ll cover in detail later), this is crucial.
And the earlier to stick to a routine, the better. The best results happen in Goldendoodles, who start “basic training” when they’re young.
Once They’re Comfortable, Do This
Once your Goldendoodle is happy and comfortable around you and their new home, it’s time to establish trust. This is the foundation of any healthy dog-human relationship. Once this is established, Goldendoodle training becomes so much easier.
After this is established, your dog will believe that you’re there not to harm them but to help. Goldendoodles are people-oriented, so getting this right is very important for a breed like this. It’s crucial to balance this with maintaining authority over your dog. You need to, in a way, establish dominance.
No, this doesn’t mean displaying shows of strength or anything like this. It simply means being firm without being cruel.
Puppy Training Classes
Another great way to bring out the best in your dog is to get a little bit of professional help. Although it’s more than possible to train your dog on your own, professional dog trainers will obviously, have more experience than you and will be more efficient and effective at helping your dog learn commands and unlearn/learn behaviors.
And as a nifty little side bonus, your dog will get the opportunity to improve its social skills by simply being around other dogs. Early socialization is key to having a well-adjusted dog who doesn’t overreact to every passing person or animal.
Safety Tips
Now, because Goldendoodles tend to have minds of their own, you really want to puppy-proof your own to prevent any accidents or escapes. So, for example, removing chewing hazards such as dangerous items and wires would go a long way to protecting not only your home but the health of your puppy.
Further, if you have areas where you think your puppy might be able to slip out, such as in your yard, don’t just presume that your dog won’t go there. This breed is inquisitive and will definitely “go there!”
Additionally, these dogs are pretty fast runners. So if your Goldendoodle, as a focused and curious breed, sees something of interest, such as a car or a boy on a bicycle, you can rest assured that they’ll go on their adventure. This is especially true if you haven’t started Goldendoodle puppy training yet!
The Significance of Socialization
Socialization is so essential. Dogs, particularly young puppies, tend to get angsty when left alone. Gaining experience with other animals and people will prevent your Goldendoodle from overreacting to life around them. Bear in mind that while these dogs are not naturally aggressive, they could possibly become that due to fear.
Don’t expect too much of your dog, and use positive reinforcement for good behavior whenever you see that your Goldendoodle is behaving well around other dogs and people. Bringing them to the nearby park is a great way to systematically socialize them, especially if you don’t have other dogs at home.
Potty Training
Do you remember when we talked about scheduling? Well, that’s vital here. It is crucial to keep your puppy on a specific schedule, such as taking them out consistently at 10 minutes after meals or before bed.
Also, teaching your Goldendoodle where they should do their business is crucial. Take your dog to the same spot regularly so that they develop an association with a particular place.
Should an accident occur, don’t yell and shout, as this can cause negative associations, leading to secondary issues such as further accidents. You might even want to buy your companion a potty bell to use when they need to go.
Dogs instinctively will not do their business in places they consider their “dens,” but at first, this may occur as they are not familiar with your home yet.
Basic Obedience Training
Remember that you need to be able to walk before you can sprint. Don’t expect your dog to run marathons before they can even take a light stroll. Start with basic commands, which will inevitably create a basis for more complicated Goldendoodle training.
You could attempt to teach your dog to sit by waiting till they sit when standing by a door. Then, slowly open the door, and if they get up, close it again. Repeat the command, and wait for them to sit again. When they do, reward your dog, such as with a treat.
You can also train your dog to stay by stating the command and then walking away. If they remain in place, offer your Goldendoodle puppy a reward. Repeat as needed until your puppy stays in one place for longer and longer.
Other great commands to try to teach your Goldendoodle include:
- Catch
- Wait
- Crawl
- Spin
- Down
- Stand
- Backup
- And go to bed
Crate Training
When used moderately, crates can be a great way to help with overall training. It can offer your dog a safe place to rest, accelerate potty training, and protect your property during those chewing phases! You could also leave some of their favorite items in the crate to make it more comfortable.
As a rule, never start crate training your Goldendoodle before giving them thorough exercise, especially if they’re particularly energetic. And don’t leave your dog in their crate for more time than their age in months plus a single hour.
FAQs
Are Goldendoodles easy to train?
Yes, Goldendoodles are easy to train, and they’re very intelligent and eager to please people. This is a great combination and comes from the fact that these dogs are a mixture of the ever-eager golden retriever and the witty poodle.
How do you discipline a Goldendoodle puppy?
Sensitive dogs respond very poorly to negative reinforcement, and that’s why it’s so important to focus on positive reinforcement that they react positively to. If you need to, you can ignore undesirable behaviors instead of yelling or something akin to that.
How fast do Goldendoodles learn?
A Doodle pup learns quite quickly, although perfecting potting training could take a little while. It may take up until your puppy is around six months of age for them to be fully potty trained.