Everyone enjoys a well-behaved Doodle. But, did you know that dog obedience is getting harder to come by these days? We all have seen them — the dogs in the pet stores pulling their owners around.
You’ve seen the Doodles that are out of control and jump on everyone and everything. When you get your puppy, you have vowed that this will never be your dog. But, it can be challenging to attain that perfect image. That is why we have compiled a list of how to train your Doodle dog to be obedient.
Start Young
The earlier you start your Doodle dog obedience training, the easier it will be. Your Doodle will learn faster than dogs that have already been set in their ways. Training can start as soon as you bring your puppy home. In fact, the first training your puppy will receive is potty training.
You may find it difficult to train your Doodle dog to be obedient, but if you start good habits earlier, it could save you money on a behavioralist later. These training times are god for socialization, brain development, and your sanity. The faster your puppy learns what is acceptable behavior, the better.
Enroll In Training Classes
Most national pet stores offer a basic training class for puppies. These classes can be a quick way to get your foot in the door with training skills. You can also find great trainers in most cities across America. These people can either come to your home or meet in a class setting. Personal training can be more costly, but you can control what time works best for you.
Beginner classes can be a huge benefit for first-time dog owners. A professional will be able to teach you how to read your dog and give advice tailored to your dog’s personality. Completing a beginner’s class could be a step through the door to start training at home without a teacher.
Training Books
Sometimes training classes are not very affordable or available at all times. That is when turning to books saves the day. We love Zak George’s Guide to a Well-Behaved Dog.
Zak has proven methods that will train every dog breed in every situation with ease. He walks through common issues and how to resolve them. He even has a YouTube channel dedicated to helping people attain the perfectly behaved dog they need.
This book will cover everything you need to train your Doodle dog to be obedient. And, best of all, it also comes in Audiobook or Kindle! So you can read or listen to this book anywhere you go.
Finding The Right Reward
Another critical aspect of Doodle dog obedience training is a reward system. Not all dogs like the same rewards, so it is your job to find out which ones your dog responds to the most.
Treats
Most dogs love a tasty treat. Something small that won’t fill them up, yet enough to have them craving more. We recommend the Pet Botanics Training Reward because they are small and smell delicious.
Toys
Saving a favorite toy only for a training reward can get your dog motivated. And, chances are you won’t have to go out and buy more toys because you already have one lying around.
Clickers
Some dogs don’t respond to threats or toys but do well with clickers. This clicker kit by Karen Pryor includes a clicker, treats, and a training guide to get started.
Practice Daily
One of the best pieces of advice we can give is to practice daily. Consistency is key to how to train your Doodle dog to be obedient.
Skipping a day allows your dog too much time to forget commands or resort to bad habits. Training every day at the same time gives your dog a good routine to follow to get his head in the game.
Consistency outside of training classes is also just as important. Sticking to routines and acceptable ways to behave will help your Doodle learn quicker.
Focus On One Thing
An easy way to confuse your dog is to expect too much at once. When you are training your dog, start with only one command until mastered. After it is learned, you can add a new task. You will know when it is time to move on to new commands when they are completing the job as soon as you ask it. They will be able to repeat the trick without hesitating also.
And, when you have moved on to a new trick, it is essential to refresh with something they already know. Soon your Doodle will be able to go back and forth between different commands without hesitation.
Perfect Time To Train
You may be wondering, When do puppies calm down? After all, training a puppy that isn’t jumping all over would be so much easier. Unfortunately, most Doodle breeds do not calm down until they are at least a year old. Some of the larger Doodles won’t be fully mature and calm down until after three years old. Waiting for this is too much time wasted waiting for your Doodle to mellow out.
- So, instead of waiting, there are a few tricks to keep your puppy’s focus.
- Train your puppy later in the afternoon. That way, they are not filled with energy from sleeping all night.
- Have a training session after a long walk to burn energy.
- Never start a training session as soon as you get home. This is when your puppy is the most excited.
Short Bursts
Another great way to keep your Doodle’s attention is to train in short bursts. Short sessions are especially helpful for the Doodle that has a hard time focusing for more than an hour. Keeping your training times to 10-15 minute bursts throughout the afternoon could be more beneficial than all at once. It will give your dog time to run around and play before regrouping after a 20-minute break.
This also helps with keeping more consistent with training every day.
Setting
When you are first training your puppy, it is a good idea to train them away from distractions. They will be able to learn dog obedience without interference from outside forces and learn them quicker. But, the real test is in different settings. Once you are confident your dog knows a command, take them to a new area. For example, dog parks, around the neighborhood, or a pet store are all great places to enhance obedience skills.
You can even get a training vest like these from Topple to prevent people from coming up and disrupting your training session. A perfectly well-behaved dog will listen to his owner no matter what the situation is.
Simple Phrases
A common mistake that people make is not keeping command phrases simple. If you tell your dog, “Stop jumping on me,” he will most likely not understand as well. But, if you say, “Down,” he will realize faster when you want him to do. Doodles train better with one or two-word commands. The longer you make the command, the more complicated it becomes for your dog.
Dog’s do not understand the concept of our language, so simple phrases come across better along with small hand gestures too.
Start Simple
Starting training off with simple commands and working to more complex ones will save you a lot of time. Tricks like sit, lay down, and stay are great for beginners. Then you can move on to more complex commands like stay, heel, and rollover. If you start at too complicated of a trick, your dog could resist and take longer to train.
Starting simple gives your dog easy things to learn first. It boosts their morale to learn more complicated things later. Since Doodles are so intelligent, it won’t take your dog long to learn these simple phrases in dog obedience. They love a challenge and will soon move on to more complicated tasks.
Patience
The most valuable thing you can have on your side is patience. Your dog most likely won’t learn everything in a day. It takes time, repetition, and patience. Your dog will have good and bad days with training. They will have mood swings or even days where they don’t feel up to it. Sometimes it is best to know when to call quits for the day, and when to press on.
It is also important to remember that your dog picks up on your mood. If they sense that you are frustrated or angry at them, it will delay the training process. Doodles are known to be very in tune with their owner’s feelings.
Being mindful of this and keeping your emotions in check will help your dog feel safe. If they feel safe and appreciated, your Doodle will learn any curve ball you throw at them.
In Conclusion
All in all, training your dog obedience can be as simple as 1,2,3. All you need are the right tools and attitude to make that happen. Everyone will compliment you on how good your dog is. And you can be proud of that.
Below is a Pinterest friendly photo…. so you can pin it to your Doodle Board!!
