Training
Will our puppy need training?
Absolutely - the breed is highly intelligent and will be more than happy to be the leader of your family pack if you and your family don’t rise to the challenge.
Start training your puppy the moment you get home, but also remember it’s never too late to start training any dog.
Dog Training is also a lot about “People Training”. It is beneficial that all members of the human family be a part of the teaching process so the dog will hopefully learn to respect all family members, not just the trainer.
The three most important things to remember are:
you MUST be consistent
there must be repetition
the humans MUST be the boss
Dogs are Social Animals that in the wild would live in packs. Your puppy has joined your family (pack) and its natural instinct will be to “test the waters” to see where it fits into this new pack (family).
The only way your puppy knows how to do this is to continue with what it has been doing for the last 8 weeks. While it was trying to establish its place in the litter with its brothers and sisters, biting, barking, mouthing and playing were all acceptable behaviours.
Your puppy needs to know as quickly as possible where its place is in your family - and that is that humans are the BOSSES and must be respected. Even the younger children need to be assertive. I do not mean punish the puppy.
If they are not taught this from an early age they will take over, inch by inch. There are many different ideas on how to teach your puppy who is boss. I recommend that you do some research on various training methods to find what will suit your family and lifestyle.
A great place to start - Amy’s Puppy Pre School - http://www.puppypre-school.com.au/ -
I would love every new puppy owner to use this down to earth resource as they embark on this new adventure
Puppy Pre-School
I recommend that you take your puppy to a puppy pre-school or a training facility for obedience class. It is beneficial if you can include the whole family in this experience so your puppy gets the same message and signals from all members of your family.
Consistency and repetition - the key to successful obedience training.
Puppy Schools will typically accept puppies into their training courses from 8 weeks of age. The sooner you can book them in, the better. Puppy schools will require your pet to have had their first vaccination, so you will likely be required to bring their certificate with you when you attend the first class.
Puppy pre-school classes are often held at local Vet Practices, so contact your Vet for recommendations for local Puppy Schools. They also vary a lot in terms “aims”. Make sure you find a puppy school that will provide you with lots of information and are not just about socialising your puppy.
Ongoing Obedience Training
I also suggest that you continue with classes after puppy pre-school as you will find your dog will thrive on the challenge that they offer. Australian labradoodles are very intelligent dogs that require mental and physical stimulation.
Sadly, many breeds are surrendered to shelters when they are in their teens (8-18 months of age) because they have been inadequately trained & socialised. In the beginning, some families make the mistake that their new fluffy bundle of joy is like a small child and treat them more like a human being. This can lead to many behavioural problems, as your puppy grows.
A happy and content puppy/dog is one that knows its place in the family. Your extremely intelligent dog needs to listen to you and respect you, and in the long run this will ensure your puppy is a respectful, well-behaved and enjoyable family member.
These dogs are smart. I have had several different breeds of dogs over the years, golden retrievers, german shepherds, dachshunds and other crosses, but none have come close to the intelligence of the Australian Labradoodle. They are fast learners, they are quick to learn what is right but also just as quick to learn how to use their cuteness to manipulate people to get what they want.
So be ready for the challenge, stay firm and stay consistent.
Socialisation
Your puppy needs socialisation, particularly between two to four months of age. Even though they may have not had their final vaccinations yet does not mean you can’t take them to visit family & friends as long as their dogs (if they have them) are fully vaccinated.
Your puppy has already interacted with its litter mates, our other dogs and children. Also, they have been exposed to the sights and sounds of everyday indoor appliances and outdoor machines and motors. Keep exposing them to lots of new experiences so they don’t grow up to be fearful. Get them out in the car, out for walks and meeting and greeting humans and furry friends.
Your puppy, in the beginning will sleep for good portions of the day, but it will also enjoy activity with the family. If it does not get some stimulation, it will make up its own games such as “how many holes can I dig in 20 minutes”. 😱
You need to work out how much stimulation is enough, and what is too much. An overstimulated puppy may try to dominate or play too roughly, so it may take you a little while to work out where the line is, as every dog is different.
Tip: Do not allow unacceptable behaviour. The puppy needs to learn what is acceptable, which is done through consistency, repetition and REDIRECTION
Your puppy does not know what is good or bad behaviour. You (the whole family) have to teach your puppy what is right by using positive rewards and letting the puppy know when it has done the right thing. But what if the puppy does the wrong thing? This is where you need to rely on your trainer to help you solve problems as they arise so the problem does not turn into a habit. Chastising,smacking and yelling will not help and will just create other problems - even aggressive behaviour.
Before puppy comes home, sit down as a family and decide how you want your puppy to behave. What will it be allowed to do and what will it have to LEARN not to do.
For example - are they going to be an inside or an outside dog? If they are inside where are they allowed to go? Are they going to be allowed on couches or beds?
Absolutely unacceptable behaviours include:
Jumping
Mouthing, nibbling, biting
Whinging
Growling
How do we teach our puppy right and wrong?
I find the key is REWARDS. If your puppy does something good then provide lots of praise, pats and a small food treat so he/she knows they were good. Repeat this process each time your puppy duplicates this behaviour.
As the behaviour becomes more consistent, eliminate the food treat and use more verbal cues and pats. You do need to be careful with food rewards that your puppy does not decide that they would prefer treats to their meals and refuse to eat their nutritional food.
Shouting at, or smacking your puppy does not work, and may lead to other bad behavioural traits being developed
Don’t Reward Bad Behaviour (even if it is cute)
For example, if your puppy whines and barks to come inside and you let it in, you have just rewarded bad behaviour. Next time he/she wants to come inside he/she will bark and whine because that’s what they did last time and they got what they wanted.
Be Consistent
I know I keep saying this, but consistency is the key to good behaviour. Everyone must use the same commands, or puppy will be confused. It only takes one person to reward bad behaviour to ruin it for everyone else.
Food Rules
Don’t feed your puppy whilst the humans are eating, make the dog wait until you are finished. This helps them to understand the pecking order in the family. You don’t want your dog thinking they are the boss over you or your child.
Food is a dog’s equivalent of wealth, success and more! They will do just about anything for a tiny morsel of food. Use this knowledge to your advantage.
Take you puppy’s food or toys away from them from time to time, then reward them by giving them back. If they growl, be authoritative and let them know this behaviour is not acceptable. This teaches your puppy that you are boss, and reduces the risk of puppy protecting his food or toys and of young children being bitten if they try to take them away.
Hand feed your puppy from time to time so they learn to take food gently without snatching.
Dogs, Children and Rules
Don’t let your puppy think he is one of the kids or he will try to dominate them and treat them the way he treated his litter mates, which often includes using teeth.
Do not leave young children alone with any dogs unsupervised for both their sakes. What a dog may tolerate from the children in your family, may not apply to other people’s children either.
Labradoodles are very trusting and often put up with far more than they should have to – but there is always a limit for all dogs.
Children shouldn’t run away from any dog – it is in a dogs nature to chase things, they just can’t help it. If children want to run around yelling, jumping and enjoying some vigorous play put the puppy away from them so the puppy doesn’t become over stimulated.
Don’t let children chase the puppy with sticks or toys as this will frighten him/her.
Puppies, especially when they are young, tire quickly. If the puppy gets tired and tries to find a quiet place, put them in their crate or away from the action, otherwise their tiredness may turn into a growl or nip as a warning that they have had enough.
As your puppy matures she will be able to join in more exciting games, but keep it low key for now.
Training tips
Start training your puppy from the moment you bring them home.
Train regularly, at least once a day, in a quiet area, free from distractions like other animals and people.
Limit training to no more than 10 minutes at the beginning. This can be increased as the dog learns, ages and its motivation improves.
Use positive reinforcement training. Reward the dog with a treat and praise immediately after they’ve responded or obeyed a command.
Gradually reduce food rewards using verbal praise and pats.
Give your dog feedback. Without knowing what she/he did correctly how will the dog know what pleases you?
Training the dog during the dog’s first year is very important and reinforcing training and teaching new skills for the life of the dog is highly recommended. Loving your dog is great, but it isn’t enough to create a stable, well- adjusted dog. Every dog needs to have some mental stimulation and exposure to life. Use your local library, buy a book, search the web or join a class, but DO train your dog.
Enjoy! Your puppy will be a ball of fun for you and your family. Remember sometimes they make mistakes, do naughty things and challenge you!
Please Please Please - If you are not going to get an in home trainer then at least sign up and watch
Amy’s Puppy Pre School - Amy's Puppy Pre School
This will help to transition your puppy successfully into your home.
Resources
Vicki Austin's Training Advice
Is it important to train my dog (RSPCA)
Training your puppy to walk on a lead (petcircle.com.au)
Clicker training your dog (petcircle.com.au)
