How we Trained our Mini-Goldendoodle

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=isxoxmI2a2Q

Three months ago we got a puppy and our lives will never be the same! In a good way though! However, a week after we got her I was ready to send her right back and if that didn’t work, I had a plan to sell her to a good home. All at once I was potty-training, crate-training and trying to keep my eyes on her 100% of the time on top of taking care of my own busy children and I was overwhelmed.

I was constantly thinking to myself, “What have I done?!”

I was the one who convinced my husband we needed a dog but suddenly I forgot all the reasons why I wanted her in the first place. We were so new to training a puppy and didn’t really know what we were in for. That being said, our dog was pretty quick to train. Mini-goldendoodles are a pretty smart cross-breed and we’ve enjoyed having her especially now that she doesn’t pee or chew on everything in our house.

Crate Training

The first day we brought home our puppy we headed straight to PetSmart and bought a cute little pink kennel. I read all about how dogs benefit from having a designated spot in the home to sleep in or stay in while you are away. We made sure the kennel wasn’t too big so she wouldn’t want to pee or poop in it. Otherwise, she would have to be next to the ‘accident’ until we let her out. This method worked really well! She never had an accident in her kennel.

The first night was rough. We hardly got any sleep and it was like having a newborn all over again. Except this newborn was LOUD! We started off by having her kennel in the kitchen, then it moved to the hallway just outside our room. When the yelping continued, we moved her kennel right next to where I sleep. I kept my hand next to her almost all night so she would know someone was there. It was quite ridiculous and hilarious at the same time. The second night was better. I moved her a short distance from me. The next night it was the hallway, then the next night around the corner until eventually she was back in the kitchen where she has stayed. No more yelping, thank goodness! We are now able to leave her in the kennel with food and water, a toy, and her own blanket (towel) when we leave the house and she is just fine until we get home.

Tips and Tricks

• If you have a metal crate, try putting a towel over it so the puppy feels a little more protected.
• Start with a smaller crate at first even if you know your dog will get bigger. A smaller containment helps lessen the chances for accidents.
• Know the first night is the worst but it’ll get better. Stick to whatever training method you decide on and don’t waiver. Puppies will get it eventually!

Potty Training

Potty training our mini-goldendoodle puppy was for sure the most difficult part of becoming a dog family. Our house is still fairly new so I would flip out everytime pee or poop landed on our carpet. The worst! Our first full day with our new puppy consisted on letting her outside every 30 minutes to an hour. I would watch her constantly. Shortly after drinking water, I let her out. Anytime I saw her sniffing around, it probably meant poop so I let her out. Sometimes we’d go outside and nothing would happen right away so I would bring treats with me. I started saying the word “treat” and offer one anytime she did her duty. I also started motioning my hands in a way as to show her to the grass so she would potty. It took about 2-3 weeks for her to stop having accidents in the house.

3 months later and we are still in a way “potty-training”. Belle doesn’t have accidents in the house anymore, but she doesn’t always tell us when she has to go outside. We don’t have a doggy-door (yet!) nor did we figure out how to teach her the bell method (where she rings a bell to be let out), but she does sometimes stand by the door until we let her out. She very rarely barks so sometimes we don’t even know she’s standing by the door. Basically we are still a work in progress but hey, at least we are past the accident phase!

Tips and Tricks

• Take your puppy outside every 30 minutes during the first week of owning a puppy since they aren’t able to control their bladders yet.
• Give your puppy food and water an hour before bedtime then take it away. That way they’ll have time to empty their bladders before bed.
• Reward with lots of treats when they go outside and try not to punish or get mad if they have an accident inside.

Biting/Chewing

Another obstacle we had to figure how to get around with our puppy was the constant biting and chewing on anything/everything! This was not much of a problem the first few weeks we had her since she was so small, but once she hit that 4 month old mark…aka the teething age for puppies…it got worse, fast! Our kids learned very quickly that they couldn’t leave their toys out unless they wanted them to get chewed up and destroyed. Our downstairs living area has never been so clean in the last 3 months! We are still trying to train our puppy not to go upstairs, where the playroom is located. She would chew up all the barbies and princess figurines in no time!

The best thing that worked for us to stop whatever behavior we didn’t like: nipping at the kids, jumping on the couch, stealing food off the table/highchair, was using a citronella dog training collar. Our neighbors let us borrow it and it has worked wonders! I love it because it’s not a bark collar that harms the dog. It simply sprays a citrus scent that dogs don’t like. The first button we push will beep, if that doesn’t make the dog stop the behavior we can push the button that sprays a mist. Then if that still doesn’t work, the final button will really spray out the scent. That usually stops the behavior immediately. We are now at the point where we don’t have to push any button. She knows if she’s wearing the collar that she best behave and that is amazing! You can buy one here.

Tips and Tricks

• Have lots of chew toys on hand. Rawhide bones have been one of our dog’s favorites.
• Use a spray collar to stop any bad behavior.
• Take your dog on long walks, play fetch, anything to get them tired and less hyper so they won’t get bored and start chewing up everything in sight.

Welcoming Belle into our family has been challenging at times but I can honestly say now that I don’t regret it! Puppies are tricky especially when you have young children at home, but she is their best little buddy. It is so fun to see the bond between our puppy and each of the girls. We all love her and are happy to have her a part of the family.