Can Goldendoodles Be Easily Trained?
With the clever Poodle and loyal Golden Retriever as its parents, you might think that the Goldendoodle can be easily trained. After researching the experiences of several different Goldendoodle owners, we have an answer that might surprise you.
Can Goldendoodles Be Easily Trained?
Yes, Goldendoodles are easy to train. They’re a great option for first-time pet owners and those with no-training experience. However, how you train them can determine how successful the training actually is. Read on to make sure you train your Goldendoodle the best way.
Why are Goldendoodles Easy to Train?
The ease of training Goldendoodles has to do with its heritage. A Goldendoodle is made up of a Poodle and a Golden Retriever. There are three different types of Poodle that may be used in your hybrid. The Toy Poodle is the smallest. The Miniature is a little bit bigger. The standard Poodle is on par with a Golden Retriever.
Poodles are notoriously smart. They were bred that way. Originally, Poodles were used to swim after waterfowl that fell in the water during the hunt. It’s also why they have their characteristic curly hair. It keeps them protected from the water.
Poodles needed to be able to quickly respond to commands given to them by their owner. That requires keen intelligence. That cleverness has been passed down through the generations. While most Poodles may no longer be used for hunts, their intelligence remains.
According to the American Kennel Club, the Golden Retriever is another intelligent dog. Similar to the Poodle, it was also trained to pursue waterfowl and other birds. Breeders needed a dog that was a powerful swimmer and was eager to work. Thus, the Golden Retriever was born.
With two intelligent parents in its heritage, the Goldendoodle is understandably bright as well. That makes it ideal for learning new commands. However, intelligence isn’t the only thing that matters when training a dog.
Why Attention Spans are Vital in Goldendoodles
Another crucial part of being able to train your dog successfully is their attention span. A dog may be intelligent, but it won’t train well if it’s easily distracted. Luckily, both the Golden Retriever and the Poodle have great attention spans. This is due to their background as hunting dogs.
These types of dogs were required to maintain focus for long periods of time. They needed to be ready to respond to a command at any given notice.
If you find that your Goldendoodle still gets distracted by anything and everything, then you can help improve their attention span by including a tasty treat into your training. This shouldn’t be a standard dog treat either. It should be smelly and delicious.
An example might be a bit of meat that you’ve taken from your home-cooked chicken or turkey meal. You can be sure your Goldendoodle will have a laser-point focus on you when you have that treat in your hand.
Why Your Goldendoodle May Be Difficult to Train
Dogs are just like people. They each have their own personality. Some are complete opposites of their parents. You may find that you have a Goldendoodle that refuses to listen or train. There are a few reasons why this might be the case. The first is that the Goldendoodle is older. If you rescued a Goldendoodle, then you can’t be sure of what its life was like before you.
It may have been abused. It may have been neglected. You have to work through the trauma in order to make the dog feel safe in your company. When they feel safe, they’ll start to trust you. Once that trust is earned, they’re more willing to learn from you.
Another reason your Goldendoodle may be difficult to train is that it’s shy. Some dogs are just naturally shy, even from birth. Such dogs require you to earn their trust as well. This can be done by playing with them or just spending time around them. As dogs grow more comfortable around you, they’re more likely to trust you.
The most important thing about training difficult Goldendoodles is that you’re patient. Using negative reinforcement during your training isn’t going to win you any favors. In fact, it may even ruin your training because your dog may come to fear you.
Socialization is a Key Part of Training
When you first receive your Goldendoodle, one of the first activities you need to start right away is socializing them. Once they have their required vaccines, you should take your dog to the dog park. Letting your puppy visit other dogs and people is called socialization.
It’s helpful because it makes them calmer in the presence of other dogs and people. Being around other animals and people is normal for them. When they spot another dog or person near them, they’re less likely to bark or tug at the leash. Or, if they do, they’re easier to deter away because they’re not super invested in determining whether or not the dog or person is a threat.
The great part of a Goldendoodle is that their parents are already friendly. Poodles may be a bit stand-off-ish, but they aren’t aggressive towards other dogs or people. Golden Retrievers are extremely friendly. There’s a reason why so many families own one.
They get on well with other dogs and can bond with the entire family. This friendly outlook on life may be passed down to your Goldendoodle. It can make them more open to meeting other dogs and people without causing a scene.
In regards to training, socialization is vital because it helps limit distractions. You can keep your dog’s attention focused on you while you train. Even more importantly, they’ll remember their training when in the presence of other dogs and people. Because they’re used to other dogs and people being around, they’re not as excited.
This enables them to pay more attention to you and the commands that you’re giving.
Why You Should Train Your Goldendoodle with Positive Reinforcement
There are two main philosophies behind dog training. They are negative reinforcement and positive reinforcement. Negative reinforcement includes the use of deterrents to punish bad behavior. That might include yelling, using loud sounds, or the use of a shock
The unfortunate thing about using negative reinforcement is that it doesn’t work well with dogs. Dogs don’t have quite enough intelligence to make that association. It only corrects the behavior over a short time. Even worse, it usually inflicts harm on the dog. This may be physical harm through the use of a shock
A much better way to train your Goldendoodle is with positive reinforcement. This includes the use of treats, primarily, to teach your dog good behaviors. Most training is accompanied by the use of a clicker. This is a device that allows you to make a clicking sound. When the dog hears the clicker, it knows that a command is being issued. If it follows the command, then it will receive a treat.
Clickers are helpful because they emit a sharp sound that gets the dog’s attention quickly. When you’re in the park and there are several dogs barking around you and children laughing, then it can be hard for your dog to hear or focus on your words alone. The use of a clicker is sharp and can cut through the din of noise. Your dog will focus on the noise immediately, allowing you to give them a command.
Treats are another important part of positive reinforcement training. You can use standard dog treats to begin their training with the clicker. Whenever you click it, give your dog a treat. This makes the association between the sound and a treat.
Then you can start to introduce commands. These commands may be vocal or physical. Some Goldendoodle owners use sign language, for example, to give commands to their dogs. Simple gestures may be easier for dogs to understand than verbal commands. That’s because while verbal commands may be confusing since they don’t know our language, physical gestures are language-less.
Each time the dog follows through with the command, you should always give them a treat. You may need to break certain commands down into parts. An example might be teaching your dog how to ring a set of bells to indicate that they need to go outside. This process may need to be broken down into several steps like introducing the bells, using them on interior doors, then finally using them on exterior doors.
Goldendoodles will take to the learning because they like to learn. Part of learning is mental stimulation, and intelligent dogs require plenty of it.
How Long Does it Take to Potty Train a Goldendoodle?
The average time it takes to potty train a Goldendoodle is six months. That number fluctuates depending on how well you’re able to train them. The key part of successfully housetraining your Goldendoodle is consistency. Your puppy will learn quickly if you give them the time they need to learn.
It also helps to train them according to a schedule. That schedule may start off as taking them out every four hours. Then you might extend that to six hours. Finally, to ensure they’re able to stay inside without using the bathroom while you’re at work, you should train them for eight hours.
But you need to be consistent.
If you break the schedule, then your puppy may become confused. It may take longer to properly housebreak them as a result.
You can also train them according to certain hours of the day. Perhaps you want your puppy to go outside at noon, 4 PM, 8 PM, etc. Then you should start training them for those hours. As they grow up, their potty breaks will be synced with those hours.
Start Training Your Dog Successfully
Goldendoodles can be easily trained provided you understand the basic foundation of dog training. Sometimes you can potty train your Goldendoodle as quickly as six months. Using positive reinforcement is the best way to train your dog. They remember lessons with rewards better than lessons with punishment or pain.