How Long Does It Take to Potty Train A Goldendoodle?

Goldendoodle puppies are adorable, but potty training requires a lot of work on your part to take them outside often enough and help them understand why. Luckily, Goldendoodles tend to be intelligent and eager to please. Those are traits that make Goldendoodles easier to potty train than some other dog breeds.

It’s important to note, though, that Toy and Mini Goldendoodles may be harder to potty train than Standard Goldendoodles due to their smaller bladder.

How Long Does It Take to Potty Train a Goldendoodle?

How long
does it take to potty train a Goldendoodle? Potty training a Goldendoodle may
take anywhere from a few weeks to a few months depending on your dog’s
personality and how consistent you are with training. Most Goldendoodles are fully potty trained by the time they reach 6 months old.

Tips for Potty Training Your Goldendoodle

Potty training a Goldendoodle requires a lot of consistency, hard work, and patience on your part. Here are some tips for potty training your Goldendoodle.

• Take your puppy out every half an hour to an hour during the day.
• Take your Goldendoodle outside as soon as they wake up in the morning, after naps, and after eating.
• Keep your puppy on a regular feeding schedule and take their food away between meals. This helps them poop at more predictable intervals.
• Take your puppy outside right before bed and before you leave them alone. Always take your puppy to the same
  place every time you take them outside. The lingering scent of their previous business will remind them why they’re out there.
• Stay outside with your puppy until they do their business, so you know whether they’ve gone or not. Wait until your puppy is potty trained to let them stay in the backyard alone.
• Reward your puppy every time they go potty outside. A reward could be a treat, praise, or a walk around the neighborhood.

Potty Training Dos and Don’ts for Goldendoodles

Here are some additional dos and don’ts for potty training a Goldendoodle:

• DON’T punish your puppy for having an accident inside. It won’t teach them the proper behavior – instead, it causes fear and confusion.
• DO clap loudly to distract your Goldendoodle puppy if you catch them in the middle of the act. Startling them may cause them to stop what they’re doing so you can get them outside to finish up and reinforce where you want them to go.
• DON’T react with anger or rub your puppy’s face in an accident. They won’t understand why you’re angry or what they’ve done wrong – they’ll only learn that they need to be afraid of you, which may cause submissive urination.
• DO give your puppy plenty of time outside each time you go out. Give your puppy 10 minutes to pee or poop every time you go out.
• DON’T expect your puppy to do their business immediately every time you go outside, especially at first. Everything is new and exciting. It takes a while for your Goldendoodle puppy to learn that they’re outside to do their business rather than explore.
• DO use an enzymatic product to clean up accidents. Ammonia-based cleaners can’t get rid of the smell completely, and remaining odor may encourage your puppy to revisit the same spot. Enzymatic cleaners are better at removing odor than other products.

Why and How You Should Crate Train Your Goldendoodle

Even if you don’t plan to lock your Goldendoodle in a crate when you leave them home alone as an adult, your Goldendoodle must become comfortable with a crate as a puppy. Why?

Your Goldendoodle is very likely to encounter a crate at some point in their life. It may be at the groomer, the vet, boarding, or doggie daycare.

If they haven’t been properly introduced to a crate as a puppy, being confined can be terrifying, and your Goldendoodle may hurt themselves trying to escape the kennel.

Crate training your Goldendoodle as a puppy can prevent them from ripping out their toenails or breaking off teeth, trying to escape from a kennel as an adult. However, it also makes potty training easier.

There’s no good reason not to crate train your puppy, even if you don’t intend to use the crate long-term.

Tips for Crate Training a Goldendoodle

Dogs are den animals, and crate training done properly provides a safe place for your Goldendoodle where they can be comfortable and feel protected. A kennel should be more like a bedroom for your dog than a prison cell. Here are some tips for crate training a Goldendoodle:

• Buy the right crate. A crate should be large enough for your Goldendoodle to stand up, lie down, and turn around. However, if it’s too big, your puppy may decide one side of the crate makes a good bathroom. Some large crates come with a divider, which allows you to make it smaller for your puppy and bigger when they grow.

Goldendoodle Crate Size Chart

	Height	Weight	Crate Size
Miniature Goldendoodle	13 to 20 inches	15 to 35 pounds	36-inch (Medium)
Standard Goldendoodle	17 to 20 inches	20 to 40 pounds	42-inch (Large)
Large Goldendoodle	20 to 40 inches	50 to 90 pounds	42-inch (Large) OR 48-inch (XL)

For crate recommendations, check out my other article, What Size Crates Do Goldendoodles Need?

• Feed your puppy in their crate. You want your puppy to associate the kennel with good things, like food. Your puppy should have a positive association with the crate.
• Don’t use a crate as punishment. The goal is for your Goldendoodle to eventually go into the kennel voluntarily, which they won’t do if they associate the crate with punishment.
• Line the bottom of the crate with old towels. There’s a good chance your puppy will chew up their bedding as they get used to spending time in a kennel. Don’t invest in a nice bed for the crate until you can be sure that your puppy won’t chew it up.
• Provide special treats in the crate. If you’re leaving your Goldendoodle alone in the kennel for a while, provide a special treat that they only get while they’re in their crate, like peanut butter inside a Kong that’s been frozen overnight.

• Take your puppy out of the crate often for potty breaks. Small puppies have small bladders and can’t “hold it” all day. At most, your puppy can hold their bladder for one hour per month of their age plus one. That means your 2-month-old puppy that you just brought home needs to go out at least every 3 hours, even at night.
• Make sure your dog goes in the crate “naked.” Ensure your Goldendoodle puppy doesn’t have on a collar, harness, sweater, or any other clothing or accessory when they go in their kennel – it can get snagged on something and strangle your puppy.
• Slowly increase the length of time your puppy stays in the crate. It’s OK to leave your puppy in the kennel overnight (as long as you take them out for potty breaks as needed). However, you should gradually increase how long your puppy spends in the crate every day. Start with just 5-10 minutes at a time and build up from there rather than throwing them
  straight into 8 hours alone in the kennel.
• Be patient. Potty training and crate training can both take up to 6 months (or longer) before your puppy is finally able to hold their bladder for long periods and be comfortable in the kennel without crying.

Obedience Training Your Goldendoodle

Luckily, Goldendoodle puppies generally do well with obedience training thanks to their intelligence and desire to please. Here are some basic obedience commands and how to teach your Goldendoodle how to do them:

• Sit – Gently push your puppy’s butt down and say “sit” once. 
• Down – Once your Goldendoodle has mastered “sit,” use a treat to entice them to lay down while saying “down.”
• Come – Using a long leash, gently tug on the leash while saying “come.” Practice this several times a day until your puppy comes without you pulling on the leash.
• Leave it – Place a treat in front of your puppy and say “leave it” every time they try to take the treat. Say “OK” when your puppy can have the treat, and follow up each success with plenty of praise.
• Stay – Tell your Goldendoodle to “stay,” then walk a few feet away. If the puppy moves, start over again. Reward staying immediately with treats and praise.  

Final Thoughts

Goldendoodles are amazing dogs who are relatively easy to potty train. However, it may take up to six months of consistent work on your part before your puppy finally understands that they need to “hold it” until you take them outside.

Also, keep in mind that your puppy has a tiny bladder and that Mini and Toy Goldendoodles may have more difficulty holding their bladder since they have smaller bladders than Standard Goldendoodles. If your puppy has an accident because you waited too long to take them outside, the fault lies with you, not them.