Making the Choice to Have Pets

English goldendoodles are beautiful dogs. They make excellent, family-friendly pets, and they tend to live long, happy lives. However, like most dogs, English goldendoodles are not always easy to train. They require consistency, a lot of positive reinforcement, and patience. Here are a few tips that will help you more effectively train your new English goldendoodle.

1. Stick to a schedule.

Many dogs like a schedule, but goldendoodles especially need a schedule. They need to know what to expect, and when. This might mean that you need to stick to a more specific in your own life. Get up at the same time each day, feed your dog at the same times each day, and take him or her out for bathroom breaks at the very same time. Goldendoodles can act up, chewing things and creating mischief, when they are not sure what's going to happen next. Keeping them on a schedule will minimize this behavior.

2. Give them attention preemptively.

Some goldendoodles learn that if they act out, you will give them attention. Even if that attention is you getting frustrated with them or yelling at them, it's what they crave. A good way to keep your goldendoodle from resorting to annoying behaviors is to provide them with attention preemptively when they are behaving well. This way, you are rewarding good behavior.

3. Crate train them at night.

Like most dogs, goldendoodles can be tough to potty train, especially at night. The most effective way to potty train them at night is to rely on a crate. When they are crated, they usually won't go potty since doing so would dirty their limited space. Let your dog out to go before putting him or her in the crate for the night, and then let them out again first thing in the morning. Stick to this arrangement for a year to ensure the potty habit is well established before you stop crating your dog.

4. Keep them on the leash for now.

Training a goldendoodle to go off-leash takes trust and a strong bond between you and the dog. So it is important not to rush this. Keep your dog on a leash until he or she leads very well, does not try to pull you along, and obeys your commands. When you do start with off-leash training, do so in a fenced-in area so you are not worried about your dog running off (as goldendoodles sometimes do).

If you follow the tips above, you should end up with a well-trained goldendoodle who brings your family lots of joy.