Trained Labradoodle Info Page
We created this page to help our families prepare and know what to expect when they bring their puppy home. It's a lot of information. It's good to read through it prior to bringing your puppy home and reference it as needed after that.
What Your Puppy Has Learned
Your puppy has been hard at work these past few weeks. She has learned how to be separate from her siblings, become her own doggy and understand what it means to be a family pet. She has been hard at work at potty and crate training as well as learning appropriate in home and play behavior. She has learned to sleep alone at night, and wait until morning for pottying.
Changing Your Puppy's Schedule
We have had your puppy on a schedule here. A schedule can be very helpful the first few days/week (or however long you'd like to use it). We always recommend that families begin their schedule with their puppy as soon as they go home. They are very flexible at this age so it's best to get them on their new schedule right away. An example schedule is included below. It can be adjusted to times that work for your family.
Example Puppy Schedule
Below are two examples of schedules for your puppy the first week or so (or however long you choose) at home. One is a schedule for families that are home and one is for families that are away at work.
Families at home schedule below
* Free time inside means that the puppy should have access to one room only and be supervised. If someone can't be in the room with puppy, she should be in her puppy playpen or crate.
** Training sessions or alternate forms of activity can be substituted for free time/playtime. especially once your puppy has acclimated to her new home.
*** At first glance it may seem like there is a lot on the schedule! Don't worry, the schedule is basically a cycle of feeding/watering, potty breaks and crate time practices.Things on the suggested schedule can certainly be tailored to your family. The main things to take away; 1. the puppy has potty breaks every two hours. 2. the puppy does not have food and water too late into the evening. 3. the puppy is kept in some sort of confined space.
**** as you see puppy is reliable, you can extend potty breaks and freedom.
7:00 am wake up and potty break (use the same door to the same general potty space)
7:10 - 7:30 free time in a enclosed room or playpen
7:30 food and water. If they don't eat it all, that's normal the first few days.
7:45 Potty break (same door to same general potty space)
8:00 playtime in playpen with toys (or inside or outside supervised playtime, or walk).
9:15 crate time with some sort of bone if you plan to practice crate time during the day (can be helpful for continued success with night time crating). Otherwise continued playtime in pen, outside or inside (if supervised)
9:50 water break
10:00 potty break (same door to same spot)
10:10 free time outside or inside (with supervision) or play time in playpen or walk.
11:15 crate time (if you plan to practice during the day).
12:00 pm water break. give puppy a few minutes
12:10 Potty break (use same door to same area)
12:20 free time outside or inside (with supervision) or in puppy playpen or walk.
2:00 water break
2:10 potty break
2:20 free time outside or inside (with supervision) or in puppy playpen or walk.
3:30 crate time
4:10 potty break
4:20 free time outside, inside (with supervision), puppy playpen, or walk.
5:45 food and water
6:00 potty break
6:15 free time outside inside (with supervision) or playpen, or walk.
7:45 last water break
8:00 potty break
8:15 free time outside, inside, playpen, walk etc.
10:30 potty break. If this is the last potty break for the night, make sure they go potty. If they don't after 10 minutes put in crate and try again in 15 minutes.
11:00 this is the recommended bed time. Puppy should be able to do about 8 hours overnight. Adjust the time to your schedule if you go to bed/wake up earlier or later.
Families that work during the day schedule below
7:00am wake up and go potty
7:10:-7:30 free time/playtime etc
7:30 breakfast
7:45 potty break
8:00 crate time with a bully stick, some toys, or a dog toy that allows treats to be added to it.
1:00 have a friend or neighbor come over to give a potty break. If they have time to offer a little water and a long potty break so puppy can potty after drinking as well, that would be great. If the friend can only do a short trip, offering a couple of ice cubes in the crate, so she will be hydrated but hopefully not need to potty again
5:00 potty break when you arrive back home
5:30- 6:30 free time, training session, play time etc. Tire puppy out!
6:30 Dinner
6:45 potty break
7:45 last water break
8:15 potty break and then free time, outside, inside, playpen, walk etc
10:30 potty break. If this will be the last potty break for the night. If this is the last potty break for the night, make sure she goes potty. If she doesn't after 10 minutes, put in crate and try again in 15 minutes.
Clicker Training Basics
We have been using a clicker and a small treat for training. This is a positive reinforcement training method. The best way to use it is to click as soon as she does what you want and praise immensely and give a treat. The click should be first and then the praise and treat. We use it when she's simply doing something we like. For example if she's playing nicely, if she comes to where I want her to be, if she potties outside, when she's being good in her crate we click, praise and treat if we have one on hand. We also use the clicker for specific training, like sit and down as well as leash walking and can be used with anything you would like to teach.
With specific tasks like sit, we usually have the clicker in our dominant hand and some treats in our other. Sometimes we use the treat to get her attention (let her sniff it). As soon as her tush hits the floor we click and then give her the treat. It works the same with down. As soon as her belly hits the floor, we click and treat. The same goes for when we call her over to us and would be the same for anything that she is being taught. The click is first and then a treat. Once she is doing what she's been taught reliably, the click and even the treat can be removed.
Potty Training Basics
We highly recommend that you take your puppy out the same door to the same general potty spot so that she understands what she's out there to do, when you take her out to potty. We use the command "go potty" when we go out for a potty break. Your puppy should be taken on routine potty breaks, especially the first few days/week while she gets acclimated to her new home.
At the completion of the Doodle Academy program, puppies can usually go two hours in between potty breaks. If families would like to go out a little bit more often the first day or two as the puppy adjusts to her new home that could be helpful.
Crate Time & Crate Training
For crate time, we do several "crate times" during the day to practice, as well as overnight crate time. The crate is also accessible during the day, so that the puppies can go in the crate on their own if they want. Making the crate accessible and having crate times during the day can be done at home as well to continue to keep your puppy comfortable with crate time.
Even though your puppy is used to the crate, it is not unusual for her to cry at first. This is especially true once your puppy begins to bond with you. She will want to be with you, so she may fuss a bit as she gets used to it at your home.
We suggest families do what works best for them when it comes to the placement of the crate for night time. Sometimes families prefer to have the crate near them, and sometimes that does help the puppy. Other families prefer to put the crate in a room where crying can't be heard. Neither one is wrong, just depends on your preference. We normally put the crate in a separate room, with a fan or radio. We offer puppies a small treat or two and then say goodnight.
If your puppy has pottied before going in the crate at night, she should be able to go 7 hours overnight. If you would like to be more meticulous and let her out after 6 hours the first night that would be ok.
Puppy Adjustment Time
Your puppy has learned an incredible amount during this time. While your puppy is confident, social, interactive, has learned commands (doodle academy graduates), and is reliable with many things (and most likely even accident free) at this point, it is important to remember that she is still a puppy and will have an adjustment period when she goes home.
It is important to allow your puppy time to adjust to her new home and family. The first few days are the prime days for her to get to know you and bond with you, her forever family. Neighbors, friends, other dogs are all wonderful ways to continue to socialize your dog. However, allow a few days for your puppy to feel comfortable in her new home before introducing her to all the other important people (and animals) in your lives.
Sometimes puppies respond to the big change by being a little quieter than usual, sometimes they get more excited. The first couple of days usually aren't the entirety of your puppy's personality. After she has had some time to acclimate, you will see all the wonderful personality traits that make your puppy so special.
Puppy Acclimation Plan
Speaking of acclimation, remember your home is a completely new place for your puppy. New smells, new sounds, new floorplan along with a new family! Even though your puppy has been working hard for weeks at being accident free and may not have the tendency to chew on things or get into things she shouldn't, it is incredibly helpful to your puppy to limit her space for the first few days to week. This allows her the time needed to adjust and remember to apply the things she has learned to her new home as well.
Giving your puppy too much freedom too soon can lead to confusion and mistakes for the puppy. You want to see that she is consistently pottying outside before giving her more freedom and access to your home. A puppy playpen is a wonderful tool for new puppy owners. It allows the puppy to be close to their family, in a larger space than a crate, but also be confined so she cannot wander off and do anything she shouldn't.
"Free time" is a lot of fun for the puppy and the family. If you are able to focus on your puppy, having her out of her pen and in the room you are in is great. The puppy playpen is very helpful and provides a place you can quickly and easily place your puppy, if you need to leave the room.
Once you see that your puppy is not having accidents in her pen and is consistently going outside, you can give her more freedom. We still recommend limiting the space and not allowing the puppy to have free access to the entire home. This can be done by adding gates to the doorways of the room or closing the door to the room. More freedom comes with time and seeing that she is reliable when given more opportunity to be out of her pen.
As you see she is reliable having access to one room at a time, you can increase her access and so on. If you do not want to do a puppy playpen, we suggest that puppy not have access to more than one room of the home at a time and should be supervised. If you do not use a playpen, your puppy should go in her crate if you cannot supervise her.
Routine, consistency and continued training, once your puppy goes home, is key! Your puppy has a lot of knowledge and experience under her belt. She will rely on you to continue working with her and being consistent so that she can reach her full potential. Make sure everyone in the family understands the rules and expectations for the puppy. When everyone participates in the consistency for the puppy, the faster she will learn.
Thank You!
We realize this can seem like a lot of information and a lot of things to remember. It is much more in writing than it is to apply. I promise! Read over it a few times if needed and feel free to let me know if you have questions. Your puppy has all the tools necessary to be successful in her new home. All she needs is some time to adjust and a good routine (And some form of confinement) the first few days to a week, so she can use all she has learned in her new home. Being a bit more meticulous the first few days/week will pay off in a huge way as your puppy shows you just how much she knows and how great she is!
We have fully enjoyed working with your puppy. Continued time and effort and socialization will ensure that she is an incredibly rounded, incredibly fun and amazing family pet and companion for years to come. Please visit these pages for more information on caring for your puppy into adulthood.
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