A male dog is like a man; give him a sandwich and a remote and he’s content. Give the same things to a female and she’ll spend time looking for the perfect place to put it.

You know best which dog personality suits your family. The male wants your affection, then is content to relax beside the fireplace. The female wants your affection, then chooses to sit beside you.

People using or doing the following:
• Using a cane, walker, wheelchair
• Skate boards, bicycles, rollerblades
• Children’s riding toys
• Children playing in a group
Places to visit:
• Pet parks
• Sporting events
• other people’s homes
• outdoor parking areas
• veterinarian’s office
• groomer
• stairs
• elevator
• bus stop

Things/Sounds at home
• vacuums
• brooms mops sweepers
• pots/pans clattering
• hair dryer
• fans
• washer/dryer
• blender
• timer/alarm
• radio/music
• television
• children playing
• exercise equipment

After your puppy has mastered “sit” and “down”, it’s time to teach “stay”.

Have your puppy sit or lie down; while in his position hold a treat in front of his nose. While he is still in position say “stay” and reward him. Repeat this several times before you give a release command such as “ok” or “free”.

If he changes position without being told to do so, give the “sit” or “down” command and repeat the reward for staying in position.

Once he’s getting the idea, say “stay” and whisk the treat behind your back. Pause a few seconds then quickly put the treat in front of his nose – you don’t want him to jump for the treat. Gradually increase the length of time between the command “stay” and the reward. When the puppy stays for 30 seconds, begin taking a step away from him – step back to him and reward. You want to return to the puppy rather than have him come to you. Reward him for his good stay before you release him.

Practice with Leash:

If the puppy is trained to walk with a leash, an easy practice is to sit on the floor with the puppy. As he wanders say “come”, at the same time tug on his leash – reward when he gets to you.

Practice with Chase

During playtime in the yard, play with the puppy to get his attention, begin running away from him saying “come”. Allow him to catch you; praise and reward.

This lesson needs to be practiced in increasingly distracting surroundings. Always use a lead when not in a confined area.

Begin by having your puppy sit.

Hold a treat in front of his nose.

Slowly move the treat down towards his toes.

If he follows the treat, when he’s close to being down, command “down”

Praise with a “yes” and reward with a treat.

If he needs a little more direction, start again and move the treat more slowly.

If even more direction is needed, try sitting on the floor beside him. Hold the treat under your leg so he is forced to lie down to get the treat. As he goes down on his tummy say “down” and reward.

With every training session, give the command as the behavior is accomplished, followed by immediate praise and reward. As the behavior is learned begin giving the command before the puppy does his trick.

Begin by holding a treat at the end of the puppy’s nose,

Move the treat back over his head.

As he sits give the command “sit”

When the puppy sits; immediately praise with “yes” as you reward with the treat.

The praise and reward should be immediate so he associates his new behavior with the reward.

The first time or two you may need to push his bottom down with one hand as you hold the treat at the tip of his nose with the other. Important to remember: praise and reward are immediate when he sits.

If he jumps up, hold the treat lower.

Initially your “sit” command will be given as the puppy sits. As he progresses; begin giving the command before he sits on his own.

As he learns to do his new trick, continue with praise and gradually drop the treat.

Dog Psychology and Dog Toys

Dogs like to work. They also like to play. Most of all, they like to be involved.
Dogs are pack animals and need structure and interactions. For a pet dog, that means you are the pack. You need to do more than just feed and water your dog. You need to care for his mental health. And there’s more to that than chew toys.

Dog Toys with Treats in Them

Most dogs love those old standards, chew toys. Many pups are quite content to gnaw their chew toys to oblivion, but doodles need more mental stimulation, at least some of the time.

Toys with treats in them give your pet a challenging puzzle to solve, that presses their instinctual buttons and rewards them at the end with a dog treat. Some examples are Canine Genius and High IQ; they are plastic shapes with treats inside which the dog must find a way to get out. Both the Canine Genius and High IQ are connectable, so as your dog figures out how to get the treats out, you can make it harder so he won’t get bored.

Another example of this type of dog toy is The Waggle; it helps clean your pet’s teeth when he plays with it. Your dog bites the slits in the toy. His teeth sink into the grooves. The grooves stimulate the gums and clean the teeth, and dispense treats or kibble for your pet. These chew toys come in various sizes for different sizes of canines, but also come in different degrees of toughness so you can adjust for the destructiveness of your dog’s chewing ability.

Dog Toys Stimulate Your Pet’s Mind As Well As His Teeth

These toys all have one trait in common: they can reward your dog as the task is completed. This provides mentally stimulating play for your dog, which can help keep them from being bored, and a contented, tired pet is less likely to destroy everything you own by chewing it.

We offer a variety of toys in The Doodle Shop, all selected with the superior doodle intellect in mind.

When training your dog, timing is extremely important. This means each time you ask your dog to do something, you only have a second or two to let the dog know he has done the right thing or the wrong thing. If you miss this window of opportunity, it may be too late for your dog to connect his actions to your reward or punishment. If your dog does the right thing, immediately reward him by giving him something he likes, like a treat or a belly rub. Equally as important, if your dog does the wrong thing, let him know by either ignoring him or refusing to give him the treat he is yearning for.

Providing instant feedback to your dog about his performance will establish clear lines of communication which will result in effective and happy training lessons.

Socializing your doodle is an important factor of owning him/her, perhaps even more so than training them to understand basic obedience cues. By socializing your dood properly, you are teaching him/her that the people, animals and objects he/she encounters on a daily basis pose no threat of any kind, in fact, these things can be fun.

A great time for socialization is during your walks around the neighborhood. Before leaving your home, grab several treats and store them away in a treat pouch or pocket. When a stranger approaches, have your dog sit next to you, then hand the person some treats. Ask the person to slowly approach your dog and give the dog a few treats from their open hand and at the dog’s level. Praise the dog lavishly for taking the treats. Continue your walk and repeat the above scenario for each person you come across, making sure the dog sits before receiving the treat. Giving your dog food treats around unfamiliar people, will help build a positive association to approaching humans. The dog will soon learn, “People are fun. When a person comes, I get a treat.”

Work on socializing your dog to different people, based on age, gender, race, clothing accessories, etc. starting with the least threatening.

By incorporating obedience cues with proper socialization, your dog should grow up to be a well-mannered member of the family.

WHAT KIND OF CRATE IS BEST?
The decision is simply a matter of personal preference, however, I like the wire mesh crate for puppies. Collapsible wire mesh crates have the advantage if being collapsible for transport; they have great air flow, and enable the puppy to see a wide portion of his surrounding area. Some wire mesh crates come with an adjustable partition. This allows the crate to “grow” with the puppy thereby illuminating the need to purchase a new crate as the puppy matures.

WHAT SIZE SHOULD THE CRATE BE?
The crate should be long enough to allow the dog to lay down stretched out flat on his side, and tall enough to allow the dog to sit up without hitting his head.

WHERE IS THE BEST LOCATION? The primary reason for using a crate is to confine the puppy without isolating him; the crate should be placed in, or as close as possible, to a “people area ”. Areas such as the kitchen, family room etc. The crate location should also be free from drafts and not too near a direct heat source. Make sure the crate won’t be in sunlight coming through a window. A dog crate is not considered “beautiful” furnishing, however, it does provide your puppy with his own room, and enables your home to remain intact while training is progressing.

CRATING A PUPPY
The initial complaints he might voice are not normally due to the crate, but rather about his learning to accept the controls associated with his unfamiliar environment.
Bedding can be provided by using an old towel or piece of blanket which can be washed (should an accident occur) and some worn unlaundered article of clothing such as a tee shirt, or old shirt (to help familiarize him with your scent). Do not put food or water in a puppy crate. Prior to crating, be sure to remove the pup’s collar which could become caught in an opening.

A “crate routine” should be established immediately, closing the puppy in the crate at regular intervals of 1-2 hours during the day. Take the puppy out to “potty” before crate time, offer a fun chew toy, place the puppy in the crate, and walk away. The crate should not be used for punishment, simply for supervision purposes.
You should plan on using the crate for at least 5 to 6 months. At this age your pup will be past the teething phase – at which time you can start leaving the crate door open at night, or when someone is at home during the day, or when he is going to be left alone for a brief period of time. If there are no incidences for a week or two, and the dog is behaving well when left alone, you may be ready to remove the crate itself and place the dog’s bedding in the same spot. Initially the dog may miss the crate enclosure, but the dog still has his “place”, and the habit of good behavior should continue. If any problems arise the crate routine can be re-established.