Dog ownership can be challenging at the best of times, but bringing a puppy into your family is a whole different story! If you’ve recently become the proud owner of a Groodle puppy, this Groodle training guide is what you’ve been looking for.
Hopefully, by the time you’ve finished reading, you’ll have all the knowledge you need to successfully train your new addition! From crate and toilet training to teaching your pup tricks, everything you need can be found right here.
Read along for tips, tricks, and practical advice on schooling your new pup!
Yes, like all other dogs, training your Groodle is essential for preventing behavioural problems – an untrained dog can cause real chaos!
Training is an important part of being a dog owner – it provides physical and mental stimulation, builds confidence, and strengthens the bond between you and your pup.
Schooling is especially good for dogs that suffer from anxiety or those who are quite timid. It gives a sense of achievement and provides us with a way of communicating with our furry friends.
Because of their sociable nature and high intelligence, Groodles can be quite easy to train. Their happy-go-lucky attitudes and curious natures mean your pup will enjoy learning new things. They love to please and respond very well to positive training methods.
As long as you provide the right schooling and mental stimulation, Groodles even make great companions for first-time owners. They are very intelligent and benefit from early puppy classes, where they tend to thrive in ability and obedience!
Your Groodle will need early socialisation in plenty of unfamiliar surroundings. Introducing puppies to different environments can help them to grow up into stable and well-adjusted dogs and prevent bad behaviour.
Heavy-handed or harsh methods should never be used. Puppies typically learn better and quicker with positive reinforcement methods such as occasional food rewards and lots of praise and cuddles.
Training must be consistent and firm but fair. A puppy’s attention span can disappear quite quickly, so the sessions should be short and interesting.
If there’s one thing every dog needs to learn, it’s when are where it is appropriate to go to the toilet. While Groodles are good-natured and obedient, they still need to be toilet trained to ensure they don’t relieve themselves in the wrong places and are able to indicate when they need to do their business.
Here are some tips and tricks for potty training your Groodle puppy.
You can start teaching your pup to go to the toilet as soon as you bring it home. But be aware that it takes time, patience and a lot of positive reinforcement – expect quite a few accidents before your puppy gets the idea!
Remember that your house is an unfamiliar environment to your puppy, and it may feel stressed during its first few days, so there’s bound to be an accident or two.
Your Groodle pup needs to be taught gently when and where to go to the toilet. Here is how to toilet-train your new addition.
The first thing to do is to choose a designated toilet area for your pup. This could be a pee pad on your balcony if you live in an apartment or your backyard.
As soon as your pup signals that it needs to go, immediately take it to this area. This will teach it to go to that area whenever it needs the toilet.
On that note, it’s important to recognise when your puppy needs to go. Signs may include sniffing around, pacing, and circling on the spot before squatting down! Whining and pacing may also indicate that your puppy is desperate for the toilet.
Positive reinforcement can result in effective and successful training. Your puppy will begin to associate going to the toilet in the designated area with doing something right. It’s also vital that you don’t get angry about any accidents that will inevitably happen.
Your pup isn’t doing it on purpose – they just don’t have full control over their bladder. Never shout at your puppy, as this will cause fear and make things worse.
Crate training is one of the types of training, not everyone feels is necessary. But because of the benefits it brings, you really shouldn’t overlook it. Here’s some important information on better understanding why crate training is great for your Groodle.
Teaching your puppy to stay in a crate uses its natural instinct to find a quiet, comfortable, and safe place when feeling unsettled. This could be to find refuge from overwhelming or loud environments or to relax in their own space.
Crates can be an invaluable tool in preventing destructive behaviour such as chewing. They are a great tool to aid with toilet training, and crates are also a safe and convenient way to transport your dog in a vehicle, so it’s worth it to crate-train your pup.
You can start teaching your puppy to go into the crate as young as 8 weeks old. In fact, the sooner, the better. Getting your pup accustomed to a crate in the very early stages of its life will help it to settle into the new home quickly and more efficiently.
This can help nervous or timid puppies feel safe and secure and help with other aspects of schooling.
Crate training is not a quick task, but the benefits make it worth the process. There’s also a specific way dogs should be crate trained because doing it incorrectly can lead to an anxious dog. Here’s the best method to crate training your Groodle.
Put the crate in an area where the family spends a lot of time. Pop a blanket in the crate to make it more inviting. Some puppies are naturally more curious than others and may go straight in. Try placing some tasty treats in the crate to encourage timid puppies to go in.
Once you’ve introduced your puppy to the crate, start feeding them their normal meals near it. This will give your pup a good association with the crate. Once they’ve eaten a few meals near it, you can try to move the bowl inside the crate.
Once your puppy is happily eating its food in the crate without anxiety or fear, you can start keeping it in there for short periods while you’re still at home. This way, if they start to get anxious, you can take them out immediately. Once they’re gaining more confidence with being in the crate they should be able to spend longer periods inside it, with or without you in the house.
Although crates can be wonderful tools with multiple benefits for puppy schooling, there are also some drawbacks to be aware of. Here are some of the pros and cons of using a crate:
Prevents chewing and other destructive behaviour
It can help you toilet train your pup
Can provide a safe, quiet space for your dog
The confined space could be too frustrating for some dogs
It can be dangerous if it isn’t assembled correctly
It can be dangerous if the pup is wearing a collar – always remove the collar if you intend to keep your puppy in the crate for any period of time.
Yes, the highly intelligent nature of the Groodle means there are lots of fun tricks you can teach your pup. From shaking paws to hugging you, teaching tricks can provide a fun experience for both of you.
Training your Groodle can be a breeze in comparison to other dogs, but it still requires you, as the owner, to know what you’re doing and be prepared. Here are some tips and tricks to help you train your Groodle puppy.
Consistency is key to successful dog training. Changing how and when you teach your pup basic obedience commands will only cause confusion. Have a regular schedule, too – don’t do one schooling session one week and then six sessions in another week.
Puppies benefit from positive reinforcement techniques, not harsh methods. Positive reinforcement could be lots of verbal praise, cuddles, and treats as a reward for getting something right. Body language is also a good indicator to your pup that it’s done the trick or command right.
Although treats have their place in puppy schooling, it’s essential to keep them to a minimum. Apart from the fact that too many treats can cause an upset tummy, relying on them can turn into bribery and cause your pup to gain unnecessary weight!
Clicker training can be a great way to teach your pup good manners. It involves using a distinct and clear signal to show when the dog has done something right, followed by a motivational reward. This method means the dog learns quickly and enthusiastically.
Hopefully, this guide has provided everything you need to know about successfully teaching your Groodle pup. If you’re unsure, enrolling your pup in puppy preschool is a great idea. Here, you’ll learn all about normal puppy behaviour, and your pooch will have lots of opportunities to socialise with other puppies.
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