Poodle Training Guide – Crate, Toilet & More Tips!

If you’ve just added a Poodle to your furry family, then you might want to know how you should go about training your new dog. Thankfully, Poodles are one of the more intelligent dog breeds, so this process will be made a lot easier for you.

So, if you’re interested in learning how to train a Poodle, then our comprehensive guide should help you out.

Should I Train My Poodle?

All dog owners should train their dogs regardless of whether they have Poodles or any other dogs. Training will help keep your dog mentally stimulated, well-behaved, and happy.

If you have a Standard Poodle, Miniature Poodle, or even a Toy Poodle, they all have high levels of energy, so combining some obedience training with exercise will go a long way in keeping your dog happy. This will also prevent them from starting bad habits like chewing, digging and barking excessively.

Are Poodles Easy To Train?

Poodles are incredibly easy to train, as their intelligence makes it easy for them to retain knowledge and learn quickly. Poodles are also very eager to please, so your dog will be happy to do some training if it makes you happy.

What Kind Of Training Does A Poodle Need?

Poodles don’t need any specific training outside of the normal obedience training, house training, and lead training. Crate training is optional, depending on whether you keep your dog inside when you are away from home or if you live in an apartment.

Toilet Training A Poodle Puppy

Toilet training is very important for your Poodle, especially if it’s going to spend a lot of time indoors. Otherwise, you will spend a lot of time cleaning!

When to start training your Poodle puppy?

A dog trainer will normally recommend that you start toilet training your dog when they are between 12 and 16 weeks old. When your Poodle reaches this age, it will be able to control its bladder and bowels, so it will be easier to implement training.

How to toilet train your Poodle puppy?

House training your Poodle will not be difficult if you do it properly, as the breed is extremely intelligent.

1. You will need to figure out how often your Poodle pup needs to do its business and then schedule that many opportunities to take your dog outside or to their potty spot.
2. You should reward your dog with a treat and some affection if you take it to its toilet spot and it does its business. You should be sure to keep your schedule consistent so your dog can learn it easier.
3. Your dog will eventually begin waiting by the door when they need to do their business around these times, and this shouldn’t take too long with a Poodle.

Crate Training Your Poodle

Crate training can seem harsh, but it can be beneficial for your dog if you live in an apartment or if you plan to keep your dog inside when you leave home.

Why is it important to crate-train your Poodle puppy?

Crate training is an important training method as it will give your dog a safe place to hide if they feel scared or overwhelmed, and it can stop your dog from getting up to bad behaviour when you aren’t home.

When to start crate training your Poodle puppy?

You should be able to start crate training most dogs by the time they are 8 weeks old, and this will be no different for your Poodle pup.

How to crate train your Poodle puppy?

• Step 1: Choose the right size crate. You will first need to purchase an appropriately sized crate, which will depend on what type of Poodle you have. Standard Poodles will require larger crates than Miniature Poodles, and Toy Poodles will be fine with smaller crates.
• Step 2: Slowly introduce your dog to the crate. You should first introduce your dog to the crate by sitting near it after filling it with soft bedding. Your dog may climb into the crate if it is inquisitive enough, but if not, you may need to coax it inside with some treats.
• Step 3: Feed them in the crate. Once they are comfortable being in the crate, you can begin feeding them inside their crate. If your dog is uncertain about this, place their food bowl closer to the entrance of the crate.
• Step 4: Close the door for short periods. When they have started to eat inside their crate, you can close the door until they have finished their meal. Keep the door closed for a little longer after this, and extend this time every time they eat until they stay in their crate for about 10 minutes after a meal.
• Step 5: Keep them in the crate for longer. You can then begin experimenting by encouraging your dog to use their crate while you are home with them. Once they are fully comfortable with their crates, you can start a routine to try and get them to go inside their crates before you leave home.

Once they have mastered this, your dog should be comfortable staying in its crate while you are away from home. You should, however, never leave them in their crate for too long.

Pros and cons of crate training

To best understand if crate training is worth the effort, owners should always be aware of the pros and cons that come with this specific training.

The pros of crate training are that it will

• It will keep your dog away from anything dangerous or fragile in your household.
• It can provide them with a safe place to go if they feel scared
• It can help with toilet training if they have a pee pad in their crate.

The cons of crate training are

• Your dog may become stressed and try to break out of its crate, which could cause it to hurt itself.
• This distress will also not be good for your Poodle’s overall health or happiness.
• In some cases, crate training could cause separation anxiety.
• Leaving your dog’s collar on or using a poorly made crate could also cause your dog to hurt itself while it is in the crate.

Can I Train My Poodle To Do Tricks?

Poodles are one of the most intelligent dog breeds around, and they often feature in dog shows, so teaching your Poodle to do some tricks should be an absolute breeze.

Positive reinforcement with treats and affection will be extremely effective in helping your dog learn quickly, and if done correctly, your dog could be playing dead and spinning in a circle in no time at all.

Tips For Training Your Poodle

All dogs are different, and their individual temperament will impact their trainability; however, Poodles, in general, are incredibly easy to train. But here are some tips to help you make the most of your training sessions.

Be consistent

Consistency is one of the most important things when training your dog, as it will help your dog to learn to trust you. Consistent training will also help your dog remember the lessons they have learned.

Positive reinforcement is key

Giving your dog treats and affection when it responds to training will reinforce the behaviour, as they will know to repeat the process if they want to receive more treats.

Avoid over-using treats

Handing out treats too quickly will stop making treats into a novelty, so they will become less effective when used with training.

You should only give your dog a treat when they do exactly what you ask.

Consider clicker training

Using clicker training with treats is an effective way to train your dog, as it will show your dog the exact moment they did what you asked, so they will know what they are being rewarded for.

Final Thoughts on Training A Poodle

Due to their high intelligence and people-pleasing nature, training a Mini Poodle, Toy Poodle, or Standard Poodle puppy will not be particularly difficult, so long as you stay consistent and use positive reinforcement.