Last Updated on November 11, 2023 by Linda Richard
Labradoodles are one of the easiest and most fun dog breeds to raise and train. This doesn’t mean that there isn’t some know-how to master, however. Here’s how to train a Labradoodle puppy – all the basics to get you started.
Whenever we say that a breed is “easy to train” we mean exactly that – it’s easier than other breeds but the training itself is still a must. A lot of people take that to mean that training isn’t really necessary if a breed is easy to train but that’s far from the case. An untrained Labradoodle can be just as disobedient and mischievous as any other breed.
So, while we can’t pack a whole training course in one article, let’s get you started with some of the basics below.
Table of Contents
How To Train A Labradoodle Puppy Compared To Other Dog Breeds
As a cross between two highly intelligent breeds – the Labrador retriever and the Poodle – Labradoodles are themselves exceptionally smart. More notably, they are huge people-pleasers and love to do things with and for the two-legged alpha member of their human pack.
However, that presupposes that you’ve trained your Labradoodle to view you as the alpha. If you’ve skipped that step, your Labradoodle will “people-please” only when it feels like it and not when you want it to.
So, all you need to do with this breed is create a solid basis for your relationship from an early age. Once that’s done, both you and your Labradoodle should have a long and happy time living and playing together.
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How To Train A Goldendoodle?
If you’re wondering whether there are any significant differences between training a Labradoodle and training a Goldendoodle – there aren’t. These two breeds are incredibly close in both their pedigree and their temperament. This makes training both of those breeds quite similar and easy.
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Do You Need Online Or In-Person Courses?
We’d generally recommend visiting some dog training courses for all first-time dog owners. These can be in-person courses if you have a good trainer in your local area or online courses. A word to the wise, most online dog training courses are a bit redundant and are just repackaged general info with a price tag slapped on it – nothing you can find for free online.
However, there are good, highly detailed, and professionally made online training courses too. We are especially fond of the Brain Training For Dogs program, for example.
Still, both Labradoodles and Goldendoodles are easy enough to train that you can manage them even with just a bit of light research online.
Obedience Labradoodle Training
The sooner you start this, the better. There are plenty of resources on dog obedience training online and there isn’t anything overly specific about Labradoodles that should you prevent you from managing just fine as long as you know the general basics. This includes things such as:
- Always be the one who leads when you’re walking your dog on a leash
- Never feed your dog first – you should be the first to eat and do so in front of the dog
- Don’t let your dog win at tug-o-war every time – you should be the victor in almost all cases
- Make sure that your dog understands you are the one who decides when things happen – walks, treats, playtime, and so on
- Teach your dog all basic commands such as sit, drop, lie down, etc. Then use those commands in your everyday interactions and playtime with the dog
- Always use positive reinforcement for good behavior and ignore bad behaviors – Labradoodles don’t respond well to negative reinforcement
These are just some basic examples and you should go the extra mile when preparing for your first dog.
Potty Labradoodle Puppy Training
Potty training is a process that needlessly intimidates a lot of soon-to-be dog owners. There isn’t anything too complicated in it, however, especially when it comes to smart and obedient breeds like the Labradoodle.
The most crucial part of potty training is patience and persistence. While adult Labradoodles are obedient people-pleasers, puppy Labradoodles are playful opportunists.
So, any lack of routine will delay the effectiveness of the potty training with days and potentially even more. That is why people who work away from home often struggle with potty training their dogs. Ideally, there should always be a family member at home while this process is ongoing to make sure that the dog understands as quickly as possible how things should be.
And, again, as with obedience training – never use negative reinforcement with a Labradoodle. Instead, use positive reinforcement and give your dog a clear understanding of what each space in your home is for.
Crate Labradoodle Training Tips
Crate training is a very crucial part of raising a dog as well as of its potty and obedience training. This process both teaches your dog not to do certain things in your home and it gives it a safe personal space to chill at. Essentially, a dog’s crate is meant to be its personal bedroom.
Labradoodle and Goldendoodle Socialization
Another key question is how to train a Labradoodle puppy to be social and friendly toward strangers. Both of the doodle breeds are inherently social and outgoing but this doesn’t make socialization any less necessary – it just makes it easier and more effective. A dog that isn’t socialized well will grow to be shy and fearful of strangers and of guests. This can be both annoying and inconvenient for you and highly stressful for the dog.
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How To Train A Labradoodle Puppy To Get Along With Children?
Labradoodles are quite good with children thanks to their social and playful yet gentle nature. However, there are still some traps you can fall into when raising a Labradoodle together with a small child. Even those will rarely lead to aggression on the dog’s part but they can lead to some accidents. So, there are quite a few tips you can read up on when it comes to raising dogs with children:
- Make sure the dog’s crate is off-limits for your kids
- Teach your child not to torment the dog physically or to yell around it
- Toys should first be given to the child so the dog learns not to be possessive over them
- Let your kid give the dog treats
- Teach your child to partly care for the dog by fillings its water bowl or groom it
These and other small tricks are incredibly useful for ensuring that your child and Labradoodle will get along swimmingly without any accidents. Of course, supervision, in the beginning, is also always a must.
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