Labradoodles are wonderful dogs. They are great members of the family and love to be with their pack and are very smart dogs.
By that, we mean they learn quickly and have a great memory.
Better yet, you only have to tell them not to do something a couple of times.
The Importance of Training Your Labradoodle Basic Commands
As we mentioned, Labradoodles are incredibly smart. This makes training them just as important.
Without basic commands, you will find that they will easily start to learn bad habits. Commands that you teach them will help them learn to behave and teach good habits.
Should your Labradoodle misbehave, then the commands also work to correct their actions. Once a bad habit is learned, it will be much harder to train the bad habit out of your Labradoodle.
Teaching your puppy early on will make a big difference in their obedience, and in general, it will make life easier for you too.
Remember that training your Labradoodle with commands is only just part of the overall obedience training that they should go through.
Working with your pup to avoid things such as jumping on people, separation anxiety, and destructive behavior is essential.
These behaviors need to be nipped in the bud early on to prevent them from becoming habits.
How to Train a Labradoodle
The smart nature of Labradoodles means that they need a specific approach.
Most Labradoodles will absorb your training very quickly, but they pay attention to more than just the commands you give them; they also pay attention to how you train them.
Using aggressive training methods will result in your Labradoodle getting scared during the training.
Being scared can result in several different problems; most importantly, the aggression or intensity of your training can cause your pup to not retain as much of the training.
Training should be a fun experience for your puppy. Second, many puppies have become scared of people after experiencing training methods that were too aggressive.
You don’t want your training to result in negative behavioral patterns. Fear of specific people, genders, reduced training effectiveness, anxiety, and more are all just some of the possibilities.
Use strict but positive and calm training techniques. Praise works well. Food motivation is great as a start but should not be your only method of training as it often results in Labradoodles expecting food every time they perform an action.
Instead of a treat, rewarding your puppy with the ability to play with their favorite toy works well.
Distraction-Free Environment
To start training, you should have a place that is free of distraction. You don’t want your pup focused on anything but the basic commands you are going to be working on. A calm place that you can work alone in is the best option.
One Command at a Time
Make sure not to focus on more than one command at a time. Have different training sessions that are separated by more than an hour.
During each session, continue to work with the pup as long as they are able to pay attention. Once your puppy is no longer able to focus, it is time for a break.
Give Regular Positive Reinforcement
Give positive reinforcement as your puppy learns their basic commands. Whenever your Labradoodle makes progress in their learning, make sure to praise them and give them any other positive feedback that you have decided on.
When your pup knows that they have done well, they will feel rewarded and remember the action that led up to that praise.
Integrate Basic Commands into Your Daily Routine
Another great way to train your Labradoodle with basic commands is to integrate them into your daily routine.
A good example of this is to have them perform a sit before you put their leash on or before you give them their food bowl.
Do not make this your only training method though, as it will give your smart puppy the idea that these commands are only tied to that specific behavior.
The Spray Bottle Training Method
Some people use a water spray bottle to deter unwanted behavior and enhance training. Do not use this for basic command training.
Training techniques such as this are not warranted for basic command training as they are a corrective tool. Any corrective action needs to match the crime and the spray may confuse your Labradoodle.
It could also lead to the same problems as using aggressive training methods, meaning your dog could start to fear you.
Commands That Your Labradoodle Should Know
Like with any dog there are specific commands that you should teach your Labradoodle. These commands will help them to grow and enhance behavior at the same time.
What commands should you teach your Labradoodle? Here are some of the musts:
- Sit
- Stay
- Come
- Down
- Heel (or forward or let’s go)
- Give/Let Go
- Leave It
Labradoodles are smart dogs but you should start their training with the items on this list. Before considering any further training it is important to master these basics.
These commands will give your Labradoodle a good foundation to start from. It will also help you to find the training techniques that work best with your puppy.
A big benefit of having a Labradoodle is that they are capable of learning a lot. That has a downside, they hate to be bored.
One way to prevent boredom is to continue their training and teach them more advanced commands. Some good commands to move onto are shake, bed, step backward, and even play dead.
At this point, it is important to emphasize that you should avoid overwhelming your Labradoodle. Try to focus on one advanced command at a time.
Move onto the next one once they have mastered that command. Don’t forget to regularly go over the advanced commands regularly so that they don’t forget them.
Another advanced training that you can move onto is hand signals. Hand signals can be used to communicate commands to your dog without speaking.
Unless you don’t want to teach your dog a verbal command, it is a good idea to start with the verbal command and then introduce the hand signals.
Go Beyond Basic Commands with your Labradoodle
Taking your pup’s training beyond commands is also possible. With a dog as smart as a Labradoodle, you have the ability to try out more intense tasks such as therapy dog work, scent work, and competitions.
In fact, doing activities like this with your Labradoodle will help to keep their mind engaged and prevent them from getting too bored at home.
Should you find that your Labradoodle doesn’t take to commands like other dogs, you can work with a professional to help find training methods that work with your specific pup. We love our best friends for their personalities, after all.
While a professional trainer can be helpful, it is important to still continue to work with your Labradoodle on your own, or they will not retain the training that you have spent so much time working with them on.
Overemphasizing the importance of training your Labradoodle would be very difficult. Such smart dogs crave activities that engage their minds and keep them from getting bored.
Remember that while you want your Labradoodle to be your best friend, you want them to be your best-behaved best friend.
