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bullmastiff boxer mix puppies - They Are Naturally Mouthy Golden Retrievers are a mouthy breed, to begin with, they are naturally inclined to pick up and hold anything and everything in their mouths. While it may seem like there is something wrong with your puppy to cause him or her to bite so much, rest assured, all puppies bite, not just Golden Retriever puppies. Play Behaviour When you see a litter of pups play together, they often nip and bite at one another. It is their way of socializing and initiating play. Your puppy will bite and nip at you during playtime with you because it is a natural behaviour to them. They Are Teething Many people associate puppy biting with teething, however when a puppy is teething they will resort to chewing and mouthing in order to relieve their pain. They may chew or mouth on your hands and fingers, but teething is not the cause of biting that every puppy owner experiences. Puppy biting is most often just play. To summarize, puppy biting is normal and should be expected as a puppy owner. In general, biting will naturally subside in Golden Retriever puppies around the age of months. This is around the time that their adult teeth have come in. Puppies at this age usually already know how to moderate their bite, and will not bite or nip at you as much as they did when they were younger. While biting anything and everything is normal behaviour to your puppy, it is not something that you want your puppy to continue to do. It is up to you to teach your puppy not to bite humans, especially children. Take a look at the common mistakes puppy owners often make, and learn to avoid them. Puppies who are excited bite more. Children often fall victim to the most puppy bites because they get very excited around puppies and this just gets the puppy going which results in biting. Any attention that you give your puppy after they bite you will seem like a reward to your puppy, and the biting will just continue. Yelling at your puppy, pushing them away, talking to your puppy, or even looking at them is giving them the attention that they want. Bite inhibition is when your puppy learns how to control the strength of his bite. Puppies learn this skill when they are with their littermates, which is why they need to stay with them and their mother until they are 8 weeks old. Playing with their littermates teaches puppies that biting too hard hurts and will end playtime. The puppy then learns to bite softer. When your puppy comes home with you, it is up to you to teach your puppy how to control the force of their bite. Biting down on the thick fur coat of his mother or littermates is a lot different than biting down on human skin. By not teaching your puppy bite inhibition, you will risk your puppy turning into a dangerous adult. Puppy bites are a lot different than adult dog bites. Once your puppy learns how to control the strength of his bite, eventually the bites become gentler, and in time, your puppy will learn to stop biting altogether. This is part of teaching your puppy bite inhibition. This is a way to mimic how puppies play together, when one puppy bites another puppy too hard, that puppy yelps in pain, and will walk away. In some cases, puppies could get even more worked up by the noise and keep on biting. This is when you need to walk away. When your puppy has calmed down, you can resume playing with your puppy. When your puppy bites you again, repeat the steps of yelping and walking away. Eventually, your puppy will learn to soften his bite, because biting too hard ends playtime. The following video discusses why puppies bite, how to teach bite inhibition and how to survive puppy biting. It is a good idea to have a few chew toys on hand to offer up as a distraction from your skin. Check out this list of the best teething toys for puppies. This will get your puppy to stop and focus on being obedient. A great way to solve boredom is by going for a walk with your puppy. How much exercise should you give your Golden Retriever puppy? A good rule of thumb is 5 minutes of exercise for every month that your puppy is alive. So a 3-month-old puppy should get 15 minutes of exercise a day, a 5-month-old puppy should get 25 minutes per day, and so on. This is in addition to and not instead of playtime. Bitter Apple Spray can also be used to prevent your puppy from nipping and biting at you. Before you interact with your puppy, spray it on your arms, legs, pant legs, or sleeves, anywhere that your puppy likes to nip at you. Once your puppy bites at you, he will get a bad taste in his mouth and will stop. Bitter Apple Spray may not work on all puppies, some may actually develop a taste for it. I know that when my Golden Retriever Ellie was a pup this stuff worked amazingly well, but as she got older she developed a taste for bitter things such as crab apples which are extremely sour and she once sucked on a vinegar packet that was lying on the ground! Reward Good Behaviour Every time your puppy stops biting and nipping at you, you need to see this as positive behaviour. Good behaviour should be rewarded so that your puppy learns that he did something good. Rewarding good behaviour with affection and praise is great, you can also use treats, or toys, sometimes the best reward for your puppy is just spending time with them. Be Patient and Consistent Owning a puppy requires a lot of patience! It is so easy to lose your patience at times, but you need to know that your puppy is learning what is right and wrong, and that takes time. It might not happen overnight, but as long as you remain consistent and patient, your pup will learn good behaviour. If your puppy is nipping at your pant legs or sleeves, chances are he is loving the tugging feeling and is actually already playing tug-of-war. Instead of using your clothing, redirect his attention to a rope toy. One thing to be careful of is being too rough with tug-of-war, especially when your puppy is going through his teething phase. A game of fetch offers your pup a distraction from biting, and Golden Retriever puppies naturally love to retrieve things. This is a great way to also teach your puppy to drop it, by offering a treat when your puppy drops the ball or rope toy. A well-socialized puppy will be less likely to exhibit any unwanted behaviours later on. Enrolling your pup in puppy kindergarten or arranging some play dates with other dogs who are friendly and vaccinated is a great way for your pup to learn social skills. Other dogs are sometimes the best teachers for a puppy because they will let your puppy know what is okay for play and what is not okay, in terms of biting and nipping. Always supervise your puppy while playing with other dogs. Yelling at your puppy will only make your puppy scared and confused as well as lose trust and respect for you. Common mistakes people make when their puppy is biting are pushing them away, clamping down on their mouths or spraying them in the face with water. All of these are a bad idea! Your puppy could see this behaviour as a form of play and continue biting and nipping at you even harder. If you remain calm and use a firm voice not yelling , your pup will see you as in charge. Puppies and dogs often exhibit the same behaviour as we do, if you get upset and start yelling, your puppy will just get even more excited. As unpleasant as puppy biting is, it is normal behaviour. Your puppy biting and nipping at you with a mouth full of shark teeth may seem aggressive, but it is most often just out of curiosity and play behaviour. Golden Retrievers are known for their calm and gentle demeanour, but there are rare instances where you may have an aggressive puppy on your hands. Puppies who have been taken away from their litter earlier than weeks, bad breeding, being abused, a chemical imbalance, and not being socialized are all reasons for aggression in puppies. Signs of an aggressive puppy include barking, growling, lunging at you or another dog, a stiff posture, and showing teeth. If you think your puppy is aggressive, it is important to work with a professional dog trainer or behaviourist in order to find out the reasons for aggression and work on correcting the behaviour before it gets worse. It is important to keep your calm and work with your puppy to teach him the important skill of bite inhibition, and to redirect his biting to more appropriate behaviour. Socializing your puppy, as well as rewarding good behaviour will all help to turn your puppy into a well-behaved dog. Have you tried any of the tips mentioned above? Do you have any other tips to stop Golden Retriever puppy biting? Share your thoughts and comments below, as well as any questions you may have. I would love to hear from you. Jenny I am the proud owner of a Golden Retriever named Ellie. She keeps me busy, and when she is resting, you can find me working on my blog. She is always close by though. I live in Stirling, ON Canada with my husband, and we both enjoy the never a dull moment life with our Ellie. Spread the love. Managing biting in a puppy cannot be overemphasized in importance. So, if you are taking steps to teach bite inhibition, at what age do Golden Retriever puppies stop biting? Golden Retriever puppies must learn to decrease bite force and frequency by no later than 18 weeks of age and should no longer make skin contact by six months. Puppy biting should be progressively eliminated using a two-stage training process that decreases biting force first and then frequency. Puppies have a window early in their lives where they can learn what is appropriate for biting. They should know this long before the jaw develops the strength to do damage as an adult. All owners need to be proactive early on to ensure their Golden Retriever puppies learn to bite softly. How essential is bite inhibition to learn for your Golden Retriever puppy? According to the American Veterinary Society of Animal Behavior , bad behavior is responsible for more deaths than infectious diseases for dogs under three years of age. As well, behavioral problems are the number one reason dogs are relinquished to shelter. While biting is not the only behavioral problem, it is the most severe and the most likely reason for a dog to be put down. So, just like going potty, eating, and sleeping is normal for puppies and us , biting is a normal and natural part of all puppy behavior, including Golden Retriever puppies. ALL puppies bite, regardless of breed, including Golden Retriever puppies. Puppies use their mouths to explore their worlds, and play biting provides puppies feedback on what is appropriate biting pressure and what is not. Puppies are not unlike toddlers, who often bite, chew, or put things in their mouths to gather information about the world or help with teething. The main difference is that human children have hands which whereas puppies do not Puppies have teeth. Puppies bite to initiate and engage in play, to get feedback about their environment, to receive feedback on bite pressure, and because they are teething. So, ultimately the only way a puppy can engage the world — be it for play or learning — is through its mouth, and for developing puppies, that means a lot of biting. But, mother nature put it there for a reason. So, the key is to work with the behavior instead of stopping something as natural to a puppy as eating, sleeping, and going potty. The first opportunity that most Golden Retriever owners have with their puppy consistently is at eight weeks. At eight weeks, owners are quick to realize that puppies at this age like to play, and play biting is a normal part of that play. But play biting among puppies starts much earlier than that. Golden Retriever puppies start play biting between weeks five to eight. During this period, puppies begin to learn critical socialization skills, including bite inhibition. In addition, play biting with its mother and littermates provides the puppy its first opportunity to learn appropriate levels of bite pressure. A Golden Retriever puppy should not be removed from the litter before eight weeks of age. Doing so compromise the early stages of bite inhibition training and socialization that your puppy requires. Quite often, homeowners punish a puppy for play biting. After all, their sharp puppy piranha teeth hurt human skin, and an exuberant puppy has not yet learned what is appropriate. However, punishing the puppy for play biting is a mistake. Biting is normal and natural for puppies. When puppy biting stops, so does the opportunity for bite inhibition training. The more your Golden Retriever puppy play bites, and receives appropriate feedback, the safer its jaws will be in adulthood. Consider an adult dog that has not been taught bite inhibition as a puppy. It seems friendly and has never bitten anyone. However, when this friendly dog is threatened, startled, or injured like when a child accidentally steps on its tail , it may react by biting without the necessary skill to control its bite pressure. A well-socialized dog with good bite inhibition often does not bite at all when startled, threatened, or injured, and even if the teeth do make skin contact, it does not break the skin. Ian Dunbar says punishing a puppy to stop biting is a big mistake. With no opportunities to play-bite, the puppy never learns how to inhibit bite force or frequency. Let your puppy play-bite but teach it what is acceptable to develop a soft mouth and gentle pressure. This bite inhibition behavior taught early then becomes ingrained as a puppy and well before adolescence, when the dog has developed significant and powerful jaw pressure. What Is Acquired Bite Inhibition? They have teeth. They pick things up with their teeth, play with their teeth, explore their worlds with their teeth, and defend themselves with their teeth. Our responsibility as dog owners is to teach our puppies that humans are not dogs but sensitive and fragile beings. Dogs learn to moderate bite pressure and frequency through acquired bite inhibition or ABI. Puppies must be taught to decrease bite force and frequency towards people, dogs, and other animals. If a dog is threatened, scared, or in pain, a dog can often bite. When we teach bite inhibition to our puppies, it grows into an adult dog that is much better equipped to moderate its bite force even when it feels necessary to bite, like getting stepped on or closing a door in its tail. As discussed in the next section, timing is critical in teaching ABI, and you must teach it during early puppyhood. I cannot emphasize this enough. Bite inhibition training is so important, says Dr. Dunbar further notes that bite inhibition does not mean a dog will never bite. Instead, it means that bite inhibition decreases the likelihood that a teeth-on-skin bite will occur. Therefore, if one does happen to occur, it will cause no, or very little damage. Hold up. Puppies should learn to bite with no pressure as part of ABI training. There are two stages of bite inhibition training: force and frequency. A Golden Retriever puppy needs to be trained to decrease the force and frequency of bites in two stages and four steps. First, the puppy must learn to bite softly and then with no pressure force. Next, a puppy must learn to stop biting upon cue and finally to never touch human skin with teeth frequency. The window for the puppy to learn ABI is within the first 4. The ability to control its bite becomes locked in during this window, provided bite inhibition is taught. Beyond that window, nothing can be done. In contrast, frequency has no such window. Therefore, decreased frequency can be taught anytime; however, it is advisable to reduce frequency by six months before an adolescent Golden Retriever has fully developed its jaw strength and all or most of its permanent teeth. Force MUST always be taught before frequency. Force has a time limit, frequency does not. Stage 1: Decrease Force Soft Bite As a first step, you should always consider hand-feeding some food at mealtimes to your puppy. Hand feeding helps your puppy get used to human hands around food, and it begins to associate your hands with good things…food! You want the puppy to release the pressure, and pulling it out removes that opportunity. It hurts, so be prepared. Your squeal and howl may actually be real. The vast majority of puppies will stop biting if you let out a high-pitched squeal or howl. When your puppy releases pressure, praise the puppy and restart the play session. Continue playing and repeating the process of squeal, praise, and reward for pressure release, and so forth. You may encounter an overstimulated puppy or tired puppy in some circumstances, and they will not stop biting. In contrast, they will escalate the biting. As a result, the puppy may have a look and act like a demon dog from hell. You may find that is escalation occurs at specific times of the day. Most notably, the puppy witching hour, which is usually in the early evening. Remove all attention by leaving the room. Go to another room and do not let your puppy in, even if it follows. You are teaching it that play of this magnitude is inappropriate, and the consequence is you will leave and not play. Wait a few minutes, return and call your puppy over; ask for sit if it knows it. When your puppy seems calm, you can try playing again. If the puppy escalates, repeat the process or end the game until some other time. As a quick side note, you should be playing with your puppy in a confinement area, so it cannot follow when you leave. Puppies should not have free access to the house, and a playpen or a gated-off room works well. In this way, you can leave, and your puppy is confined to its designated area, where it cannot follow. Why do we leave the room instead of removing the puppy instead? Because physically restraining the puppy and then forcibly removing it when the dog is already in a state of escalation is not ideal, nor is it quick enough. Ian dunbar In other words, it makes things worse. It is easy to lose your temper when your puppy behaves like an out-of-control hyena and is not listening. But, trust me, you will feel guilt as heck afterward if you allow the situation to escalate. It is much more effective to put yourself in a timeout. It teaches your puppy that the reward of play you is removed when misbehaving, and it also gives both of you a few minutes to cool down. No Bite Pressure After some time, your puppy will bite less hard or even softly. Some will almost suckle your hand. You will continue to follow the process but reduce the limit of what you find as a sensitive bite each time. Move at a slow pace. With each successive bite, even if it is a very soft bite, squeal, or howl. When the puppy reduces pressure, then praise. Keep in mind that it may take some time to reach the no-pressure stage. Be patient but consistent. Never punish the puppy for biting. Stage 2: Decrease Frequency Next, we need to focus on decreasing the frequency of biting. Using a food lure works well for this exercise. Once the pup lets go, reward the pup with ample praise for stoping when asked. Allow a few minutes for the pup to cool down, return, ask for a sit and begin again. With consistent repetitions, your puppy should quickly learn to let go of your hand when asked. Watch Ian Stone teaching puppy bite inhibition in the video below. Ian explains the importance of teaching bite inhibition and demonstrates bite inhibition training firsthand through all stages. No Mouth on Skin At five months of age, your puppy should no longer be biting with pressure, and it should stop immediately when asked to do so, including no longer making contact with skin or clothing unless invited. If your puppy has progressed through the previous three steps, it should be well equipped to bite with no pressure and stop when asked. For most people, it is recommended the puppy discontinue all mouthing behavior by 6 months. If your puppy wants to play-bite, give the puppy a chew toy as a mouthing outlet or distraction, and avoid offering hands or play fighting. However, all puppies must continue to practice bite inhibition regularly throughout the rest of their lives. According to Dr. Dunbar, bite inhibition worsens as a dog ages. And, the best way to ensure this does not happen is to hand-feed your dog and brush its teeth regularly. Your dog should also have regular access to playtime and socialization with other dogs and animals. The good news is puppies teach each other bite inhibition when playing with each other. Teaching your Golden Retriever puppy bite inhibition with other dogs requires socializing your dog with other puppies as early as possible. Puppies teach each one another bite inhibition when playfighting. Once your puppy is vaccinated, enroll it in puppy classes, take it for walks, and to the dog park daily. The bad news is until such time that your puppy is fully vaccinated, bite inhibition training must not be put on hold. That responsibility falls upon you. Most puppies are not fully vaccinated until 12 to 16 weeks of age, so you must begin teaching bite inhibition immediately when you bring the puppy home at eight weeks of age. The more your puppy bites, the more practice you have to teach it to bite softly. Be consistent and make bite inhibition training the focus of your training in the first few months. Puppies love to bite while playing, so you should get ample opportunities to work on this. You are bound to want to know when your biting puppy will grow out of this phase and how you can speed that process up. Biting, as you will have discovered is usually accompanied by lots of noise! Why do puppies bite? So why do puppies bite? My puppy is biting hard Puppies do bite hard and it does hurt. But I want to reassure you that even at 8 weeks old, your puppy has learned to moderate his bite in play. Puppies have powerful jaws designed to tear through flesh and crush bones. Those of you who feed your puppy a raw diet will know that even an 8 week old puppy from a medium sized breed can crush bones the size of your little finger. He is deliberately attempting to be gentle. Puppy Biting — Bite inhibition This ability, that your puppy has, to moderate the power of his jaws in play, is called bite inhibition. It is something that his mother started to teach him when he was just a few weeks old. And now it is your turn to take over and complete the training process. Growling and Puppy biting One thing that often worries people who have a new puppy in the family, is the growling that accompanies puppy biting. It sounds horrific. Great snarls and snaps accompany the biting and the puppy can appear quite demonic as he grabs onto your skin, or clothes. Tugging away with all the strength he can muster. Ninety nine times out of a hundred this is completely normal play biting. Is my puppy biting aggressive? You cannot determine whether or not a puppy is biting aggressively by how hard he bites or by the volume of the noise he makes. Play biting puppies bite hard and growl fiercely. Some puppies do occasionally draw blood. But these are not normally savage or crushing bites and the puppy is clearly enjoying himself. Fierce but fun! The play biting puppy will launch himself at the target of his bite. Whether it is your slippers or your fingers, with equal tail-wagging enthusiasm, hanging on grimly and grabbing repeatedly when the item is removed from him. All this, shocking though it may seem, is normal, and is not a sign that your puppy is going to be an aggressive dog! In fact some of the gentlest and most amiable breeds the labrador for example are the worst and fiercest play biters. The puppy that is a cause for concern is the puppy that is frightened. Because although puppies rarely bite through aggression, the nervous puppy may become aggressive as he matures Is my puppy afraid? A scared puppy may bite and scared puppies can grow into scared adult dogs so this is something you need to address quickly. You will know that your puppy is scared because he will try to avoid whatever it is he is scared of. A really frightened puppy will sometimes give off a distinctive musky smell. This hiding, and retreating, and the scared smell are warning signs that you have scared your puppy badly, or purchased a poorly socialised puppy. In this situation you need to get specialist help right away. Your vet should be able to advise you. For the vast majority of puppy owners then, biting is normal puppy behavior. Will my puppy biting stop naturally? To some extent biting is a phase caused by natural puppy playfulness and teething. Some puppies do stop biting with very little input from their family. Which is great. You may feel he should have grown out of it by now. We can physically prevent puppies from biting and we can train puppies not to bite. Both of these are good strategies. Or when children are getting upset, or visitors are winding your puppy up. Prevention usually involves interrupting the biting behavior, then redirecting the puppy into an alternative and more acceptable behavior, such as chewing on a toy. Or, it may involve temporarily separating him from his playmates. Interrupting the puppy biting In mild cases you may simply be able to put a toy in your biting puppy's mouth and get him tugging on that instead of on your fingers. If you are on the floor with the puppy stand up. And if you are standing up, turn and walk away from the puppy. This is where dog gates come in very handy with small puppies. A standard baby gate works fine for most breeds of dog. Managing the puppy You may have to pick up your biting puppy to remove him from the scene if he is biting your children for example, rather than you If he bites your hands and clothes as you try to restrain him, put him on the other side of a barrier or in his crate or puppy playpen for a short while. Although the puppy does learn from them, these are useful management techniques to enable you to control the situation. They help you to keep your puppy calm, and prevent the biting escalating through over excitement. Over-excited puppies Puppy play biting is directly linked to excitement. The more excited your puppy gets, the more and the harder he will bite. And the harder it will be to interrupt and distract him. Rough play excites puppies and noisy play does too. Children tend to squeal when they play and get very physical with puppies. One of the first rules they need to learn when playing with dogs, especially big dogs, is to stand up and stand still when the game gets too much. Limit such play and call a halt to it if your puppy is biting. With medium to large breed dogs, physical rough and tumble play is not a great idea. It can lead to dogs bowling people over or humping them, neither of which is very pleasant. Stopping play when it gets rough is a good management strategy and it is a form of training too. Over time, your puppy learns that biting and rough play loses him his playmates and that people simply leave if he is being mean. When do puppies stop biting? Many puppies have stopped biting completely by six months of age and biting is usually subsiding by the time that the puppy is heading towards five months old. This is if the puppy has been managed appropriately If people have been exciting him, or rewarding him for attention seeking behavior then biting can persist And it can be much more of a problem in bigger stronger puppies than in little ones. Training Puppies Not To Bite The idea of this exercise is to teach a puppy to accept being stroked and handled in any way, without touching us with his teeth. The event marker is a distinctive sound. Even around his mouth, without him making any attempt to bite you. You can also make it easier for him by starting this training when he is calm and not distracted. But for now, keep things simple. It can be a good way of getting the training started so that you have chance to say YES and give the puppy the opportunity to learn what you want him to do. Over the next few sessions, you can work on getting your hand closer and closer to the puppy. Until you are brushing the sides of his face without him making any attempt to mouth or bite at you Progress to touching and holding his collar, stroking his ears, grooming him, examining his paws and so on, all the time rewarding him for the correct behavior. Anytime the mouthing returns, back up to a point where he can succeed and move forward more slowly again Bite Inhibition Training Some experts feel that puppies should be allowed to mouth and even bite gently for a week or two before being prevented from biting altogether. Simply follow the instructions for managing your puppy above when he bites hard. But allow him to mouth you when he bites gently without much pressure. This is a great way to teach a dog excellent control over his mouth. After a couple of weeks of this, you can progress to the training exercise I outlined in the previous section. Older puppies that bite in play have often learned that this gets them a lot of attention. They have discovered that people squeal and shout and get quite cross. Sometimes these people push and shove the dog around which young dogs quite enjoy when they are playing. For these dogs it is important that you stop all physical play, with all family members If a puppy is biting hard at your hands when you try to interrupt his game. Or an older puppy is getting out of hand biting at clothing, you need to put your puppy on a harness and house-line a short trailing leash. This will enable you to control your puppy, and take him to a calming place, without handling him. You can just pick up the end of the line and lead him away. Older biting puppies are often bright and bored. And the best approach to avoiding future episodes of bad behavior is a structured programme of training and interesting activities. A professional dog trainer using modern positive training methods will be able to help you with these. Summary So now you know some tips on how to stop your puppy from biting. The first few weeks can be tough with a determined biter in the house, but you will get through this and come out the other side. A few months from now, this difficult period will be a distant memory In the meantime, focus on keeping your biting puppy calm, avoiding too much rough play, and redirecting his biting onto appropriate toys and activities. Spend some time on the training exercise set out above. Are you a proud new golden retriever puppy parent or considering getting a furry friend? While puppies are adorable and full of energy, they can also be a handful, especially when it comes to biting. This article will cover practical strategies to manage puppy biting and help you and your pup develop a solid and loving relationship. Thus biting is natural. Their bites will become softer as they practice and learn to manage their bite strength. They will eventually stop biting entirely. While biting is a natural part of the learning process, it is essential to train your puppy not to bite excessively. Here are a few tips to get you started: Providing Chew Toys for Redirecting Biting Behavior Providing chew toys is an excellent approach to help your puppy stop biting. When your puppy begins to bite you, remove your hand or foot and replace it with a chew toy. This teaches them that biting is acceptable, but only when done with toys, not people. It is essential to keep an eye on your puppy when they play with chew toys to ensure they do not consume anything toxic. By exposing your puppy to a variety of people, animals, and environments in a controlled and positive manner, you can help them develop proper social skills and reduce biting tendencies. Socialization helps puppies learn appropriate bite inhibition and establishes boundaries for acceptable behavior during interactions. Through well-planned socialization experiences, you can guide your puppy towards becoming a well-behaved and gentle companion. Employing the Time-Out Strategy for Persistent Biting Use the time-out strategy when other methods fail to stop your puppy from biting. If your puppy continues to bite, place him on a time-out for 30 seconds before allowing him to return to play. This teaches your puppy that biting is unacceptable and will result in a loss of playtime or attention. Again, use a gentle tone and avoid shouting or scolding your puppy. When your puppy plays gently with their toys instead of biting you, shower them with praise and perhaps even a tasty gift! This teaches your puppy that good behavior leads to beautiful things. Instead, concentrate on encouraging appropriate behavior and redirecting any inappropriate biting. Your puppy will learn to control their biting and play in a friendly and safe manner with time, patience, and positive reinforcement. This entails repeating the same commands, techniques, and rewards each time you train. When you do this, your puppy learns what is expected of them and how to get rewarded. On the other hand, if you are inconsistent, your puppy may get confused and unsure of what they need to do to please you. This can make training more difficult and frustrating for you and your puppy. So, strive to be consistent in your training. However, they can get nippy during their fun exploration of the world around them. The good news is that this is a natural habit for pups, and there are ways to deal with it. Puppies prefer to bite to initiate play, learn more about their surroundings, and adjust their bite pressure, especially when they are teething. These actions are part of how they play, interact, and learn about their environment. First, however, puppies must be taught how to control their biting pressure and redirect their biting to appropriate toys and chew objects, which we will discuss later. Puppy bites, for example, can become more painful and even harmful as they increase in size. Additionally, it might lead to destructive chewing if you do not divert their biting habit to appropriate chew items. As a result, it is critical to address this habit early on through regular teaching and positive reinforcement. Understand what motivates them and what makes them more likely to engage in biting. Adjust your training methods: Not all puppies respond to the same training techniques. Some may respond better to positive reinforcement, while others may require more redirection and distraction. Consider their energy levels: Golden Retrievers are known for their energy and enthusiasm. Be patient and consistent: Training takes time, and each puppy learns at their own pace. Be patient with your puppy and provide consistent guidance. Remember, every Golden Retriever puppy is an individual, and what works for one may not work for another. With a customized approach, you can effectively address biting behavior and set your unique puppy on the path to becoming a well-behaved and happy companion. So, most puppies begin to bite and mouth less frequently when they are 8 to 10 months old. However, this varies greatly depending on the individual pup. Some may stop sooner, while others may take a little longer. Golden retrievers, for example, love using their tongues. At the same time, herding dogs such as border collies or corgis may continue to nip at ankles as they age. Just keep working with your pet and providing the guidance they require to create positive habits! Conclusion As you begin the joyful road of raising your Golden Retriever puppy, keep in mind that training and socialization are essential for producing a happy and well-behaved dog. You can teach your puppy what is expected of them and create healthy behaviors that will last a lifetime using consistent and positive reinforcement techniques. Remember that each puppy is unique, and what works for one may not work for another. You will be rewarded with a devoted and well-behaved companion if you are patient and committed to the training process. Remember to give your puppy enough exercise and mental stimulation and to continuously reward positive behavior. You can help your puppy grow into a happy and healthy adult dog who will provide you happiness for many years by doing so. By the time your puppy reaches around three months of age, they should start to develop bite inhibition and learn to control the force of their bites during play. As you continue to interact and train with your puppy, you can gradually increase your sensitivity to the level of bites you find acceptable. By the age of four or five months, their play bites should no longer exert any force. Can I use physical punishment to stop my puppy from biting? Certainly not! To stop a puppy from biting, never use physical punishment. It is not only ineffective, but it can also be harmful and cause long-term behavioral issues. Instead, train your puppy using positive reinforcement techniques, including redirection, time-outs, and excellent rewarding behavior. What can I do? Puppies frequently nip and bite while playing with other dogs, but teaching them to control their bite force is essential. My puppy is teething. What can I do to stop them from biting? Teething is a normal developmental stage for puppies , and they naturally want to chew and bite things. Similar to what we discussed earlier. Galen has been connecting quality Golden Retriever breeders with loving families since and is the founder of My Golden Retriever Puppies. He and his wife have four children and love spending time together, traveling lived oversees for 4 years , enjoying the outdoors and connecting Golden families. Be the first to know when we have new puppies! All Rights Reserved. Pet Keen is reader-supported. When you buy via links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission at no cost to you. Learn more. Golden Retrievers are notorious for this, and it often lasts so long that people wonder if it ever stops. Consider how sociable and friendly they are by nature. Why is this habit so difficult for them to break? Golden Retrievers follow their basic instinct to bite because of their history with hunting, chasing, and even biting in some situations. Why Do Golden Retrievers Bite? Golden Retrievers start to explore the world with their mouths and eventually start to enjoy chewing on whatever they can get into their mouth. It strengthens their gums and teeth, but it is not a behavior most people want to encourage. This breed is also more inclined to bite things because they were bred for hunting and retrieving small game. Aside from following their instincts, there could be other reasons that they are nipping at you or your possessions. Some dogs bite when they are scared, need help, or are in unfamiliar environments. Biting is a natural reaction for many situations. Still, it must stop before it turns into a habit. Golden Retriever litters typically stop biting around 8—14 weeks old. The pain conditions them not to bite without a threat. Keep Them Active Dogs who are mentally and physically stimulated are less likely to have behavioral issues. Exercise them daily. When playing, keep the sessions gentle. However, do not do this while they are still being trained. Image Credit: Photology, Shutterstock 3. Socialize Them If possible, enroll your dog in obedience classes as soon as possible. Some dogs feel threatened more easily than others, and they may act out around other dogs if not properly trained and socialized. Introduce them to new people and animals as often as possible. Positive Reinforcement The best form of training is with positive reinforcement. Use lots of praise and treats whenever your dog is acting in a way you want them to. You cannot afford to skip this type of training because it is the most effective. The older they get, the bigger a sign it is that you need to fix the problem. If you continue to allow your dogs to bite people , animals, or objects, someone is going to get hurt. She attributes her passion for the environment and all its creatures to her childhood when she was showing horses on weekends and spending her weeknights devoting her attention to her pets. She enjoys spending most of her time in Michigan playing with her two rescue cats, Chewbacca and Lena, and her dog, Clayton. Read more Advertisement. Read the full disclosure here. Tasty finger! Your golden retriever puppy is as friendly as can be — great with kids, respectful of other dogs, and not overly attentive to your cat. Yes, golden retrievers are known for their good-natured demeanor, but they are still dogs — not so very far removed from their wild cousins, and they can be unpredictable when faced with stressful, disturbing, or frightening situations. One of our jobs as responsible dog owners, of course, is to keep our dogs safe, but we may not always be able to protect them, and we may not always be able to prevent them from biting through fear or when in pain. What is Bite Inhibition? Puppies begin learning this from their mother and siblings as soon as they start to tumble around with each other in play. If they bite too hard, they are scolded by their mother or alerted with a yelp from their siblings. Eventually, they learn how hard is too hard, and they use their teeth more gently in play. Human Sensitive or Advanced Bite Inhibition By the time your puppy moves into your home, they will have been using their bite inhibition skills for weeks. Your puppy needs to learn that human beings are fragile and should be treated with care. There are many professional trainers who recommend that you simply train your puppy not to bite. This seems like a practical course of action, and it does work — in the short term. Teaching a puppy not to bite will give you quick results, but it may mean they never learn how much force is safe to use on people when they are forced to bite in an emergency. So if they do eventually bite, they will know to hold back the pressure safely and will not cause anywhere near as much pain or damage as they otherwise might. Why is Bite Inhibition Important? Believe it or not, even the most gentle dog that has been trained from a young age never to bite, can react to certain triggers. Those triggers are fear and pain. Consider these situations: Your dog has been suffering from chronic ear infections and hates to have his ears handled. The neighbor stops by with her toddler, who immediately runs to your dog and fondles his sensitive ears roughly. What will he do? You and your dog are walking down the road like you do every morning when out of nowhere comes a huge dog who attacks your dog without thinking twice. You manage to pull your dog away, but in the process, your frightened dog bites your arm. Your sweet golden retriever has gotten themself tangled in some barbed wire while hiking. As you loosen the wire from her skin and fur, she snaps at you, biting your hand. You may never experience any of these situations. By teaching bite inhibition while your puppy is young, you will be far safer and ready for any of these situations should they occur. Teaching Advanced Bite Inhibition Following is a general guide to the bite inhibition skills your puppy learns and when, as well as where you should aim for their skills to be at certain ages. She will start the puppies off by teaching them how rough is too rough during nursing and play. These lessons begin when the puppies start nursing day 1 and continue until the day you pick your puppy up from the breeder. This works for some puppies, but for others, it just seems to arouse the pup and make matters worse. You will have to experiment to find out what works for you and your pup. You should withdraw all of your attention from your puppy for very hard bites. Do not over-correct your puppy so they become afraid of biting. After your puppy has calmed down, use a chew toy as a reward and let them chew it in your lap or lying by your side. This teaches you puppy that there are other ways to keep their mouths and teeth busy. By four or five months, all force behind play bites should be eliminated. Kids tend to play rough with puppies, and puppies will get rough right back. Your puppy needs to know that every human being is sensitive to their bites, not just you. It is a process that sometimes lasts months, depending on your puppy. Be prepared for this, and remember that long-term results in your adult dog are more important than curtailing puppy bites as painful as they may be. Supervise your puppy around children — If you have young children at home, you will have to think carefully about how you will protect them and your puppy. Little puppy teeth can cause a lot of pain, especially when your pup is still learning to control those urges. Young children can also cause a lot of pain to small puppies. Always supervise very carefully when your pup and children are together. A tired puppy is a happy puppy — It will be much easier to teach bite inhibition if your puppy is not bouncing off the walls. Make sure they get enough exercise every day. Not only will this help with training, but it will also help prevent all kinds of other destructive behavior. Conclusion Teaching bite inhibition to your golden retriever puppy is a gift you give to your pup that will last forever.

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bullmastiff boxer mix puppies - Ian discusses how we should learn to see the world from our dogs perspective and in doing so, how we can better earn their love and trust. Armed with this love and trust, we will form a better relationship and as a result, effective training becomes just that much more effective and enjoyable for both you and your dog. But please, first make sure to use the search facility in the footer of this website and browse our other sections as the subject may have already been covered: Labrador health and care , Labrador behavior , Labrador puppies , infobites and Labrador breed information. External Resources On Labrador Training Although referring to all breeds in general and not purely Labradors, for those of you that love to watch and not read, the series of dog training videos on www. If you like reading books then check out one of our favorite Lab books: The Complete Labrador Handbook. Helps ease anxiety in their new home. We love using Bully Sticks to help divert these unwanted behaviors. For a list of all the supplies we get for our new service dog puppies check out our New Puppy Checklist on the PuppyInTraining. If this is the case,…. How does it feel to be a new puppy parent? You must be chuffed. Take a look at these first few articles. All the ingredients you need for a happy home. But for now, beside your bed is the best place for your puppy to sleep — it will help them feel safe. Puppies like their crates rather cave-like; we suggest covering it with a blanket to block out light, but keep the front open so that they can see outwards. Make sure to make it snug inside with something like a vet bed or a blanket, or why not take it up a notch with a heat pad or hot water bottle to recreate the feeling of their mother. Nothing feels more comforting than that. Before you head to bed, take your puppy out for one last round of loo-going. Set your bedtime at a later time too — midnight sounds about right. Come back calmly, and place your puppy in the crate and turn out the light. Stuff you should know about Sleep Training your Labrador Your puppy will wake up several times in the night and will need the toilet at least once! Be prepared for not-so-deep sleeps and tired mornings — just for the first few weeks. Having them sleep next to you is only temporary. Consistency is key! As for you, full nights of sleep will start getting closer and closer. Alone Training How can I teach my Labrador puppy to be ok on their own? Start by feeding your puppy in their crate during meal times. If they seem worried by you leaving, stay in view, and just pop right outside their confinement area. Keep it short and sweet: No need to stay away for long, 60 seconds tops will do for now. Repeat: Do this at least once a day to make progress go steady and smoothly. Socialisation Exercises To Do this week Letting your Labrador puppy explore the garden Besides the gnomes and questionable garden furniture you may have, letting your puppy explore your own garden is a great and safe way to start showing them the sounds, lights and wonders of the outside world. Exploring different surfaces exercise Make sure that the surfaces you use are safe — nothing too crazy just yet. Gather surfaces such as An oven tray with a small layer of water A piece of astro turf A carpet tile A large piece of tin foil, cardboard or something crinkly PRO TIP: Set up for this exercise in the room your puppy spends most of their time in — it will help them to feel safe and confident. Pop the surfaces out safely on the floor and allow your puppy to investigate them. Nobody has ever enjoyed walking on those. Remember to be patient! Lucky for you — teaching them their name is easy peasy. Say their name in a happy jolly tone and reward with a treat. Repeat five times, 5 and take a break. Practice this 2 or 3 times a day so they get the hang of it. Teach your puppy to sit Teaching your puppy how to sit is a popular one. The first two are far more common though. Keep using this word when they do the right thing, and then follow it up with a food reward. In puppy logic, stinky means yummy. How to do it Start at home; where there are no distractions. Just make sure to shut off Gogglebox in the background. Recall — How to teach our Labrador puppy to come back when called Your puppy already knows their name at this point, so this should be a walk in the park. How to do it Treats and a cheerful voice will be what works here. Do these exercises before meal times so your puppy is more motivated. Practice this 5 times a day and in 3 different places in your house and garden to get them used to coming to you in all settings. How to do it Show your puppy that you have their favourite toy, and start to get them excited about it. When they show interest, throw it a little bit away from you. They will likely follow it and pick it up. If they do, encourage them back to you with your voice, so remember to sound happy! Swap the toy for a treat or another toy and do the process again. Repeat this about 5 times. Instead create more distance and excitement sounds to get them to come to you — spaniels like to show off, so they will likely want to parade what they have! Always swap the toy for something when they have it, this could be a treat or another toy. Resource guarding occurs when we force puppies to give up items or snatch things out of their mouths. For breeds like Labradors who are designed to want to hold things in their mouths, this is pretty important! Resource guarding is when a dog protects a resource from being taken by someone else — dog or human. For some reason, there is a solid list of things puppies find irresistible: Socks. Labrador Retriever pups are working dogs. This means they live to please you for a treat. The more you engage them with different puppy training behaviors the happier they will be. Of course, Labs will be Labs, and this means that dogs do dog things unless they are trained to follow your expectations. Potty training your puppy is just the beginning of you making clear expectations for your Lab. Puppy training from long leash training to potty training, to not nipping is discussed in greater detail along with clear, easy to follow videos at www. But we will give you an expert training tip summary below. For this reason, you need to become an expert on puppy training. Contact us for a discount on the Puppy Trained Right positive reinforcement training program. Expose your puppy to as many different people and situations possible. Teach dog to dog manners when required. Use Positive Reinforcement. Allow for Play with Other Puppies. Play with other Lab Puppies not only allows your pup to get some exercise it is a form of puppy socialization. Bond with your Puppy. Once a strong bond is formed your Lab Puppy will want to please you even more. Potty Train Right Away. Learn how Dogs Learn. Training a Lab puppy is easy if you understand how to go about it. Give your Lab Puppy Play time to Explore. Labs need this as part of their natural development. Spend more time with your puppy when young. This is the time when your expectations should be clearly outlined and can decrease as she gets older. Begin Training day 1. This happens weather or not you intend it to. Every action and reaction is something your puppy uses to form new habits. So ignoring them jumping up as an 8 week old puppy is training them to jump up and will be much more difficult to un-train once they are 70 lbs. Relax and make learning fun. Your pup needs you happy and enjoying yourself! Use Positive Training Methods because they work. This means reward what you desire. Ensure most Experiences are Positive. Imagine a training session of No, No, No, No! Expose them to as Many Human Situations possible. One cause is that there was not adequate socialization with different men. Be Patient. You are building an amazing K9 personality. The window is between 8 and 20 weeks old. Make the most of it. The better your Lab is socialized the happier they will be. Anxiety in dogs comes from many things. The more things your dog is comfortable with the less chance for anxiety and therefore the happier they are. Prepare yourself, your family and your home before your puppy comes home. It is too late once you meet your puppy as simply interacting with her is training. Allow for Safe Experiences both in the home and outside. Seek professional trainers to help guide you when faced with a problem. Be consistent. Clear expectations are easiest to learn. Focus on Guiding not controlling. Best Start Training or Training Classes are beneficial for both you and your puppy. Expect Success. We tend to move in the direction we believe we will travel. Reward the Behaviors you want to see even something as simple as 4 paws on the ground if you are trying to train your Lab not to jump up on you. Become Well informed. You are teaching a skill like reading that takes clear expectations and builds upon last session. Lab Puppies need constant supervision either human, a crate, a fenced area or a baby gate across a doorway. Encourage a soft mouth. Keep your training up or it will be forgotten. Begin Walking on a Loose Leash Right away. This is always easier for your Lab when they are 12 lbs not 70lbs. Change direction before the leash tightens so they are followers not leaders. This is much easier to train before it happens than correct. Allow alone time for your Lab. Know when to end a training session. End training before your puppy quits. Make time for a few shorter training Sessions. Three fifteen minute sessions are better than one 45 min one. Teach your Lab to respond to their name. Teach your Labrador basic obedience before tricks-come, sit, stay, down, leave it. Have all humans learn the commands and be consistent. Ignore undesirable behaviors. Ignoring includes not saying no, bad dog, touching your dog or making eye contact. Find rewards that your Retriever loves and use them when you have breakthrough training moments. Adjust your expectations as your Lab puppy matures, the older more experienced the higher the expectation. Set Realistic Expectations. Minimize distractions when you begin training. Be aware of your Body Language, Labradors pick up cues from you. Be aware of your leash tension. A tight leash says anxiety from the handler. Know when to get Help .Have fun! Understand that Labs do Lab things. Make them work for food and treats. Exercise your Retriever properly for both intensity and duration. Learn some exercise games Labs love. Give lots of repetition. Stop before they get bored. Establish a Pattern by Praising. Redirect undesired behavior. Accept partial actions at first and gradually increase your expectations. When treats end Verbal treats and chin scratches rule. They will know. Enjoy your well balanced purebred Lab puppy for many years. Purebred Lab Retrievers, are they easier to train? The answer to that is definitely maybe! Not all purebreds are bred for intelligence. For example, if a Labrador Retriever breeder chooses to breed their dogs for a certain look then they may overlook intelligence as one of the important characteristics in order to get a specific Lab look. We however breed for intelligence, health and temperament. So in our case, yes, our Purebred Lab Puppies are easier to train than many because we choose the parents and their puppies specifically for their smarts!

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bullmastiff boxer mix puppies - Use the same door every time you take your puppy out. Hang the bells see below on the door and ring them, with their foot. Once they go potty, Praise them and tell them how fabulous they are for going potty outside. The key to house training your puppy is you have to be consistent and have patience. This is all new to your puppy. They don't know what you expect from them until you teach them. Never use anything but positive reinforcement with your Goldendoodle! They will understand quickly with just the tone of your voice. Watch your puppy constantly! If you can't watch the puppy, crate it. Crating the puppy for naps and periodically during the day will teach your puppy to hold for longer period of times and get your puppy used to being calm it's crate faster. Always potty your puppy before and after crating. The rule of thumb for how long your puppy can hold it in the crate during the day is it's age in months. At 8 weeks old - 2 months, your puppy can hold it 2 hours in the crate. The Moss Creek Head Start Teaching the puppy to sleep in the crate and not soil it, is an intensive and exhaustive task. We do more than just introduce your puppy to a crate. We actually train your puppy to sleep in its own crate through the night. The early days of this process are the most difficult. We have implemented a system that slowly teaches your puppy to enjoy being in the crate without soiling it. This makes for many sleepless nights on our part. We feel this early head start to crate training makes the transition to your home less stressful for the puppy and you! Our puppy owners are worth this extra effort. We begin crate training at 3 weeks. We start by leaving a crate in with the puppies with no door. They love to pile in and sleep together. As they grow, we introduce a second crate and this time we leave the doors on. We start by closing them in for minutes at a time, before gradually working up to hours at night. We take the water away by 6 pm. The last time out is around 11 pm. You should take the puppy out, say "go potty" or any cue but be consistent, afterwards, it's directly back in the crate. Let them know that middle of the night trips are all business. No playtime, no drinking etc. Which Crate to Buy We recommend a 42" or 48" wire crate as the permanent crate for standards and the 36" for Mini's. Make sure the crate has a divider. You will want to section off a small space in the beginning, just large enough for your puppy to stand up, turn around and lay down in. You can put a blanket around the crate to make it feel more like a den. Puppies, by nature, prefer to be clean and will not lay where they have had an accident. This makes the crate an invaluable training tool, as it is safer for your puppy to be crated than unsupervised. Purchase our recommended crates on our Crate Shopping Page. Trained to the Bell Poochie-Bells work! Hang them on the door you let your puppy out. Every time you take the puppy out, say 'Let's go out - Ring your bells - Go Outside' and ring the bell with one of the puppies paws. Once you get to the grass you say 'Go Potty'. We don't say 'Potty' in the house because Goldendoodles are extremely smart and learn to potty on command. For the first few months puppies should be taken out for a potty break: when they wake up. If there is a behavior your puppy exhibits that you may think is cute while your puppy is small, you need to think ahead and determine if this behavior will be acceptable from an adult dog. Consistency is the most important tool for training a puppy in their first year and beyond. Each family member needs to use the same techniques and commands so as not to confuse your puppy. It is important to remember that a puppy associates a reward or a disciplinary action with its behavior in the past 3 seconds. Waiting longer than 3 seconds to reward or discipline is very confusing to a puppy. You cannot stop this behavior, but you can certainly direct your puppy to chew upon acceptable items until this phase passes at about a year of age. The only way puppies know how to play is the typical wrestling, biting, chasing, tackling, pulling, and nipping they do with littermates. In the absence of littermates, you and your family suddenly become the littermates. Repeat this same disciplinary action a total of three times in a row. Every now and then, a particularly feisty puppy will become more excited by this disciplinary action and need a more distinct disciplinary measure. This next action needs to be initiated quickly. This will be uncomfortable for your puppy. When behavior meets with uncomfortable consequences, the behavior will stop. With all this being said, the absolute best remedy is for you to arrange daily play dates with other puppies or young dogs. The bottom line is that your puppy needs to have active playtime each day. Jumping — Your puppy will jump on you to get your attention. This may seem innocent while your puppy is small, but Grandma may not appreciate being knocked over by the full grown untrained dog. Make sure you do not reward the puppy for the act of getting down as this will enforce the behavior of jumping up only to be told to get down for a reward. This is not a sign of aggression unless you allow this to go undisciplined over time. You need to actively discourage any and all growling directed at you. If your puppy growls at you when you get close to the food bowl, immediately remove the food bowl and feed the puppy out of your hand. Do not stop brushing until the puppy accepts this without growling. Each puppy needs to learn its place in the pecking order of a family. Obviously, they need to be the lowest on the totem pole. If allowed to be boss, growling is a normal thing for a puppy to exhibit when showing its dominance. Each family member must establish they are boss. This includes young children who are timid or fearful of the puppy. Remember that any behavior you allow as a puppy is then extremely difficult to curb later in life. If you do not wish to have your adult dog on the furniture, do not sit on the sofa holding your puppy. If you do not want your grown dog to grab your pant leg, etc. Leash Training — Training your Goldendoodle puppy to walk on a leash without pulling will take some time. Be patient and read our complete guide to leash training here. Buying a Trained Puppy — You can opt to have your puppy purchased at Fox Creek Farm trained by a professional trainer. Buying a trained puppy can save you a lot of time and benefit the entire family. Please visit our board and train services page for more information. Pet Insurance — We always recommend that any dog owner have a good quality pet insurance. Choosing the best pet insurance will take you a bit of time to learn about the coverages and fees associate with the brand and your particular dog. Spend some time with our blog articles on pet insurance linked above to determine what is right for you and your furry friend. Are Goldendoodles easy to crate train? With our tips and tricks, you can train your puppy quickly. Crate training has a lot of benefits for a growing puppy. But most people give up after a few days of trying. We want to help you conquer this obstacle. Step One: The Crate Size The first step to success is to crate train a Goldendoodle puppy is choosing the right size crate. We believe the best dog crates on the market are the adjustable types. A kennel like the Midwest Homes iCrate has everything you could want. They come with a sturdy build, pan, and divider. Why his stomach is the best method. You will want training treats on hand for the first several days and special treats and busy toys when you are gone. Things like KONG chew toys , or favorite toys that your puppy only gets when you are gone are perfect. The idea is to give your puppy treats during the training process and give them something fun and new to do while you are away. If you make crate training your Goldendoodle puppy a fun experience, you will have faster results. But we will talk more about how to use these treats next. Set your crate up in a high-traffic area of the house. This can be in the living room or room where your puppy will spend most of his time. Make it homey with a few toys, but not the special ones, and a blankie or two. They might even go in and out several times to get a treat, and you should oblige. Soon all you have to do is say kennel, and he will know what to do. Step Four: Play Fetch! If your puppy is having difficulty going into the crate by himself, a game of fetch might persuade him. Start by playing a game of fetch with his favorite toy in the same room as the kennel. After a bit of back and forth, throw the toy into the crate. And when your puppy goes in to get the toy, give them a treat and praise. Soon they will overcome their fear of the big scary metal thing and go in alone. Then you can give them a treat every time they enter alone. Once you have done this for a few days, you should tell them the order, and they get into the crate before getting food. They will eagerly get inside for anything. First, you want to start slow. Start by meeting their needs first: eating, drinking , potty, and collar off. Then give your puppy the crate command. Once in the crate, give your puppy a treat and a special toy. Make your puppy think you are leaving the house by walking out the door. Once the time is up, go inside to let your puppy out and give him praise. By slowly increasing the time your puppy is alone, you teach him that you will always come home. Keep at this; your puppy will go for hours alone in the kennel by the end. A puppy can only hold their bladders for about an hour every month they are of age. So a puppy who is only four months old can only hold their pee for four hours. And it seems easy as pie. But a few things can go wrong in the first few months of training and ruin all success. Here are a few things you never want to do if you want your puppy to learn quickly. Invade Space The first mistake that people make is invading the area. Your puppy is still learning how to use this crate. And you want it to feel like a safe and quiet place to escape when needed. Think of it as their room. If your puppy is in the kennel sleeping, eating, or exploring, you should leave him be. Use It As Punishment Using it as punishment is the next thing that can ruin crate training your puppy. Using the crate as punishment will make your dog feel like he has done something terrible every time you leave the house. Instead, you should redirect your puppy. Cleaning potty messes with urine cleaners and taking them for a walk helps with potty training. And if your puppy is chewing, turn their attention to a toy that is safe for gnawing. This method keeps the crate safe and solves the issues more effectively. We are just as happy to see our puppies as they are glad to see us. But if you make too big of a deal out of leaving and coming home, you could start anxiety in your dog. Sad goodbyes tell your puppy that your leaving is a bad thing. And happy hellos give your puppy anxiety waiting for you to come home. So you will want to keep both of these times cool and collected. Give your puppy the kennel command and leave neutrally, like all you do is brush your teeth. And when you come home, take care of business first. They will be happy, but a potty break is imminent, and after, you can give them a proper hello with a friendly game. Letting Out For Whining Chances are, you will crate-train your puppy at night as well. And if you tried this, you know your puppy will try to pull the heartstrings. How do I get my puppy to stop whining in his crate? But if your puppy is young, keep track of the time spent in the kennel. Is It Simple? You might be wondering if this is for every puppy. Or are Goldendoodles high maintenance? We assure you that every puppy goes through this, no matter what breed or age you start. But with our guide on crate train a Goldendoodle puppy, you will be smooth sailing in no time. Below is a Pinterest friendly photo…. Sharing is caring! So, how do you ensure that your puppy is comfortable and well adjusted to their crate? Platinum Goldendoodles is here to help you on your journey to crate training! Make sure to invest in a divider for the crate, so the space can grow with your Goldendoodle. Never force your puppy to get into the crate. Ignore the temper tantrums. Removing them at the first whimper will teach the puppy that is all it takes to regain their freedom! No yelling zone! Furthermore, never yell at a puppy while they are in the crate. A crate is supposed to be a safe place for relaxation and sleep. This will lead the Goldendoodle to associate the crate with fear! Ignore any demands from your pup and carry on with business as usual. Do not leave your puppy in the crate all day and night. Investing in a puppy is an agreement to make the 2 am wake-up call so your Goldendoodle can go potty! Make a place for puppies! A crate should be a place for your Goldendoodle to calm down, unwind, and feel at ease. Fill the crate with their favorite chew toys and comfort items. You can also use a blanket to drape over the crate, so the space is free from outside distractions. When you can, leave the door open so they can explore the crate on their own time. On that note, never use a crate as punishment. Praise, Praise, Praise! Your Goldendoodle needs to know that its crate is not a place for punishment or negativity. You can use treats to reward them once they enter their crate and always use lots of praise! One treat to entice them in and another once they have entered. Positive reinforcement is key when it comes to training any dog. Slow and Steady. It would be a shock to anyone to go from having the freedom to roam, to hours spent in a crate! When beginning crate training, start with small increments of time and slowly increase the duration. Once they are comfortable during the entire 20 minutes, you can increase the time! This will avoid fostering any feelings of fear and anxiety during crate time. Potty Breaks. Before crating your puppy, make sure they have used the bathroom! If they are whining to get out, you can eliminate the possibility that they need to go outside. But, sometimes, accidents do happen. Try not to stress and try, try again. Potty and crate training is a learning process that is developed over time. It is all a part of the journey to having a well-behaved Goldendoodle. Find the right size. As mentioned before, having the right crate for your puppy will make a huge difference. Utilize a divider to ensure they have a cozy space, and no room to create a potty corner! You can also use a small bed to sleep. All in all, crates are a fantastic tool for training and a great way to make your Goldendoodle comfortable in their new environment. How you interact with crate time will make the difference between the crate being enjoyable and a place of anxiety. Just remember, use lots of praise, avoid yelling, and enjoy your new addition to the family! Conclusion What Is Crate Training? So, what even is crate training? As the name suggests, it is the process of training your pup to sleep overnight in his crate. Crate training has loads of benefits for pet parents. Traveling A crate-trained pooch is an absolute must for frequent flyers. Your dog must be crated on trains, planes, and buses, which really helps if he is crated in the car. This keeps your pup and other passengers safe. Protect Your Pup When I was renovating my kitchen, my dog was completely intrigued by the noises of the construction. Every time the jackhammer would start up, he would run toward the kitchen to investigate. So, I had to speed up my crate training process to safely crate my pooch in my room for a couple of hours a day. Crating your pup also keeps him safe from household supplies that can seriously harm him, including rat bait, mouse bait, fabric softener sheets, antifreeze, or insecticides. Protect Your Home Sometimes, even the most well-behaved pup tends to behave a little naughty. This could manifest in destructive behaviors like ripping up cushions, peeing in random corners of the house, and getting into the trash. To prevent this, teaching your dog to enter his crate all by himself is good. Potty Training Since dogs are den animals, they are naturally predisposed to keeping their toilet area separate from their sleeping area. This will foster the habit of peeing on the pad, which is invaluable for further potty training. A common question that pet parents of Goldendoodles have: Are Doodle puppies easy to crate train? Or can a Goldendoodle be crate trained? The answer is yes! Thanks to their Poodle genes , Goldendoodle puppies are extremely intelligent. Thanks to their Golden Retriever genes, they are also very eager to please. This winning combination makes most types of training a breeze! With consistency, hard work, and dedication, you will definitely be able to crate-train your Goldendoodle pooch. Crate Training Steps So, how exactly do you start crate training? Or how do you train a Goldendoodle to sleep in a crate? Start by selecting the best crate for your Doodle puppy. The crate should have enough ventilation holes if you live in a warm, humid climate. This will keep your pup more comfortable with entering the crate. Keep the crate near you in an area with a lot of foot traffic. Let your dog investigate the crate of his own volition. Do not close the door yet, even if your pup enters. Use Cues Now that your dog is used to entering the crate, you need to start associating the action of entering the kennel with a verbal command. Reinforce the Commands At this point, the most important thing is to reinforce the verbal commands you have laid the foundation for. When he does, give him tons of treats and verbal praise. Close the Door At this point, you are ready to start closing the kennel door. Once your Goldendoodle is able to enter the kennel once you say the command, you will begin to close the door after him. After a few weeks of training, you will find that crate training your Goldendoodle puppy at night is a breeze! Crate Training Schedule So, how do you schedule your crate training process? Week 1 Acclimation This first week should be all about getting your dog comfortable with the presence of the crate. A large crate can look intimidating to a teeny tiny pup. This will entice your pooch to stick his head in, and he will become more comfortable with entering the crate. If you throw in a few toys or treats, your dog is more likely to enter. Week 3 Closed-Door Training Now, each time your dog enters, shut the door behind him. Keep it closed for only a few minutes, let him out, and then reward him heavily with treats! You can also test out the verbal cues you established in the previous week. Weeks Continuing Training As your Goldendoodle starts to get comfortable with being in the crate with the door closed, you can increase the length of time he is in there. Slowly increase it by 30 seconds at a time, repeated multiple times throughout the day. Eventually, you will be able to leave him in there for hours at a time! You can even try to leave your Goldendoodle in the crate overnight, but let him out if he whines for more than 15 minutes. Do not leave your pooch in the crate for more than 6 hours. Week 6 Overnight Crating Now, you can try leaving your pup in the crate overnight. Take your dog out for a potty break, give him tons of exercise, and keep a potty pad in the crate. Lead him to the crate and gently close the door behind him. Take him out for a bathroom break at least 30 minutes before you begin training. In a few weeks, your dog will be totally comfortable with dozing off in his kennel overnight! Goldendoodles are an exceptionally smart breed that responds great to consistent training and positive reinforcement. If you have any other tips to make crate training a little easier, then leave a comment below. Thanks for reading! As she grew older, this love transformed into a love for dogs. She volunteers in a dog shelter, so she is well-versed in the care and comfort of all breeds of dogs. Leave a Comment. Use tab to navigate through the menu items. Here are some suggestions to make this important training a success: Buy a crate: I used to endorse the Midwest Life Stages Double Door wire cates but there have been too many puppies getting their little jaws and noses stuck in the wire. If you purchase the PetMate Navigator, it is a plastic crate that comes with dividers so it can grow with your puppy. The door opens from the left or the right. This is the crate that I endorse. You can order them online Kuranda Dog Beds During the first few weeks, keep your puppy in the crate whenever you are not playing, holding or watching him explore his new surroundings. Spend as much time as you can with your pup, but when you can't watch him, crating him can prevent mistakes from occurring. In addition to providing the safe, secure refuge your pup needs and wants, crates are critical to housetraining because as den animals, dogs are naturally inclined to not soil their bed. The most important thing dogs learn in a crate is that they can control their urge to eliminate until the proper time and situation. Crating will also make your dog less stressed out in those times where he needs to stay in a crate at the vets, at the groomers or on an airplane if you want to take him with you. Establish a schedule and don't deviate from it. The "when" and "how" you house train needs to be consistent, so make sure all family members follow the same guidelines. Let puppy smell small stinky treat, Dried Liver Bites work well for this Denta Stix also work well for this. .Take him to the door with the poochie bells on it and you ring them. Pick a soiling spot in your yard and take your pup there on a leash when it is time to eliminate. In the housebreaking process, it is a good idea to use the same word like "outside" when you are going out and "Go Pee" once you are outside. Consistant use of a word with an activity will help to build a level of communication between you and your pup. Be patient. Dogs may urinate or defecate more than once in one outing and not always right away. Don't distract your pup from the job at hand. This is a business trip, not a social time. Praise and treat when they go. Don't mix business with pleasure. Wait until your pup has finished and then take him back inside and spend some time with him. You know there is little chance the pup will have to eliminate for a while so play with him and have a good time. The more time you spend with the pup, the better it is. Remember, they are still young and need to act like a pup, developing and learning about their new situation and environment. Dogs are creatures of habit: They like to eat, sleep, and relieve themselves on a regular schedule. Establishing and maintaining a schedule is easy to do and gets easier as your puppy grows. Don't say No, as this will cause your puppy to sense you are upset and he will begin to hide and pee If you don't catch him, simply clean up the mess and scold yourself for not being available to take him out on time. If you see him pacing, sniffing, turning in circles or trying to sneak away, it is time to repeat the above bell training steps. Also, if he has an accident in house, clean it up and bring the paper towel out to his spot, put rocks on the paper towel so his scent will be there next time.This schedule if for when both partners work or during the day! If one family member is home in the day, you bell train every hour. Crate the puppy when you go out or the puppy can't be supervised. Shower etc. Don't wait until you shower or until the coffee is made. Allow min. Confine to crate when you leave; place safe chew toys in crate for entertainment. A kong stuffed with treat works with Peanut Butter Noon Take pup out. No more crate. Bell Train for the rest of the evening - First week this is every hour for re-enforcement then you can increase the intervals as the days and weeks go by. When crating for the evening, the first 7 days at home I suggest that the crate be in your bedroom at eye level to the bed so the puppy can see you and knows you are there! He can be easily soothed with a few fingers in the crate and tell shh. .The next 7 days you can put the crate on the floor next to the bed. The last 7 days, if you don't want the puppy in the bedroom, bring the crate to the high traffic area in the home that he is used to. Where he plays.The food ration for the day as on the bag or on the TLC Website is given in two feedings or 3 if you choose the add the lunch feeding. This is not recommended if you are not home during the day. Be sure they get their entire ration in the day.Do not overfeed.Overfeeding also causes diarrhea. No people food or he will get the runs and probably vomit. When possible, your puppy should not be crated once you are home for the evening. This is when you spend quality time with him and work on basic obedience and bell training. Bell train your puppy every hour. Set your egg timer or your microwave timer to 1 hour. Do not wait for the sign, get him before he has to go to help him feel confidant and that he is having successes. You must condition him to ring the bells. If he misses, decrease the time to every half hour. This is for at least 2 full days when you bring puppy home. This is for a puppy wellness check up. Bring in a stool sample at this time. You will not need shots, a microchip or de-worming at this appointment. The goal is the have a pad where the pee will pool and no sink in to the pad. If it pools, they don't like it and will hold their pee until they are let out. If it is fleecy, they will be able to pee on it and it will magically disappear, enabling them to pee in the crate and get away with it. Never ever put puppy pads in the Crate! They have a scent they encourages them to pee on them. This is totally counter-productive! Poochie Bells - for the fastest training possible. I prefer to use the kibble. Use for the week. Do not count this as part of their daily kibble portion. Toys - any colour but red - squeekers are very dangerous as your puppy grows. They are flat and when they swallow them, they block their intestines. When your puppy is at the age where he can rip open the seam, remove and discard all squeekers and sew the toys back up. Make Vet appointment for a Puppy Wellness Check up with your puppy within 3 business days of taking your puppy home. Bring a stool sample to this appointment. I will provide you with your first collar and leash so there is no need to buy one. Wait until your puppy has outgrown his puppy collar and then take him with you to have him fitted. Name Tags are cute, but not necessary. You have paid to have your puppy micro-chipped. This tag should be on your puppy's collar at all times. It has more information attached to it than your home phone and address. Stainless Steel Food and Water Dish Stuffed or Stuffless toy, washed and slept with to bring on picking day Human type hair brush with the little plastic balls at the ends of the bristles. Brush daily to get him used to the brush. When his adult coat comes in, you can ask your groomer the best type of comb and brush that he should have for his coat type. Normal Dog Temp is - .Or 38 - .Anything over or under 99 is an emergency! Food for thought on Crate Training: Why You Should Stop Feeling Guilty: Crating a dog when you leave, travel or have company over may cause feelings of guilt, but is the safest place for your dog to be. Dogs are den dwelling animals that will often curl up and go to sleep when they are comfortable in their crate. Most owners, however seem to be in a race to wean off crating a dog because they feel guilty. What is it that you expect your dog to do when you leave? They cannot read a magazine, text their friends or surf the web. What they can and often will do when you leave is pace, bark out the window, destructively chew or defecate indoors. The guilt comes from a feeling of taking freedom away when crating a dog. The word cage gets used in replacement of crate or kennel and every commercial about animal abuse features a dog behind bars. We put too much responsibility on our dogs and expect them to know what to do with it. A dog that barks out the window or jumps on your guests loses that option when crated. Leaving a dog unattended can also be life threatening. Ingesting clothing or garbage is not the only danger. Choking on rawhide, a bone shard or a squeaky from a dog toy can also put your dog in an emergency situation. In a multi-dog house, a dogfight can result in expensive vet bills and sometimes loss of a pet. Unfortunately, these cases happen more often than you think. On the other hand, there are many benefits to crating a dog and keeping it part of their lives. During travel, your dog has a safe place to adapt to new environments, which will reduce stress. Crating a dog recovering from injury will help them heal faster. The easiest way to potty train a puppy is by crate training. Nervous or fearful dogs will feel safe in their crate when new people come over. Many behavioral issues will fade simply by crating a dog more frequently. By letting go of feeling guilty and focusing on doing what is best for your dog, you will be rewarded with a better relationship. Need help with training? Location of the crate will highly affect your efforts on how to crate train a puppy. Because dogs are social animals, an ideal location for the crate is within an area that the family visits often. This could be in the kitchen, living room, or bedroom. If you have noticed that your dog likes a particular corner or room to take a nap, or if you want your puppy to sleep in a particular location at night, then this might be the best location for the crate. Avoid putting the crate in an isolated area like the laundry or furnace room. Some fellow Doodle owners have done this with great success: Introducing the Crate, Step-by-Step Guide Here is a short step-by-step guide on introducing the crate to your puppy. Ideally, you should have the crate ready to go the day you bring your puppy home. The best first confinement session should be when the puppy is ready to take a nap and as early in the day as possible. This will likely be after a playtime, exercise, and going potty. Place a few treats, toys, or food inside the crate so that your puppy is keen on going inside on his own. If the puppy lies down elsewhere to take a nap, move him to his crate for the duration of the nap. Leave the room but remain close enough to hear your puppy. Some level of crying or whining is expected the first few times he is separated from his family members. Only release him from the crate when he wakes up, is calm, or if you need to wake your puppy up for feeding, play, or a potty break. Repeat these steps a few times before bedtime. Over a few weeks, gradually increase the amount of time that your puppy stays in the crate. Cap the max time to three or four hours until the puppy is older than five months of age. Prior to bedtime, your puppy should be exercised and secured in his crate for the night. Repeat these steps each day until he willingly and happily goes into his crate on his own. Avoid letting him out of the crate when he cries or whines. Ignore him until the crying stops. The location of the crate, as well as the techniques you use for crate training should be designed to keep the crate association positive. For example, your puppy should be encouraged to sleep, nap, or play with his toys in his little den. On the other hand, be mindful that if your dog is confined at a time when he is in need of play, attention, or to go potty, then he may try to escape the crate and experience anxiety. Likewise, never use the crate or confinement area as a punishment. This may make puppy feel trapped, anxious, and frustrated. This is the most important goal in how to crate train a puppy. A radio or TV may help to calm your dog and may help to mask environmental noises that can trigger crying or barking. Here is a good rule of thumb. Only leave a puppy in his crate in hours equal to the age in months that he is. Example: if your puppy is two months old, only leave him in the crate for up to two hours at a time. Never leave your puppy in his crate for longer than he can control himself or he may be forced to go potty in his crate. If your pup must be left for longer than he can control elimination, a larger confinement area with puppy pee pads, or access to outside through a dog door, will be necessary. Second, puppies need a certain amount of socialization. Some level of crying or whining is expected the first few times he is separated from his family members while in his crate. For some unfortunate souls, your puppy may be rather relentless with the crying for much longer than that. However, the crying might persist longer than that if certain actions are taken when he cries. For example, avoid letting him out of the crate when he cries or whines and ignore him until the crying stops. Moreover, only release him from the crate when he wakes up, is calm, or if you need to wake your puppy up for feeding, play, or a potty break. If the crying does not subside on its own, you might find that a mild interruption helps. A mild interruption could be some kind of sharp noise, like shaking a can containing a few coins. A quick squirt from a water gun may also be effective. During the interruption, you should remain out of sight, so that the puppy does not learn to associate the interruption with your presence. Though not always viewed as a favorable option, another way to discourage crying or barking is to use a bark-collar or similar device that produces an alarm or distracting spray when he barks. Avoid any interruption that causes fear or anxiety. These are not mentally healthy for your dog and could make the crying worse. They can even cause him to go potty inside the crate. Whether you cover the crate depends on your dog. Some dogs love the security provided by a darkened, enclosed space, while others can feel anxious in a confined area. A crate cover can help reduce anxiety and soothe dogs by limiting visual stimuli, which in turn can prevent excitement and barking. Source As with crate training, a gradual introduction to a cover on his crate is the best way to get him used to it. For steps on introducing your dog to a covered crate, check out this article. Well, the same way you would crate train your puppy during the daytime! The only difference is that he and you will be sleeping hopefully and that he may be able to go longer periods without needing attention. Is it Cruel to Crate a Dog at Night? No, it is definitely not cruel to crate your dog at night! The crate still provides the same benefits mentioned at the beginning of this article during the nighttime. Some crying is to be expected the first few nights your puppy is in his new home. What do you do when your puppy cries at night? If your puppy cries in the middle of the night, you have some choices on what to do. You can ignore him or use a mild interruption, as discussed above. You can comfort him by letting him know that you are present. You may also talk to him a bit if necessary, or put your hand on his crate. Another option is to sit or lay on the floor for a few minutes right when he goes into the crate if he is especially upset. Also, new Doodle puppy owners are swearing by Snuggle Puppies left and right. The Snuggle Puppy helps puppies with its pulsing heartbeat and heat pack, simulating the comfort of mama. It is perfect while crate training, as it reduces whining and barking, and it helps puppies transition to their new home. The result is a calmer puppy who feels less loneliness, fear, and separation anxiety. Goldendoodle vs Bernedoodle vs Sheepadoodle On day one, you may simply want to feed your pup in the crate and initially let him sniff the place out without even closing the door. Once he is familiar with the crate, you can start closing him for short periods of time and always reward him with treats upon entering the crate. At the beginning, make sure your pup can still see you - this helps your doodle relax and settle sooner. On this note, we have found most puppies adapt more quickly to sleeping through the night in their crate if they are in the same room as a human. Still, you can expect the first few nights to be quite difficult. The first few days can be extremely difficult, but your consistency will pay off. Many owners find it difficult to be consistent because of their worry that their dog is miserable with crate training and, true enough, the puppies can sound really pitiful in there. But stay strong and remember that you are actually helping them in the long run for the times that they must be left alone when you go out. Keeping your puppy in a kennel while you are gone not only keeps them safe, but when utilized correctly, the crate actually feels like a safe, cozy place to your pup and will help keep him calm and rest when he must be left alone. Keeping a routine is key so your pup knows what to expect. Allow pup to settle for about five minutes before you let him or her out. The only time this does not apply is in the middle of the night. You will know you have mastered this important aspect to training when your pup voluntarily enters his crate to rest or nap without even being instructed to do so! A well crate trained pup makes grooming, boarding, and traveling much easier for you and your pup.