New puppy owner looking for help

[Laura]

Hello! My husband and I brought our sweet Molly (our standard goldendoodle) into our family in April, and she is now 4 months old. I'm wondering if any more experienced dog owners have suggestions for a few things. Molly stands on her back feet and repeatedly scratches the door, door frame, or walls when she wants outside or upstairs (we currently have a gate going upstairs so she can't freely roam). This has caused quite some damage to our walls and doors. Any suggestions on teaching her another way to "ask"? She has also learned her voice and is using it immensely! She will bark repeatedly at us if we are sitting on the couch (eating...), at the stairs (even if no one is up there), etc. Any ideas to curb the barking? Our poor neighbours! Our little girl also gnaws on visitors hands and jumps up. We're working on teaching manners. Any help or suggestions would be greatly appreciated! We are currently working with a trainer in a group class, and are looking at having her come to our home to help, too.

[Leslie, Yogi & Maci Bear]

A lot of us had great success using the potty bells for our doodles to let us know when they want to go outside.

We have loved having ours.

[Laura]

I'm assuming that's a bell they ring? Our Molly may just chew the heck out of it....haha everything's a chew toy! I'm up for trying anything, though!

[Lucy & AnnaBelle's Mom]

We recently had an option here to watch a webinair with Doggie Dan at   theonlinedogtrainer.com

Since your puppy is only 4 months you would benefit greatly by at least getting the 3 day trial for $1 to his on line site.  He has a complete program for puppies laid out in videos that you can watch for every single issue you can imagine.  It is called project Moses and it shows everything about raising a puppy.  I've had 3 doodles and been to hundreds of dollars worth of training at various locations and I've learned more from this site in a few weeks than I learned in all of those classes.  

[Laura]

Thank you for the suggestion, I will check out the site!

 

[Lynda Kamrath]

I know it is extremely hard to do, but treat the behavior you like and ignore the behaviors you do not want.  I found that the egg and bacon pupperoni are the treat that my boys love.  I keep a bunch in my pocket (small pieces) and they will do whatever I want for a pupperoni.  The jumping up and biting were the ones I had a hard time with and I would raise my hands and say "ahh, ahhh, ahh" and it did stop after a while.  Potty bells?  Did not use them but would take the dogs (don't just open the door)  to the spot they were supposed to use and tell them to go peepee or potty.  Then when they do, they get a treat.  All my doodles have been trained that way.  When they want to go out (for any reason) they stand at the sliding glass door and bark once.  Then if you don't respond they bark twice.  Then three times and you know they mean business.  It does pass and she will be a wonderful dog for your family.  Chewing on baseboards, decks, etc, we used tabasco sauce.  Bought large bottles and a dauber and put it on the places where they were chewing.  It stopped quickly.

[Bren & Reagan]

I agree with others....I made the potty bell myself and hung it on the basement door.  As I was training her I would always bring her to it and let her sniff then tap the bell.  She picked up on it within a few days and always used that method from then on.  The jumping on wall/door.  My sons dog did this and once when I was watching her I tried putting some foil up in that area.  Just enough where Roxie was jumping at.  She didn't like the foil and it worked wonders. Talking to my son when he came to pick her up I told him to do the potty bell method.  Between the two suggestions it worked wonders.  After a few weeks the foil came down at his house and Roxie did the bells until she turned one.  After that....the loudest BARK you could imagine!