Your experiences with a 6-8 month old Doodle (+ my experience so far)

[Nick T.]

Hey, all! I just joined a couple days ago, although I've been frequenting this site often since I got my Goldendoodle puppy, Whiskey. Glad to be a member now!

Anyways - I was wondering if anyone who has, or has had, a 6 month old Doodle could share their experiences, such as what's to come, things to start working on, things to look out for, etc.. I know 6 months is often the start of behavioral changes in many dogs, so I thought sharing experiences would prove helpful for many. I have a 6 month old Goldendoodle, so I'd like to be able to avoid future problems that many may have experienced or wish they'd worked on earlier.

I got Whiskey when he was 2 months old from a reputable breeder in Kentucky. He just turned 6 months old about a week ago. He's great for the most part. He gets a long with all dogs and humans. I've taught him to sit, stay, lay, roll over, leave it, and drop it. He does his tricks pretty consistently when I have a treat, and about 70% of the time without a treat. He has zero problems with biting or barking, sleeps through the night perfectly, is great in his crate (it can be a chore to get him in the crate though). He's almost mastered potty training, he has maybe had 2 accidents in the last month, he'll usually wait by the door to let us know he has to go. Overall he is great, and I try not to take any of it for granted. I'm a lucky doodle owner. 

Here are the things that worry me though: He doesn't seem to want to stay in one place for longer than 10 seconds. He's not "hyper", he just seems to constantly be wondering around. I'll be sitting on the couch, or laying in bed, and he'll jump up, look/sniff around, then jump off. I'd really like to be able to watch TV with him without worrying about what he's doing, but he always wonders off and won't just relax for a minute. This behavior has resulted in having to keep him in his room while we can't be constantly watch him, which I feel bad about. He also likes being pet, but only for about 30 seconds. I know he's a puppy and wants to constantly explore, I've read several of the Puppy Madness discussions, but at 6 months old I figured he'd be adjusted by now and be able to relax. I also wish he was more cuddly and would lay next to me in bed for longer than 15 seconds, but that's my selfish human desires and I know not all dogs are cuddle bugs. However I read many puppies become more cuddly with age, so we'll see. He's getting better at leash training (the Sporn Non-Pull Harness helped A LOT.), but he still is really bad about jumping up on people when we pass them on a walk. I've tried many of the techniques mentioned on this site, I'm hoping this is something he'll grow out of with consistent training and age. He also isn't so great with the "come" command, but I'm still working on that and looking at difference training techniques. 

So, does anyone have similar experiences or advice to give to fellow 6-8 month old doodle parents? 

Also, if you'd like to keep up with my pup's life, check out Whiskey's Instagram!

[Debbie and Bentley]

Bentley is not a cuddly dog either, & like you I hope he will become more cuddly with age. I think you are right on track with potty training, and no biting & barking. It sounds like he is doing well with his basic training. The come command is the most important one, since it can potentially save his life. I would suggest you get a long line (25 ft.), if you don't already. You would use this for training your come command. Always use high value treats for come, and he should always be rewarded. I'm sure there are many videos you can watch on you tube. As a college student, I don't know if you would have the time to get into a formal training class, but that would be best.
Whiskey sounds like a great puppy!

[Judith and Addie]

Welcome to you and your baby. I love the the look, like he just got out of bed with a bedhead. Whiskey seems like a very appropriate name.

It sounds like you and he are doing well on the training. I have to agree with Debbie, the come/here is very important and you should make sure he has that learned very well. I can attest that you do not want to slack off on training, even if he seems to know things, because he probably has yet to enter his adolescence when he will start to challenge everything. My Addie had a fantastic "here" when she was younger. Then she started developing a look in her eyes when she was about 8 months old that seemed to say, "No, I don't want to - let's play!". Also, you probably know that Whisky can develop his second "fear impact" period, if he hasn't already. You might want to brush up on a dog's adolescent period. There is hope for the constant movement and wandering. He will get better..I used to think the only two periods in my puppy's life were stop, and go. She was either sleeping or moving.

I have the same problem with Addie (now 13 months) with jumping on people. She also started to become dog-reactive when she was around a year old. I consulted a trainer and this is how she has suggested I work on these issues.
The first thing is to be aware of your dog's body language. As you approach a person, if Whiskey starts to get excited, focus him on you. You can use "watch me". Keep treats handy and if he focuses on you, reward him with a treat, and/or praise. If he begins getting so excited that he can't focus, move away to where he can focus on you. Try not to get closer to a person than Whiskey can keep his attention on you. Also, do not give attention to him when he does jump and ask others not to pet him or give him attention if he is jumping. That is only rewarding behavior you do not want. Dog reactive is basically the same, but with Addie, it is a little harder because she is reactive at greater distances. I have been taking her to (near) the dog park and working with her outside of it with the dogs coming and going. Consistency is key.

Good luck and enjoy.

[Gracie, Jade, & Barkley]

What a sweet looking pup! Now, I know why people are always asking me if Gracie is a golden retriever mix. She's actually yellow lab mix.

[Missy]

Welcome to the group!  and Hello from East KY!  I think Whiskey is adorable, and yeah for all the accomplishments you have done with him.

Ours is almost 2 now.  When Teddy was 6 months, he only had the freedom to roam in certain areas of the house unsupervised.  We used gates and such to constrict the areas.  Wandering around: maybe looking for something to do? have you tried some puzzle games? or hide and seek with toys? does he like chew toys like the Nyla bone? We got into the habit when it was quiet TV time at night, we would present Teddy with either an antler, or Nyla bone and place it on his blanket on the couch or his dog bed.  (we only had out available certain toys at certain times...a rotation system of sorts around the clock.) Now, even at 2, he will go get his chew toys and settle down at night time.

Keep up with the command training.  We still have trouble with the greeting of people.  But I have found that Teddy understands the sit command really well, so when we are out walking and see other dogs approaching, I put Teddy in a sit stay mode.  That seems to work pretty well.  If people are going to approach, I but the leash under my foot, so that if he were to try to jump up, there isn't enough leash to do so and I am not having to pull him down. 

Loving the crate:  we got into the habit of giving Teddy treats when he went to the crate.  He only got his Kong treat in the afternoon, and at bedtime, he got a little piece of milkbone. I was told to think of different treats having an hierarchy order.  Best treats ever all the way to 'oh, this is a treat'.  and for crate purposes...we used 'best treats ever'. 

Coming command: I think one has to continually work on this, but start with the command in a quiet room.  Make sure Whiskey knows the command and what action is suppose to be.  Then put him in a sit/stay.  Leave the room.  do the command.  reward!  Then it's time to move outside with distractions!  The tricky part is to not progress too quickly with this command.  I was told, don't use a command if you think your pup won't respond.  It learns them to tune you out.  Something else I learned that was helpful was to sit with your pup outside on your porch.(I know..cold right now, but you get the idea)  Unknowingly to them, you have some treats.  As they look around at the world, wait for that time when they look at you. Reward.  You are essentially training the dog to look for you, look at you for direction. Our results with this technique:  We trained on hand signals and I can (usually) get Teddy's attention in a crowded room, and put him in a sit/lay.  But this takes a lot of training!! I still at 2yrs work with this outside especially.  If he is inspecting a pile of dirt, I run around the house away from him.  Wait a few minutes.  See if he will come find me. We are outside a lot in the summer, and I want him to be trained to always find ME!  (these dogs can run VERY fast and squirrels are very tempting!)

I don't think we ever quit training!  They are pretty smart dogs and will always test boundaries!! But they most of all want to make you happy!!  And our pup was not a cuddler, but he is now!  We moved out of the crate at about 14 months! And he sleeps in the bed with me. He enjoys the tummy rubs and comfy pillows!!

Keep up the great work!  I learned so much from this group!! Maybe we will see you sometime at PetSmart!!

[Melanie, Wookie and Dr. Watson]

Wookie wasn't cuddly at all at that age, but after about 1 she gradually became more and more cuddly and now at 3 she is a total cuddle bug.  6-18 months were the hardest with training when she became very independent, wanting to run off and do her own thing.  I took her off into woods where we would't disturb anyone and gave her chances to be independent.  I would practice calling her back, then just petting her rather than leashing her, and allowing her to run again.  This way she didn't always feel like come meant "end of fun."  Sometimes I would put the leash back on her for a bit then let her back off again, so she would see that being leashed didn't mean end of fun either.  I also worked to make myself as exciting as anything else, romping around and playing with her, doing things that would interest her like finding sticks, etc.  Essentially, rather than use treats, I worked to make ME the reward as a source of fun and freedom. We built trust together and over time it not only made her better trained with me, but it built up our bond and made her more cuddly with me too.  Your dog will become cuddly whether you do this or not as he calms down and your bond grows, but it was fun for both of us so why not?

[Alisha T.]

Wow, way to go Whiskey.  You have just made my six month old mini Goldendoodle Lola look like a wild mongrel.  I am so impressed at what you have accomplished with Whiskey.  We go to puppy training at Petsmart but after four weeks all she has managed to learn is sit.  Your post has been a real eye opener for me and I think that up until now I have seen her as just a little puppy and not a big puppy who is more than ready to have some serious training.  It has been over the past week or two that she has finally figured out (most of the time) that peeing in the house is gross and she comes and sort of puts her paw to my leg to let me know when she needs to go out.  I thought this was a great leap forward however just this morning I have realized that the smart little bugger has also figured out that this little "trick" is working not just for being let outside to go potty but anytime she wants to get my attention to let her out even when she doesn't need to. She will run out to the spot she usually goes stop for a moment and then run back in knowing this will earn her a treat.  If I wasn't paying attention and staying to watch her I'm sure I wouldn't catch on so quickly.  This isn't a big deal and I'm sure I will figure out a way of correcting it.  A big problem however which has been ongoing is her getting excited and jumping in my face and biting at my hands when I am bent down and putting my sons shoes on for school or my own shoes for that matter.  I'm not quite sure how to correct this and I have begun resorting to picking her up and putting her in her crate when she starts up.  She also goes around the house finding my sons toys and chewing them up.  Many a lego guy has met an untimely and horrific death at her hands, or rather her mouth.  She has her own toys, chew sticks, Kong etc and when I catch her doing it I take away the toy and swap it for one of her own but still she persists.  Now I am looking at these problems and seeing how much I am letting her get away with using the excuse that she isn't old enough to know better.  Maybe it's because she is so small?  Just now she walked in the room with a stray sock she found and I looked at her and shook my head and she dropped it so I know that she understands that it's not allowed but when I'm not looking she will just do it anyway.  Now, having said all of that I will list her many good qualities so you all don't think Lola is some kind of monster.  Lola is my loyal and loving little friend and constant companion.  She follows me around the house and anytime I am stationary such as when I am doing dishes or folding clothes she will find a spot near by or even at or on my feet and patiently wait.  Even as I am typing she is laying on my feet chewing on her raw hide stick I gave her in exchange for the sock.  As like most retrievers she has always loved playing fetch and one night when she was only ten weeks or so I played a little game with her.  It was dark outside and we have a pile of small branches in a corner of our yard with many sticks that all look exactly the same.  I took one of the sticks and ran it over my clothes and around my hair, arms etc.  Then I let her take a good smell and told her to fetch and threw it out into the dark but not more than 15 feet away and she found it and brought it right back like she does with any other object.  After repeating this several times and telling her what a good girl she is I took the stick and threw it over into the pile of sticks that are looking exactly the same.  She sniffed around and after digging through the pile she found the stick and brought it back to me.  I couldn't believe it.  I had placed a small mark in her stick with my fingernail that was't noticeable so I was sure it wasn't just another stick that looked the same. Lola is a friend to all be it animal or human.  She has a sweet and gentle little soul which can be clearly seen when looking into her cute little button eyes.  She doesn't hold grudges and when running around with my six year old while playing soccer she jumped in front of the ball and to his horror Kai had kicked Lola straight in the face with force enough to actually knock out two teeth one of which was a molar.  In tears he brought me the bloody teeth and told me what had happened.  After having her teeth knocked out she had every reason to be cowering in fear and not wanting to be approached and it would be natural for a dog to have this reaction, or anyone for that matter.  Not Lola, she came running right along with him back into the house bouncing and happy as always, no sign of any trauma at all. Honestly had he not told me what had happened nothing about her demeanor would have given me a reason to see that something was wrong.  LIKE HAVING HAD HER TEETH KNOCKED OUT! Man that has got to hurt.  Good news is I took her straight to the vet and she told us they were baby teeth and she would be fine but still my son still feels terrible about it.   This has become way too long so I will get to my point.  When you put toddlers in a room with their mothers you will notice that some will stay at the mothers side and others will run around the room stopping at each interesting object they can find only long enough to check it out before they move on to the next fun thing they can find.  Neither of these kids loves their mothers  any less than the other it's just a matter of personality and I'm sure that once Whiskey has matured a little his constant need to move from one thing to another and not really want to just lay with you will gradually change.  He may never be one who is especially cuddly but that's just him and will have nothing to do with his love for you.  You are both doing great!

[Laura and Angus]

What a cutie pie! My puppy is currently 7 months, so I thought I'd share some of the changes I've noticed in the last month. Our pup was neutered at 6 months and we started training classes about a week later. Our classes focus on "good manners" and leadership training for the puppy owners. Your Whiskey sounds a lot like our guy Angus. We were just mentioning that Angus is a bit of a wanderer - he paces around and does not stay seated long. We found that he has begun to settle more just in the last couple weeks, where he'll lay or sit down for longer periods of time. Not sure if this is due to neutering, maturity, or training classes, but it's great! He has also become more cuddly lately too. Yay!

Our Angus is also a "lemme greet you in the face" kind of pup and has begun to disregard commands that he knows (e.g. paw and come). We are trying to work a little bit everyday on different commands. So, at home, we play hide 'n' seek to work on come - my boyfriend will go off and "hide" somewhere in the house and call Angus. He'll give him a treat when he gets there. Then I do it and so forth. This is a good way to practice long-distance "come" since he can't see where you are. Plus it gives the busy pup and movement activity. Also good to work on "come" in a controlled environment with limited distraction (e.g. inside) and the slowly move to more distracted locations with a long lead. This is what we've done with Angus and we're just continuing through with the training during his adolescence. 

With jumping, we will have Angus sit or sometimes we step on the leash so he lays down, so that people can greet him that way once he shows calmer body language. Then we give treats and praise for greeting people that way. Sometimes this takes waiting a few minutes, so it helps to set it up where you have people come over or come greet him in advance of meeting people on the street - to practice away from excitement of walks and outdoor settings. Lastly, we have worked a LOT of leadership training at home. I think this has played a role in settling Angus down lately. We do things that show Angus that we are the leaders of the household - e.g. blocking in hallways or on stairs, having him sit and wait to be released for his food, and having him sit and wait to be released until we go outside first. This way he's learning that he can't just blow past us places - I think this has taught him some patience, which he desperately needed.

Anyways, sorry for the essay, but I'm right there with you! We're just working to be calm and stay consistent with our reinforcement and reminders. That's what seems to be the best way to help them learn the expectations in and out of the house.

[Lucy , Alex and Madison]

If you just want to relax and watch tv put a leash on your doodle attached to you(tethered).  Make sure to bring toys and chewing bones to keep him busy and you may also get more than 15 seconds of cuddling from a captive doodle!   I have done this when I get too stressed about her prowling the house for something she shouldn't get into. It is a life saver. Good luck.

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