Are Doodles Real Difficult to Train?

[Joanne ~ Spud*]

Yesterday I went shopping for a class in advanced training for Spud. We also needed dog food. I called a business I had used 15 years ago. After asking just a few questions the bored lady said, " Just go to my website it will answer any of your questions." I explained her web site would not load the particular page and she replied " Yeah, my husband is a programmer and my computer doesn't work real well either." She never answered my simple questions.

We got in the car and took a road trip to her store to purchase the dog food and see what she could offer us in person as to what type of training would be good for Spud.

My first question this time was, " Do you mind training this type of dog?" ( are you interested, hate this type of dog, etc was what I really wanted to know ) She went on to explain that Doodles are just okay and most are real hard to train. I then asked in what way................. ???? I got my dog food but again never had my question answered as I was rushed out of the empty business. Needless to say, we won't go back to purchase food or training. So I'm shopping again.

Has anyone on DK been told these dogs are hard to train? If so, in what way?

Am I confusing "smart" with "train"?

[Adina P]

I think DOGS are difficult to train =) Period. But more time consuming than anything. It's a challenge, I think, regardless of breed. But your question depends on your definition of 'train'. If you are thinking 'train' as equivalent to 'teach how to do things' then I'd say smart dogs are easier! Take for example how many doodle owners (or retriever or poodle owners) are able to say "My dogs is soooo smart...she's only 9 weeks old and in the past week she's learned how to sit and down and shake and..." But learning things easily and being actually trained are very different in my mind and not as connected to "smarts." Granted I have not put in a major effort to train any other dog than Rosco...but I still think (from reading, from the vicarious experience of others, trying out other dogs while babysitting, and training Rosco) that it's EASY to teach most dogs...and difficult to train most dogs.

So yeah most any dogs can learn how to do things on cue...but those same dogs aren't necessarily gonna sit, down, heel, come, etc...on the first command every time you tell them to no matter the environment and distraction. A 'trained' dog, to me, is a dog that WILL do all the things it was taught, everywhere and anywhere and without having to coax or repeat the command several times. That's a TRAINED dog.

My conclusion is that because doodles are smart...they will learn fast. But they won't necessarily be 'easy to train' as everyone always says because they ARE smart and will try to get away with what they can. I don't think they are doing this to be naughty, but out of being creatures whose main mission is to make themselves happy and do what pleases them. There are very few dogs out there whose true mission is to please their masters from the get-go. They are self-serving creatures who love their people...but they still want what they want. Don't we all want what we want usually?

I'm quite positive that if we did a survey of all our members MOST would say their dogs do NOT listen on first command in any circumstance. Most still pull on leash. Most won't come on command at the dog park. Most won't hold a long stay in the face of difficult distractions. Their dogs learned HOW TO do those things quite easily, but they aren't fully trained to actually DO THEM anytime.

[Allyson, Peri & Taquito]

Another item to add: Peri's trainer said they can be more "difficult" in general because they are so smart and yearn to be challenged. But, she said when trained, they catch on easily and end up being the best dogs over time. I am sure those of you with "adult" doods agree!

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

As ranked by Stanley Coren in The Intelligence of Dogs, the top ten:
1.Border Collie
2.Poodle
3.German Shepherd
4.Golden Retriever
5.Doberman Pinscher
6.Shetland Sheepdog
7.Labrador Retriever
8.Papillon
9.Rottweiler
10.Australian Cattle Dog

[Karen & Lucy]

My DH just told me last night that he saw on FOX TV a segment on which dog breeds are the smartest. He could not remember #1, but said that the poodle is #2 and the golden retriever is #3. SO, go figure....... Yah, they are smart and in my opinion, easy to train. Lucy's inst. was always saying how smart she was and how fast she picked up things. I also take her monthly to a dog club for continued training and she is the top of her dog club in training. I don't think you are confusing anything, I think a dog has to be smart to be trained well too.

[HANNAH 8/2/07 & HONEY 7/2/08]

When I first started training with Hannah, we went to a kennel that strictly raises, breeds and shows Golden Retrievers. Her Retrievers are absolutely beautiful, they are smart and she shows them in different retrieving competitions. The first night of class after the dogs played and did some simple sits, and downs she made everyone tell something about their dogs and than she would comment on the breed..lol. She purposely saved Hannah for last, and I thought here comes the worst, she is a Golden person and nothing will compare to them. First thing out of Lisa's mouth was Hannah is a mix of Poodle and Golden Retriever, the two smartest dogs you can own, and the combination of both make a fantastic smart dog. She floored me when she said this, but it was the truth. Than she went on to state how Hannah already was exhibiting these traits and is a fast learner by taking her in the middle of the class and showing them her sits and downs already at 14wks. Some doodles may have stubbron streaks where they don't want to submit to a certain command; but other breeds do the same thing, that does not make them untrainable. You just need to keep going back and reinforcing the commands. First off this person seemed very disintersted in your business including with your first contact on the phone. I don't even think I would have made the road trip. If you are a good to exceptional trainer you don't go around not answering questions possed, no matter what the situation is. I would have just left the place, bought the dog food somewhere else ..and keep looking to find what is right myself and my dog to train. I have never run across any trainers who acted in that manor.

[Beth and Gang]

I've never heard that Joanne.Poodles and Goldens are in the top 5 of 'smart' breeds, so Spud is already a winner!
Hope you find someone with some enthusiasm, sounds like that trainer would have trouble with ANY breed!
wow

[Allyson, Peri & Taquito]

Well Peri is doing very well with her training...except loose leash walking. Our trainer says they are "brilliant" dogs.

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

I was told that they can be stubborn, but that was before the trainer met Jack. I think she changed her mind after he was the most responsive dog in our little group!