Labradoodle & Goldendoodle Forum
Don't Hate Me Because My Puppy is GOOD... :)
My first BLOG on DK!
I am new to DK and I have responded to a few discussions and joined a
few groups. I have been thrilled with the kind welcome messages I have
gotten and am really enjoying reading all the discussions on here and a
few of the blogs as well. What a great site this is!
Anyhow... I wanted to share about our new puppy and maybe others can
join in also if they were also fortunate enough to get a well behaved
pup and I will also mention how we picked him out because maybe that
will make a difference for those who are picking out puppies.
Sammy is now 5 months old. We researched breeders in the area and
found on that was close enough to drive to. I admit I mostly was
website searching and I am sure trying to find a breeder via word of
mouth or from recommendations from a site like this would work much
better. But I didn't know that at the time! I like that our breeder
had lots of info about training, diet, natural remedies for illnesses,
how to pick a vet, grooming, etc. on her website. She seemed very
knowledgeable.
The other reason we picked her is because she had a litter of pups that
were somewhat discounted (I know, hate to admit that but it is true) --
down ecomony, plus bigger than expected litters (she had two at once)
and then having a few black and white dogs that weren't sold yet (less
popular colors for some reason) meant she was offering them for a
better price. They were already 12 weeks old too so she really wanted
to find a good placement for them so they could get adjusted before
getting too old.
She had socailized them with kids and older adults and other dogs and
pups and had started crate training and potty training... all
advantages to me. I had been looking at getting a younger 8-10 week
pup and found myself more drawn to an older one because I have 4 kids
at home and work full time nights and felt like I couldn't manage all
the late night wakings and extra attention needed for a younger pup. I
was still expecting some of that work though... we got him on a day
where I had 5 days off where I could just be home and could sleep down
by the crate if needed and all that...
We selected him by visiting with the 3 black pups from the same litter
that she was still trying to place and seeing how they interacted...
with each other, with us, with the other adults there. I picked each
one up to see who was calm, who was nervous, who could deal with being
cradled and played with. We dropped my keys to see who startled... we
ran around the yard with them. We picked Sammy because while he played
nice with the pups and us, he was also pretty laid back. Was fine
being picked up and didn't mind my two year old chasing him around.
We got him home and found that he took to the crate immediately...
retreating to is when we was overwhelmed. He held his bladder for
almost 6 hours the first day (out of fear / nervousness I think) but
then took to going outside pretty easily... he kept peeing/pooping in
the same spot for awhile and that was nice too. He eventually did have
a couple of accidents... usually right be the back door because no one
was paying attention -- we got the poochie bells and solved that
problem so we hear him now :)
He also had a few accidents related to being overly excited when new people came to visit -- like a submissive peeing kind of thing. Even that seems to be better now as well.
He tends to sit or lie down regularly... when he is bored, when he is nervous, etc. In puppy class the trainer says he is a "down dog" and smiles... noting that is just his thing. She has been using him as the example pup when showing the class new tricks/training methods and she also gets him to do the new things easily (takes me a bit more work as I am not a magic dog whisperer like she is!) He enjoys walks and is learning not to pull on the leash. I have him sit at every door and crosswalk and he does it automatically now... my SIL who has a 4 year old black lab saw this and said "how did she get him to do that?"
He is calm when brushing him and the groomer says he does just great for nail clippings, ear washing and face trimming... he even does pretty well when we bathe him at home.
I am sometimes worried that we are just in the "good phase" and he will misbehave later. He really doesn't nip much at all... though is the kids get him riled up, he will a little bit. That is more a kid training issue than a dog training issue though in my opinion!
Everyone who meet him says what a great puppy he is! We are very fortunate :) Just wanted to share a bit!! Thanks for reading!
I am new to DK and I have responded to a few discussions and joined a
few groups. I have been thrilled with the kind welcome messages I have
gotten and am really enjoying reading all the discussions on here and a
few of the blogs as well. What a great site this is!
Anyhow... I wanted to share about our new puppy and maybe others can
join in also if they were also fortunate enough to get a well behaved
pup and I will also mention how we picked him out because maybe that
will make a difference for those who are picking out puppies.
Sammy is now 5 months old. We researched breeders in the area and
found on that was close enough to drive to. I admit I mostly was
website searching and I am sure trying to find a breeder via word of
mouth or from recommendations from a site like this would work much
better. But I didn't know that at the time! I like that our breeder
had lots of info about training, diet, natural remedies for illnesses,
how to pick a vet, grooming, etc. on her website. She seemed very
knowledgeable.
The other reason we picked her is because she had a litter of pups that
were somewhat discounted (I know, hate to admit that but it is true) --
down ecomony, plus bigger than expected litters (she had two at once)
and then having a few black and white dogs that weren't sold yet (less
popular colors for some reason) meant she was offering them for a
better price. They were already 12 weeks old too so she really wanted
to find a good placement for them so they could get adjusted before
getting too old.
She had socailized them with kids and older adults and other dogs and
pups and had started crate training and potty training... all
advantages to me. I had been looking at getting a younger 8-10 week
pup and found myself more drawn to an older one because I have 4 kids
at home and work full time nights and felt like I couldn't manage all
the late night wakings and extra attention needed for a younger pup. I
was still expecting some of that work though... we got him on a day
where I had 5 days off where I could just be home and could sleep down
by the crate if needed and all that...
We selected him by visiting with the 3 black pups from the same litter
that she was still trying to place and seeing how they interacted...
with each other, with us, with the other adults there. I picked each
one up to see who was calm, who was nervous, who could deal with being
cradled and played with. We dropped my keys to see who startled... we
ran around the yard with them. We picked Sammy because while he played
nice with the pups and us, he was also pretty laid back. Was fine
being picked up and didn't mind my two year old chasing him around.
We got him home and found that he took to the crate immediately...
retreating to is when we was overwhelmed. He held his bladder for
almost 6 hours the first day (out of fear / nervousness I think) but
then took to going outside pretty easily... he kept peeing/pooping in
the same spot for awhile and that was nice too. He eventually did have
a couple of accidents... usually right be the back door because no one
was paying attention -- we got the poochie bells and solved that
problem so we hear him now :)
He also had a few accidents related to being overly excited when new people came to visit -- like a submissive peeing kind of thing. Even that seems to be better now as well.
He tends to sit or lie down regularly... when he is bored, when he is nervous, etc. In puppy class the trainer says he is a "down dog" and smiles... noting that is just his thing. She has been using him as the example pup when showing the class new tricks/training methods and she also gets him to do the new things easily (takes me a bit more work as I am not a magic dog whisperer like she is!) He enjoys walks and is learning not to pull on the leash. I have him sit at every door and crosswalk and he does it automatically now... my SIL who has a 4 year old black lab saw this and said "how did she get him to do that?"
He is calm when brushing him and the groomer says he does just great for nail clippings, ear washing and face trimming... he even does pretty well when we bathe him at home.
I am sometimes worried that we are just in the "good phase" and he will misbehave later. He really doesn't nip much at all... though is the kids get him riled up, he will a little bit. That is more a kid training issue than a dog training issue though in my opinion!
Everyone who meet him says what a great puppy he is! We are very fortunate :) Just wanted to share a bit!! Thanks for reading!
Comment
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Comment by Anna and Achilles on March 31, 2010 at 4:40pm
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Congrats on the puppy, Good luck, I have to admit I'm a little jealous (lol)
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Comment by Allyson, Peri & Taquito on March 31, 2010 at 6:54am
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There is still time for the teenage stage! But it isn't bad and you may never deal with it. Congrats on your new puppy! He sounds awesome!
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Comment by Jennifer Goaring on March 30, 2010 at 11:33pm
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I am glad to hear others with "easy" puppies didn't go through some terrible teenager stage! :) I really do worry! I read about potty issues and mounting and barking and jumping and I worry that maybe we are just not there yet. I also really get bummed when I read about a 10 month, or 1 year or older pup getting re-homed because I guess I sort of get if you have a puppy that just has a temperament that is not manageable (a friend returned her goldendoodle after 3 weeks because he was biting and growling at her and her kids regularly) but to then decide many many months later that it isn't working out just seems sad to me. I don't want to be in a place where I end up giving up on this guy! And by posting a blog about how good he is, it doesn't mean I don't have moments of feeling frustrated with him or wonder why I took on a puppy with all that we have going on here at home ;) But overall, it really has been enjoyable and easier than I expected it to be.
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Comment by Nancy, Ned, Clancy, and Charlie on March 30, 2010 at 7:17pm
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Thank you for sharing. We love the success stories also. Sammy sounds like a wonderful pup.
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Comment by Kathy Spyker on March 30, 2010 at 7:05pm
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Glad to hear Sammy is doing so well for you. Weather they are easy to train or not it is still alot of time and work to have a puppy. It sounds like Sammy is a wonderful addition to your family. Keep us posted and don't forget pictures =))
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Comment by Camilla and Darwin on March 30, 2010 at 6:47pm
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I know what you mean about worrying the good behavior will go away. Darwin lays patiently to be brushed, have his nails clipped, ears cleaned etc. He never had a problem with mouthing, jumping, or barking. Potty training was a breeze. So When he hit seven months I worried that adolescence would take away my good puppy and replace him with a monster. :-)
He has had his days for sure... and he no longer has a very trusty recall... (working on it) But for the most part, he's still a good boy. And I know it's just a stage. Just stay consistent with training and he'll come through it fine.
He sounds amazing. :-)
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Comment by F, Calla & Luca on March 30, 2010 at 6:38pm
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It's always nice to have some good news in the mix.Congratulations and enjoy your pup.
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Comment by Jane, Guinness and Murphy on March 30, 2010 at 4:50pm
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He sounds absolutely fantastic, and I don't hate you at all! LOL. I seriously doubt that he is just in a "good phase", although there are always some new challenges as they grow and develop. Doodles are the best, and I love hearing that your trainer is using him as the "example".
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