calming down

[Tara]

When to labradoodles start to calm down. My puppy is 6 months old and is crazy, (he is well tempered), but no matter what you do, the energy keeps on coming!!!!!!!

[Kendra K. Rhoton]

My goldendoodle is 2 and is just now starting to calm a bit.

[Deb, Connor & Simon]

If they have continuous obedience training - beginners, intermediate, advanced, tricks, etc - they will calm down some by a year. But it really takes a couple of years for any large dog to get their "dog brain" vs the current puppy brain. Obedience will help them learn how to better direct their energy...and will make for a happier puppy and a happier owner. :-)

Doodles will always be exhuberant dogs...with a lab parent and a poodle parent, you know you will have a happy, bouncy, active, funny, smart, sweet dog on your hands. :-)

[Suzann, Rosey & Bandit]

Rosey is the same way, she can go to care all day and still play well into the evening, but the doggie daycare does help.  It was a must for us because there is no way we could tire her out on her own.  And her energy level was also a reason that we added a 2nd dog to the family so she would have a playmate.  Luckily Bandit is a little more low key and requires more sleep.

[Adina P]

I agree with obedience training all the way through advanced and off leash work.  The training won't necessarily suck the energy out of them...BUT it will give you the ability to give a command that they will obey when you need them to stop doing what they are doing and do something else (down-stay, heel, come, etc).

[Allyson, Peri & Taquito]

Peri has calmed down and she is almost 2 years old (you have quite a while!).

 

Echoing others, train, train, train and lots of walks. I found that a 30 minute walk, coupled with some training after, made Peri much calmer at that age. 

 

Even though I say Peri is "calmer" now, she still got a zoomie last night, flung her brother taquito up in the air and was ready for trouble.  These doodles keep us busy!

[Judi, David & Maddie Irishdoodle]

Maddie is almost 1 and is relatively calm in the house - playing with her toys, napping or cuddling with one of us on the couch. 

Now it's another story at the dog park - she could run and play for hours so we stay as long as the weather permits and our hands and feet are toasty warm - usually about an hour.

Maddie has taken obedience classes so we practice her sit, down, stay, heel, look etc in the house and on our daily 1 hour walks. 

Believe me she has been the best thing that has happened for my health and fitness  - I've lost 26lbs since getting her because she keeps me so busy and out of the fridge so I hope she doesn't slow down too much.

[Lynda Kamrath]

Oh, I know what you are talking about.  My 6-mo-old ALD is also relatively calm in the house as I put them outside as soon as they start getting rowdy, but the dog park is another story.  He can literally run full blast for over an hour at the dog park, and I tried leaving him on leash there while my other dog played, but that was totally a fight.  I now make him sit and stay outside the gates and then let him in one gate at a time and tell him "Free" when he is inside.  Besides the dog park, he is always on leash away from home.  I do let him go out to get the newspaper on his own and he has taken over that job with joy, but otherwise it is on leash.  He is getting better at heel on leash and it is less of a fight every time we go for a walk, but it took a little getting used to having the other dog free while he is on leash (particularly at the beach).  Until he minds commands and comes when I call him, he has to be on leash.  I hope eventually he can run with the other dog.

[Lauria Orr]

I think the obedience training is key.  I also have found that these dogs do best with a lot of exercise. The doggy day care probably helps a lot. Melody could run 12 hours a day, I bet!  We run a lot, or brisk walk.  Adding another puppy has helped a lot to use up some of that energy.  I actually love that energy most of the time...my neighbors dog previously did not get enough exercise, and he was barking, and actually destructive to her home much of the time.  She has gotten him out on long brisk walks and he has mellowed a lot.  He is a F1 Goldendoodle.  I think he is about 18 months old, maybe a little older.

[Jane, Guinness and Murphy]

I agree with what everyone has said about the importance of training...especially at this age.  I find that it uses a lot of "mental" energy with Murphy.  He usually comes home and sleeps for a few hours after a training session.  I think you'll find that training and exercise will help a lot.

[Minga & Malu & Costa]

Hahaha, might be never. Seriously. Could be.

[Helen]

about 2 if you are lucky!!