Year 1-2: What to Expect

[Lori, Rooney & Zuzu]

It's been awhile since Rooney and I have posted here on DK but we still follow along faithfully; always entertained by the likes of Fudge, Vern, Stuart, Rooney the 1st, Jack, Darwin, Ollie, Cubbie and so many other wonderful pups. I hesitate to speak up very often because frankly, I have no idea what I am talking about 90% of the time. I am far from the consummate dog owner so I try to leave the advice to those with considerably more expertise when it comes to training, grooming, behavior management, food issues, vet care etc...

That said though, I thought it might be helpful for newer doodle/puppy owners to look ahead a little and get a glimpse as to what that second year with your doodle might be like. 

Wouldn't that be great?

Well, I wish I could tell you except that if there is one thing I have learned here it is that all these pups are unique in their own wonderful way and for every laid-back, easy-going dood there is probably an equal number of high-energy always-on-the-go fluffy buddies.

What is Rooney like as he approaches 1 1/2? 

He is still lovable and sweet. Very much the people dog who hates to be separated from his human family but will tolerate it without becoming destructive or overly anxious. Just leave him plenty of good stuff to chew on (and it better be of the very hard, non-destructible variety because he is a powerful chewer) and he will content himself until you return again.

Rooney needs to burn off energy but generally one good walk a day will suffice for him so I would describe him as a medium energy dog that may even drift toward low energy as he ages. He loves to play and can race around with the best of them but if it is a rainy day and we don't get out, he doesn't become completely bonkers.

His challenge behaviors? Barking and occasionally protective behaviors. This is improving as I have worked to make it clear I have no need of his protection. Still, I know that some of this is just his nature and I imagine there will always be a part of him that is "on alert". He is a sensitive dog who when we are out and about is always checking out his surroundings and aware of who and what is around him. I'm not sure he will ever be the kind of dog to just amble along in blissful ambivalence. 

Things we will be working on as we move toward his 2nd birthday: Training, training and more training. Rooney is smart and sensitive and I know that he can learn just about anything we take the time to teach him with consistency. I want to begin a concerted training effort to teach him how to manage people ringing the doorbell and coming into the house. He is at his most protective on his home turf (no surprise there) but I still think we can teach him alternatives to incessant barking when someone new comes to the door or enters the house. He will also on occasion bark at a person who has entered the house (this is often a more attention seeking bark than protective) so we will be working on proper greeting as well. He only does this at home so I believe he can get it figured out with time and training.

Any other dogs go through a new "fear stage" around 1-2? How did your doodle change in that second year? What was harder and what became easier?

P.S. I also forgot to mention that our "medium doodle" is up to 60 lbs. now. :) He's huge...and we love him. 

[Amy, Cubbie & Ollie]

Rooney is such a cutie.  Glad to hear that he is doing well and that you plan to continue on with his training because that is so important.  If you figure out a good way to stop that barking at the doorbell let me know because I still struggle with that.  I really do need to work on it more but I tend to forget about it until the doorbell rings and I have to deal with crazy doodles.

[Lori, Rooney & Zuzu]

Amy-So far we are at that same stage in training. The "Oh-brother-the-doorbell-rang-and-now-Rooney-is-barking-like-a-madman-we-really-need-to-work-on-this" stage of training. But I swear sometime soon we are going to get started with an actual plan! :) I've had some success with intercepting him and getting him to go into a down-stay with makes it harder for him to keep him the insane barking but we need to create a consistent plan that everyone adheres to. Our old dog Reagan is sometimes a hindrance to Rooney's training because if there is anything that involves treats he wants to be involved. Not with the training...with the treats. We gave up on his behavior a long time ago and now that he's practically immobile it doesn't really matter anymore...but as soon as there are treats involved Mr. I Can Barely Move a Muscle is suddenly an Olympic sprinter and completely interferes with any training we are doing with Rooney.

[Amy, Cubbie & Ollie]

I've got a friend coming to stay with me for a week and hopefully she will up for helping me work on this a little bit each day.

[Lonnie & Libby Lu]

Amy, we are with you on that one too!  Libby is the "offical" or should I say "un official" greeter with her loud "hello" to anyone at the door!  We work on it and think we have made some progress and then like you said we forget thinking she is better and lo and behold the door bell rings and it is "craziness" all over again:(  Back to more training . . . . . . 

[Amy, Cubbie & Ollie]

Cubbie has this loud annoying high pitch bark which can really drive you crazy.  I have a gate to prevent them from rushing the door so at least my guests are safe from 2 excited doodles but it isn't really fixing the problem.  Sigh.

[Lori, Rooney & Zuzu]

Our dogs are often blocked off into the kitchen/family room area too so they don't always have a chance to smother the guest but the barking is still annoying. My teenage boys would tell you that Rooney's bark is annoying too. :) I don't think it's so bad but they think it's a totally ear-grating sound.

[Lonnie & Libby Lu]

Rooney is sooooo cute and it sounds like he has come a long way.  As we all know, the training should never stop!

[Lori, Rooney & Zuzu]

Thank you! He is cute. When I took this picture I told my husband that I had finally captured what we call his "angel face" which is what gets him out of all sorts of devilish trouble! :)

[Diane Sloan]

I was so glad to read this post.  I know they are all different but this is a new breed to us altogether and she is now 15m and we have had her only for 2 of those months.  Every few days something new comes out.  Lately it is hiding under the table if we want to go for a walk or if she is called to go outside or go for a car ride.  In the basement she comes and upstairs she comes but lately its the new behavior for the first floor........

Barking at the door is one of those thing that I am very lucky (I think) we do not have much of  I have a 12 year old GSD/X that is not a barker and she is picking up the quiet from him I think but as soon as she starts before bark 3 is out I give a correction and so far this working or its Jimmy being quiet who knows but I will take it.  We have trouble with her Jumping on new people and now she has picked up a bit of urinating too.  She is very soft too and I have to watch that always having breeds that needed a very firm hand. 

She has gone through one obedience 1 class and did okay, is completing a come when called class-ehh to distracting, and we start another beginner obedience class Monday-yes lots of training in those 2 short months that we have had her.

I never would have thought of a doodle as being protective but several I have seen on rescue sites are overly protective and we even noticed this with Molly.  We have taken to no longer allowing her on the bed (she was pouncing on our old guy when he walked into the room and not allowing him into the room at all) She is in an Xpen at night and does well-this stopped the Jimmy is not allowed in the room behavior as well.  If my husband comes close to me she tends to jump on him.  We thought this was attention but have decided this is more protecting mom and diverting attention.  So we are working on that.  In her previous home she was attached to the wife as well (she was rehomed due to the childs allergies).

We have to work on the attention somehow.  She has a wonderful nose and a mind of her own so breaking that attention if she is focused is not an easy task-trainers keep saying she is young and you have not had her long.  She has wonderful watch me skills during obedience when treats are there :?)

I think we have a long road ahead to get her where we want her to be but thankfully we are willing to put in the time and energy needed she has a great personality. 

[Lori, Rooney & Zuzu]

We have a 10 year old Golden who is also not a barker and I do think his quiet nature has helped Rooney in some respects. Rooney rarely barks out in the yard and I credit that to old Reagan who probably only barks every few months or so. He's soooo quiet. But indoors Rooney's more protective nature comes out as well as his excitement over visitors and his more vocal side emerges.

It's great you are doing so much training and 2 months is really such a short time when adopting an older pup. I'll bet with training all of the wonderful aspects of her personality will come out more and more and she comes to trust you to be in control and in charge.

I didn't really think about a Doodle being protective either but Rooney has by far the most protective nature of any dog we have ever owned. It still surprises me and even though part of me finds it kind of sweet I don't give it any positive attention or praise. I really don't want him taking on that role and so I am always insisting that I'm the one in charge and that he needs to take his cues from me-not the other way around. He is eager to please so I do believe that with training and maturity we can get him comfortable being a follower not a leader. 

[Lori, Quincy & Frankie]

I enjoyed your post -your "level of expertise" doesn't matter in my opinion, it's hearing about your experiences that's interesting and most telling is that you are clearly a dog lover just like all of us!  and besides, you are another "Lori" to boot.  

My "medium" doodle is 10 months and 48 lbs at last checkup.  Hopefully he is tapering off.  Your guy is adorable!  

[Jarka, Monty & Auggie]

Rooney is very cute. We have not managed the doorbell issue either. There is no guarding, but there is plenty of crowding the incoming guest. Let us know what you do and how you progress.

In addition to mellowing out around 2 years, Monty also got into this leash reactiveness. He is fine with all dogs as long as he is off leash. He does not really play with other dogs, but he wags his tail and lets them sniff him. But when we go for a walk and there is another dog walking nearby, oh boy... So that's our biggest challenge right now. The problem is that when we went to see a trainer, Monty did not react to any of the dogs. Crazy doodles!