Questions from a first time doodle owner

[Daniel Benjamin]

Hey Guys,

So glad I got to be a part of this community. You guys seem really great and knowledgable. So I just got my first ever dog (my wonderful goldendoodle cooper!) last week. He is now 9 weeks old and I have a ton of questions! Maybe you guys can help? I feel so lost! I want to be the best doodle owner I can be! 

1. Cooper seems to be biting a TON. (sometimes even breaking skin!). My girlfriend and I are concerned about this behavior. Did you guys also experience this with your baby doodles? Did this behavior subside over time? What can we do without scolding him? We definitely favor the idea of positive reinforcement over negative reinforcement.

2. My girlfriend and I have been taking turns waking up every 3 hours at night to take Coop out to pee. We live in an apartment and we are afraid that if we leave him in his crate for the duration of the night that he will either pee his crate or hold it in too much and have a bladder infection. Did you guys also have to wake up in the middle of the night to take your doodle out to pee? If so, until what age do you think this will be necessary to do. It's so hard for us to wake up in the middle of the night every single night! 

3. We would like to start leash training Cooper soon! At what age did you guys start leash training your doodle? Is 9 weeks too early?

4. Cooper can sometimes be quite anti-social with me and my girlfriend. We thought that since we are his parents that he would be very loving and constantly affectionate with us, but we are finding that sometimes he just doesn't care about us at all. I would almost use the word apathetic. Like we'll call him and he just looks at us and doesn't care. Is this antisocial behavior normal for a 9 week old pup? Sometimes we feel like we don't really have a great loving bond with Cooper yet. How long did it take you guys to bond with your doodle? Did it take time or was it pretty instantaneous? I know he is only 9 weeks old but I'm slightly concerned since I had thought that puppies would be super loving and affectionate with their owners. Does this take time to develop?

Thank you guys for all of your help. This message board is a life saver for me!

Daniel

FYI, I accidentally posted this as a blog post as well. Sorry for the overload.

[Lucy & AnnaBelle's Mom]

Welcome to DK.  Sounds like you have your hands full.  Cooper is adorable.  I'll Address the points you asked about but I would also like to say that you might want to join the Puppy Madness group here on DK.  There are a whole bunch of other doodle parents here that are experiencing these same things right now and you will find many ways to deal with them by reading some of the many posts there.  The biting thing is one of the most asked about things.  Starting to address it from the very beginning will help.  Just do not allow it.  Sort of always have a little stuffie handy so you can put it in his mouth when he is being mouthy.  Constantly telling him no bite.  If he is biting your pants legs or ankles, stop and give him a stuffy.  Don't just continue walking and making it a game.   I would also suggest you don't play rough games either.  Do tug and things like that.  You might find it worse in the evenings.  It is sort of like an overtired toddler.  My trainers just always said if it gets really bad in the evenings, just put them to bed. He will grow out of this eventually but it will be better if you address it now.   Maybe not go away, but be better.

As for night time potties here is what we did with AnnaBelle.  Her crate was on a couple of chairs right beside the bed at a level where she could see us.  She went out night time potty and then I put her in her crate along with a few little pieces (like maybe 6) of kibble to be sure her tummy didn't get empty over night and also to reinforce that bedtime was a good time cause she got goodies.  If she would wimper during the night I would reach my hand in the crate and just soothe her and shhhhh her.  Many times that is all she needed.  If she wimpered again, then I knew she needed to go potty.  Keep as many lights off as possible, straight outside, straight back into the crate.  I only had to take her out overnight a handful of times.  Make sure you have her crate sized so that all she has is enough room to stand up and turn around.

As for the antisocial part, he is a puppy, his home is new, he has lots of things to do, lots of things to check out, and lots of puppy energy.  This should slow down some.  Try and get those cuddle times when he is really tired.

Leash walking.  You need to be really careful right now and until he has had all his shots.  You don't want him getting parvo.  You can get him used to his collar and leash by just putting them on him and letting him drag them around the house.  Just make sure he doesn't chew them.  Focus now on socialization.  You can take him places, but carry him.  Don't let his feet on the ground in places where there have been a lot of other dogs.  Take him to a friends home that you know is safe.  Take him to home depot or lowes and just put a blanket in the cart.  Get him used to people and sounds etc.

Most importantly, enjoy these puppy days because they go by so quickly.  And, take lots of pictures.

[Jane, Guinness and Murphy]

Great advice from Lucy & AnnaBelle's Mom.  I would also recommend the Doggy Dan online training site, especially since you're a first time dog owner.  It takes you step by step through "puppyhood" with great information that will set you up to succeed with Cooper.  Here's a link to a prior discussion that also contains the link to the Doggy Dan website.  http://www.doodlekisses.com/forum/topics/spring-training-2014?comme...

[Cheryl and Finnegan]

Great advice from Lucy and AnnaBelle's Mom and Jane.  Some doodles are snuggle buds and some are more independent but no worries... your bond will develop over time through love, but also as Cooper begins to see and trust that all good things come through you - food, training and rewards, exercise, great places to visit.  A 9 week old is getting to know you and exploring his new environment. Congrats!

[Wynnie & Jim]

Daniel,

Our Wynnie arrived at our house in early January and the weather was snowy and cold. During the day, I would take Wynnie outside to pee or poop every two hours. I am retired and was pretty punctual with this schedule. If I missed on the timing and Wynnie had an accident, it was my fault and not hers. Our breeder told us not to give our girl water after 6 pm and to take her out for a final poop and pee just before we all went to bed. We also had a "Snuggle Puppy" for our girl that she went to bed with. Wynnie has never ever woken us in the middle of the night to go out....much to the delight of my wife and me.

As for the leash, we started her early with a leash but never outside our property line so contact with other dogs never occurred until she had her parvovirus shots. When she was12 weeks old, Wynnie would start to pull hard on the leash, after she had peed, in order to get away from the cold and get inside the warm house. At that time, I gently told her to "walk nice" and slowed her down. We would practice "nice walking" and would treat her for good behavior. She was a pro when we started loose leash training classes and passed that requirement of the Canine Good Citizen test easily. At 19 months, we still practice this training everyday.

As for the antisocial behavior, remember that Cooper is a puppy and the mouthing is how puppies play with each other. To Cooper, you are just another puppy to play with. When a puppy bites another puppy too hard, you will frequently hear a high pitched bark that signals an "ouch." You need to do the same thing. A loud scream and a "no bite" command will help but don't expect results overnight. I also liked Lucy's mom's suggestions above about stuffy toys. I would also look for puppy appropriate chew toy recommendations on this site. Just be patient for this phase will slowly go away. In fact, "being patient and loving is the key to having a great long term lovable dog who will turn out to be your best friend.

[Lori, Winnie, Bob and Indie]

Ditto what the others have said! Go over to the Puppy Madness group. At the top of that forum, there is a whole pinned discussion regarding the nipping/biting. All normal!  And, check out my post in that group entitled, "What a Difference a Year Makes" for extra encouragement! :-) 

Hang in there! Bonding happens over time. Not all dogs express affection like we do when they are pups. Believe it or not, all of that nipping/biting is his way of saying, "I really like you- I want to bite and play with you!" Sooner or later he will learn from you what is acceptable, and what is not. Winnie showed absolutely no affection the first couple of months other than an occasional like on the face after she bit my hands. :-)  Now, she is the biggest snuggle bug ever!

[Carol and Banjo]

You're new baby is adorable!   You've rec'd lots of great advice already, so I won't add anything except to reassure you that you will most certainly develop a strong bond with your pup.    Our Banjo seemed to have an attitude of indifference when he was younger.   He's never been a "lap dog" like some doodles.   But, boy is he OUR dog!     He's loyal and loving in his own way.    He likes to be close to us and rarely goes off into another room unless we're going too.   In fact, if we notice he isn't close by, we're apt to get worried and go check on him.      Give Cooper time and you'll find you'll have the best companion ever!     Be patient, these puppy days are not always easy, but with diligence and hard work the payoff is enormous!    Best wishes to you all!

[Adina P]

There's leash training as in putting a leash on him and letting him get used to dragging a leash and there's leash waking. I would say to start letting him drag his leash around right away. But wait till shots are done for walks. IMO don't go on straight walks down the sidewalk. Go to a large open field or park and walk there. Most pups aren't ready for formal "good" leash waking training till 5ish months. It will be a lesson in futility prior.

Have fun with the little shark ;)

[Christy&Riley]

I can attest to waiting on leash walking. My husband took Riley out at midnight for a leash walk at 9 weeks old. Besides the fact that she shouldn't have been roaming the neighborhood without her shots (we didn't know that back then), he stepped on her and fractured her leg because she darted in front of him in a dark area. He also didn't heed the warning about carrying a puppy out to the bathroom. He thought she was too grown up for that as well. Of course she proceeded to pee on the carpet on the way to the door. Live and you learn I guess...

[Adina P]

Ooh and my 9yo was a MONSTER nipper and pretty aloof as a young pup. Consistent daily training and time fixed both. Training is a strong bonding activity. And although you consider him your child, he doesn't consider you a parent. But even if he did, dogs don't "mother" pups for long.

[Jennifer Tramell]

Congratulations on your new pup!  You have already received a lot of great advice, but here's my 2 cents (okay, it may only be worth 2 cents but it's long - sorry!)  :-)  My gut reaction when reading your post is that your new pup is taking advantage of you.  I think that you guys are in love with him (yeah!!) but he's a smart little stinker who has decided that he's the boss.  The biting, pottying, and anti-social behavior all sound like he is (in his mind) establishing control. 

You should correct the biting, but you need to correct EVERY time.  If you only correct "some" times, it will confuse him and he may continue to test to see when and what he can bite.  Personally I don't mind my dogs mouthing me, but they are not allowed to bite.  This is a personal choice, not for everyone.  I let them "hold" my arm/hand but don't allow nipping anywhere else.  I've raised 6 dogs from pups so far, and all have been well mannered.  BUT, I was consistent in what I allowed and didn't allow.  It may be easier to just say NO period.

Pottying should be something you control at this age.  YOU will be trained, not him.  We have always set alarms and taken our pups out on a regular schedule.  Anytime a pup wakes up from a nap - outside, 15 minutes after a drink/meal - outside, first thing in the morning - outside, last thing at night - outside.  At 9 weeks old, I have always taken my pups outside once or twice a night.  Around 10 weeks old, they start sleeping the night.  I was lazy with my last pup because I needed my sleep and didn't want to get up at night.  She slept in a downstairs bathroom with her crate door open.  There was a pee pad in the bathroom and she would go potty on the pad.  She is now almost 6 months old and has been sleeping with the other dogs for a couple months.  The past week she has been barking in the middle of the night and I've gotten up to let her out.  Just last night, she started barking (they sleep in the hall outside of my bedroom) and I yelled for her to be quiet.  She went back to sleep, slept the night, and no accidents.  She was just bored and wanted attention.

My 6 year old, Webster, was apathetic to our attention as a pup and we knew him from birth (his breeder is a friend).  He's a giant, loving, mellow, teddy bear.  This could be Cooper's personality, but he could also be controlling the relationship.    Don't take it personal.  If you want to play, get on the floor and start playing.  If he joins you, great, if not you will certainly intrigue him.  End the game when YOU want to end it.  Pick him up for attention, then put him down.  Keep the cuddles to a short sessions so he asks you for attention, not you asking him for attention. :-) 

About leashes, my pups spend a lot of time on leashes in the house.   I have an open floor plan and literally have leashes tied to the couch, the diningroom table, the kitchen cabinet.  I want my pup to be with me, yet not run around the house leaving me surprises!  The leash is a boundary which I set.  We practice leash walking around the house and our yard, also at Home Depot and Lowes.  Home Depot and Lowes work wonderfully because the pups are a little overwhelmed and naturally stay close. 

Well, sorry for the long-winded response.  Remember that you are raising an adult dog so be intentional about how you treat your pup.  Be exceedingly patient, expect chewed shoes, leash-pulling, potty messes, selective hearing, etc, BUT be consistent and firm in providing leadership.  Puppy cuddles aren't nearly as important as 10 years of a loyal companion!

[Jennifer Tramell]

An edit about the leash walking - at 9 weeks old we walk very little on leashes.  I start using the leash more around 12 -13 weeks.

[Sooner Mom]

I have a new puppy the same age.  I really wonder if some of what you are interpreting as being antisocial is partly your having unrealistic expectations for his behavior at this age???? For example, we were thinking our pup was beginning to know her name until today.  I am working through a training program with her.  The first step is super simple.  You reward the dog for responding to her name.  I would have thought she knew her name FOR SURE.  Boy was I wrong.  She was not consistent about responding even when that was the only stimulus.  That was a huge eye opener for me.  When I watched the video about teaching the skill of responding to her name they stated that many owners assume pups have this skill when in fact they don't.  I certainly was one of those with this dog and prior pets.  Sometimes she seems to be ignoring us and not interested in us but really it is just that she doesn't respond to her name yet consistently and she is distracted by the stimulation of so many new things in the environment. Part of the training is making her come all the way into your body to get the reward so that she communicates with you and sees you as the one in control in the environment.  

My pup is also really nipping.  We have toys everywhere that we can grab quickly.  It is the only thing that is working for us.  I also am using bitter spray to stop her from incessant, repetitive biting on our carpet for example.  

Our rule is that we put the pup to bed before we go to bed.  If she yelps before we are in bed, we take her out, absolutely no interaction.  Just business.  Now that the pup is over 9 weeks old, we are not getting up with the pup during the night anymore after we go to bed unless there is a reason like she had her shots for example.  

Everyone else gave you great advice,  I can just say as one right there with you that I am convinced it will get better and all you described is normal and mostly will pass if you handle it correctly.  This is not our first puppy but it has been a long time and you do forget.