• Socialization
• Food
• Crate Training
• Potty Training
• Basic Training
• Grooming

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This is an important part of the puppy process so that your Doodle will get along with everyone! We recommend you wait until your puppy has all of their shots (3 months of age) before taking them to a dog park, but if you have a family member or friend that has a friendly dog, we recommend socializing them in a controlled environment often as a puppy (at any age). This will teach the puppy how to play and associate with other dogs the right way. If you have kids or know of children nearby, it is always good to introduce your puppy to children, again in a controlled environment. It is a learning process for both sides! The more you can take your dog for walks and out and about in town, the more your Doodle will learn how to act in all different types of situations! This will make things much easier once he/she gets bigger in size!

There are many good brands of dog food out there, but we are a big fan of Purina Pro Plan! We use Purina Pro Plan puppy food (Lamb and Rice flavor) for our pups before they go home. We have found that Goldendoodles can have a more sensitive stomach and food allergies than other breeds, so that is something to just be aware of. We have seen it most commonly with chicken though, and least common with lamb and salmon flavors, so we stick to those two flavors when possible. Signs of allergies are: loose stool, lots of itching and/or biting at paws.

We recommend crate training. It helps with potty training, as well. You want your puppy to feel as though the crate is their safe space. Having a familiar blanket or toy in the crate with them can help. As you begin to teach your puppy about staying in the crate, it is important to use it not only when you are away, but also when you are in the home. Allow the puppy to be able to see you and be comfortable not being able to be next to you. It often helps to feed the puppy in the crate as a positive association. Even if you are going to let you Doodle sleep in the bed with you, it is good to keep them in the crate at night for the first couple months. This will help with potty training over night, as well as comfort with the crate.
We like the crates with the adjustable divider. We recommend getting the largest crate you will need from the beginning (so you only have to ever buy one) and then using the divider the make the space smaller until your Doodle is fully crate trained.

As a young puppy, it is very important to keep the potty schedule consistent. After eating or drinking lots of water, the puppy should go outside within 10-15 minutes. Anytime they wake up from a nap or are let out of the crate, they should go right outside to pee. Give lots of positive feedback everytime the puppies uses the bathroom outside! There will be accidents. Try not to freak out too much! Puppies learn better with positive association. The best way to break the habit of accidents is to catch the puppy in the act, give a quick no and relocate the puppy outside. Once they do their business outside, remember to give lots of positive encouragement again! Finally, try to keep it consistent where the puppy uses the bathroom. If you can take it out the same door every time and encourage him/her to potty near the same spot, they will learn much quicker. As the Doodle gets more advanced, you can teach it to ring a bell to go potty or even sit at the door paitently. ​

Teaching the dog basic commands is very important. Whenever you are using commands, always say the dogs name first, then the command. This helps them learn their name and grabs their attention to listen for the next word(s) you speak. Keep you commands consistent with every member of your household, so it is very clear for your new puppy. Speak loud and strong. No need to be stern or yell, but you want to have a basic level of authority for the dog to follow. For example, if your puppy's name is Sparky, you would say "Sparky, sit." Once he follows the command, you can give him praise and a treat if you wish. Once he/she can do the command consistently, give less and less treats until they are no longer needed. When training a new skill, only train for 20 minutes or less. Dogs, especially puppies, will lose their focus and you will likely get frustrated. You can do multiple 20 minutes sessions in one day. We recommend at least twice a day, every day. Your dog should have a good grasp on the basics within a week or two! Some learn them in days!

As a puppy, it is very important to learn to be comfortable in different situations. You want to make sure your Doodle will be well behaved at the groomer, at the vet, and with all different kinds of people (i.e. kids). You should play with your puppies paws, tail and mouth often. Just rubbing them and petting them is sufficient. You want this to be normal for the dog. Also, we recommend placing your puppy on it's back and rubbing it's belly frequently. Not only do dogs love belly rubs, this practice shows them that they are to be calm and submissive to you, the owner. 
Also, as mentioned in the [About Goldendoodles] page, Doodles will need to be groomed every few months since they don't shed their fur coats!