Archive for the ‘Labradoodle Training’ Category

Manor Lake Addie and Oliver

Monday, July 26th, 2010

Thank you Katrina for your awesome photo and update on Manor Lake Addie and Oliver, they look terrific!

Hi Kim and Mollie,

Attached is a photo of Oliver and Addison from this weekend.

They are doing wonderfully.  I am amazed at how much happier Oliver is with a sibling.  They love playing and running together.  It is so darn cute!  Oliver is working on agility training with me, and Addie is about to start her intro obedience class.  So they are both keeping busy with their training.  My cousins came for a visit this weekend – they had 3 kids under the age of 5.  Needless to say both doodles were very tired.  It was Addie’s first time meeting kids, and she did wonderfully.  Both of them had fun playing fetch and chase with the kids.  They are both great dogs and their personalities complement each other quite nicely.  Oliver is the cynic and Addie is my little optimist.  She still falls for air cookies, where as Oliver needs proof of treat before he does any of his tricks J.

I just wanted to send you picture of them and let you know they are doing great.  Thank you again for such great dogs!  I am totally hooked!

Katrina
Oregon

Puppy Training at Manor Lake Australian Labradoodles

Thursday, June 10th, 2010

At Manor Lake Australian Labradoodles we have a wonderful staff who are great with training! Recently we had some of our dogs out to enjoy the sunshine for a doggy training 101 session. Everyone did very well!

Good boy Leo, he was working on “sit” with Chris

Patiently waiting for their reward

Good girl Ruby, learning to “sit” with Jason

Good boy Spartacus, he learned to “sit”

Good boy Rufus, he learned to “lay down”

Working on “shake” with Zach, good girl!

www.manorlakelabradoodles.com

How To Choose The Right Trainer

Thursday, May 6th, 2010

We have gotten some questions from our Manor Lake Australian Labradoodle puppy/dog families about how to select a good trainer- we read through this article from The Humane Society of the United States, and thought it helped provide some great feedback how to choose a good trainer.

Choosing a Dog Trainer

The Humane Society of the United States

Too many dogs are given up after their normal, easily modifiable behaviors are allowed to become problems. But it doesn’t have to be this way.

To prevent your dog from becoming a sad statistic, take your dog—and your family—to a professional dog training class. A good training class is a fun, social activity that helps your dog become a well-behaved, safe, and valued family member. This information will help you find the dog trainer and class environment that best fits your budget and needs.

Why training is a necessity

Whether you are intentionally teaching him or not, your canine friend is always learning—and this is true not just for puppies but also for older, adult dogs. If you do not teach your pet your rules, he will invent his own. Training allows caregivers to safely and humanely control their dog’s behavior. Positive training enhances the bond between dog and owner, and helps ensure that your dog will respond happily to your instructions.

What to look for in a trainer

It’s essential that the dog trainer you select uses humane training techniques that encourage appropriate behavior through such positive reinforcement as food, attention, play, or praise. Look for a trainer who ignores undesirable responses or withholds rewards until the dog behaves appropriately. Training techniques should never involve yelling, choking, shaking the scruff, tugging on the leash, alpha rolling (forcing the dog onto his back), or other actions that frighten or inflict pain.

Where to find a trainer

A recommendation from a friend, neighbor, veterinarian, humane society, boarding kennel, or groomer is a good place to start. You can also search online or check the Yellow Pages under “Pet Training.” Don’t assume that a trainer’s membership in a dog trainer association qualifies him as a suitable instructor: Not all associations’ membership criteria will meet your expectations.

Also, because no government agency regulates or licenses trainers, it’s that much more important to investigate their qualifications before enrolling in a class. Find out how many years of experience they have, how they were educated, and what training methods they use. Ask prospective trainers for several references from clients who completed the classes.

Which class format is best?

In group classes, dogs learn to interact with other dogs, accept handling by other people, and respond to their owners despite distractions. Owners learn by observing other people interacting with their dogs and benefit from the camaraderie. Self-help training, private lessons, and dog-only lessons that exclude the owner do not provide these important advantages. Another disadvantage of dog-only lessons is that the dog may respond well for the trainer but may not transfer what she has learned to you and your family.

When possible, all family members should participate in the dog’s training. By learning to communicate humanely and effectively with their canine friend, they will develop bonds that will form the basis of the entire relationship.

Group classes

Ask the trainer whether you can observe a class in session before signing up. Watch for the following:

  • Is class size limited to allow for individual attention?
  • Are there separate classes for puppies and adult dogs?
  • Are there different class levels (for example, beginner, intermediate, and advanced)?
  • Are training equipment and methods humane?
  • Does the trainer use a variety of methods to meet dogs’ individual needs?
  • Is proof of vaccination required?
  • Are the students, both human and canine, enjoying themselves?
  • Are dogs and owners actively encouraged?
  • Is praise given frequently?
  • Are voice commands given in upbeat tones?
  • Are lesson handouts available?
  • Is information available on how dogs learn, basic grooming, problem solving, and related topics?

The cost of a trainer

Training costs vary, depending on where you live and the type of instruction you want. Private lessons are usually priced per session; many group lessons are priced for several weeks of sessions. Some animal shelters offer subsidized training programs; the price of several weeks of sessions may depend on whether you adopted your dog from that shelter and the number of class sessions it provides.

The best age for training

Although “puppyhood” is the best time to train and socialize dogs, older dogs can learn new tricks, too. In fact, dogs of all ages can benefit from training. Dogs between 8 and 16 weeks of age should be enrolled in puppy classes. Regular classes are appropriate for dogs 6 months or older.

Before you go

When you have selected a training program:

  • Have your dog examined by your veterinarian to ensure your pet is healthy, free from parasites, and up-to-date on vaccinations.
  • Don’t feed your dog a large meal before class because many trainers rely on food treats to encourage or reward desired behavior.
  • Bring the training equipment recommended by the trainer.
  • Practice between classes with brief lessons that end on a positive note.

By enrolling and actively participating in a dog training class, you will help your dog become not just a well-behaved member of your family, but also a safer member of your community.

To view this full article from The Humane Society of the United States click HERE.

More House Training Tips for Your Manor Lake Australian Labradoodle

Thursday, April 22nd, 2010

Another great resource for helpful puppy/dog information is The Humane Society of The United States’ website. They have a lot of great articles that are related to health, training, and other great pet advice. We were going over their website and read through this article, thought we would share it with our Manor Lake Australian Labradoodle puppy/dog families.

House training Tips

Housetraining your puppy requires far more than a few stacks of old newspapers—it calls for vigilance, patience, plenty of commitment and above all, consistency.

By following the procedures outlined below, you can minimize house soiling incidents. Virtually every dog, especially puppies, will have an accident in the house, and more likely, several. Expect this—it’s part of living with a puppy.

The more consistent you are in following the basic housetraining procedures, the faster your puppy will learn acceptable behavior. It may take several weeks to housetrain your puppy, and with some of the smaller breeds, it might take longer.

Establish a routine

Like babies, puppies do best on a regular schedule. The schedule teaches him that there are times to eat, times to play, and times to potty.

Generally speaking, a puppy can control his bladder one hour for every month of age. So if you’re puppy is two months old, he can hold it for about two hours. Don’t go longer than this between bathroom breaks or he’s guaranteed to have an accident. If you work outside the home, this means you’ll have to hire a dog walker to give your puppy his breaks.

Take your puppy outside frequently—at least every two hours—and immediately after he wakes up, during and after playing, and after eating or drinking.

Pick a bathroom spot outside, and always take your puppy to that spot using a leash. While your puppy is eliminating, use a word or phrase, like “go potty,” that you can eventually use before he eliminates to remind him what to do. Take him out for a longer walk or some playtime only after he has eliminated.

Reward your puppy every time he eliminates outdoors. Praise him or give him a treat—but remember to do so immediately after he’s finished eliminating, not after he comes back inside the house. This step is vital, because rewarding your dog for eliminating outdoors is the only way he’ll know what’s expected of him. Before rewarding him, be sure he’s finished eliminating. Puppies are easily distracted. If you praise him too soon, he may forget to finish until he’s back in the house.

Put your puppy on a regular feeding schedule. Do What goes into a puppy on a schedule comes out of a puppy on a schedule. Depending on their age, puppies usually need to be fed three or four times a day. Feeding your puppy at the same times each day will make it more likely that he’ll eliminate at consistent times as well, and that makes housetraining easier for both of you.

Pick up your puppy’s water dish about two and a half hours before bedtime to reduce the likelihood that he’ll need to potty during the night. Most puppies can sleep for approximately seven hours without having to eliminate.
If your puppy does wake you up in the night, don’t make a big deal of it; otherwise, he will think it is time to play and won’t want to go back to sleep. Turn on as few lights as possible, don’t talk to or play with your puppy, take him out to do his business, and return him to his bed.

Supervise

Don’t give your puppy an opportunity to soil in the house; keep an eye on him whenever he’s indoors.

Tether your puppy to you or a nearby piece of furniture with a six-foot leash if you are not actively training or playing with him. Watch for signs your puppy needs to eliminate. Some signs are obvious, such as barking or scratching at the door, squatting, restlessness, sniffing around, or circling.  When you see these signs, immediately grab the leash and take him outside to his bathroom spot. If he eliminates, praise him lavishly and reward him with a treat.

Keep your puppy on leash in the yard. During the housetraining process, your yard should be treated like any other room in your house. Give your puppy some freedom in the house and yard only after he is reliably housetrained.

Confinement

When you’re unable to watch your puppy at all times, he should be confined to an area small enough that he won’t want to eliminate there. The space should be just big enough for him to comfortably stand, lie down, and turn around in. You can use a portion of a bathroom or laundry room blocked off with baby gates.

Or you may want to crate train your puppy and use the crate to confine him. (Be sure to learn how to use a crate humanely as a method of confinement.) If your puppy has spent several hours in confinement, you’ll need to take him directly to his bathroom spot as soon as you let him out, and praise him when he eliminates.

Oops!

Expect your puppy to have a few accidents in the house—it’s a normal part of housetraining. Here’s what to do when that happens:

  • Interrupt your puppy when you catch him in the act of eliminating in the house.
  • Make a startling noise (be careful not to scare him) or say “OUTSIDE!” Immediately take him to his bathroom spot, praise him, and give him a treat if he finishes eliminating there.
  • Don’t punish your puppy for eliminating in the house. If you find a soiled area, it’s too late to administer a correction. Just clean it up. Rubbing your puppy’s nose in it, taking him to the spot and scolding him, or any other punishment will only make him afraid of you or afraid to eliminate in your presence. In fact, punishment will often do more harm than good.
  • Clean the soiled area thoroughly. Puppies are highly motivated to continue soiling in areas that smell like urine or feces. Check with your veterinarian or pet store for products designed specifically to clean areas soiled by pets.

It’s extremely important that you use the supervision and confinement procedures outlined above to minimize the number of accidents. If you allow your puppy to eliminate frequently in the house, he’ll get confused about where he’s supposed to eliminate, which will prolong the housetraining process.

When you’re away

A puppy under six months of age cannot be expected to control his bladder for more than a few hours at a time (approximately one hour for each month of age). If you have to be away from home more than four or five hours a day, this may not be the best time for you to get a puppy; instead, you may want to consider an older dog, who can wait for your return.

If you already have a puppy and must be away for long periods of time, you’ll need to:

  • Arrange for someone, such as a responsible neighbor or a professional pet sitter, to take him outside to eliminate.
  • Train him to eliminate in a specific place indoors. Be aware, however, that doing so can prolong the process of housetraining. Teaching your puppy to eliminate on newspaper may create a life-long surface preference, meaning that even as an adult he may eliminate on any newspaper lying around the living room.

Paper training

When your puppy must be left alone for long periods of time, confine him to an area with enough room for a sleeping space, a playing space, and a separate place to eliminate.

  • In the designated elimination area, use either newspapers (cover the area with several layers of newspaper) or a sod box. To make a sod box, place sod in a container such as a child’s small, plastic swimming pool. You can also find dog litter products at a pet supply store.
  • If you clean up an accident in the house, put the soiled rags or paper towels in the designated elimination area. The smell will help your puppy recognize the area as the place where he is supposed to eliminate.

To view this article click here

© 2010 The Humane Society of the United States

Projects For Your Manor Lake Australian Labradoodle

Tuesday, March 30th, 2010

We are always looking for articles that provide helpful information for us and our Manor Lake Australian Labradoodle dog/puppy families, we came across this article and thought it was informative in that it provides tips on how to keep your Australian Labradoodle busy while you’re away for a short time running errands!

Home Alone…DOG PROJECTS

Do you feel guilty when you leave your dog with nothing to do while you are at work all day?

Some people hate to leave their dogs alone at all, and opt to take them to “doggy daycare” facilities. This can be a problem too. You can end up with a dog that can never be left alone – ever!

While my dogs are young (generally 2 years and under) I leave them crated whenever I am not home. I like to leave them with some projects to keep them busy, though I REALLY think they just sleep when I’m not home.

Some ideas for “projects”

Different surfaces to chew, like hard Nylabones, soft Gumabones, Booda Bones (edible bones made of compressed cornstarch), etc. I try to leave several different choices. I DO NOT leave rawhide or rope bones in the crate unsupervised – or anything else that can be chewed up too quickly or torn apart.

My favorite thing to leave for lonely dogs are toys stuffed with goodies, like Kong or Tuffy toys (made by the Kong Company – choose an appropriate size) or a sturdy sterilized bone (which is the ONLY real bone I recommend). You stuff these items with something irresistible. Try peanut butter, “squeezy cheese” (the kind that comes in a can at your grocery store, DO NOT use hunks of cheese, the dog may choke on them), dog food, soft moist treats, goldfish crackers, bread, etc. For more “stuffing” recipes visit the Kong web site.

The most important considerations are: 1. The dog MORE than loves the treat you chose 2. It is a treat the dog does not get at any other time 3. Test a small portion first to make sure the treat does not cause diarrhea or vomiting.

Another alternative is to use a “Buster Cube”. These toys, which resemble plastic dice, are available at your local pet supply store. You fill them with dried dog food and teach your dog to tumble the cube around to get the food out. Since the treat is not messy, these can also be used when your dog is old enough to be left alone uncrated. Remember, this food is part of your dog’s daily intake, so feed less at mealtime. If you like, you can feed the whole meal from the cube.

Your dog will be less stressed or worried if you also confine him (just like you do when you leave) for random and variable times while you are at home. Then confinement doesn’t become a signal of being left alone. Watch for more on crate training and proper use of crates in an upcoming article.

Pam Young, LVT CDBC CPDT
Dog Gone Good LLC
Dog Behavior Consultant
Personal Dog Trainer

Click here to see the full article online

Classes and Training for your Manor Lake Australian Labradoodle in Seattle

Friday, March 12th, 2010

Live in the Seattle area? You might want to check out the Seattle Humane Society’s Classes and Training programs.  They look like a lot fun and would be something that benefits you and your Manor Lake Australian Labradoodle. Classes include-

  • Doga: Yoga with Your Dog
  • Single Session Workshops and Seminars
  • Flyball
  • Foundation Dog Training: Puppy Head Start, Puppy Manners, Dog Manners & NEW Double Dog Manners
  • Continuing Dog Training: Super Puppy, Super Manners & CANINE Good Citizen
  • Advanced Dog Training: Manners About Town & NEW Control Unleashed!
  • Agility
  • Playgroups
  • Reactive Rover: Managing On Leash Dog-to-Dog Aggression
  • Pet First Aid

For more information on these classes click HERE. Be sure to let us know how they go if you attend any!

Australian Labradoodle Puppy Mouthing

Monday, December 14th, 2009

Good information on Australian Labradoodle puppy mouthing – please see our other doodle blog articles on puppy mouthing as well.

Puppy Mouthing

Saving your hands and your sanity
Karen B. London, PhD | 14 Dec 2009

Puppies use each other as chew toys, so when they move away from their littermates and start hanging out with humans, it is only natural that they should continue their mouthy ways. Trouble is, we humans have skin that is so very delicate. In fact, it breaks when our puppies chew on it, and that is no good for anybody.

There are many suggestions for stopping puppy mouthing, and only some work for each puppy. My favorite, which I consider the standard technique for stopping puppy mouthing, is the startle and redirect method. This strategy consists of making a high-pitched sound that is best written as “AWRP!” This sound startles most puppies enough to make them release their hold on you. Then, you redirect your puppy’s mouth to something appropriate to chew on, such as a chew toy or other toy. Many people are really good about remembering to startle but then forget to redirect their puppy to something that can be chewed. The result of this mistake is that the puppy goes back to mouthing the person’s hands or clothing and the person thinks the technique doesn’t work.

There are other effective ways of dealing with puppy mouthing, but I advise against any aversive methods, even if they are commonly advised. For example, don’t hold the puppy’s mouth shut or stick your fingers in it, yell, or use physical force to stop the dog. Basically, anything that frightens or hurts the dog is not an option.

The Bark Magazine online- http://www.thebark.com/content/puppy-mouthing

Puppy Mouthing and How To Stop It

When puppies are still with their littermates, they use each other’s bodies as toys. Therefore, it is hardly surprising that they use their mouths on us—most frequently on our arms, hands, and clothes. Though this is natural dog behavior, dogs must learn to interact in ways that are appropriate in the human world. Since mouthing people is not acceptable, what can be done to stop this behavior and teach our dogs that this is unacceptable behavior?

One useful method is to startle and then redirect the puppy, which is an ethologically useful technique, because it is based on puppies’ natural behavior when interacting with littermates. When littermates play together, they use their mouths to tug or gnaw on ears, tails, paws, and loose skin anywhere. If one puppy mouths too hard, the puppy that got hurt will yelp and move away from the puppy who was too rough. The puppy who was too rough has to go find someone else to play with, but has started to learn that mouthing too hard results in playtime being interrupted.

To simulate this behavior with a puppy, if a puppy mouths too hard, simply yelp with a puppy-like sound (Aaarp! is the closest description of this sound that can be spelled), and then, when the puppy releases its mouth from the person, immediately put something that the puppy can chew into its mouth. Possible objects for redirection include bones, rawhides, Kongs®, Goodie Balls®, squeakie toys, and stuffed animals.

A common mistake when using this method is making the yelping Aaarp! sound and then failing to redirect the puppy’s mouth to something appropriate. In most cases, the sound will startle the puppy, who will stop mouthing the person, but then will go right back to the inappropriate behavior unless given another, more appropriate object to chew on.

Over 90 percent of puppies respond to this method to stop puppy mouthing if it is used consistently over several weeks, but the remaining few dogs seem to get worse in response to those high-pitched yelps and are not responsive to attempts to redirect them. If after three or so attempts with this method, it becomes apparent that the dog is responding to the yelps by getting even mouthier and more revved up, don’t keep trying it. If it doesn’t work right away, it is not going to work at a later point, and it’s time to try something else.

Some dogs respond to being startled and redirected as long as the startling sound is not a high-pitched “Aaarp!” but rather a deep-voiced sound such as “Hey!” or “Stop!” Otherwise, the technique of interrupting the behavior and then redirecting the dog’s mouth to an appropriate object is the same. If the yelp does not work, this deeper-pitched startling vocalization followed by a redirection is the very next thing to try.

There are many suggestions for stopping puppy mouthing that I would never recommended either because they are inhumane, ineffective, or both. For example, do not hold the muzzle closed, yell at the dog, jam fingers into the inside of the dog’s mouth, or swat the dog. Basically, this comes down to one piece of general advice: Don’t do anything that involves any kind of physical punishment, pain or frightening the dog.

–Karen B. London
The Dog Behavior Blog
http://www.dogbehaviorblog.com/2009/12/puppy-mouthing-and-how-to-stop-it.html

Teaching a Soft Mouth For Your Australian Labradoodle Puppy

Wednesday, November 11th, 2009

Another article on Australian Labradoodle puppy mouthing.

Young puppies not only bite, but they mouth.  Teaching your puppy to have a soft mouth is an important part of your puppies development.  A soft mouth is where no pressure or pain is applied by your puppy when they are grasping your hand.   You will need to teach your puppy  that they cannot use their teeth to grasp, manipulate or gain control over any item (other than their toys) or your hand. 

Begin petting your puppy and as soon as he begins using his mouth and applying any pressure say “OUCH” .  Once your puppy stops, work with him on a ”sit” and reward him with a treat.  If “OUCH” doesn’t stop your puppy then you will have to create some fake pain and associated yelps.  A sharp high pitch yelp, similar to what his siblings would make, and pulling back on your hand at the same time should do the trick.  Stop all interaction with the puppy.  This is what a sibling would do when nipped too hard.  After 30 seconds,  return to your puppy and start playtime again and repeat the above steps if your puppy uses force with his teeth or nips.  Your puppy will learn quickly that nips and bites stop playtime.

Your puppy doesn’t know the difference between your hand, furniture and clothes, so don’t allow him to bite any of these things except for his toys.

How to Certify Your Manor Lake Australian Labradoodle as a Therapy Dog

Wednesday, August 19th, 2009

How to Get Your Australian Labradoodle Certified As A Therapy Dog

Therapy dogs provide an important and rewarding job for both the dog and the owner. If you are interested in your pet becoming a certified therapy dog you first need to make sure your dog is best suited for this type of work. Therapy dogs should be well trained and friendly. The dog should not be frightened of strangers or new situations and should enjoy going out and visiting new and unfamiliar places.

For certification, your dog will need to be in good health and up to date in all vaccinations. You should receive a health certificate from your veterinarian. Of course, make sure that your dog is well trained. Good therapy dogs need to be able to sit, lie down and stay on command and to walk on a leash without pulling.

If your dog’s health and temperament fit those of a therapy dog the next step is to get him certified. Most therapy groups require that your dog pass the American Kennel Club’s Canine Good Citizen (CGC) test. To find a testing site and evaluator visit http://www.akc.org/events/cgc/cgc_bystate.cfm

The CGC test consists of the following 10 items that your dog must pass:
  • Accepting a friendly stranger
  • Sitting politely for petting
  • Appearance and grooming
  • Walking on a loose lead
  • Walking through a crowd
  • Sit and stay commands
  • Coming when called
  • Reaction to another dog
  • Reaction to distraction
  • Supervised separation from owner
Depending on the therapy organization that you are seeking certification from, there may be additional requirements beyond the CGC test. Check with the individual organization for their specific requirements.
http://www.wellnesspetfood.com/resources_and_education/article26.html

Postive Training for Your Australian Labradoodle Puppy

Wednesday, May 20th, 2009

I recommend positive training for all our Australian Labradoodle puppies and think that the best way to train one of our Australian Labradoodle puppies is to use lots of encouragement, praise and rewards (small puppy treats - I like Wellness Well Bites) with your training.  You can start training your Australian Labradoodle puppy as early as 9 weeks.  Our Australian Labradoodle puppies are eager to please and make great training candidates.  With their sharp minds and keen interest, you will find they learn rapidly.  You will want to make sure that you set your Australian Labradoodle puppy up to succeed by concentrating on developing desirable habits and also preventing undesirable behavior from the start.  It is much easier to start your Australian Labradoodle puppy on the right track than to go back later and try and correct problem behaviors.  Start with easy, basic commands – my favorite to start with is the “sit” command.  Keeping your training sessions short, fun and consistent is the key – you may want to start with 4 to 5 minutes with lots of repetition and praising each small success.  If your puppy learns to love his/her training sessions, you will find his/her confidence growing with each session.  Do not worry about small setbacks or mistakes, your puppy is young and immature and will certainly have a few slip ups.  Remember to be kind, caring and patient and you will be rewarded with a special bond for life.

Kim Kochman
Owner/Breeder
Manor Lake Australian Labradoodles
www.manorlakelabradoodles.com