Number One Job: Housetraining!
You're probably thinking about starting this process the moment you bring home your new Doodle. Whether you purchased a puppy, or adopted an older dog, you will need to make a plan to begin guiding your Doodle to doing her business outside.
The age of your Doodle will play a big part of your plan as well as your living situation and family dynamics. You will need to be determined, consistent and highly regimented in order to be successful in a short period of time.
Housetraining a puppy under 3 months of age
As puppies under 3 months of age tend to require more frequent relief opportunities, this can be the most challenging time for housetraining. It will be up to you to set a schedule and adhere to it. Through repetition, your puppy will learn when she'll be going to her relief zone and that if she does her business, she'll be rewarded for doing so. This doesn't mean that there won't be indoor accidents - there will be if you are not diligent 24/7. You can expect a month of little long term sleep; similar to having an infant. Your puppy's sleep schedule won't coincide with your normal sleep schedule. Where you may sleep 8 hours each night, your young pup won't tend to sleep through such long periods of time; though she will sleep often several hours each day.
You will need to begin setting precedent and training regimens from day 1. If you want your pup to go outside to potty, begin by teaching her to go outside to potty. If you want her to let you know when she's feeling the need to relieve herself, set up a means to do so, such as hanging bells on the door she goes through (more information on this in Doodle Dogs for Dummies Doodle Dogs For Dummies: Fields-Babineau, Miriam: 9781119822257: Amazon.com: Books). Also begin using a special word to teach her to potty on cue. Something such as "hurry," "potty," or "business." Keep the word simple and unique.
Here's a sample schedule for a pup who's under 3 months old:
6 am Outside. Make sure she urinates and defecates. Male dogs may need to urinate several times.
6:30 am Breakfast
7 am Outside.
Outside every hour. More often if the puppy is active - playing with children, rough housing with other dogs, chasing balls (or cats), receiving training sessions.
12 pm Lunch. Puppies under 4 months of age should be fed 3 times each day.
12:30 pm Outside. Take her to her relief zone every hour, with special intervals if she's active, or just awakened from a nap.
5 pm Dinner
5:30 pm Outside. Your Doodle pup will likely be highly active around 7 pm. It's zoomie time! Be sure to get her outside frequently. You'll want her to be very tired by bedtime. This will ensure you get at least 4 hours straight of rest.
9-10 pm Bedtime. Please review crate training procedures in my book, Doodle Dogs for Dummies (Doodle Dogs For Dummies: Fields-Babineau, Miriam: 9781119822257: Amazon.com: Books). Crate training will shorten the time it'll take to housetrain and prevent your Doodle pup from chewing something inappropriate when you are unable to observe her.
2-3 am Outside, a little play, then back into crate.
6 am - Repeat.
Housetraining a puppy 3-4 months of age
As your Doodle pup can now actually control her bladder and bowels a little better, you can elongate her relief times from 1.5 to 2 hour intervals. You'll still need to take her to her relief zone within 30 minutes of her eating her meals, but not hourly as you did when she was younger. Be sure that you are very observant during this transition. If you see the potty dance, or she rings the bells hanging on the door, by all means get her outside immediately. Follow her relieving herself with lots of praise and rewards.
She can now get a little more time and space loose in the house, but you must remain vigilant, as some pups can get lazy if they're in the middle of having fun. If she's active, take her to her potty zone more often. Once there use your verbal cue repeatedly until she goes, then lots of praise and rewards. At this age, a big reward is remaining outside and playing. It's a good idea to pair the two activities, so that your Doodle learns that she must do her business first in order to remain outside. Otherwise, your dog will be ringing the door bells just to go out to play instead of merely for relief times.
As puppies are easily distracted, you will experience times when you take your Doodle pup outside and she, or he, won't relieve themselves. Instead, they catch a great scent and follow it, or chase butterflies. The older your pup gets, the more this can occur. Be sure to wait for at least 15 minutes for her to do her business. If she still doesn't return her indoors and into her crate for 20 minutes. Then take her out and try again. Do NOT bring your puppy indoors and then allow access to any indoor area. In fact, you shouldn't allow your puppy access at any time other than when you are certain you're dealing with an empty bladder and bowels.
Housetraining a puppy over 5 months of age
By this point, your Doodle pup should have a really good idea of where to do her business. She should also know how to let you know she needs to go and you can offer her more time outside of her containment area, remaining near you as you move through your home. But, while she won't tend to do her potty indoors, she will still be curious and playful, so always remain observant to ensure she plays only with her own toys and not household items.
If you're just starting with housetraining with a new "older" pup, I suggest you begin with the same procedures with a pup under 3 months of age. Many older pups have lived in a kennel or somewhere other than inside someone's home. They haven't learned how to contain themselves in certain situations. It will require you to remain consistent with taking them to their potty zones, use your verbal cue and offer lots of praise and rewards when they do their business in the correct area.
Most Doodle dogs over 5 months of age are capable of containing themselves for upwards of 3-4 hours, but require your guidance and consistency to understand the correct area for them to do their business.
More about housetraining dogs of all ages via Doodle Dogs for Dummies. Click on the icon below.
The age of your Doodle will play a big part of your plan as well as your living situation and family dynamics. You will need to be determined, consistent and highly regimented in order to be successful in a short period of time.
Housetraining a puppy under 3 months of age
As puppies under 3 months of age tend to require more frequent relief opportunities, this can be the most challenging time for housetraining. It will be up to you to set a schedule and adhere to it. Through repetition, your puppy will learn when she'll be going to her relief zone and that if she does her business, she'll be rewarded for doing so. This doesn't mean that there won't be indoor accidents - there will be if you are not diligent 24/7. You can expect a month of little long term sleep; similar to having an infant. Your puppy's sleep schedule won't coincide with your normal sleep schedule. Where you may sleep 8 hours each night, your young pup won't tend to sleep through such long periods of time; though she will sleep often several hours each day.
You will need to begin setting precedent and training regimens from day 1. If you want your pup to go outside to potty, begin by teaching her to go outside to potty. If you want her to let you know when she's feeling the need to relieve herself, set up a means to do so, such as hanging bells on the door she goes through (more information on this in Doodle Dogs for Dummies Doodle Dogs For Dummies: Fields-Babineau, Miriam: 9781119822257: Amazon.com: Books). Also begin using a special word to teach her to potty on cue. Something such as "hurry," "potty," or "business." Keep the word simple and unique.
Here's a sample schedule for a pup who's under 3 months old:
6 am Outside. Make sure she urinates and defecates. Male dogs may need to urinate several times.
6:30 am Breakfast
7 am Outside.
Outside every hour. More often if the puppy is active - playing with children, rough housing with other dogs, chasing balls (or cats), receiving training sessions.
12 pm Lunch. Puppies under 4 months of age should be fed 3 times each day.
12:30 pm Outside. Take her to her relief zone every hour, with special intervals if she's active, or just awakened from a nap.
5 pm Dinner
5:30 pm Outside. Your Doodle pup will likely be highly active around 7 pm. It's zoomie time! Be sure to get her outside frequently. You'll want her to be very tired by bedtime. This will ensure you get at least 4 hours straight of rest.
9-10 pm Bedtime. Please review crate training procedures in my book, Doodle Dogs for Dummies (Doodle Dogs For Dummies: Fields-Babineau, Miriam: 9781119822257: Amazon.com: Books). Crate training will shorten the time it'll take to housetrain and prevent your Doodle pup from chewing something inappropriate when you are unable to observe her.
2-3 am Outside, a little play, then back into crate.
6 am - Repeat.
Housetraining a puppy 3-4 months of age
As your Doodle pup can now actually control her bladder and bowels a little better, you can elongate her relief times from 1.5 to 2 hour intervals. You'll still need to take her to her relief zone within 30 minutes of her eating her meals, but not hourly as you did when she was younger. Be sure that you are very observant during this transition. If you see the potty dance, or she rings the bells hanging on the door, by all means get her outside immediately. Follow her relieving herself with lots of praise and rewards.
She can now get a little more time and space loose in the house, but you must remain vigilant, as some pups can get lazy if they're in the middle of having fun. If she's active, take her to her potty zone more often. Once there use your verbal cue repeatedly until she goes, then lots of praise and rewards. At this age, a big reward is remaining outside and playing. It's a good idea to pair the two activities, so that your Doodle learns that she must do her business first in order to remain outside. Otherwise, your dog will be ringing the door bells just to go out to play instead of merely for relief times.
As puppies are easily distracted, you will experience times when you take your Doodle pup outside and she, or he, won't relieve themselves. Instead, they catch a great scent and follow it, or chase butterflies. The older your pup gets, the more this can occur. Be sure to wait for at least 15 minutes for her to do her business. If she still doesn't return her indoors and into her crate for 20 minutes. Then take her out and try again. Do NOT bring your puppy indoors and then allow access to any indoor area. In fact, you shouldn't allow your puppy access at any time other than when you are certain you're dealing with an empty bladder and bowels.
Housetraining a puppy over 5 months of age
By this point, your Doodle pup should have a really good idea of where to do her business. She should also know how to let you know she needs to go and you can offer her more time outside of her containment area, remaining near you as you move through your home. But, while she won't tend to do her potty indoors, she will still be curious and playful, so always remain observant to ensure she plays only with her own toys and not household items.
If you're just starting with housetraining with a new "older" pup, I suggest you begin with the same procedures with a pup under 3 months of age. Many older pups have lived in a kennel or somewhere other than inside someone's home. They haven't learned how to contain themselves in certain situations. It will require you to remain consistent with taking them to their potty zones, use your verbal cue and offer lots of praise and rewards when they do their business in the correct area.
Most Doodle dogs over 5 months of age are capable of containing themselves for upwards of 3-4 hours, but require your guidance and consistency to understand the correct area for them to do their business.
More about housetraining dogs of all ages via Doodle Dogs for Dummies. Click on the icon below.