Labradoodle Training

Training for Your Labradoodle  – Cost for 4 weeks – hands on – living with the trainer – $1300.00 which includes monthly vaccinations.

The training method used on your dog(s) is a mixture of positive force free training, with this training, your dogs(s) will come away with a good start on the basics.

The key ingredient to success is calm leadership. It is natural for a dog to try and find his/her place in their new pack. All family members must be pack leaders, Canines are to follow.

Dogs read our energy as well as the energy of other dogs. Calm assertive energy is the most powerful.

Dogs respond to stimuli in one of five ways.

1. fight
2. flight
3. avoidance
4. submission (acceptance.)
5. Calm leadership fosters trust and respect.

When your new pet arrives at your home, they will know:

• sit, stay, come
• down, stay, come
• off
• walking on loose lead, not pulling
• crate trained
• safely loading and unloading from vehicle
• entering and exiting doorways (not bolting through) sit stay before opening door.
• respectful greeting of strangers
• used to downtown traffic noises

While being firm, also be patient. Our method dogs ‘get’ because it’s about your energy and posture. It is up to you to set rules, boundaries, and limitations, ie allowed on furniture or not, certain rooms off limits.

Your dogs needs in this order are:

1. Calm assertive leadership
2. Boundaries, rules, limitations
3. Exercise
4. Affection

Make your dog work, for example sit to be fed (even treats). Affection before work makes a very demanding and unstable dog. Affection is important, but calm affection. Using a high excited voice (OH, they are so cute!!) is like pushing the excitement button.

When you are working the dog, focus on the dog. If you make a mistake, just move past it, do it right next time. Your dog will forgive you as they live in the now. They want to please you.

Give a verbal command to sit, followed by a slight upward pull of the leash. If necessary, square your body (shoulder and back) in front of the dog, (dominating their space), look for eye contact. When successful, give a quiet pat.

Ask to sit and wait at all doorways and gate, before feedings. Count a minimum of 5 seconds – if the dog bolts, reposition and do over.

It is acceptable for the dog to walk beside or slightly behind, telling them to come. If dog is pulling, use a disapproving voice (hey) and give enough pull to the side (in front), not back, of your body. This pulls them off stride momentarily and refocuses them on you. An abrupt change of direction will also refocus the dog. If the dog sits unasked during this, it is telling you politely it doesn’t understand and is asking for guidance. The dog should sit if you stop. Reward with a pat.

Practice sit on a long lead (20 feet), back away saying “stay.” Count to approximately 20 seconds, then give the come command and reward. The count should increase over time. Practice down stay the same way. First, sit them with a slight downward pull on leash saying “down”, then stay. Remember the dog’s reaction to new stimuli will reflect yours. If you are tense or panicky, the dog will be also.

To practice taking command of doorways, leash the dog prior to guest arriving. At the knock, position the dog in sit stay, slightly behind you. Use a disapproving tone if the dog lunges or barks. Reposition as required. Do not open the door until the dog is quiet. Instruct the guest not to look, touch of speak to the dog. The dog may be greeted if it is quiet.

Never reward anxious or aggressive behavior with affection. Only re-enforce wanted behavior.

“Properly trained, a man can be dog’s best friend.” Corey Ford

Labradoodles that have passed their Canine Good Neighbor:

Quillan, Gizelle, Yvette, Pollyanna, Dora, Xabrina and Foxy