House Training Your New Labradoodle Puppy

Crate Training and House Training Your New Labradoodle Puppy

Having a Labradoodle puppy is a pleasure and a richly rewarding experience. However you must teach your puppy all of your expectations, gently and firmly from day one. 

Decide the rules you want for your puppy, and teach them those rules right from the beginning, such as: not getting on furniture, not jumping up on people. If you allow that in the beginning, it will be very difficult to break the habit.

Getting Prepared for A New Puppy! 

Before you bring your new puppy home, purchase a small crate, some rubber toys, especially squeaky ones, and some dental chew bones, 2 dog bowls, 1 for water and 1 for food, (the heavy ceramic or steel bowls that don’t tip over).

Visit our Recommended Puppy Supplies Page for a list of everything you’ll need before bringing your new Labradoodle puppy home. 

Puppy Chewing

The more things you have for your puppy to chew, the less likely they are to chew up your things. The need to chew will go on for at least 18 months, although they may always love having things to chew and toys.

You will also need a premium puppy food of your choice. We use an All Life Stages dog food made primarily of chicken and rice. 

Puppy Crate Training and Potty Tips

Why Crate Training? 

Dogs originally were den animals, they burrowed holes underground, where they were safe from predators and nice and warm. They instinctively do not go to the bathroom in their dens.

A crate is a safe haven for your puppy. Keep clean soft bedding in there and they will chose that for a cozy place to sleep, even when you haven’t put them in there.

Never take your puppy out of the crate until they are quiet, just sit patiently, without speaking, until they are quiet for a few seconds, and you will teach them to be quiet in the cage.

Every time you take your puppy out of the crate, take them immediately outside to the place you want them to go to the bathroom.

Puppies find places to go to the bathroom with their feet. When I take them out to the yard, to grass, rocks or dirt, (which ever you prefer), they get used to that feeling on their feet and it becomes part of their potty que or trigger. 

If you allow your puppy to have accidents on your rugs or hardwood floors (even by accident) then that can quickly become their potty texture preference. 

Same goes for potty pads.  Using potty pads only teaches your puppy that going potty on absorbent material is Ok. Not a great idea. 

Try to avoid accidents at all costs. 

The “Go Potty” Command

When you take your puppy outside, to their designated spot, have a treat in your pocket, give them a command to “Go potty”, or whatever you want to say, and use the same command and the same place all of the time, make it as short a phrase as you can.

This way, you will teach your dog to go to the bathroom on command. This can be very convenient if you are traveling or leaving the house.

Stay away from the puppy until they are done with their business, keep other animals, children and any other distraction away from them.

As soon as your puppy is done, immediately give them a dog treat and praise, and praise and praise. Then, stand back and see if there is more forthcoming and repeat the process.

Your Puppy At Night.. 

If your puppy cries in the middle of the night, get up, sit by the cage until they are quiet for a minute or two, then and only then,  take them outside to their spot, give the potty command to go, and stand quietly ignoring them until they are done,  do not instigate play or talk in an excited voice. When their bladder gets mature, this nighttime potty break should stop. It doesn’t take long, promise. 

Read my post about how to stop puppy whining and crying in the crate! 

How Often Do Puppies Need to Go Outside? 

When you first get your puppy home, take the puppy outside for a potty break every half hour or so for the first day, while you’re awake. Then after that every hour for a couple of days, 2 hours for a few days.

Take him/her out after every meal, when getting up from sleeping, if you see them sniffing around, or after drinking water.·Remember potty command, treats and praise, command, treats and praise.

Catching Potty Accidents and How to React

If you catch your puppy in the act, say firmly but gently, “NO” and take them out to the spot you want them to go to the bathroom, and put them down and give your command. When they finish going to the bathroom, praise and treats.·Hitting and harsh words will not work for your puppy, you will scare them and you will teach them NOT to go to the bathroom in front of you.

Never hit or yell harshly at your puppy, or they will be afraid of you, and will develop fear of you, rather than trust.

How Long Does Potty Training Take? 

It may take 4-5 months before your dog is completely housetrained, be patient, it is all worth it!

When you feed your puppy, stroke their back and head, and tell them how good they are. You want them to be used to having someone touch them when they eat.·Never feed your puppy from the table. When you sit down to eat, ignore the puppy, or put them in the crate.

Leaving your Puppy and Coming Home Again

Keep the puppy in the crate when you are not directly in contact with them, if you are busy don’t let them run around during the potty training stage, so that you can prevent accidents.

When you have to leave make sure to crate your puppy or put them in a x-pen setup,  when you get home, even after a short absence, calmly take your puppy outside, talk gently to them, let them go to the bathroom, take them back inside and talk to them calmly, pet them slowly and try to be as calm as you can.

If you come back and get them excited, they will try to recreate that excited feeling when you are gone, because that means you will be home soon. If you are calm with them, they will be calm while you’re gone. 

Puppies are like any baby, they need lots of attention, a dog that does not get attention, will get anxious and nervous and may chew and chew furniture, rugs, shoes, cords, anything to get rid of the anxiety.

Read my post on crate and x-pen setups for potty training puppies!

Taking your Puppy to Class

Take your puppy to obedience school. An untrained puppy can be a nuisance instead of a pleasure. Another important benefit, perhaps the most important, is puppies will meet many new people and dogs in puppy class, which will greatly help socialize them, and make them more people and dog friendly.

Petsmart and Petco both have affordable and helpful Puppy Classes you can sign up for and I believe its only about $100 for once a week for 6 wks which is perfect for a young puppy. 

Potty Training Ques and Going Outside

Puppies find places to go to the bathroom with their feet. When I take them out to the yard, to grass, rocks or dirt, (which ever you prefer), they get used to that feeling on their feet. When they get to your home, your puppy will be used to the surface that you want them to use.

You want to teach your puppy to signal you when they need to go out, if your puppy whines or barks at you, assume they want to go out and take them out even if you don’t think they really need to go. This teaches them that talking to you actually works. 

Going Potty Outside Step by Step – Take your puppy outside on leash, take them to their designated spot, put them down, and give the potty command, stand back without touching them, and wait a bit for them to go to the bathroom.

When you know your puppy is done going to the bathroom, praise them, give them a treat or a snuggle and then take them immediately back into the house, unless you are going to play with them outside.

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