Doodle Dogs For Dummies. Miriam Fields-Babineau

Doodle puppy. Setting the rules early and remaining consistent will ensure you end up with a well-behaved adult Doodle. Because most Doodle pups go to their forever homes at the age of 7 to 8 weeks, they’re ready to learn all basic commands right away. In fact, Doodle puppies are most receptive to learning at 6 to 16 weeks of age. They crave direction, and when applied using a positive training method, they learn quickly.

      Doodle puppies can quickly learn the following cues: Come, Sit, Down, Take Treats Gently, Housetraining guidelines, and lots of cute tricks, too. But, as puppies tend to have short attention spans, you’ll need to keep each training session at no more than 15 minutes each. But, don’t worry, you can do these many times throughout the day, which is a great idea as repetition builds understanding.

      Adolescents: 4 to 8 months old

      Adolescent Doodles are 4 to 8 months old, and they’re a handful. Their energy levels are through the roof, and they need training to remain grounded and manageable. If you haven’t done the early work and you have an obnoxious teenager on your hands, sign up for a class right away! The longer you wait, the more reactive your Doodle may become.

You can still use a positive training method with an unruly adolescent, but a lot of redirection work will likely be necessary, too (see Chapter 10). Adolescent Doodles are more easily distracted than young puppies are. Everything that moves will grab their attention, and they’ll want to investigate what it is. Where Doodle puppies are still a bit insecure and tend to remain near their people, most adolescent Doodles are all about exploring beyond the security of their companions. You’ll also notice selective responses in this age group — your Doodle may have responded well to a Come cue when they were 3 months old, but not as readily at 6 months old.

      

A selective response is knowing what a cue means but not responding to it. If the dog is allowed to ignore a cue, they’ll soon not ever respond to it. You need to back up all commands (which means you need a way of ensuring your dog follows through with your request); otherwise, your voice and body language will become background noise that will be ignored.

      Formal training work is suggested for these adolescent explorers. Training will help them maintain a calm state of mind and keep your frustration levels down as well. Remember: Clear communication is key to a healthy relationship.

      Adults: Over 8 months old

      Regardless of your Doodle’s age, they’ll enjoy the training process. Dogs of all ages enjoy learning and interacting with you. If you adopted an older Doodle, training will help them settle into your home and their new environment more easily. A daily training session gives your adult Doodle something to look forward to each day — like hearing the ice-cream truck coming down the block when you were a kid. Yes, they do get that excited about it, and seeing you pick up the leash will trigger the happy dance!

      You will still need to slowly build on your dog’s attention span and work tolerance, but they’ll gain those attributes faster than a young Doodle puppy. Your adult Doodle may require a few more repetitions than a younger dog will to fully understand the concepts, but you’ll be able to do so with longer training sessions.

      

Dogs never stop learning. Even senior Doodles love to participate in training sessions. They may not be able to do flips, but they’re very happy to heel, sit, stay and perform other behaviors that are rewarding to them. Dogs enjoy the stimulation of learning, so you should never stop teaching them!

Chapter 2

      The Amazing Poodle

      IN THIS CHAPTER

      

Getting to know the Poodle

      

Seeing why Poodles make great parents

      

Exploring the personality of the Poodle

      

Recognizing common health issues with Poodles

      Poodles have ranked in the top ten most highly desired dog breeds for decades. As perfect as they are as purebred dogs, they’re also the most popular breed of dog to mix with numerous other breeds, creating so-called “designer dogs,” which can cost thousands of dollars. What is it about Poodles that makes them the ideal breed for this purpose?

      While Poodles are currently a popular breed to mix with other dogs to create Doodles, this concept isn’t a new one. Throughout history, Poodles have been the foundation of many purebred dogs who are registered in worldwide kennel clubs today. From Portuguese Water Dogs to the Curly-Coated Retriever, you can instantly recognize many of the Poodle’s influences just by appearance — the curly coat.

      Appearance, however, has played only a minor role in the creation of these breeds. Poodles were chosen as foundation dogs for their intelligence and versatility, too. Poodles are ranked as one of the most intelligent breeds in the American Kennel Club (AKC).

      This chapter tells you more about the Poodle and why they’re such good parents.

Meet the Poodle

Poodles (like the one in Figure 2-1) have high intelligence, versatility, and hypoallergenic, non-shedding coats. They’re easy to train, and they fit into most family environments. Plus, they come in three different sizes (Standard, Miniature, and Toy) to please a large array of preferences. Poodles also have a longer life span than most other breeds, especially Toy-size breeds.

      Photograph by Anton Maltsev / 123 RF

      FIGURE 2-1: The Poodle.

      There are three Poodle attributes that really stand out when considering them as a foundation for a hybrid Doodle:

       Size: Poodles come in three AKC-recognized sizes:Standard: Standard Poodles typically measure more than 15 inches at the shoulder. Males weigh 60 to 70 pounds, and females weigh 40 to 50 pounds.Miniature: Miniature Poodles typically measure 10 to 15 inches at the shoulder and weigh 10 to 15 pounds.Toy: Toy Poodles typically measure 10 inches or less at the shoulder and weigh 4 to 6 pounds. There is a fourth Poodle size, the Teacup Poodle, but it isn’t officially recognized by the AKC. They’re small enough to fit into a pocket! Because their offspring are not consistent in size or conformation, they have yet to be nationally recognized and registered. It can take five generations of consistent appearance to create a recognized dog breed.

       Color: Poodles come in a wide variety of coat colors, from black to white and everything in between, including parti-colored (multiple colors).

       Shedding: The Poodle is one of the few dog breeds that sheds very little. Poodles don’t have an undercoat or a long, course overcoat. In fact, their coats are considered “hair,” not typical dog fur. As with hair, a few strands may come out here and there, but not in the large amounts seen in most dogs. Because their hair is very tightly woven, much of the hair that is shed doesn’t leave the dog. (This trait is also why they require regular professional grooming and brushing.)