Potty Training and Crate Training
Step-by-Step Potty Training
Gate off an area with the potty door in it. Use the same door every time you take your puppy out. Hang the bells (see below) on the door and ring them, with their foot. We say "Go Out" - Let's "GO OUT" once the puppy is on grass, we say "GO POTTY" - "LET'S GO POTTY" Goldendoodles are extremely smart and eager to please.
Once they go potty, Praise them and tell them how fabulous they are for going potty outside. The key to house training your puppy is you have to be consistent and have patience. This is all new to your puppy. They don't know what you expect from them until you teach them. Never use anything but positive reinforcement with your Goldendoodle! They will understand quickly with just the tone of your voice.
Watch your puppy constantly! If you can't watch the puppy, crate it. Crating the puppy for naps and periodically during the day will teach your puppy to hold for longer period of times and get your puppy used to being calm it's crate faster. Always potty your puppy before and after crating. The rule of thumb for how long your puppy can hold it in the crate during the day is it's age in months. At 8 weeks old - 2 months, your puppy can hold it 2 hours in the crate. 3 months, 3 hours.
The Moss Creek Head Start
Teaching the puppy to sleep in the crate and not soil it, is an intensive and exhaustive task. We do more than just introduce your puppy to a crate. We actually train your puppy to sleep in its own crate through the night. The early days of this process are the most difficult. We have implemented a system that slowly teaches your puppy to enjoy being in the crate without soiling it. This makes for many sleepless nights on our part. We feel this early head start to crate training makes the transition to your home less stressful for the puppy and you! Our puppy owners are worth this extra effort.
We begin crate training at 3 weeks. We start by leaving a crate in with the puppies with no door. They love to pile in and sleep together. As they grow, we introduce a second crate and this time we leave the doors on. We start by closing them in for 10-15 minutes at a time, before gradually working up to 4-6 hours at night.
We take the water away by 6 pm. The last time out is around 11 pm. Once your puppy is asleep, if your puppy wakes up crying in the middle of the night, s/he probably has to go out. You should take the puppy out, say "go potty" or any cue but be consistent, afterwards, it's directly back in the crate. Let them know that middle of the night trips are all business. No playtime, no drinking etc.
Which Crate to Buy
We recommend a 42" or 48" wire crate as the permanent crate for standards and the 36" for Mini's. Make sure the crate has a divider. You will want to section off a small space in the beginning, just large enough for your puppy to stand up, turn around and lay down in. You can put a blanket around the crate to make it feel more like a den. Puppies, by nature, prefer to be clean and will not lay where they have had an accident. This makes the crate an invaluable training tool, as it is safer for your puppy to be crated than unsupervised. Purchase our recommended crates on our Crate Shopping Page.
Trained to the Bell
Poochie-Bells work! Hang them on the door you let your puppy out. Every time you take the puppy out, say 'Let's go out - Ring your bells - Go Outside' and ring the bell with one of the puppies paws. Once you get to the grass you say 'Go Potty'. We don't say 'Potty' in the house because Goldendoodles are extremely smart and learn to potty on command. :) At first you will take the puppy out often - don't wait for them to ask or have an accident - take them out on schedule unless they are napping in the crate. For the first few months puppies should be taken out for a potty break:
- when they wake up
- after they eat
- after they drink
- if they start to sniff and circle
- every 20 minutes or so while they are awake
- before and after they are crated
Thankfully puppies sleep a lot. But the trick is to let them understand that outside is for relieving themselves. It's a new concept for them - but if it's clear, then they will understand what they need to do. The less accidents they have, the faster they learn. It takes some puppies only a few days to learn to ring the bell to ask to go out. (And for a while there, you're trained to the bell, because they go often - but it's worth it in the long run.) Your friends and family members will think you have an Einstein puppy when he/she rings the bell to go out in front of them! :) It's really easy to teach with repetition, praise and patience.
Order your Poochie-Bells on our Chomp Shopping Page
