Training -The Tony Little Mentality
This might date me some, but there was a video trainer named Tony Little in the 90’s that would work me to death in his work-out video and just when I wanted to quit and thought, I can’t take this anymore, he would shout “You can do it!”. It was very motivational for me, a little annoying after I watched the same work-out video over and over for months, but on the onset, I thought, YES! I CAN do it and I did! I lost the baby tummy and got into my jeans again.
Today, I want to encourage you in the same manner! Today’s blog is about YOU training YOUR goldendoodle puppy. In my best Tony Little voice, You CAN do it!
Why should you train your puppy yourself over sending him to a more experienced trainer?
THE BOND: Training your own puppy creates a deep bond between you and your new puppy and that in and of itself is pretty amazing! But in addition, it teaches you about your puppy, and your puppy about you. The GREAT news is that you have selected one of the easiest breeds (ahheem…hybrids) to teach and to learn from. There is much forgiveness in the goldendoodle. What I mean by that is that if you are not doing it correctly or your timing is off a little, your goldendoodle is so smart, adaptable, willing, and compliant that he will learn despite your mishaps. Some breeds really do need a good trainer to get them started, but not a goldendoodle. They enjoy training and pleasing you. What I find really amazing is when you have trained your goldendoodle puppy to wait, sit, laydown, and come, that after a few lessons and with consistent training sessions (training never stops), you can actually see them thinking it through. That is when I know that we are beginning to understand each other and the bonding that comes from that is second to none.
THE EXPERIENCE: There is no great joy than to tell your friends and family that your well-behaved dog was trained by you. Yes, you the inexperienced dog owner/trainer. When your puppy “gets it” the experience of knowing that you were the one that taught him that is hard to put into words. It brings a sense of accomplishment and pride, in both of you. When see your puppy wanting to understand what you are asking of him, it is the beginning of something remarkable.
THE EXPENSE: There is no monetary expense, just your time. You are not paying a trainer thousands of dollars to bond with your dog, just to have them bring him to you and give you a crash course in “getting to know your puppy”. What is the point of getting a puppy, just to send them away? Or why pay someone to do something that builds trust with someone else? Call me crazy, but training belongs to the puppy’s family not an outsider. That is why we believe that it vital to get a puppy into their forever home at 8 weeks of age. A puppy is learning and growing mentally until he reaches 16 weeks. We have started him out on the right track, and we want him to end up in a home that values him as much as we do. The value begins when you set out to train your puppy yourself. The only thing you will be spending is time, but that time you spend with your puppy, only brings you closer. To me, the time I spend training and reinforcing what I have taught my dogs is invaluable. There is just no way you can place a value on the time spent with a dog. It brings down you stress level, calming your nervous system and relaxing you while increasing the bond and trust between you and your puppy. In short training your puppy, will lower your stress level.
What stops you from training your puppy?
TIME: You may think that you don’t have time to train a dog. Wrong! Training sessions should only last 15 minutes the MOST and on top of that it should be broken down into 5-minute sessions. So If you can’t seem to find 15 minutes in your day for training your puppy, should you really be getting a puppy?
DISBELIEF AND FEAR: You don’t think that you can actually train a puppy to be a good canine citizen in your community. Au contraire, mon cheri! French (representing the poodle parental origin lines) for on the contrary, my dear! Remember how we started this blog? You can do it! All you need is some direction and guidance. First, you have us. We are always willing to help. We are just an email away! Second, you can get an online trainer. We know of an excellent trainer. The best part about an online trainer is that if you (not your puppy but you) are not getting it, you can use the rewind button to figure it out. We are connected to Amy and Scott of BAXTER and Bella (follow the link and use TIMBERFALLS for a 25% discount). They give you a lifetime member ship for a super low price and you can get a head start with them before your puppy even arrives home. There is nothing to fear! We have your back, they have your back!
We hope that you will begin training your puppy as soon as he walks into your home. A disciplined dog is a happy dog. They need direction and they want it from the people that will be their alpha…but that is a whole other blog! Now go and take on the Tony Little mentality and just know that you CAN do it!
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