Puppy Training Camp is a residential puppy training program for new puppy owners.
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This is how Sprinkles walks on a least more than 50% of the time. This is the expectation and her skills will improve as she matures. She knows what she’s supposed to do, but rest assured, when another dog or human goes by SHE WANTS TO PLAY AND SHOW THEM HOW MUCH SHE LOVES THEM WITH HER WHOLE ENTIRE BODY!!! And then she walks reasonably again. 🤣
Who needs a playful puppy? Sprinkles the F1b Bernedoodle is 16 weeks old. She is bright, friendly, food motivated, and very playful! She’s learning to fetch and she loves running alongside me when I scooter or bike around- even automatically sitting at my side when I stop. Sprinkles reliably rings a bell to let us know she needs out to potty. She is very comfortable sleeping and napping in her crate and goes in on command. She walks very well on a leash for her age and sits automatically. She knows “go to bed”, “place”, and “down”. She’s progressing very well with “drop” and “wait”. She tolerates baths and grooming very well. Sprinkles, having been living with 2 kids and a puppy trainer, has zero food aggression/resource guarding behaviors.
If you or anyone you know is interested in learning more about Sprinkles, please message me!
Lucy the sheepadoodle is off to join her family after a wonderful 3 week stay. Lucy is smart and energetic and curious and snuggly and eager to please and ready to play. When I took her for walks, Lucy’s endearing personality and sweet face regularly stopped cars, interrupted runners, made people say “hang on a minute” to whomever they are chatting with on the phone, and pause their podcasts to accept her invitation to pet her soft fur and lavish her with praise. She is a tremendous pup with a practically perfect temperament and I have every confidence that she will not only become something of a celebrity in her neighborhood, but that Lucy is going to mature into a Very Good Dog.
My life didn’t become any less chaotic when my infant son was born. My house still has random old house, erm, “quirks”. My older son is still extremely 5 years old. My housekeeping skills remain, well never mind those. So, Lucy the sheepadoodle pup had to learn real fast what is acceptable behavior.
A well-mannered, boundary respecting pup has to know not only what NOT to do (basically she can have almost nothing pictured here: my shoes, a baby bouncer with baby toys on it, a random bin of Play/Doh, and open shelves holding a host of random kitchen items), and also what she MAY do. She MAY go in her crate, eat her kibble, play with the blue Kong, or lay on the towel. Lucy loves this towel.
Since day one, Lucy has gotten rewarded for spending time on this towel (or playing with her toys, or going in her crate). Some amount of treats, affection, verbal praise, toys randomly appear whenever she gets on the towel. As a result, Lucy always knows how to make a good choice.
Since day one, Lucy has consistently been dissuaded from showing interest in basically everything else in this photo. She knows what I don’t want her to do. However, Lucy also knows what I DO want her to do. She always has the option of making this good choice. And since she’s gotten regular random rewards for hanging out on the towel bed, it’s become one of her favorite spots.
I keep her in eyesight, for sure. She’s still just a pup after all. All puppy’s test boundaries and they can really only learn through trial and error. I do make sure to set her up for success by crating her if I’m unable to watch her.
By teaching her how to make automatic good choices and dissuade poor choices, we are fast forwarding through the destructive puppy phase.
Potty Training tip time! (This picture is just Lucy showing off how cute she is. She insisted I post it. She’s so vain.)
Like humans, puppies don’t want to relieve themselves in the same spaces where they eat or play. One trick is to put some kibble and a safe toy in the crate (a Kong, for instance). The crate should be small enough that the pup can sit, stand, turn around, and lay down and not any bigger for the first few days/weeks.
When you get your new puppy home, please remember that your home is HUGE to a puppy. There are so many rooms and spaces to eat, sleep, play, and potty in your house. Introduce your pup to a room or two of your home at a time. Feed your pup and play with your pup all over those two rooms. Gradually introduce your pup to the rest of your house, as you reinforce that the puppy’s bathroom is outside, not inside.
Puppies can be expected to relieve themselves approx 30 mins after they drink, after waking up from a nap, after rigorous play, or every 90 minutes. That’s a lot. You can do it. Keep treats by the door so you can throw your pup a little party every time they potty outside.
One more thing: use a potty command. When your pup begins to relieve themselves say “go potty!” Or “get busy” or whatever you want it to be. Eventually, your dog will know to go on command.
Two of the most common questions I get when someone is getting to know my puppy training style are: Do you use shock collars? Will my puppy love me if you train it first?
Do I use shock collars? Nope. And I will never use one on a puppy.
Shock collars are a tool, and like all tools, they have a time and a place. This simply isn’t it.
Will your puppy love you if I train it first? Yes. Absolutely. 100%.
It’s important that pets are loved and develop a healthy capacity for affection and trust. This is why I treat every puppy as though it were my own. (And why I let my kiddo play and snuggle and be adorable/disgusting with the puppies.) For their own emotional development, it is important that the pups feel like family while they are here. Practically speaking, if the pups don’t have a solid and trusting relationship with me and my family, then our training potential together will be limited. This puppy love is 100% transferable to you and the bond you form with your pup will facilitate your ability to continue your pup’s training journey.
Lucy the (12 week-ish old) Sheepadoodle pup has achieved single-handed leashing status! This feat requires a pup to come when called, automatically sit calmly, stay somewhat relaxed while the human fumbles with the collar/leash.
I like to shape as much automatic well-mannered behavior as I can before introducing commands. Here’s why:
An obedient dog sits on command. We all know a dog who knows a lot of commands, but is still like a lit firecracker to be around.
A well-mannered dog sits automatically. A well-mannered dog can easily become an obedient dog. But, when life gets too busy for extra obedience training, the dog remains a well-mannered delight.
New pup, who dis?
It’s Lucy the 10 week old sheepadoodle! She just arrived to Puppy Training Camp- my first puppy client for since the baby was born! It feels so good to have a dog in the house again. (And a cutie! Look her little white tail tip 😍!) Lucy and I are going to have a great three weeks of training together.
I’m so sad to share that Gus and Kiwi have both passed within a short month of one another. Gus’s decline was slow and steady. Kiwi’s was surprisingly fast. They are irreplaceable and were Very Good Dogs right up to the end.
In the future, when we are eventually ready, my family will be thrilled to welcome a Doods & Dolls puppy.
But for now, we are enjoying the baby noises that fill the quiet spaces where Gus and Kiwi used to lounge. 🤍
Hello! Sorry for the abrupt inactivity on this page. This little doodle joined my family a little earlier than expected. He’s doing well (despite the fact that he’s learned *zero* commands so far 😉😆) and I’m enjoying taking a break from puppies for a while to enjoy adjusting to life as a family of four.
Throwback Thursday to Daisy the Fierce, bravely hunting her… tail. 😂
It is impossible not to fall in love with Daisy.
Daisy the goofy, muddy, lying-exactly-in-the-way, sleepy, sweet, playful, cuddly, adorable, eager-to-please puppy is now home with her forever family. 🥰 I’m so thrilled for Daisy and her family. I think they are going to be a perfect match for each other. Daisy has a beautiful temperament and has stolen many hearts during her time training. I think she has what it takes to be everything her family wants her to become, and that she is well on her way to being a Very Good Dog.
Daisy is a labradoodle from Doods & Dolls.
Somehow, old Gus managed to make it to his 15th birthday. I wasn’t sure he would. He is definitely down to his final days/weeks. 💜🐾
When I got him the animal shelter told me he’d be a 35 pound beagle. He is not. And I’m so glad for that.
Gus is the reason I got into dog training. He was my first dog and an extremely energetic puppy. Extremely. Energetic. Puppy. Like, multiple walks and runs a day energetic puppy. I planned my day around meeting his energy needs. Soon, I fell in love with the challenges and rewards of turning this 70 pound ball of energy into a Very Good Dog, and the rest is history.
Old Kiwi turned 14 recently. She’s probably only got a few months left. 💜🐾
A few years back we found a tiny kitten in the road that didn’t even have her eyes open yet. How she go to the middle of the road is a mystery. Mammals need mammals. So, as part of raising Pancake the tiny kitten, we recruited Kiwi to act as her mother. Kiwi let Pancake knead on her, try to nurse, and they snuggled up and napped together. It was the sweetest. Now Pancake is a healthy and spoiled cat living her best life with her forever family.
Please enjoy a glimpse into the sweetness.
Here’s a boring video illustrating how chill and cuddly Daisy is. Also, demonstrating the different ways to hold and carry your pup regularly (starting day 1) to keep them laid back. You can see that while Daisy didn’t love me shifting her position, she let me do it and relaxed once I got her stable (she got heavy!). In North Carolina, we’ve got to be able to hold our pups and position them in all sorts of ways so that we can check them for ticks.
Also, note that I didn’t tell her to sit. I don’t worry about teaching the command “sit” until the very end of a pup’s stay with me. I expect a pup’s default behavior to be an automatic sit. Want something? Sit calmly. Waiting for instruction? Sit calmly. Not sure what to do? Sit calmly.
Daisy working on the command “snuggle”. Daisy did quite well. My kiddo kept wanting to turn it into wrestling. 🤦♀️
I train puppies, not children. 🤷♀️
Daisy has entered her teething phase. In my house, dogs have a very narrow selection of toys: Kongs, tug ropes, tennis balls, and some hard Nylabones. That’s it. Anything else is off limits. Now, there are a dozen or so tennis balls, a few different tug ropes, a whole bunch of Kongs in different colors (which correspond to different levels of chewing resistance). This variety gives the puppy soft, medium, and hard things to chew, so her teething needs and preferences can be met. In my house, the puppies have lots of appropriate options on hand- but my kiddo’s toys and our shoes aren’t mistaken for puppy toys.
I like to put wet kibble, peanut butter, or plain Greek yogurt in the Kong’s and then freeze them during the teething phase. Then the pup has a safe-for-the-crate fun teething pupsicle.
(The brands listed here are completely unimportant- I’m simply illustrating the variety of chew toys that I have. Get whatever brands you and your pup like!)
A+ puppy ears.
Holding the leash! I hold the leash with the handle looped around my wrist and the leash looped around my thumb so that it’s “locked”. My thumb isn’t going anywhere, so neither is the dog. It’s very secure.
For small kids, I do the opposite. A part of the leash (not the handle loop) is folded and that fold is held in the child’s fist. This way, when the pup pulls quite hard (hard enough to, say, pull over a small child), the leash slips out easily and the child remains safe.
Worried your pup will get away? Let your kiddo hold the leash as described above, and the grown up holds the leash’s handle. The child gets to “walk” the dog safely, and the dog won’t get away if they abruptly pull hard.
“May your days include moments as wonderful as a good belly scratch” -Traditional Labradoodle Blessing
Somebody’s got a bad case of the Mondays.
Sometimes a little indoor chaotic puppy play is just fine. Sometimes it’s just not. “That’s Enough” means that’s enough.
Rhonda leaves me and starts her life with her family today! Always a bittersweet day around Puppy Training Camp. Check out Rhonda’s commands! Not bad for an almost 12 week old pup! Rhonda is well on her way to becoming a Very Good Dog.
Sometimes they both squeeze in there like a clown car. 🤣
Here are Daisy and Rhonda demonstrating “Go Sniff”. When we are on walks, I’ll occasionally say “go sniff”, which means the pups are free to sniff around and/or roll on the grass and/or relieve themselves. Having a word for taking a break from a well-mannered leash walk helps the pup keep their manners!
That’s a cheesy egg breakfast burrito and a bit of lunch meat for added challenge. I kept the plate on the ground another 5 minutes or so while I finished cooking. These pups are on their way to becoming Very Good Dogs.
Daisy is feeling super cute in her new front clip harness. (I’ve since adjusted the straps so it fits her properly.) Why the emphasis on the front clip? Front clips make it harder for dogs to pull and easier on your arms. Back clips are what sled dogs wear because they make it *easier* to pull. Daisy isn’t a sled dog, so we only use a front clip.
Daisy the labradoodle and her ears relax after a big day of puppy training.
What puppy training actually is.
What people think puppy training will be.
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This is how Sprinkles walks on a least more than 50% of the time. This is the expectation and her skills will improve as she matures. She knows what she’s supposed to do, but rest assured, when another dog or human goes by SHE WANTS TO PLAY AND SHOW THEM HOW MUCH SHE LOVES THEM WITH HER WHOLE ENTIRE BODY!!! And then she walks reasonably again. 🤣
Two of the most common questions I get when someone is getting to know my puppy training style are: Do you use shock collars? Will my puppy love me if you train it first? Do I use shock collars? Nope. And I will never use one on a puppy. Shock collars are a tool, and like all tools, they have a time and a place. This simply isn’t it. Will your puppy love you if I train it first? Yes. Absolutely. 100%. It’s important that pets are loved and develop a healthy capacity for affection and trust. This is why I treat every puppy as though it were my own. (And why I let my kiddo play and snuggle and be adorable/disgusting with the puppies.) For their own emotional development, it is important that the pups feel like family while they are here. Practically speaking, if the pups don’t have a solid and trusting relationship with me and my family, then our training potential together will be limited. This puppy love is 100% transferable to you and the bond you form with your pup will facilitate your ability to continue your pup’s training journey.
Lucy the (12 week-ish old) Sheepadoodle pup has achieved single-handed leashing status! This feat requires a pup to come when called, automatically sit calmly, stay somewhat relaxed while the human fumbles with the collar/leash. I like to shape as much automatic well-mannered behavior as I can before introducing commands. Here’s why: An obedient dog sits on command. We all know a dog who knows a lot of commands, but is still like a lit firecracker to be around. A well-mannered dog sits automatically. A well-mannered dog can easily become an obedient dog. But, when life gets too busy for extra obedience training, the dog remains a well-mannered delight.
Throwback Thursday to Daisy the Fierce, bravely hunting her… tail. 😂 It is impossible not to fall in love with Daisy.
Old Kiwi turned 14 recently. She’s probably only got a few months left. 💜🐾 A few years back we found a tiny kitten in the road that didn’t even have her eyes open yet. How she go to the middle of the road is a mystery. Mammals need mammals. So, as part of raising Pancake the tiny kitten, we recruited Kiwi to act as her mother. Kiwi let Pancake knead on her, try to nurse, and they snuggled up and napped together. It was the sweetest. Now Pancake is a healthy and spoiled cat living her best life with her forever family. Please enjoy a glimpse into the sweetness.
Here’s a boring video illustrating how chill and cuddly Daisy is. Also, demonstrating the different ways to hold and carry your pup regularly (starting day 1) to keep them laid back. You can see that while Daisy didn’t love me shifting her position, she let me do it and relaxed once I got her stable (she got heavy!). In North Carolina, we’ve got to be able to hold our pups and position them in all sorts of ways so that we can check them for ticks. Also, note that I didn’t tell her to sit. I don’t worry about teaching the command “sit” until the very end of a pup’s stay with me. I expect a pup’s default behavior to be an automatic sit. Want something? Sit calmly. Waiting for instruction? Sit calmly. Not sure what to do? Sit calmly.
“May your days include moments as wonderful as a good belly scratch” -Traditional Labradoodle Blessing
Sometimes a little indoor chaotic puppy play is just fine. Sometimes it’s just not. “That’s Enough” means that’s enough.
Rhonda leaves me and starts her life with her family today! Always a bittersweet day around Puppy Training Camp. Check out Rhonda’s commands! Not bad for an almost 12 week old pup! Rhonda is well on her way to becoming a Very Good Dog.
Sometimes they both squeeze in there like a clown car. 🤣
That’s a cheesy egg breakfast burrito and a bit of lunch meat for added challenge. I kept the plate on the ground another 5 minutes or so while I finished cooking. These pups are on their way to becoming Very Good Dogs.
What puppy training actually is.
What people think puppy training will be.
Rhonda loose leash walking with an automatic sit. Well-mannered = cute
When you’re exactly as fierce as you look…
Daisy the labradoodle is 50% lab + 50% poodle + 50% hippopotamus.
Working on “leave it”, one of my favorite boundary-setting commands. That silver plate holds a banana with peanut butter (part of my kiddo’s breakfast) and the pups may not have it. I have a rigid No Human Food rule for dogs in my house which prevents begging, counter surfing, and food stealing.
Feeding puppies in different places and messing with them and their food while they eat is one of the things I do to help pups stay laid back.
Here’s a boring video of an ideal evening in my living room. 3 calm dogs relaxing and dozing. Not pictured: the walks, playing, and training necessary to work with and meet their energy needs. (Except for Kiwi. At 14, she has no energy needs 😂).
Three equally playful pups all having an equally good time playing! 😂
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