Training any dog is your number one priority the first year of life. From walking nice on leash, not jumping on people when they enter your home, to asking to get on the couch or bed, or not barking at the front door. ALDs are highly intelligent and willing to learn. But!! Being so smart they have a tendency to do what benifits them so make sure you aren't being trained by your dog. I'm against treat training (except for here command) the long term goal is obedience not being "paid" to do every task. This leads to over weight dogs but also a dog that only chooses to do the task if it benifits them with a reward has trained you. The best thing for your dog is to build up confidence in stressful situations. Do new hard things together. DO NOT CODDLE or BABY TALK your puppy! Everything even stressful things are a learning experience.Your new puppy has never smelled your home, or heard the sounds of your home. So remember your best day of bringing them home is their most stressful day being abducted from the only place they have ever seen and placed somewhere that everything is new to the five senses.  With that in mind if they jump at the sound of your dishwasher or whatever might startle them, don't baby talk "oh its ok come here I'll hold you!" walk up to the new noise and invite your puppy to come explore the new item, encurange with gentle petting. Build up your dog not coddle. Some people state doodles have anxiety. This is a nurtured result of coddling. Your puppy should be socialized but it is also good for them to stay home when you go grocery shopping and be kenneled for an hour or two a day. Gives them time to sleep, and learn independence not codependence. We saw a significant increase in this during covid lockdowns dogs didn't learn to be independent when everyone was home 24/7 for 2 years.

 

Our puppies start two main aspects of training well before they are apart of your family.

 

Kennel Training

Starting at 4 weeks old we start kennel training puppies. They start with having naptime in their kennels after lunch and afternoon play time. At first they start off with a sibling as a buddy because no one wants to start something new without a friend. By 5 1/2 weeks they take naptime alone in their kennel. We keep doing this until week 7. During week 7 until go home at week 8 we have 1 hour naptime after early afternoon romp. By the time they go home they have weeks of nap time in their kennel. Kennel time shouldn't be stressful or a punishment. It is their personal den and quiet place to relax. From 4 weeks on they always have one small kennel with the door removed in their play area. We will start to see puppies taking extra naps and quiet time from playing in their kennel. 

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"Here" Command

At 6 weeks old using cooled boiled chicken breast or lean cooked ground beef as a reward we start using the "here" command. As they get closer to 8 weeks old we can be anywhere on the main floor and say the "here" command and they will come running. The last week if they have it down perfect we try and add sit to the end of the command. BUT we never say the command without a food reward at this age.