Puppy University

 Hybrid dogs, such as any doodle breed, when you have a mix of full blooded or mix doodle parents the puppies can take on dominant character traits from one or the other parent and we cannot determine adult size, adult hair color and full adult characteristics when they are a puppy. We can only offer our opinion at the time when the puppy is in our possession. 

At this critical socialization period that ends by 16 weeks, puppies are students of life. They’re curious and should be learning about how the world around them works, specifically what things look like and sound like. For that reason, it is important to focus on exposing puppies to their environment first before diving into obedience training.

It is recommended to ensure puppies become familiar (and comfortable) with:

• Surroundings: Including traffic noises, public transportation, car rides, passersby of all ages and shapes, and other dogs.
• Activities: Including visits to the vet.

The goal is to teach a puppy that the world is a fun, not scary, place.

The first true behavior training lesson for puppies at this stage should be basic impulse control. This can come in many forms, but most new owners start with a simple ‘sit.' 

At a minimum, families should get puppies into the good habit of sitting before meal time. Ideally, you should also take things further and integrate the behavior into playtime by having your puppy sit before playing a game. This kind of training can start as soon as your puppy comes home.

Puppies who learn the lesson of polite play know when to stop, what’s off-limits, and understand what "no biting" means. While your puppy is still teething at this stage and likely has a strong desire to bite and chew things, they should know which household items are toys for playing and which objects are not. For instance, your body and clothing.

This may be a work in progress for several months, but your puppy should be making steady progress with going potty in appropriate places.

Whether through crate training or leaving your puppy in another type of safe, enclosed place, the goal is to ensure your puppy can stand being left alone for short periods of time.

Getting dogs to respond to "come" early on is important. Even if your puppy doesn’t have a rocket recall, the important thing is that he loves coming right up to you.

By this age, puppies should ask politely for all of their favorite things by sitting first, that means sitting before getting food, engaging in playtime, and so on. If your puppy is barking, jumping, or nipping for your attention, you’re setting him up for trouble as he gets bigger and stronger.

Kearl, M. (2024, September 5). Puppy training timeline: Teaching good behavior before it’s too late. American Kennel Club. https://www.akc.org/expert-advice/training/puppy-training-timeline-teaching-good-behavior-before-its-too-late/