Training

Puppy and dog training — potty, crate, obedience, manners.

3 Commands Every Puppy Should Know by 12 Weeks

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People ask us all the time what they should teach their puppy first. Sit, down, stay, roll over, shake? Honestly, you can skip most of that for now. If your puppy knows three simple things by 12 weeks, life at home gets a lot easier.

1. Look At Me

This one is our favorite, and it’s the one most people forget. Hold a small treat near your puppy’s nose, then slowly bring it up to your eyes. The second your puppy glances at your face, say “Yes” and give the treat. That’s it.

Why it matters: a puppy who will look at you can be redirected from almost anything. A squirrel, a visitor, the neighbor’s dog. You get their attention back first, then you can ask for something else.

2. Sit

Sit is the old standby for a reason. Hold a treat at your puppy’s nose and slowly move it back over their head. Their rear end drops as their nose follows the treat. Say “Yes” the moment it touches the floor.

Don’t push on their back, and don’t repeat the word over and over. Say “sit” one time and wait. Puppies figure out fast that the word only counts once. A sit at the door before it opens or before a meal turns into good manners without you even trying.

3. Leave It

Put a treat in your closed fist and let your puppy sniff and nibble at your hand. They will paw and lick, and that’s fine. The moment they back off, even a little, say “Yes” and give them a different treat from your other hand. Not the one in your fist.

After a few days they’ll start backing off as soon as they hear the words. This is the command that keeps socks, dropped chicken bones and mystery stuff on the sidewalk out of your puppy’s mouth. With Goldendoodles, who love to carry everything around, you will use it daily.

A few tips that make it stick

  • Keep sessions to about five minutes. Puppies tire out fast.
  • Do a little exercise first. A tired puppy learns better than a wild one.
  • Use tiny soft treats so you aren’t filling them up.
  • Reward the instant they do it right, not three seconds later.
  • Stay calm and cheerful. If they get it wrong, just reset and try again, no scolding.

Don’t worry if your puppy isn’t perfect at 12 weeks. They’re babies. If you practice a few minutes a day, these three will be solid before you know it, and they give you a great base for everything else down the road.

Puppy Pals Team

Leash Training Your Goldendoodle: How to Stop the Pulling

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Goldendoodle puppy walking on a leash outdoors

If you have a Goldendoodle puppy, you have probably already had the walk where your arm feels two inches longer by the end. We have had that walk with every one of our dogs. We follow the positive reinforcement approach that trainers like Zak George teach, and it has worked for Luna, Macie, and every puppy we have sent home. Loose leash walking is a skill, not a personality trait, and puppies learn it the same way they learn everything else: by figuring out what gets rewarded.

Why Goldendoodles Pull in the First Place

Pulling is not your puppy being stubborn. Walking at your speed is slow and boring for a dog. Everything out there smells amazing, and the fastest way to get to the next smell is to lean into the leash. If leaning works, they lean harder. Every time you follow a pulling puppy to the thing they wanted, you just taught them that pulling is how the walk works.

Goldendoodles are smart and eager to please, which is great news. It also means they pick up bad habits just as quickly as good ones. The trick is to make the good habit more rewarding than the bad one, and to start early.

Start Inside, Not on the Sidewalk

Do not make your first lesson a walk around the block. Start in the living room or the backyard, where there is nothing exciting to pull toward. Clip the leash on, hold a few small treats, and just walk around the house. Any time your puppy is next to you with a loose leash, say "yes" and hand over a treat right at your leg. Keep it fast and happy.

Five minutes is plenty for a young puppy. Their attention runs out quickly, and you want to stop while they are still having fun. A tired puppy also learns better, so a quick game of fetch before the lesson takes the edge off the wiggles.

The Stop-and-Wait Rule

This is the one thing we ask every new family to practice. The moment the leash goes tight, you stop walking. Stand still like a tree. No yanking, no scolding, no dragging them back. Just stop.

When your puppy turns around to see why the fun stopped, or the leash goes slack even for a second, say "yes" and walk forward again. Pulling makes the walk stop. A loose leash makes the walk go. Puppies figure this out surprisingly fast, though it will feel slow for the first week or two. You might cover half a block in ten minutes. That is normal, and it pays off.

If your puppy keeps surging ahead, try turning and walking the other way. Reward them when they catch up and trot along next to you. You are teaching them that staying near you is where the good stuff happens.

Gear That Makes It Easier

You do not need fancy equipment, but a few basics help a lot. For a growing puppy we like a Best Pet Supplies Voyager Step-In Air Harness. It is light, easy to get on a wiggly puppy, and spreads pressure across the chest instead of the neck. We wrote more about harness choices in our leash and harness guide if you want the full breakdown.

For the leash itself, we like a simple six foot leash that is easy on your hands. The Taglory Rope Dog Leash is what we reach for. Skip the retractable leashes while you are training. They teach a puppy that pulling gets them more line, which is the exact opposite of what you want.

And then there are treats. Training treats should be small and smelly enough to compete with the outside world. We like Stella & Chewy’s Freeze-Dried Beef Bites for walks because they are tiny, light enough to carry in a pocket, and most puppies will do almost anything for them. Save the really good ones for the hard moments, like walking past another dog.

Handling Distractions

Once your puppy is walking nicely at home, take the lesson to the front yard, then the quiet street, then the park. Each new place is like starting over a little bit, so expect some pulling when the setting gets more exciting. Go back to short sessions and higher value treats.

When you see a distraction coming, like a squirrel, a bike, or another dog, get your puppy’s attention before they lock on. Ask for a quick "look at me," reward it, and keep moving. If they are already pulling hard, calmly turn and walk away until they settle down, then try again from a greater distance.

Common Mistakes

Most of the trouble we see comes from a few things. Walks are too long too soon, and a young puppy gets tired and falls apart. Families give inconsistent rules, so one person lets the puppy pull and another does not. Or someone skips the treats once the puppy seems to be getting it. Keep rewarding for a long time. You can slowly space them out, but a puppy that never gets paid for good walking will eventually decide it is not worth the effort.

Also, do not expect perfection. Adolescent Goldendoodles around five to eight months often seem to forget everything they learned. It is a phase. Stay patient, go back to basics, and it comes back.

What to Expect

Most puppies show real progress within a few weeks of daily practice, but reliable loose leash walking can take a few months. Short, happy, consistent sessions beat long frustrating ones every time. If you are bringing home one of our puppies, we are always happy to talk through what you are seeing on your walks. Just reach out to us and we will help you troubleshoot.

A good walk with your dog is one of the best parts of having one. A little patience now means years of enjoying it together.

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Socializing Your Goldendoodle Puppy — The First 16 Weeks

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Goldendoodle puppy exploring outdoors during socialization

The first 16 weeks of your Goldendoodle’s life are the most important stretch for socialization. I know that sounds intense, but it’s true. Puppies go through a critical window where new experiences actually shape how they’ll react to the world for the rest of their lives. Miss it and you’re working uphill forever. Get it right and you end up with a dog that rolls with whatever life throws at them.

We’ve raised a lot of litters here at Puppy Pals, and the families that do this well consistently have the happiest, most confident adult dogs. Here’s what we’ve learned.

Why the First 16 Weeks Matter So Much

Puppies have a socialization window that starts to close around 12 weeks and mostly shuts by 16. During this time, their brains are literally wired by what they experience. New people, sounds, textures, and situations they encounter now get filed as “normal.” Things they miss can become scary or anxiety-provoking later.

This doesn’t mean you need to take your puppy to a fireworks show at 8 weeks old. It means consistent, gentle, positive exposure to as many different things as you can manage.

We follow the positive reinforcement approach that trainers like Zak George teach, which means every new experience should end with your puppy feeling good about it. Treats are your best tool here.

What to Expose Them To (and How)

Think in categories: people, sounds, surfaces, animals, and handling.

People: Men with beards, kids running and yelling, people in hats or sunglasses, elderly people with canes, delivery drivers, teenagers on bikes. The more variety, the better. Have people offer your puppy a treat when they first meet. You want your dog to see strangers as a source of good things, not potential threats.

Sounds: Vacuum cleaners, lawn mowers, thunderstorms, kids playing loudly, traffic, doorbells, appliances. Start these at low volume or from a distance. Let your puppy investigate or ignore them, then offer a treat. Never force them toward something that’s scaring them.

Surfaces: Grass, gravel, tile, hardwood, stairs, carpet, sand, metal grates. Some puppies are surprisingly confident about all of these. Others get spooked by a single new texture. Just introduce it calmly, let them explore at their own pace.

Handling: This one gets skipped a lot. Get your puppy used to having their paws touched, ears cleaned, mouth opened, nails handled, and collar grabbed. Do this gently and pair it with treats every single time. Your vet and groomer will thank you later. You’ll thank yourself too.

Other animals: If you have cats, other dogs, or kids at home, you’re already ahead. If not, find friends or neighbors who do.

High-Value Treats Are Your Secret Weapon

For socialization to work, your puppy needs a really good reason to feel positive about the experience. Regular kibble doesn’t cut it when you’re introducing something new. We keep a pouch of soft, high-value training treats in our pocket during any new experience, because the reward needs to come fast and it needs to feel worth it.

We’ve had great results with Stella & Chewy’s Freeze-Dried Beef Bites. They’re small enough that you can use a lot of them without overfeeding, soft enough to eat quickly between moments, and puppies go absolutely crazy for them. That kind of excited reaction is exactly what you want when you’re building positive associations with something new.

The Safe Base They Always Need

Here’s something a lot of new owners don’t think about. Socialization works best when your puppy has a reliable safe place to retreat to. If they get overwhelmed, they need somewhere familiar and calm to decompress.

That’s actually where crate training and socialization work together. A puppy that’s comfortable in their crate has a retreat whenever the world feels like too much. We use the MidWest iCrate Double Door for all our puppies here. It comes with a divider panel so it grows with them, and the two-door setup makes it easy to position in different spots around the house.

When your puppy first comes home, everything in your house is brand new to them. Having a crate they associate with calm and safety actually gives them more confidence to explore, not less. Think of it as their home base.

Managing the Overwhelm

Signs your puppy is getting overwhelmed: yawning repeatedly, licking their lips, trying to move away, or going flat on the ground. These are stress signals, not stubbornness or bad behavior.

If you see these, calmly end the session. No big fuss, no comforting in a worried voice (that actually tells them something is wrong). Just remove them from the situation and let them rest. A Kong stuffed with a little peanut butter in their crate works really well here. It gives them something to focus on while they decompress. Freeze it the night before and it’ll keep them busy even longer.

A Schedule That Actually Works

Aim for three to five new experiences per week, not three to five per day. You’re not trying to cram everything in. You’re building a pattern.

Keep sessions short. Ten minutes of active socialization is plenty for a young puppy. End while things are still going well. If a session goes sideways, no big deal. Come back to the same experience in a day or two at a lower intensity.

The families who later tell us their Goldendoodle is nervous around strangers or reactive on leash almost always had a gap in their socialization window. It happens. Life gets busy. But if you’re reading this while your puppy is still young, you have the time to do this right.

The payoff is real. A well-socialized Goldendoodle is one of the best dogs you can own. Confident, adaptable, friendly with pretty much everyone they meet. That’s worth a lot of fifteen-minute treat sessions in the front yard.

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Crate Training Your Goldendoodle Puppy — A Step-by-Step Guide From Our Family to Yours

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Goldendoodle puppy with chew toy — crate training essentials

If there’s one thing we’ve learned from raising Goldendoodle puppies over the years, it’s that crate training makes everything easier, potty training, sleeping through the night, and giving your puppy a safe space that’s truly theirs. We know the idea of putting your new fur baby in a crate can feel a little uncomfortable at first, but trust us, done right, your puppy will love their crate. It becomes their sanctuary, their quiet spot, and their happy place.

We follow the positive reinforcement approach that trainers like Zak George teach, no forcing, no punishment, just building good associations step by step. Here’s how we do it at Puppy Pals.

Start With the Right Size Crate

Before anything else, you need the right crate. Too big and your puppy might use one end as a bathroom, dogs naturally avoid relieving themselves where they sleep, but if there’s too much room, they’ll go in one corner and sleep in the other. Too small and they’ll be uncomfortable. The sweet spot is a crate where your puppy can stand up, turn around, and lie down, but not much more than that.

For our Mini Goldendoodles, we typically recommend a 36-inch crate with a divider. The divider is key, it lets you make the crate smaller when they’re little and expand it as they grow, so you’re not buying three different crates. If you have a medium or standard Goldendoodle, go with a 42-inch crate.

We’ve had great luck with the MidWest iCrate (42-inch, double door), it’s sturdy, folds flat for travel, comes with a divider and leak-proof tray, and the two-door design gives you flexibility on where you place it. It’s the one we recommend to almost every family that picks up a puppy from us.

Step 1: Let Them Explore (No Pressure)

The first few days are all about making the crate a positive place, no pressure, no closing the door yet. Never force your dog into the crate. Here’s what we do:

  • Put the crate where the family hangs out. Living room, kitchen, wherever you spend time. Your puppy wants to be near you, and if the crate is tucked away in a back room, they’ll see it as isolation.
  • Toss a treat inside and let them go get it. Let them walk in, grab it, walk out. No big deal. Don’t close the door.
  • When they go in, drop a few extra treats. Once they’re inside voluntarily, reward them again while they’re in there. This builds a strong positive association: “good things happen when I’m in this crate.”
  • Drop a cozy bed inside. We like the JoicyCo Crate Pad Mat, it’s soft, machine washable, and has a non-slip bottom so it stays put. Your puppy will start napping in there on their own if it’s cozy enough.
  • Feed meals near and then inside the crate. Start with the bowl just outside, then right at the door, then just inside. Each meal, scoot it a little further in.

The goal? Your puppy should be walking in and out of the crate voluntarily. That’s it. No rushing.

Step 2: Close the Door (Briefly)

Once your puppy is comfortable going in for treats and meals, start closing the door, but only for short bursts.

  • Close the door while they eat. Open it the moment they finish.
  • Gradually add time, 30 seconds, then a minute, then two, then five.
  • Stay in the room where they can see you. This isn’t alone time yet.
  • Let them go in and out between sessions, the crate door should be open more than it’s closed in the early days.

Important: If they whine, wait for at least 30 seconds of quiet before opening the door. If you open it while they’re whining, you’re teaching them that fussing gets results. We know it’s hard, those little Goldendoodle eyes are powerful, but this one matters.

Step 3: Build Up Duration (and Exercise First!)

Here’s something a lot of people miss: exercise your puppy before longer crate sessions. A tired puppy is a calm puppy. Give them an age-appropriate walk, a game of fetch, or some good playtime before asking them to settle in the crate. It makes a huge difference.

Now you can start extending crate time and stepping out of sight:

  • Work up to 20-30 minutes with the door closed while you’re nearby.
  • Start leaving the room briefly, grab a glass of water, check the mail.
  • Give them a special toy that only appears during crate time. Treats and play are both great “currency” with your puppy, use both!

A MidWest Crate Cover can help at this stage too, it creates a den-like feeling that most puppies find calming, especially at night. It also blocks visual distractions so they settle faster.

The Golden Rule: Never Use the Crate as Punishment

This is the one thing we tell every family, the crate should never be a time-out spot. The crate is their sanctuary, always. The moment it becomes associated with being in trouble, you’ve lost the battle.

How Long Can They Stay In?

A good rule of thumb: take your puppy’s age in months and add one hour. That’s the max crate time during the day.

  • 2 months old: 3 hours max
  • 3 months old: 4 hours max
  • 4 months old: 5 hours max
  • 6+ months: Up to 6 hours max during the day (overnight is fine for longer stretches)

We recommend never exceeding six hours during the day. If you work full days, consider having someone check in to give your pup a break, or use a puppy-proofed area for longer stretches.

Always take them outside for a potty break right before crating and immediately after. This ties crate training directly into potty training, they work together.

Pro Tip: The Leash Trick

Here’s something we swear by: when your puppy is out of the crate and you can’t give them 100% of your attention, attach their leash to your belt loop or use a fanny pack. This keeps them close, prevents accidents in other rooms, and means you’ll notice the second they start sniffing around for a potty spot. It sounds funny, but it works incredibly well, especially in those first few weeks.

What If There’s an Accident?

It’s going to happen. When it does, don’t punish your puppy. An accident means you didn’t do a good enough job controlling their environment, not that your puppy did something wrong. Clean it up, adjust your schedule to be more consistent, and limit their free-roaming access. Scolding a puppy for a natural instinct is like punishing a baby for going in their diaper, it doesn’t help and can actually make things worse.

For young puppies, take them outside every hour. For really young ones (8-10 weeks), every 30 minutes isn’t too often. The more consistent you are, the fewer accidents you’ll deal with. Always take them out about 20 minutes after a meal.

Nighttime Crate Training

Nights are where the real test begins. Here’s what works for us:

  • Put the crate in your bedroom for the first few weeks. Your puppy just left their mom and siblings, they need to hear you breathing nearby.
  • Last potty break right before bed. Then straight into the crate with a treat and a calm “goodnight.”
  • Expect 2-3 middle-of-the-night potty breaks depending on your pup’s age. Take them out quietly, let them do their business, and put them right back. No playtime, no excitement, boring is the goal.
  • After a few weeks, you can move the crate to its permanent spot (laundry room or living room work great, somewhere without morning sun that’ll wake them up early).

Be Patient, It Takes Time

We’ve crate trained a lot of Goldendoodle puppies, and the honest truth is that it takes several weeks before most puppies are fully comfortable and reliable in their crate. Some are faster, some take a little longer. The key is consistency. Same routine, same words, same calm energy every single time.

Your Goldendoodle wants to make you happy. Give them the structure to succeed, and they’ll surprise you with how quickly they settle in.

Have questions about crate training your Puppy Pals puppy? Reach out to us, we’re always happy to help!

Puppy Pals Team

Training your puppy for Success!

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Goldendoodle puppy learning a command

One of the first concerns that new parents of a ‘fur baby’ is how to ensure they have good behavior.    After owning multiple dogs and raising lots of puppies here is my advise. 

Training is key

Consistently teaching the same techniques until mastery is important, otherwise, they will end up getting confused.

Patience is a must, as frustration and anger will do little to help them develop long term behavioral.

Dogs, even your fur baby, is not the same as a child.   When teaching leave it to one type of food (like French fries) you shouldn’t expect a them to leave a hamburger, as you haven’t thought them to leave that specific thing.

Lastly, I have learned all of this from one if my favorite YouTube Channels.

Get your Potty Trained ‘Christmas Puppy’ NOW – Free

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Goldendoodle puppy near holiday decor

For a limited number of Puppies, we will be keeping them (at no extra charge).

  • Pick them up on Christmas Eve
  • One one One Play every day
  • Crate trained Puppy
  • Potty trained Puppy

Standard nightly boarding alone would cost you $30 a night for 25 days is $750.

Utah Potty training services charge $2,000 – $2,500 for 20-28 days of potty training if you were to get it done anywhere else!

Contact Us Today

Reach out now, as we only have a limited number of spots open!

Puppy Pals Team

Potty Training your Goldendoodle, FAQ.

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Goldendoodle puppy in training

We recently received a question, that I thought was worth sharing with the group.

What type of Products do we recommend when potty training young golden doodles?

Below is a great way to keep your dogs from wetting any carpeted area of your home. We use two of these where they most often sleep, play and are crated. This item can easily be washed in your washing machine.

What about smell, does it smell after you being washed?

No, we have found that if washed with an extra rinse (if it has been used a lot) that they do not smell. We do however wash them frequently to ensure that they are never left to sit for more than 24-48 hours (depending on the age of the puppies).

The above is an amazon affiliate link, that can be used to monetize this website.

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