Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. A phone that grows with your child.

Meet the Other Phone.
A phone that grows with your child.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Pets

Join our community on the Pet forum to discuss anything related to pets.

Original poster

Just got a labradoodle and he's luvverly...

33 replies

CantThinkofFunnyName · 24/04/2010 13:51

Not much else to say really! His name is Percy, he is 10 weeks old, from a litter of 10 , black lab, golden poodle, he is the smallest of the litter and is permanently attached to my feet . We only collected him yesterday and apart from a 45 minute whine at night in his crate, he has been fabulous. So placid and docile. Wonderful temperament - quite important with an 11 yr old DS, 7 yr old DD and a 4 month old DD! Already house training with great success. Lots of tsking for getting him to stop humping and he just seems to know that the baby is not a toy. I have introduced them, but keep her up high (pushchair etc) and he just wants to settle by my feet or the wheels of the buggy.

I'm quite smitten!

Professional puppy trainer arrives tomorrow morning so we get everything right from the start.

OP posts:
Alouiseg · 24/04/2010 17:22

Awww! how yummy.

Another addition to dogsnet. Percy is a gorgeous name

clam · 24/04/2010 17:34

My BF has one of those - apricot-coloured. Well, not exactly, but creamy beige anyway.
Friend says she's without doubt the nicest-tempered dog she's ever come across.

WynkenBlynkenandNod · 24/04/2010 17:36

He sounds lovely! I have a scruffy chocolate one who is 10 months, six months ago and what a 6 months they have been!

I look forward to a detailed description of his first Doodle Dash.

Spacehoppa · 24/04/2010 17:41

My mother is off to get a a siamese cat. One for the break-away cat fanciers out there (if you please ).

I dread to think how many names will be attached to the thing.

Original poster
CantThinkofFunnyName · 24/04/2010 20:30

Awww seriously he really is the most lovable little creature. He just wants to please and to love. Wonderful to train and I really have very little experience of puppies. We've even had him walking around and around the garden with collar and leash every hour today .

Poor little mite - think he's exhausted as he is sleeping .... by my feet again. I'm in luuuurrrve.

OP posts:
jonicomelately · 24/04/2010 20:48

We have a black doodle and she is the business. A lovelier dog would be hard to find and despite being full of energy she is very gentle with children.

MadameCastafiore · 24/04/2010 20:50

We have a black doodle too - I would say the only downside is the amount of fur she sheds but she is great with kids, was easy to train and seems to be the most relaxed dog on the planet - I really do think these are one of the best large dogs to get for a fmaily and wouldn't be without mine who is looking at me out of one eye suspiciously from her sofa!

misdee · 24/04/2010 20:52

we are hoping to get a doodle soon. going to meet mum and dad doodles who have just had pups this week, and make a decision soon.

sharbie · 24/04/2010 20:55

Hey I've got a siamese cat spacehoppa and a choc lab.Best buddies.

WynkenBlynkenandNod · 24/04/2010 21:39

Mine is great with the DC's and was brilliant with my friend's 3 year old, sat beautifully when she squeaked 'sit' at her. I'd been worried that she'd be too bouncy but she seemed to know she had to be careful as she was a toddler.

Also a great foot warmer in chilly nights.

Original poster
CantThinkofFunnyName · 25/04/2010 08:13

Ooooh puppy trainer arrives in just over an hour! Wonder what new tricks I will learn? .

Lots of whining last night and really didn't help that DH, who was supposedly doing me a good deed by feeding baby middle of the night decided to come DOWNSTAIRS to heat bottle, put telly on, make a coffee and feed !! FFS - of course Percy was so excited. I then got up at 3am because I knew he would need to relieve himself, which he promptly did as soon as I opened back door - ran to his spot and did it . So proud of him. Of course, poor little love was very unhappy to be put back in his crate at 3am and told it was sleep time.

Very cross with DH though. Stupid twit.

OP posts:
oxocube · 25/04/2010 09:56

Fab! My pup is 11 1/2 weeks and also gorgeous. I am so in love with her

Original poster
CantThinkofFunnyName · 26/04/2010 09:59

Well first day at home on my own with baby and puppy. Need a degree in multi tasking I think! So far, so good. Apart from the obligatory when i left on the school run and then when I got back and he was put in his playpen, all has now settled down. He's relieved himself outside, he's had a play and runaround in the garden for 10 minutes and has now retreated to his bed for a doze. Good timing as I had to feed baby, now settle her and do the ironing. Think it's going to be a busy day. Eeek!

OP posts:
pinkbraces · 26/04/2010 12:25

thats brill. My doodle is 9 months old and the friendliest, happiest put you will ever wish to meet. We enjoy her so much, especially when she wants to play at 4 in the morning

WynkenBlynkenandNod · 26/04/2010 16:21

How has the rest of the day gone, well I hope.

Pinkbraces, mine is doing the early morning waking atm, am hoping it's another phase.

Original poster
CantThinkofFunnyName · 26/04/2010 19:00

Not bad at all thanks! Just had his 2nd injections tonight so expecting a sleepy one, which tbh, I'll be glad of .

OP posts:
Original poster
CantThinkofFunnyName · 27/04/2010 16:06

Ah - not going quite so great now. Vet says dog is trying to be very dominant and we need to watch for aggression. So the barking has begun, the nipping/mouthing is all the time, jumping/mounting, particularly with the kids. We're doing everything we've been told to do by the vet and the professional trainer but somebody please tell me that it pays off in the end?

Ignoring barking and whining. He only gets attention when he is quiet and all 4 paws on the ground; clicking and treating for good behaviour; using a water pistol to get him to stop doing something - like chewing where he shouldn't. And putting hands around neck like a necklace to stop the nipping or putting pressure on his neck area to the ground. The latter point worries me a bit as I see that as slightly aggressive from us which surely would rub off on him. Any thoughts? Has anyone else received this advice and it worked?

OP posts:
WynkenBlynkenandNod · 27/04/2010 17:34

Sorry it isn't going so well. I don't like the sound of the hands on neck thing and water pistol, but I'm no way near experienced enough to be able to comment. If you start a thread on what's happened today then hopefully someone like Minimu will see it and be able to offer advice on this.

What I can say is that we did have a few issues guarding a bean bag and she snapped at DD's face, which was not a good moment. But we have worked through this and she is now absolutely lovely and that seems like a distant nightmare. Hang in there, it is very early days and I'm sure with good advice and help things will improve a lot.

WynkenBlynkenandNod · 27/04/2010 17:57

Actually thinking about this further, if you don't feel confident with the trainer's advice I would ring a couple of other ones until you find one you trust. Have a look on the ADPT site (think those are the right initials) I know my trainer is very anti techniques like those. The all feet on the ground bits etc sound good.

Original poster
CantThinkofFunnyName · 27/04/2010 19:33

Thank you. Have now posted a thread on here. It was a good trainer, all qualified, some of the best in the country actually and when I told the vet who we had come around, he was impressed and said, excellent, I fully support his methods .

It will be good to get different people's perspectives on how to deal with this. I know it's going to be hard work and a lot of effort but totally prepared to put in everything necessary if I know I'm doing it right. I just don't want to screw up and create an aggressive dog.

OP posts:
rainbowinthesky · 27/04/2010 19:36

I would suggest he is too young to be labelled as aggressive and I would follow the advice to get an adpt trainer. You're usign extreme training methods (which many disagree with) on normal puppy behaviour.

Original poster
CantThinkofFunnyName · 27/04/2010 19:42

Rainbowinthesky - just been to the ADPT site and read the guidance on play biting. How funny it says specifically, do NOT use a water pistol. Right, only a slight shift in training techniques now but will make sure always have a toy to hand to redirect!! Hoping to get more advice like this. Excellent MNetters

OP posts:
rainbowinthesky · 27/04/2010 19:44

waterpistols should only be used by experts who really know what they are doing and on confidents dogs.

oxocube · 27/04/2010 19:56

What you describe in your pup is exactly how ours was last week. She is now 12 weeks old. We found that clicker training was a godsend as it made her think, wore her out and got rid of lots of puppy energy. She was nipping at the kids in particular. She still loves certain items of clothing and will grab a dressing gown and pull and shake but I don't think of her as a problem dog. she is a puppy. At the moment, she has been put into the garden for a few minutes because she tried to bite dd's pyjamas

We ar also using the clicker to distract and reward the 'off' command when she get over-excited. She has a stupid half hour every evening when she is a pain!!

She is loads better for the mental stimulation and walks/ playing with other pups.

Original poster
CantThinkofFunnyName · 27/04/2010 19:59

Oxocube - we're doing the clicker training too. I didn't think of Percy as a problem puppy tbh until the vet said last night, oooh, he's trying to be dominant. You need to be very careful with training....

That's just sure to put you on the back foot isn't it!

OP posts: