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Mini Goldendoodle Temperament – What’s it Like to Own One?

Mini Goldendoodle in snow with jacket on

So you want a mini Goldendoodle? It’s easy to be taken in by that cute little teddy bear face. These furry little fellas are among the cutest dogs you’ll ever see. When we picked our mini Goldendoodle up at 7 weeks old, we were instantly in love with her.

She was so tiny at just 3 pounds. She was just a big fluffy ball of golden fur with the cutest face we had ever seen. She was the perfect dog for us and we were happy to know that she was a mini dog since we wanted a breed that wouldn’t get too big.

As she grew, we learned so much about her and this awesome breed. We are still learning but have gathered up enough information and experience to share.

What is the temperament of a mini Goldendoodle?

Mini Goldendoodles are intelligent, loyal and loving. They tend to be playful, curious and energetic. Some may show protective qualities and be attached to their owners while being cautious around strangers. They are fun to be around, good with children and make great family dogs.

We had researched and learned this information before we ever picked our puppy up. What we didn’t know however, was just how much of a friend she would become to us.

We all know that dogs are man’s (or woman’s) best friend. Until you have a dog of your own though, it’s really hard to understand this.

A mini Goldendoodle is one that will be there with you when you’ve had a bad day at your job. When others have forsaken you, your doodle will be your steady rock that you can count on. He or she won’t judge you and will love you just as much today as tomorrow and the next day.

They can’t love you any more and they will never love you any less no matter what.

Our dog is super loyal to us. Although she doesn’t love to be around strangers. Once she bonded with us as a puppy, it become apparent that she didn’t want us to be close to other people.

She has a bit of a protective personality and will bark if someone gets too close to us. However, she only makes noise and would never hurt anyone else.

Intelligence

You probably already know that Goldendoodles are super smart. They are too smart for their own good some times. If you’ve ever been around a dog that was very smart, you probably know what I mean.

Sometimes she will get into things just because she can. When she was younger, she would steel socks, underwear and other clothing items. It wasn’t because she wanted to tear them up; it was because she wanted us to see that she had stolen the item.

It’s as if she got a kick out of us knowing about it. She would steal things, run off with it and then just drop it and wait for us to see her. We always thought this was so funny and we probably shouldn’t have condoned it but we did and she just did it more and more.

Mini Goldendoodle with sock in mouth
Still stealing socks at 12 years old

Even in her senior years, she does it from time to time and it’s still just as funny as ever.

The intelligence level of a mini Goldendoodle is impressive. It’s no surprise since they have genes from two very smart breeds. The Poodle and the Golden Retriever are both among the smartest dog breeds in the world.

The funny little things they do

I could write a book about the little things our dog has done over the years that has entertained us. It’s something nearly everyday that makes us smile. We love watching her and her little ways of doing things.

One of the first things we ever noticed about Goldendoodles was how they lay on the floor with their back legs spread out. This doesn’t seem comfortable but doodles sure seem to love this position.

It cracks us up to see this with our dog. She doesn’t do it as much in her senior years unless she is fully involved in playing with a toy.

However, as a puppy, this was nearly always her preferred position when she was laying on the floor.

Mini Goldendoodle puppy stretched out on floor
Laying with her legs stretched out as she often did as a puppy and young adult

Some other funny things that she does:

  • Talks to her toys – anytime she gets a new toy, she spends a little while getting acquainted with it and she makes little noises and grunting sounds while playing with it. We assume she is having a conversation with it.
  • Gets jealous when getting ignored. If we have company, she gets jealous if we talk to our company more than we do her. She will bring toys to us until we give her attention. Sometimes we have 20 toys sitting around the living room by the time our company leaves.
  • Kicks her feet to get our attention – when she wants us to know it’s time to eat or we are taking a nap and she’s bored, she will kick her feet on the carpet and be as loud as she can about it. This goes on until we finally acknowledge her.
  • Asks for the good toys – she likes to tear toys up so we keep good toys closed up in her toy box. She’s usually only interested in those toys because they haven’t been torn up yet. The ones laying out are old and torn and uninteresting.

The fun never ends when you have a mini doodle. You just never know what they are going to do next but you can be certain that it will be entertaining.

The Good

There are many things that can be said about the temperament of a mini Goldendoodle. The good far outweigh the bad and this type of dog is a great family pet. Here are few of the good qualities of their temperament.

  1. Loyal – you’ll never find a better friend.
  2. Loving – unconditional love no matter what.
  3. Playful – always wanting to play.
  4. Smart – they are extremely smart.
  5. Fun – it’s so much fun spending time with a mini doodle.
  6. Energetic – they keep going and going.

A note on the good

Obviously, each dog will have a different personality but in general, this list applies to the majority of mini doodles.

Our dog is the most loyal, loving dog that we could have ever asked for. Her energy is amazing. Even at nearly 13 years old, she runs and plays like she did when she was a puppy. Only difference is, she has become more crafty than she was as a puppy.

The Bad

There are always bad temperamental issues that could be present in all dogs. The mini doodle is no different. Here is a list of the bad that you may come across.

  1. Tendency to bark a lot
  2. Protective – which can sometimes lead to behavior problems.
  3. Mischievous – they are often too smart for the own good.

A note on the bad

Our dog displays all of these bad qualities. Although they are not a real issue and aren’t things that can’t be lived with.

Our doodle does tend to bark a lot. We would say that this is her worst quality. She is a barker and barks at strangers, people walking by our house and even at us when we come and go. It can often be disturbing when she is barking while you are trying to talk with a visitor in your home.

She is also very protective of us and we feel that this is why she barks at others. She has a dominant personality and thinks it is her job to protect us. This is most likely a fail on our part in the early years of her life and might have been different had we chosen to do obedience school with her.

Does temperament change as they grow old?

Our dog’s temperament has remained about the same throughout her life although she has gone through a few different ways of showing different personality traits.

She is as loving now as a senior as she was as a puppy. Her loyalty has only become greater as has her intelligence level. Whoever came up with the saying, “you can’t teach an old dog new tricks,” obviously never owned a mini Goldendoodle.

We are still teaching her new tricks in her senior years and she learns quickly.

She did become a barker later in life as she got age on her and was around other dogs. She learned things from some of the other dogs she was around and it did change her in some areas.

She also become more protective later on in life as well. When she was a puppy, she was more friendly with strangers and welcomed them.

She is now more stand-offish with strangers and will bark at them. This is likely a result of the stronger bond she has built with us.

Conclusion

If you are in the market for a mini Goldendoodle, you are in for a treat with a dog that has a lot of desired personality traits.

Expect to be loved unconditionally, entertained on a regular basis and shown what true companionship really means. This dog may be small but it brings a lot to the table and makes a great dog for anyone looking for a true friend.

Can Goldendoodles Stay Home Alone?

Bored Goldendoodle on chair

Goldendoodles often have separation anxiety and don’t do well when left on their own. They are loyal pack members and want to be with the rest of the pack at all times. Being away from their family can be stressful and often results in bad behaviors.

Of course, us humans can’t always be there for our beloved furry friends. We have jobs and responsibilities and likely have to leave our houses every day. This is often a hard time on your dog especially in the beginning.

If you have a young pet that is just beginning to experience being left home alone, they will probably show signs of distress when you leave.

Why it’s hard for your Goldendoodle to be left alone

Dogs are natural pack animals and thrive best when they are a member of a pack that has a pack order. When part of the pack leaves, especially the pack leaders, a dog can get anxious having to be separated from the leaders.

The same could be said if you were to leave your human child with a babysitter or another beloved family member. They will likely get anxious and cry once you have left them.

They’ll wonder when you are coming back and if you may not ever come back. They may think that you don’t care about them any longer and have left them for good.

Bored Goldendoodle laying in a bed

The same is true with your dog. All they know is that the pack is gone and they are on their own. You are their pack, even though you are human and they become anxious that you are gone.

For a young puppy, this can be difficult to understand and they may cry, bark, howl and do things they shouldn’t do in the house while you are gone. However, a dog soon learns that you will come back and the anxiety often lessens over time. Especially once you establish a daily routine of coming and going.

What your Goldendoodle may do while you are gone

When you leave the house, your dog could do a variety of things depending on their age, level of training and personality. They may hate it or they may not even care that you are gone because they know you are coming back.

During our time with our doodle, we have noticed specific stages that she has gone through over the years. She is 12 years old now and here are a few of the stages outlined below.

Routine with our puppy

When she was only a few months old, we would leave her in her crate in our gated kitchen when we left our house for work. She was perfectly fine for short amounts of time and it didn’t take long for us to graduate to leaving her outside of her crate in our kitchen when we would leave.

In that area, her bed, crate and water were left out for her to use.

She would usually cry and bark when we would leave and we could still hear her little puppy bark from outside the house.
However, she would settle down and fall asleep in her bed after a while. Then she would get back up and pace around crying and barking.

Routine with our younger dog

During this phase, we had begun to leave her out within the house because she was potty trained. She would get uneasy when we would leave but she never really settled down the whole time we were gone. It’s as if she hadn’t learned that we were coming back and worried the whole time.

When we would leave for work, she would often be crying at the door. When we looked in at her on the camera, she would be sitting up looking out the window and sometimes crying. This is heartbreaking to watch because you just want to go home and comfort them.

Current routine of our Goldendoodle when we leave

At 12 years old now, when we leave our house, she gets a little uneasy and unsure. She typically knows what we are saying and understands that we are leaving. If we say, “We’ll be back,” she knows that this means we are leaving and she isn’t going.

She doesn’t like it but once we leave, she settles down and falls asleep and just hangs out like everything is ok. She understands that we will be coming back soon.

Bad behaviors from your dog from being home alone

We’ve never experienced any bad behavior from our Goldendoodle when being left at home alone. She has generally just slept or cried as outlined above. However, this isn’t the case for many dogs. Some will display bad behavior while you are gone making it a challenge.

Some of the behaviors you might see from your Goldendoodle could include:

  • Excessive barking or howling for long periods of time. This could be especially bad if you live in an apartment or close quarters housing.
  • Chewing or tearing up things. Whether it’s a couch cushion or a shoe, this is never a good behavior to deal with.
  • Going #1 or #2 in the house. This could be a sign of severe separation anxiety unless they are not properly potty trained.
  • Trying to escape or get out of their enclosed area. This could be a huge problem if your Goldendoodle does this and may be time to get professional help.

Although it is unlikely that your dog will be on the worse end of the spectrum if well trained, you never really know how different dogs with different personalities are going to respond to being left alone.

What you can do to make it easier for them

As a dog owner, it’s important that you first understand your dog’s behaviors and what actually happens when you leave. As a first step, I would suggest setting up an internet camera facing the area where your dog is.

This way, you will be able to look in on them and see and hear exactly what they are doing.

Blink security camera on mantle keeping an eye on our dog.
Our camera on the mantle

We own the Blink security cameras and use these anytime we leave our dog at home. The great thing about these is that they are extremely simple to set up using wifi, you can view live video from them and you can even record on motion and receive alerts.

You can also hear audio from these cameras so you’ll know whether or not your dog is crying, barking or howling.

Once you understand their behaviors while they are left home alone, you can then work on those specific behaviors.

We are not experts on dog behavior but we have helped to develop our Goldendoodle into a well behaved dog that can stay many hours at home alone with no problem. From what we have learned, here is our advice.

Establish a routine

Dogs thrive when there is a routine. We always do the same thing when we leave our house. We say the same things to our dog and she started to understand this routine.

We say, “we’ve gotta go, we’ll be back.” Then we hug and kiss her and we always leave out the same door. This is important because if we leave out a different door, she is on edge the entire time we are gone.

When we leave, she always looks sad on the couch as we are leaving but she knows that we will be back.

Don’t make a big deal out of leaving or returning

You don’t want to excite your dog before you leave and then let them down by leaving them. We always make sure to not get excited or show any emotion as we are leaving. We simply do and say the same things and we leave.

When we return, we make it seem as though we never left; as if we simply walked outside and came back. Don’t make a big announcement at the door that you have arrived and let your dog come jump into your arms. This could put them on edge while you are gone and give them an “I can’t wait till they get home” way of thinking.

Try herbal remedies or medicines that may help with separation anxiety

Although we have never had luck with herbal remedies, some people swear by them and it’s worth a try if you are having issues with separation anxiety.

Rescue Remedy bottle

Rescue Remedy is the one we have tried but it didn’t seem to work for our dog. However, it does have good reviews overall so it could be a winner for your dog.

There are others on the market that may work for you and you may also want to try CBD oil for dogs. We have also tried this and have had better luck with it. We have used it mainly when traveling.

Get a pro involved

If you are having trouble leaving your dog at home, you may want to turn to the pros for help. A dog behaviorist may be a great place to start. You may also consider dog obedience training or simply talking to a local dog trainer to get advice.

From my experience with Goldendoodles and knowing other owners, they will generally settle into a routine and be fine staying at home alone.

They are so intelligent that they will usually do fine. However, this depends upon your training and it matters that you start training as soon as possible with your young pup.

Hopefully you will get some good ideas from this article. However, please note that this is for information purposes only and is based off of my experience with my own Goldendoodle. It is not meant to be proper training advice. Each dog is different so if you are having trouble leaving your dog at home alone, don’t be afraid to get a pro involved.

How Smart Are Labradoodles?

Labradoodle puppy laying down on floor

Labradoodles are among the most intelligent mixed dog breeds in the world. As an offspring of two extremely smart breeds, a Poodle and Labrador Retriever, they inherit qualities from both parents that make them highly intelligent.

The Labradoodle takes the best qualities from two amazing dog breeds and combines them into one. They are as loyal and friendly as a Labrador and as smart and protective as a Poodle.

Labradoodles come in different colors, from blonde and apricot to chocolate and black, and their coat can be anything from poodle-type curly to soft and wavy. These dogs get along extremely well with other animals or people of any age.

They are affectionate and love cuddling, and also are very athletic. They require a lot of daily play and exercise.

Labradoodles also get very lonely if they are left alone and start barking loudly but this issue will be easily fixed if you have a lot of regular and quality playtime with the dog.

This obedient and intelligent dog has captured the public’s hearts.

chocolate Labradoodle

How well do Labradoodles respond to obedience training?

Labradoodles are smart dogs who are willing to learn and they want to please their owners. However, it doesn’t mean that they’ll just magically learn everything by themselves: sometimes even the smartest dogs can be rather stubborn.

Therefore, you need to start training your dog as early as possible and be a patient leader. Basic obedience classes can be started when the puppy is 8 to 12 weeks old, to help it receive training and get socialized with other dogs.

To make sure that a Labradoodle responds to obedience training well, use positive reinforcement and reward your dog every time when it does something right. When you see the dog displaying behavior that you’re hoping for, encourage it with a treat.

At the same time, don’t let the dog get away with unwanted behavior. If you let it slide, your pet might start obeying the commands only when it is convenient for them to do so.

Remember that in order to get the best results, you need to work with your dog every single day. If you’re inconsistent, it will take a lot longer for the dog to be fully trained.

But if you work with the Labradoodle regularly, you can expect it to display your desired behavior around the house by the time it turns six months old.

As with any dog, you will want to use the dog’s instincts to train it. You’ll want to establish pack order: show the dog that you and your family are the leaders of the pack.

Labradoodles learn very easily and are often very responsive to various training methods. Using effective training methods and working with your dog on a regular basis will help you to develop your Labradoodle into a well behaved part of the family.

Do Labradoodles pick up easily on potty training?

There are only two tricks to potty training your labradoodle: be consistent and give rewards. This dog will quickly understand what you want from it and only go potty at a place that you’ve designed for it, not on the carpet or anywhere else. To ensure that the potty training goes smoothly and fast, follow this routine:

  1. Choose a “potty spot”. This will make both your and your dog’s life easier. First of all, dogs go potty where they’ve already gone before. Secondly, you’ll know exactly where to go and clean after your dog is finished with its business.

  2. Have plenty of small treats and give them to your dog every time it goes potty in the correct place. Wait for your puppy to finish going potty before giving the reward because otherwise, it might stop mid-stream and continue inside the house or on you.

  3. Be sure that your puppy has done its business while it was outside. Don’t take it back inside until you’re certain that the dog’s bladder is empty. A Labradoodle might only go outside for a couple of minutes, just run around, and then go potty on the carpet thirty seconds later.

  4. Use training treats at first and then as your dog begins to learn more, stop giving treats and begin to give praise and affection, without treats. Your dog should know that it must obey you, no matter if it’s getting a treat or not in the end.

  5. Keep a close eye on your puppy. Do everything to avoid accidents because a dog that went messed up on the carpet a few times will not be so eager to go outside and use a different potty spot.

    If an accident happens, make sure to clean up the mess and remove the smell. Don’t hit or yell at your dog if you catch it doing its business somewhere except for the potty spot because this can cause the dog to be scared of going to the potty in front of you.

  6. Have a short “Go potty” command and use it when you take your Labradoodle outside. This will teach your puppy to go potty on command, and this will prove to be very convenient when you’re leaving the house or traveling.

Young puppies need to go potty once every thirty minutes when awake, while more mature dogs only need to go once every two hours. It usually takes about 4-5 months to start feeling completely confident that a Labradoodle won’t go potty anywhere else, except for the place where you want it to.

Do Labradoodles Learn Tricks Easily?

Learning tricks can be a long process for some dogs but a Labradoodle has the intelligence to learn rather quickly. If you’re patient and consistent, it can be lots of fun for both you and your dog.

With the correct attitude, positive encouragement, and lots of treats and praise, your Labradoodle will learn the basic, but also additional and more impressive tricks easily.

Things to know about training your dog to do tricks:

  • When you present new tricks to your puppy, keep the training sessions short: anything more than 15 minutes might make your dog tired and bored.
  • Labradoodles quickly learn commands such as sit, heel (walk close to you and not run ahead, even if they see something exciting), and come (return back to you, no matter if they’re perfectly happy chasing a squirrel).
  • As soon as your dog masters these commands, you can move to other exciting tricks such as shake hands, give you high five and speak on command.

The number of tricks you can teach a labradoodle is only limited by your imagination. Remember to keep commands short and to always reward your dog when it’s doing well, and you’ll soon be able to impress your whole neighborhood with your dog’s intelligence.

Other ways a Labradoodle can show it’s intelligence

Labradoodle sitting with white background

Brain games can help your dog develop their intelligence and you’ll be amazed by the results if you make time to do this with your dog regularly. There are plenty of fun games that you can play with your pet.

Perhaps someday you’ll need your dog’s problem-solving and social skills for something more serious than just a playtime activity.

For one of the simplest games, hide a few treats around the house and then get your pet to find them. You might need to guide your dog to the first one so that it’s sure what exactly to look for, and then it will look for the rest on its own.

Or, you can play the shell game by hiding a treat under one of the three cups which you will then quickly mix up. This fun activity will expand the Labradoodle’s attention span, improve visual tracking abilities, but also make your bond with the dog stronger.

Treats aren’t the only thing that can be hidden: you can hide yourself and then get your dog to find you. To make the task more complicated, you can leave fake clues, like opening the door to an empty room. Nothing will make a loyal Labradoodle happier than finding the owner.

Apart from dozens of other games that you can play with a Labradoodle, there are many toys that will keep the dog entertained and mentally challenged without the presence of a human.

For example, there are puzzle feeders where the dog will be required to push buttons in a specific order to receive a treat. Once your labradoodle grasps the concept of these games and toys, it will never stop surprising you with how incredibly playful and smart it is.

The final verdict

Labradoodles are absolutely one of the smartest mixed breed dogs that you will come across. Not only are they smart but they are also loyal, friendly, fun, energetic and as cute as a button.

Dogs of this intelligence level are always fun to work with because the amount of things they can learn is never-ending. Whether it’s basic commands or more advanced tricks, a Labradoodle will continue to surprise you with just how smart he or she is.

Can Goldendoodles Eat Peanut Butter?

Peanut butter jar with Goldendoodle in background

Peanut butter is often given to dogs as a treat or even as a way to hide medicine, but should it be? Is it safe to give peanut butter to your Goldendoodle?

Absolutely! Goldendoodles love peanut butter and it is perfectly safe for them to eat as long as it is all natural and doesn’t contain harmful ingredients. Xylitol should be avoided at all costs and added salt and sugar is not recommended.

If you would like to feed peanut butter to your dog, the following tips will help you to make sure you are doing it right.

Feed them only natural, organic peanut butter

Lots of food products these days come with a host of added ingredients that are not beneficial to your dogs health. These ingredients include things like artificial sweeteners, added salt, and other ingredients that should not be consumed.

I recommend spending a little more money for a natural, organic product for your dog. If you buy a jar that is only intended to be eaten by your dog, it should last quite a while so it really won’t be that pricey in the end.

All-natural peanut butters are easy enough to find these days but if you can’t find them in your local grocery, it’s very easy to make your own homemade version.

All you need are unsalted roasted peanuts and a powerful blender such as the Vitamix or the Ninja blender.

I own and use the Vitamix and there is a handy recipe in the Vitamix recipe book. The recipe only includes peanuts so it’s super simple.

Just take three cups of roasted, unsalted peanuts and add them to your blender. This is what the recipe calls for but I typically only use a cup at a time.

Peanuts in blender
1 cup of peanuts in the blender

Run the blender for a short time while tampering with the tamper tool until you reach the desired consistency that you are looking for.

Your dog will be in heaven eating this all-natural homemade peanut butter. Just make sure he/she doesn’t eat too much of it. Store it in a jar in the fridge and it will make a nice treat for your dog for a few weeks.

Fresh peanut butter in jar

Avoid peanut butter that contains xylitol

Among the most deadly added ingredient that may be found in some peanut butters includes xylitol.

Although xylitol is a natural ingredient that is found in many fruits and vegetables, it is not ok to feed to your pet.

Xylitol is poisonous to dogs and should never be given to your dog under any circumstances. This sweetener is often found in gum, mints, toothpaste and can often be accidentally ingested by dogs causing damage to their health and even death.

Always read the labels when you are picking out a brand of peanut butter to use. Stick with those without added ingredients. The ingredients should only be roasted peanuts. Some may have a small amount of salt but ideally, you don’t want salt either.

Avoid feeding too much

A little bit of peanut butter is fine but don’t go crazy with it. You’ll only want to feed them a small amount each day. A tablespoon is sufficient for a smaller dog and perhaps a little more than that if you have a standard or large doodle.

I typically give my mini doodle a tablespoon 3 or 4 times a week. I’ll let her lick it right off the spoon.

As you can imagine, it’s a sight to see as she licks the peanut butter off and gets it stuck all over the inside of her mouth. She knows the sound of me getting the peanut butter jar out of the fridge and will come running when she hears it.

Avoid added salt

Salt in peanut butter is only there to enhance the flavor. However, it isn’t necessary and can only lead to problems if you give your Goldendoodle too much added salt.

Americans eat way too much salt as it is so we expect foods to be overly salted in order to taste good. Someone might take a bite of unsalted peanut butter and find it a bit bland.

However, your dog doesn’t care about salt being added. I actually prefer it unsealed as well but it is generally difficult to find it without any salt at all. The brand I usually buy says it contains 1% or less of salt which should be fine.

Peanut butter ingredients

Avoid added sugar

There is no need to have sugar in peanut butter other than to satisfy the sweet tooth of humans. When choosing a brand that your pooch can eat, just steer clear of those that have added sugar.

However, DO NOT purchase those that have xylitol instead of cane sugar. Always read the label first so that you know for sure what is in the product and that it doesn’t contain anything that could harm your dog.

What about peanuts?

Peanuts on white background

Peanuts are also fine for your dog to eat. However, the same is true if you are feeding your dog peanuts. You only want to feed them natural, unsalted peanuts that have no other ingredients added to them.

I typically buy the roasted, unsalted variety because that is the only kind I eat. I don’t have to think about it when giving them to my dog. I know they are safe for her as well.

My Goldendoodle loves to eat them but she gulps them down way too fast. For this reason, I tend to give her more peanut butter than peanuts. I do give her a few here and there and she knows exactly when I open the jar that they are kept in.

Similar to peanut butter, she knows exactly where I keep the peanuts and hears the jar open from anywhere in the house. When she does, she comes running as if she knows I’m getting some out for her.

Make sure your dog has plenty of water

This may be obvious but it’s worth mentioning. We all know how difficult it can be to eat a mouthful of peanut butter without any water. It gets stuck all over the inside of your mouth.

Just make sure your dog has access to water any time that you give him or her this healthy treat.

My dog doesn’t drink as much water as we would like her to but she nearly always heads for her water bowl after we’ve given her PB.

Health benefits

Although usually fed to a dog as a treat and not necessarily a healthy one, peanut butter does have some benefits for your dog. It’s high in protein and contains various vitamins and minerals that are essential to your dogs health.

It is also loaded with healthy fats but only in moderation. Again, just make sure you are only feeding your dog small amounts at a time and not letting them eat a whole jar in one setting.

Using peanut butter to trick your dog into taking medicine

Peanut butter on spoon with pill

It isn’t always easy to make a dog swallow down a pill or take some kind of medicine that doesn’t taste very well. One trick is to hide the medicine inside something that they do love to eat.

There are treats that are dedicated to this exact purpose. However, peanut butter provides a great way of doing this as well. I have used it with my Goldendoodle many times before.

We often give her a naturopathic medicine for stress and anxiety when we travel with her. In order to do this, we put the small pills inside peanut butter and she scarfs it down with no problem.

We’ve also used peanut butter to hide other things that don’t taste good to her such as apple cider vinegar and pumpkin seeds that we often use to help ward off a UTI (urinary tract infection).

Conclusion

If you are going to be giving your dog peanut butter to eat, please take precautions that you are not giving them anything that is going to harm them.

  • Become good at reading labels when you go grocery shopping and learn to check the ingredients to make sure there is nothing hiding in there that might be poisonous to them.
  • Make the homemade version as it will be healthier and likely cheaper in the long run.
  • Create a schedule of when you’ll give peanut butter so that you aren’t giving too much.

Peanut butter can be a healthy part of your dogs overall diet. Just be sure to do it moderation and he or she will look forward to it each and every time.

10 Reasons Why You Should Get a Goldendoodle

Goldendoodle looking up at camera

Although there are variations in different types of Goldendoodles, in general, they are a mix between a Golden Retriever and a Poodle. This type of dog has gained a lot of popularity in recent years and it’s no wonder why.

As a Goldendoodle owner myself, I can say that owning a Doodle has been one of the best things I have ever experienced in life.

In fact, I would say that being the parent of a Goldendoodle has changed my life for the better. She has taught me so much over the years and I have learned to love and appreciate all animals even more as a result of my day to day interactions with her.

I didn’t grow up as an animal lover. I learned from a young age that animals are less than us and don’t deserve the same amount of respect as humans do. However, my Goldendoodle has taught me different. She has opened my heart to love animals and has taught me that we are all the same; we only look different.

I can proudly call myself an animal lover and she has been responsible for making that change in me.

If you are wondering if this type of dog is right for you, perhaps the list below will help you make a decision.

1) They are highly intelligent

Yep, Goldendoodles are super smart. I’ve always said that my doodle is just a little human hiding behind fur. It’s the way she acts and the things she does that just make you think she is an actual human.

There are many times I have sat and watched my dog and said to myself, “how can she be so smart?” Of course, everyone will say that their dog is smart but any Goldendoodle owner will tell you that theirs are among the smartest.

I’ve been able to teach her things that I would’ve never imagined a dog could learn. Things like ringing a bell when she needs to go outside. Any dog can probably learn something like this but I’m super proud at how quick my doodle picked it up.

Her intelligence can often be a negative because she knows exactly how to push our buttons. She knows how to get what she wants and how to get attention.

2) They are hypoallergenic

I grew up with debilitating allergies and was allergic to nearly everything in sight. Especially cats and dogs. It wasn’t until our family got a miniature poodle that I finally had a companion that didn’t make me sneeze constantly.

When I became an adult, got married and built a life of my own, we began having talks about getting a dog. I had learned to manage my allergies through various ways and wasn’t sure if a dog would trigger them as I remembered from my childhood.

Our research led us to Goldendoodles. It was love at first sight when we saw the Teddy bear face but their hypoallergenic properties enticed me even more.

As someone with allergies in the past, I can say that my hypoallergenic dog has no effect on me. I have never once felt any type of allergic reaction around her. She doesn’t shed and you will only see the occasional hair lying around just as you would see the occasional human hair lying around the house.

If you want a dog that doesn’t get hair all over you when they jump in your lap, you may be in the market for a Goldendoodle.

If you have allergies, I would strongly suggest that you look into hypoallergenic dogs.

3) They make great companions

Need a best friend? Had a rough day at work? A Goldendoodle is what you need. There’s nothing like coming home at the end of a long day and having a big Teddy bear jump into your lap. Of course, in the case of a full size dog that could be 100 pounds or more, that might not be possible.

Our mini doodle loves to lay near us especially during the winter months when seeking warmth. However, summertime is a different story. She loves to be close to us but her long curly hair makes it too hot to lay on or beside us.

She loves being with us no matter what we are doing. Whether we are taking her walking or having a lazy day on the couch, she is usually right there beside us.

4) They are just so darn cute

Bailey - our mini Goldendoodle as a puppy
Our Mini Goldendoodle as a puppy

Goldendoodles are like living Teddy bears. There have been so many times that we have looked at our dog and said, “are you even real?”

It’s really hard to believe that a dog can look so close to a stuffed animal.

Of course, please remember that they are real, breathing living beings and no matter how cute they are, they still require lots of attention and patience.

They may look like Teddy bears but don’t let that fool you. They are like any other pet and will only thrive if you give them lots of attention and love.

5) Their gentle temperament

Don’t expect your Goldendoodle to be a guard dog. However, if you are looking for a gentle dog that can be a part of your family, good with strangers and other animals, this type of dog may be a good choice for you.

Although some can be protective, in general I have found that they are more bark than bite.

They will look to you for their instructions in life and they aim to please. This is one of the reasons they are so easy to train. Combine this gentle temperament with their high intelligence level and you have the potential for a very well-behaved dog.

6) They are hilarious

Our Goldendoodle does the funniest things and keeps us laughing each and every day. She definitely has a personality of her own. She has gone through many different phases throughout her life so it is always something new with her.

Goldendoodle being silly

When she was younger, she would get the zoomies quite often and take a running spell around the yard or even inside the house.

In case you aren’t aware, the zoomies are when a dog runs around in circles or does some other kind of repetitive behavior. In the case of our dog, she will run circles around us and then she’ll stop and put her butt in the air as if to say “chase me,” in which case we usually do.

Beyond this, they also do funny things that show their true intelligence. If we are ignoring her, she will go and grab something she knows she shouldn’t have like a sock or underwear. She makes a lot of noise to let us know she has something, then we have to play chase with her in order to get it back.

There is always something going on with her that truly brightens our day and makes us laugh.

7) Loyalty

A loyal friend is hard to come by but you won’t have to look far when you have a doodle by your side. Their loyalty is unending.

Like most people, I’ve had others do me wrong in life. I’ve been stabbed in the back, talked bad about when I wasn’t present and I’ve even been let down by people who are closest to me.

However, my doodle has never let me down. She is a rock and her loyalty and love are steady. She is the one who stands by my side without any concern of my negative traits. She is loyal to me and loves me just for being me.

If I need a friend to cuddle with, she’s there for me. She’ll lick my face when she senses that I’m feeling down or she’ll bring me a toy to play with when I’m not in the best of moods.

8) Bigger isn’t always better

For those who don’t want big dogs, Goldendoodles come in different sizes and colors. There are miniature ones that range from 15 pounds to 35 pounds. Then there are medium size ones that may be upwards of 50 pounds. The large, full-size doods may weigh up to a hundred pounds or more.

Our miniature weighs around 18 pounds and she is the perfect size for a lap dog. We prefer a dog of her size. However, some people prefer a dog much larger.

The point is that you can have the same characteristics, look and personality in whatever size you choose.

9) Easy to train

We had a super easy time training our dog. She learned to pick up commands very easy when she was just a young puppy. We did spend a lot of time working with her but the training process went very smoothly.

There were only a handful of bad habits that she had that we had to break.

One of those bad habits was chewing on things. This is a normal bad habit for any puppy. We easily broke her from this by using sour apple spray and reprimanding her when we caught her chewing something she wasn’t supposed to like chair legs or shoes.

It only lasted a short while and she has never chewed on anything again as far as I know.

Potty training was easy and teaching tricks was a breeze. This type of dog seems to be able to learn nearly anything in only a short period of time.

10) Family Friendly

If you are worried about having a dog that will be family friendly, you won’t have to worry with a Goldendoodle. They are very much family friendly and are generally gentle with everyone including small children.

Of course, this always depends on the specific dog and the training methods employed. The environment that the dog grows up in could also have an affect on the way he or she interacts with people in your family.

Goldendoodles are known to be very friendly and loving and usually do very well with anyone they come in contact with. We don’t have other pets of our own but our dog does well when around other animals.

Our dog is usually indifferent towards other dogs. She would rather just be left alone. She subscribes to the “live and let live” way of life. She won’t bother you if you don’t bother her.

Conclusion

A Goldendoodle makes a great pet for those willing to put in the work with proper training. It isn’t always easy but the same can be said for any dog you may bring into your home.

These 10 reasons are only a few of the many reasons to make this type of dog a part of your family. As a long time Goldendoodle owner, I know that they have the potential to bring you many years of love, companionship and pure joy.

Mini Goldendoodles – Are They Easy to Train?

Mini Goldendoodle

Having been the proud father of a Mini Goldendoodle for nearly 13 years, I can say without reservation that they are very easy to train. Mini Goldendoodles are very intelligent and learn basic and even more advanced commands quite easily.

I am often amazed at just how intelligent this dog breed actually is. Even after 13 years with our Bailey, I am often in awe of some of the intelligent ways she approaches everyday situations.

We call her our child because she seems to act just as a human child would act.

She has learned so many words over the years that we have to be careful with things that we say. We have nearly run out of ways to say walking without her thinking we are going walking.

As with any dog, the ease of training will be directly related to the amount of work and dedication you put into it. However, it’s also important to note that some dogs are just more intelligent and pick up on training better than others.

As a way to show you how easy Mini Doodles can be to train, I’ll share a case study of our Doodle throughout different stages of the training process.

Basic obedience training

When we first brought our little girl home, we knew we were in for a challenge. As with any baby of any kind, it is always a handful to teach them the ways of life and show what to do and what not to do.

Our Goldendoodle as a puppy
Our Goldendoodle when she was only a puppy not long after bringing her home

What we didn’t realize is just how fast she would pick up on the ways of the world.

We had read books and articles in preparation for the challenge but you just never know how a specific dog will respond.

Maybe we got lucky or perhaps Mini Goldendoodles are so smart they just pick up on things quicker than expected. I am going with the latter after living with her for all these years and meeting other mini doodles as well.

Some of the first commands we taught our baby were the ones you’d expect most dog owners to teach.

  • Sit
  • Stay
  • Come
  • Heel
  • Shake hands
  • Switch hands
  • Lay down
  • Give five

These obedience commands took only weeks for her to learn and she became very good at them. In fact, we began to use hand gestures instead of saying the words and she picked that up very fast as well.

For example:

  • Sit – I would hold my hand out and snap my finger. She would sit.
  • Stay – I would hold my hand straight out towards her. She would stay.
  • Down – I would snap my finger and point to the floor. She would lay down.

Unfortunately, we have never been able to train our dog to roll over and we never will. We gave up on that one because that trick isn’t well suited for our dog’s alpha personality.

You’ll need to understand this about your dog as well. Our dog does not like to be on her back so we don’t make her do it. Instead, we focused on doing the things that she does do well.

A few other tricks that we found easy for our dog to learn are as follows.

  • Put your head down – after she has laid down, we can tell her to put her head down and she will put her head all the way down.
  • Stretch – she will stretch her front arms and then her back legs on command.
  • Go get a certain toy – she knows the names of nearly all her toys and can pick them out of her toy box. However, she usually gets the one she is most interested in.
  • Ring your bell – she’ll go ring her bell that is by the door and is used to tell us she needs to go potty.
  • Hide and seek – not necessarily a trick but she loves to play this as we hide from her while she searches the house for us. She knows most of the hiding spots we usually pick so it has gotten more and more difficult to hide from her over the years.

Potty Training

Dog bell by the door
Dog bell by the door for going to the potty

Potty training a dog can be one of the biggest challenges for some people. There are many different methods that you can use but the one we chose was bell training.

We wanted our dog to be able to sound off loud and clear when she needed to go outside and do her business. Instead of just pacing around at the door crying, we wanted her to have a bell that she could ring that could be heard anywhere in the house.

Is this possible? Can a dog really learn to ring a bell when they need to go potty?

Of course they can and our mini doodle had no problems learning this ingenius idea.

We actually learned about this idea from the breeder we purchased our Doodle from. She mentioned it and then we researched it and put it into action.

We bought a cheap bell and some string and hung it by the door and each and every time we let our dog out to potty, we would reach down and ring the bell. Pretty soon she began to understand that the bell needed to be rung in order to go outside.

The first time she ever did it by herself was simply a slight push of it with her nose. It wasn’t even loud enough to hear it but we saw it and were incredibly excited that she was understanding the process.

She did it this way for a while and then she began to push it harder as she got older. It didn’t take long for her to begin picking up her paw and knocking it loudly.

I can tell you that this bell technique is pure gold. It is so nice to not have to wonder whether your dog needs to go outside or not. They will let you know with the bell and you’ll hear it all over the house.

This shows the intelligence level of this great breed.

Walking on a Leash

Walking your dog is an incredibly important process. This is where you will establish your place as pack leader and your dog will learn to follow you.

This isn’t an easy process and you often see dog owners struggling with this.

How many times have you seen someone walking their dog and the persons arm is fully extended being pulled by the dog? Of course, this is an example of the dog walking the person which is exactly what you don’t want.

Our Mini Goldendoodle was no exception to this difficult process. She was a rambunctious little puppy that was full of energy so it was difficult to keep her from pulling while walking at first.

My goal was to get to the point to where my dog walked beside me and not ahead of me. This took a long time to achieve but it had more to do with my lack of training skill than it did with her.

In fact, I believe her intelligence level allowed her to read my frustrations and lack of knowledge like a book.

After a couple years of walking her regularly, we settled into a comfortable walking routine. She learned not to pull and walked by my side most all of the time.

Now, in her senior years, she is an absolute pleasure to walk. She stays by my side and knows her place. She knows that the only time she can go ahead of me is when I allow her to.

Barking and other bad behaviors

There is no doubt that dogs like to bark. However, dogs don’t just bark because they like to do it. They bark because it is their way of communicating. They may be warning the pack of something or they may just be playing.

Whatever the reason, barking can often be a disturbing action that needs to be controlled.

I’ll be the first to admit that we haven’t been the best at this. Our dog is a barker and likes to bark at strangers, people walking by our house or pretty much any visitor that enters our house.

We often have a difficult time getting her to be quiet but usually make her stop by using a stern voice. “No” or “Stop it” usually works for us. We also can make her mind with a snap of the finger. She knows what these commands mean but her alpha personality takes over in some situations.

In fact, this is really the only bad behavior she possesses. She is our protector or at least she thinks she is and she often shows it with her barking.

I believe this really depends upon your dogs personality and your approach to training as a young puppy.

Proper training pays off

If you want a well behaved dog you will have to do your part as an owner. No matter how smart the dog or how easy to train, it will be a constant effort if you expect to curb bad behavior.

However, the rewards are amazing. Our Mini Goldendoodle will be 13 this year and it has been an absolute pleasure having her in our family. She was super easy to train but we worked with her and still work with her.

However, there isn’t much work to do any longer. She knows her place and what she needs to do to be rewarded.

If you are considering adding this breed to your family, I would suggest considering basic obedience training classes unless you already have experience and a plan in place.

Start training your dog as soon as possible and you’ll be amazed at how well your Doodle will behave throughout his or her life.

Doodle sleeping
My Doodle sleeping

Conclusion

Mini Goldendoodles are extremely smart and can be easily trained with minimal effort. Not only are they smart, but also loyal and they aim to please.

There is no better friend than a well trained dog. Having a highly intelligent and responsive dog certainly makes the training process much easier.

If you are looking for an intelligent companion that will provide you with lots of love, never-ending loyalty and a temperament that makes training a breeze, you can’t go wrong with the Mini Goldendoodle.