How to motivate a Labradoodle during training

The Labradoodle is a really popular hybrid dog type comprised of the crossing of a Labrador retriever and a poodle, and which is in great demand across the UK thanks to a range of excellent traits that ensure they’re a good fit for many different types of owners.

Perhaps the most distinctive trait of this dog type and the one that first launched them to prominence is their coat style, which is often very low shedding like their poodle ancestors and so, means that they might be viable pets for people who are otherwise usually allergic to dogs.

However, not all Labradoodles have a low-shedding coat, and this isn’t the only good point about this dog type either – Labradoodles are intelligent, energetic and very personable dogs that tend to have great temperaments and be very keen on pleasing their owners.

This means that Labradoodles are one of the most popular dog types in the UK today, and that every year, thousands of people take on the challenges and rewards of Labradoodle ownership for the first time, and begin to get to grips with the reality of training and managing dogs of this type on a day to day basis.

Labradoodles are quite a nice dog type to train and don’t necessarily require a highly experienced trainer – but understanding how dogs of this type think and what motivates them is important to succeed, just as it is for any other dog.

With this in mind, this article will share a short outline of the Labradoodle’s core temperament traits, and then share some advice on how to motivate them and get the best out of them during training. Read on to learn more.

The core traits of the Labradoodle

Labradoodles can be somewhat variable in terms of the traits displayed by each individual dog of this type, as they are a cross breed rather than purebred and so, may exhibit a variable combination of traits from both sides of their parentage.

However, there are enough commonalities between the poodle and the Labrador, as well as a large enough population of Labradoodles in the UK as to make it possible to draw up a basic outline of the average Labradoodle and the type of traits that are likely to exhibit.

Labradoodles are very clever dogs, as are both parent breeds (the poodle being second overall in the canine intelligence stakes) and they are also energetic, lively dogs without being particularly highly strung, which means that they can think on the move and adapt quickly without losing their heads and becoming overstimulated.

Dogs of this type are also very personable and find human company very rewarding, which also means that they tend to work hard to please and will be delighted to be told they have done well. The average Labradoodle has a reasonably good attention span when engaged and interested, but they will soon become bored with too much repetition, and can find outside stimulus distracting.

Food is great motivator for Labradoodles too, which has both its good and bad points!

How to motivate a Labradoodle during training

Show plenty of enthusiasm

Labradoodles are cheerful dogs that tend to go at everything with great gusto, and so they appreciate a similar level of enthusiasm in their trainers and handlers. You should keep training upbeat, lively and always moving forwards, and show plenty of joy and encouragement when working with dogs of this type.

Make training a game

On which note, making training into a game is one of the best ways to harness their energies and ensure that they are enthusiastic about every training session.

If your Labradoodle sees that you’re having fun, they’ll have fun too – and if you can get your dog to see training as a game, they will learn much faster and more effectively, as well as finding it more rewarding.

Understand the dog’s intelligence levels

Labradoodles are very clever dogs, but their somewhat comical appearances and sunny personalities often mean that this is often overlooked on the part of their owners.

This means that your Labradoodle may well be learning things faster than you realise, which in turn, means you need to keep your eye on the ball and be ready to move on to the next command when your dog has got the prior command right, otherwise your dog will get bored and frustrated.

Ensure that the dog isn’t overly excited

A Labradoodle that is having a great time will learn faster and retain information more effectively than a bored dog, but if they are overstimulated or overexcited, they are apt to become unruly and inconsistent in terms of their responses.

Ensure that your dog is walked to take the edge off their energy levels before you attempt training, and incorporate training into walks and exercise too so that your dog learns to pay attention even when other things are going on.

Don’t spend too long on each command

Avoiding boredom is vital when training clever dogs like Labradoodles, so don’t spend too long working on each command, or keep repeating a command when the dog has already got to grips with it.

Plan training in advance so that if you do find that your dog picks up that day’s skills faster than you expected, you have something to hand to do with them next.

Provide a variety of rewards

Finally, training treats and food rewards are excellent for working with Labradoodles, but you should provide plenty of variety in terms of the rewards you offer, and don’t just rely on food treats.

A favourite toy, plenty of praise and other resources the dog values are important offerings, and keeping the dog guessing will keep them working to find out what they might get next.