Puppy Curriculum
& Training

Here at Desert Bloom Doodles, we are dedicated to making every second count. We ascribe to the Puppy Culture curriculum, where we focus primarily on developing each puppy's neurological, emotional, and physical health. The first 12 weeks of a puppy's life are absolutely vital, and this small window of opportunity can completely change the type of adult the puppy will become. For this reason, we carefully incorporate age appropriate lessons on a daily basis. The benefits are priceless!

Learn More About Puppy Culture Here

Lesson Set 1:

Early Neurological Stimulation

(Weeks 1-3)

From days three to 16 of the puppies' lives, we work on Early Neurological Stimulation (ENS). This is the time that the puppies' neurological system is forming, and research shows that we can positively influence the way it forms by incorporating slight stressors. Stimulating the neurological system during this window of time can change the puppy for the rest of its life!

What are the long-term results?

1. Greater tolerance to stress in the future

2. Greater tolerance to disease (healthy mind = healthy body)

3. Faster adrenal system

4. Stronger heart rate

5. Stronger heart beat

Puppies are never put through ENS protocols if they are already experiencing stress from their environment. But, if the puppy is healthy and thriving, research shows that ENS can help the puppy remain healthy and continue to thrive well into its adult years!

** Blossom - from our Flower Litter - did an amazing job being our ENS puppy model for this video **

Lesson Set 2:
Critical Socialization Period
(Weeks 3-12)

Weeks three to 12 of a puppy's life are the critical socialization period. The more they are exposed to in these early weeks, the more ready they will be to face the big world around them. Their brains are a sponge at this phase, and the window of opportunity to socialize them will quickly close. After this period, a puppy/dog CAN be trained, reconditioned, or desensitized, but it can be a longer and more difficult process than SOCIALIZATION because their brain chemistry is simply not the same.

Socialization is the complex process by which the puppy gains the knowledge and skills it needs to take its place in society and form the social and emotional bods that will define them. Socialization includes exposure to as many new experiences as possible. Quite simply, the more neurological connections the puppy makes from these experiences, the bigger their brain will be. But even more importantly, these experiences allow puppies to feel emotional secure; therefore, we can teach a puppy how to be emotionally intelligence during this crucial 9-week period. We want to raise dogs that have the emotional intelligence to connect with their families on a deep, trusting level.

With that said, we introduce the puppies to one new experience every day, making sure they feel safe and secure while doing so. These experiences include exposure to various sights, sounds, textures, tastes and smells.

Lesson Set 3:
Enrichment Period
(Weeks 5-12)

During weeks five to 12, we beginning introducing enrichment exercises on top of socialization activities. This is when we present a new challenge to the puppies, and they have to use their problem solving skills to find a solution.

Aggression is often tied to frustration. That is true for both humans AND animals. When we feel frustrated, we tend to react negatively, maybe even aggressively. From early on, we can train our puppies on how to react to frustration in a positive way so that they don't have aggressive outburst in the future. These opportunities help them realize that they can apply conflict-resolution techniques to problems they may face.

For one of our exercises, we introduce a simple problem: moving the food bowl to a new location. This may seem like a simple thing, but it is nerve-wrecking and frustrating for the puppy to move into an unfamiliar space to search for its food, Initially, the puppies may be timid as they venture out of their comfort zone. With positive reinforcement from us, they build enough bravery and confidence to move into an unfamiliar space and get access to their food. The next time, the feelings of frustration subside, and they are more confident to problem-solve.

Another enrichment tool we use is food/treat puzzles. This is a great way to vary up meals, and get the pups thinking in new ways!

Lesson Set 4:
Potty and Open Crate Training
(Weeks 5-8)

Once puppies turn 5 weeks old, their living space is changed to include a potty area, a play area, and a sleeping area. Puppies are motivated to keep their sleep space clean. With a designated potty area, they must learn to actively move to the designated spot to relieve themselves. They learn with both artificial turf and potty pads so that they can recognize either of these options when they go home with their families.

We also get them accustomed to using the potty outside. As soon as they wake up, we take them outside to relieve themselves. 20 minutes after a meal, they are taken outside to relieve themselves. And right before bed, they are taken outside to relieve themselves. All of these efforts create routine and consistency, which is vital for successful potty training.

At week 6, the puppy space is also transformed to include one crate per puppy. This gives them exposure to sleeping in a crate but still close to their litter mates. The door is not closed on them at this point so that they can safely learn to enter and exit as needed. This also allows them to get up and use the designated potty space as needed since their bladders are still so small.

Lesson Set 5:
Click Training
(Weeks 6-Ongoing)

At week 6, puppies are introduced to a clicker. We will eventually be using the clicker to REWARD positive behavior, but first, we need to condition - or "brainwash - the pups into believing that the clicker is a POSITIVE thing. So, we begin by associating the clicker with something good- FOOD!

This creates a psychological and physiological response in the pups. Hearing the click in the future will release serotonin in the brain as they anticipate that something good is about to happen when they hear the click. In studies, some dogs even begin salivating when they hear the click.

Once the association is made, we can use the clicker in the future (with a small treat) to immediately praise positive behavior to let the pup know how I want them to behave.

For our adult dogs, we can simply click our tongue (no treats needed anymore) and they figure out the positive behavior I am asking for based on the context of the situation... maybe it is to sit, or come, follow me as we walk (even if they are off-leash).

CLICK TRAINING will make it a million times easier for our families to communicate with their puppies and train them.

Just like with human relationships, COMMUNICATION is KEY for a successful relationship with our animals.

*** (Because this is such an important training tool, we do offer a clicker in all of our puppy-go-home bags!)

The Ultimate Lesson:
LOVE, LOVE, LOVE
(Ongoing)

Goldendoodles are known for their loving temperaments. They are easy to train because they are MOTIVATED to please their humans. This is how they gain their satisfaction out of life. Unlike other breeds who have been bred to work in the fields, for example, Goldendoodles accomplish their mission when they know they have the love of their family.

We want to stimulate this natural drive, so we give them LOTS and LOTS of love. We spend individual time with each puppy. This time does not include the time we spend with them to socialize or train. This is simply just fun time or cuddle time. Not to worry, though; this does not mean that our puppies have imprinted on us and will not take to a new family. They will simply recognize this loving feeling and be motivated to quickly return the love to their new family.

Additionally, we also give our puppies plenty of opportunities to feel loved by their animal siblings. We want them to know that when they are in a family, it is about the family unity, and for some families, this includes other fur babies too. So, we give our adult dogs a serious job. They too must love on our puppies, play with them, and teach them how to cuddle up with another four-legged creature.