The Best Socialized Goldendoodles and Bernedoodles in Oregon
Litter after litter, High Desert Family Doodles has the best socialized Goldendoodles and Bernedoodles in Oregon, Washington, and the Pacific Northwest.
There, we said it.
We believe it’s incredibly important to socialize our Goldendoodle and Bernedoodle puppies. We’ve seen how early, intentional socialization can wildly impact the confidence and resiliency of Goldendoodles and Bernedoodles as they become adults. These practices set the puppies up well, planting the seeds that will grow and flourish if their families keep up with the work.
However, there are so many different perspectives on dog training, and many can advocate for diverse - if not contradictory - perspectives. Because of the complex topography of the canine training and development arena, we strive for a diverse and integrated position. So we’ve sought to integrate top canine socialization perspectives and practices in order to nurture confidence and poise in our Bernedoodle and Goldendoodle puppies.
Here are some of perspectives that have impacted our approach to socializing our puppies.
Puppy Socialization at High Desert Family Doodles
Among the many voices and perspectives on puppy socialization, some particular visions and authoritative sources help guide our approach to socializing our Goldendoodle and Bernedoodle puppies. While this list is far from exhaustive, these principle provides some helpful foundations to direct our puppy rearing and socialization protocol.
Puppy Socialization & American Veterinary Society of Animal Behavior
The AVSAB encourages to give puppies a diverse collection of experiences, including being exposed to a wide array of people: different ages, genders, attire, size, and sounds. This helps puppies internalize the breadth of human diversity. The AVSAB doesn’t give a particular number of sufficient interactions, but they do highlight the need of quality interactions over the sheer quantity of them. Among other things, having quality interactions help the Goldendoodle and Bernedoodle puppies see the world as rustworthy and enjoyable. This gives the puppies confidence going forward.
Puppy Socialization & The Rule of 12
Famed veterinarian and dog trainer Ian Dunbar established the “rule of 12” through his experience and experitise in the field of dog training. the “Rule of 12” suggests that puppies should have good, positive interactions with at least twelve different people by the time the puppy is 12 weeks old. This utilizes a puppy’s incredibly important socialization window of 4-12 weeks of age. During this time, puppies are intensely impacted and imprinted by their experiences, particularly with people. By allowing our Goldendoodle and Berendoodle puppies to have positive experiences with at least a dozen people by the time they leave us at 8 weeks of age, our puppies continue to internalize the world and people as trustworthy and enjoyable.
Puppy Socialization & The Rule of 100
While the source of this guideline is unknown, it’s a common convention in the dog training and breeding arena. The “Rule of 100” holds that a puppy should positively experience at least 100 new things by the time the puppies are twelve weeks old. The rule of 100 includes positively experiencing new people, but also includes other things such as sounds, sights, and textures. This wide array of experiences develops resilience and confidence in the puppy, as they get used to encountering and integrating diverse aspects of their world, from a rural Central Oregon ranch to a more urban setting for a puppy in Gresham. As breeders, we also take this very seriously. Our puppies have positive encounters with close to 50 people, and experience new toys every week, along with a wide array of textures. By giving our Goldendoodles and Bernedoodles an enriched environment that integrates both familiarity and novelty, these puppies are strengthened and acclimated to a rich and shifting world.
Puppy Socialization & Personalized Experience
It’s important to recognize each dog as its own individual, and this leads to different approaches for different puppies. While some puppies can quickly embrace novel experiences, others are more cautious. As Redmond, Oregon goldendoodle and bernedoodle breeders, It’s important to honor the agency and individuality of each puppy, while giving them a fertile environment of growth. So while our dogs do encounter a rich fecundity of things, we also don’t force their involvement or engagement. Most of the time, curiosity gets the best of them, and the puppies find courage to approach the novelty. However, we do think it’s important to not force these dynamics. This can lead to traumatic experiences, which can make growth and adaptation even tougher to cultivate.
Socialization in closing: Towards a confident puppy.
Our hearts sing when we see our loved ones calm and confident in themselves, responding to the world around them with strength, grace, and poise.
This rings true when it comes to our dogs as well. We want our companions to be grounded, and full of joy and confidence.
As Goldendoodles and Bernedoodle breeders, we believe that this process begins with us, and how we begin to socialize our Goldendoodle and Bernedoodle puppies.
That way, our confident and cheerful puppies can become confident and cheerful adult Goldendoodles and Bernedoodles.
So how do we approach socialization? We believe that our practice should be informed by a marriage of the empirical and anecdotal.
That way, your High Desert Family Doodle can be the best version of itself, bringing joy and peace where it goes.
This is our goal: RAISING JOY. So we do all we can to make this hope a reality.
Thanks for being with us!
Warmly,
Erin and Jay