Training Camps

Our puppies come home with a jump start on their beginning training and socialization, we call it their Head Start Training Camp.  This is included with all our puppies.

We also offer more extensive one-on-one training for your puppy.  You can choose the amount of training you would like for your puppy and how long.   Just enroll your Olympic Labradoodle Puppy in our Training Camps!

Olympic Labradoodles is proud to offer our puppy buyers this training opportunity.  I am an accredited trainer with the APDT (Association of Pet Dog Trainers) and bring over 25 years of training experience to my training camp program.   We are specializing in early puppy development and have spent the last 5 years researching early puppy development (pre-natal up to 6 months).  I was quite taken by how smart a very young puppy is and how receptive they are to such early training and socialization.   Much of my program is based on Jerry Hope's how to raise a Super Star Puppy, The Puppy Prodigy Program, Reaearch into Early Puppy Development, and my own growing hands on experience in working with my puppies.  To read about it in more detail see our "About Us" Page

We offer 4 Training Camps in addition to the Head Start Program included with your puppy.   Our first camp is the 8-10 week camp so a family can choose to have us work more one-on-one training with their puppy yet still have the puppy go home at 10 weeks.   This gives the puppy a good jump start on their basics.   This is You Tube Video of a puppy that did our 8-10 week camp:  Video of 8-10 week camp.

Our other camps are offered in 4 week sessions (we are happy to customize a training schedule to fit a families schedule, just contact us to discuss it).  Your puppy stays with us for the training and those puppies in camps are taken out for special one-on-one training sessions.  Sessions are usually kept short as puppies have short attention spans so we plan lots of short training sessions and spend extra time working individually with the training camp puppies.  As puppies mature and pay attention longer then we work longer training sessions.   If you are close by we encourage you to schedule visits to meet, play, and learn to work with your puppy.  If you puppy is in the advance camps and doing field trips, families are welcome to join us for these fun field trips!

If your puppy is not signed up for training camps this does not mean your puppy does not still receive all the love, attention, and prior training that is still being continued from birth, it just means that training camp puppies are doing extra training and/or staying longer for their training.  Training camp puppies will get a higher priority for when we plan extra activities and can only consider a few of the puppies at a time.  An Example is visiting the Nursing Home.

Please Note:  Not all puppies are the same and will learn at different rates.  We take this into consideration when training a puppy as keeping training positive and happy is critical for puppies.   So sometimes some skills will take longer and we reserve the right to tailor the training camps to the individual puppy.

Training Camps

Head Start Puppy Camp - Prenatal - 10 weeks

This puppy camp is included in your puppy price and begins Prenatal until 10 weeks of age.  This is an exciting yet critical time for a growing puppy.  Puppies have an amazing ability to learn at a very young age and they imprint up until 10 weeks of age.  Imprinting is very important as that becomes a permanent part of the puppy's temperament and personality.  These skills become ingrained.   By providing these early steps we can produce puppies that are more gentle, receptive to being held, and have a better start to life.  Our amazing Wonder Doodles!

  • Prenatal Care for Mommy Doodles - Calm, stress free environment. Proper nutrition and exercises.  Lots of loving attention
  • Prenatal Stimulation for Puppies.   We listen for hearthbeats with a Doppler and a Stethascope and play with the puppies by gently prodding at them.
  • Prenatal Massage for Mom and Puppies.   We do relaxation Therapies like Ttouch, massage, and soothing music.
  • Prenatal Vibration Therapy.  We provide gentle vibration therapy to help stimulate increased activing in the womb.
  • Biotinus Testing.  This tests the newborn puppies first reactions also known as the vigor for life test.
  • Neurological Stimulation Exercises.   A set of 5 exercises done from Day 2-15 that produce brain wave activity and creates more neuro synapses. This early stimulation we feel is very important as it has significant and lasting effects.  It strengthens the immune system, builds the puppies ability to withstand stress, and has been shown to improve future performance. 
  • Imprinting Stage is from birth to 10 weeks of age.   We try and introduce a variety of new activities, people. and places at appropriate age development stages.
  • We stimulate the senses with an enriched environment changing new items and also with various activities involving scent, touch, sound, and visual stimulation.  Research has shown that animals raised in an enriched environment have more synaptic contacts, higher levels of neuro-endocrine transmitters, and a thicker cerebral cortex.
  • Human Bond/Handling Socialization.  We handle our puppies daily throughout their stay.  We make a special effort to be there for when their eyes are opening.  At age appropriate times we try and have a variety of people help to socialize the puppies, new places to visit, and introduction of other adult dogs.
  • Bite Inhibition Work.  Teaching puppies to learn to bite gently, then to not bite.  We consider this to be the second most important social skill we work on with our puppies
  • Ttouch Massage to help desensitation to touch and handling and to teach a puppy to relax.
  • Grooming Training.  We start by clipping a puppies nails within a couple of days and then weekly and introducing the dremel.  We gently brush them, play and then clean ears, mouth work and simple teeth brushing, continue with paw handling and handling of ears, nose, tail, and belly rubs.  We include a bath and introduce the blow dryer.  All done with positive praise and treats.
  • Early House Training by teaching puppies to use a Potty Pool (Pool of wood chips) so they learn they have a designated potty spot.  This is an on going training process as the puppies learn to use their pool and we then expand their play area, then eventually move the potty pool outside to the puppy deck, and then start to take the puppies outside to the puppy yard. We also introduce the idea of a bell on the door.
  • Sound Desentitation DVD's and Soothing Music created specifically for dogs, as well as the normal house hold noises.
  • Problem solving exercises.  Steps, tunnels, simple mazes, interactive toys, blanket game, scent games, etc.  We encourage our puppies to think.
  • Weaning Training started at 3 weeks, includes hand feeding and bowl training.
  • Early Car Rides.   We try and get puppies out for at a couple of car rides and if we can safely, field trips to the Nursing Home.
  • Early Basic Training:  Taking Treats "Nice", Sit, Crate Training, beginning leash introduction, sleeping through the night training, and handling skills "Settle" and "Calm", beginning recall including the introduction of whistle training.
  • Group Puppy Training.  We start this as early as 4 weeks.  We have found that this teaches the puppies to behave better around other puppies, teaches social skills dogs and people, and is a beginning to general puppy manners.

Puppy Training Camp Beginning Session  8-10 Weeks  $300     Video of 8-10 week camp.

In this camp we start to take puppies out for more one-on-one training sessions as well as continuing with their group training sessions.  The first two weeks are done during the important imprinting stage so many of the skills they learn now are ingrained into them and are retained for a longer time using for life.  While they are ingrained into their personalities we also consider it what we call soft training and puppies benefit by continuing this training after they go home to help build upon this beginning foundation and lead to a well behaved adult.  Skill can be forgotten if they are not continued to be worked.

  • Learning their Name.   The Name Game.  We consider this to be foundation exercise that teaches a puppy to learn to pay attention and be responsive to their name
  • Beginning "Potty Training".  We continue to take puppies out to go potty and use the command so they learn to go promptly when told
  • Beginning "Crate Training".  We continue with their Crate Training started when we teach them to sleep through the night.  For Training camp puppies we give them their own crate to sleep in.   This crate can go home with the puppy if the family wishes it.
  • Socialization Skills.  Puppies are taken out for more intensive meet and greets of people and places.
  • Continuing Bite Inhibition
  • Formal Obedience Skills Introduced at this time:
    • Sit
    • Off (Introduce this command, this one actually takes awhile to learn as we are careful to keep it positive and to not over do and intimidate a puppy.)
    • Recall.
    • Nice (Take Treats Nicely)
    • Down (Lured Down)
    • Wait
    • Beginning Shake (Goal is to sit quietly while the paw is handled.  Offering the paw is considered a bonus at this age :)
    • Tummy (Learning to be comfortable on their backs for a belly rub)
  • Beginning Leash Work.  Learning to walk nice on the leash.
  • Continuing with Handling Socialization (Mouth, Paw, Ears, Tail, Body)  Important for Vet and Groom Visits.
  • Introduce Beginning Retrieving
  • Beginning Grooming Training done on a Grooming Table.
  • Introduce the Clicker for Clicker Training if our families wish it.

Puppy Training Camp Session 1 8-12 Weeks  $575   Video of 12 week training

This camp is just like the Beginning Camp but is done for a 4 week training session instead of just for two weeks.  The foundation work is more solid in the Puppy's training and they retain what they are learning better and longer.   We see improvement in all the tasks we are working on, longer attention span, more focus on their training and their understanding that we are teaching them tasks and a building enthusiasm for training.  There are a few new skills that we introduce.  This camp includes beginning car rides and includes their 2nd vaccination.  We are often asked if we can start this camp at the 12 mark instead of at 8 weeks.  We don't do this because of the critical ending of the imprint stage from 8-10 weeks.  We feel it is important to catch this imprinting stage to start the building blocks of a good training foundation.

 
  • Beginning "Potty Training".  We continue to take puppies out to go potty and use the command so they learn to go promptly when told
  • Longer  "Crate Training".  We continue with their Crate Training by expanding their nap time to include age appropriate kennel time.  A rule of thumb is 1 hour per month of age and we work on building their time in the kennel as they grow.  This is useful for families who need to run errands and know how long they can be gone and for working families so they can time when they need to come for lunch or have the puppy sitter come and get the puppy out for play and socialization time.
  • Socialization Skills.  Puppies are taken out for more intensive meet and greets of people and places.
  • Continuing Bite Inhibition work at around 10 weeks start beginning No Bite Work.
  • Play Nice Training.  We introduce our own developed training skill to teach puppies to play nice with younger kids.
  • Formal Obedience Skills Introduced at this time:
    • Sit
    • Off (Introduce this command, this one actually takes awhile to learn as we are careful to keep it positive and to not over do and intimidate a puppy.)
    • Recall.
    • Nice (Take Treats Nicely)
    • Down (Lured Down)
    • Wait
    • Beginning Shake (Goal is to sit quietly while the paw is handled.  Offering the paw is considered a bonus at this age :)
    • Tummy (Learning to be comfortable on their backs for a belly rub)
    • Leave IT
  • Continuing Leash Work and teaching the puppy to walk and follow more closely as well as walking nice on a leash.
  • Continuing with Handling Socialization (Mouth, Paw, Ears, Tail, Body)  Important for Vet and Groom Visits.
  • Continue with Beginning Retrieving based upon the appitude of the puppy.
  • Continue Grooming Training done on a Grooming Table.  Longer grooming sessions as the puppy matures.
  • Continue  the Clicker for Clicker Training if our families wish it.
  • Beginning Car Rides and Manners

Puppy Training Camp Session 2 12-16 weeks (3-4 months)  $550   Video of our Puppy Training

This training camp continues with their basic lessons and building upon and fine tuning them.   We see more focus and longer attention spans though we also are getting into some of the terrible two stage and beginning of some of their bid for independence.  Puppies will get their 3rd and final puppy vaccination which is included.

  • Continue with Potty Training, supervised play around the house, and taking puppy out to go potty.
  • Intermediate Crate Training.  Working towards 3-4 hours of a nap time.   Introduce crate time in different places
  • Socialization continues with more trips out and meeting people, seeing and hearing different sights.
  • Bite Inhibition Work now includes No Bite
  • Continue with Play Nice Training
  • Continue with Leash Training to include adding distractions and encouraging the puppy to pay closer attention and not pulling
  • Continue with Handling Socialization
  • Recall work to include distractions.
  • Manners Training (food bowl training, sit to say hello, etc)
  • Formal Obedience Skills
    • Continue to work on the Sit, Nice, Down, Wait, Shake, Tummy, and Leave IT
    • Off work done more seriously
    • Settle (Teaching puppy to settle quietly with you.)
    • Introduction to Stay
    • Introduction to Touch
  • Intermediate Grooming
  • Continue Retrieval Skills if the puppy has an aptitude for it.  Work on things like Release, Drop It, Give.
  • Continue Car Rides and Manners, introducing the Wait command for getting out of the car

 

Puppy Training Camp Session 3 16-20 weeks (4-5 months) $525      Video of our Puppy Training

This camp solidifies their basic commands and builds upon the puppy's skills as they mature.  Since we have all our shots we are going on official field trips to places like parks, pet store, beach, etc.   We are using new places and more distractions to help build their commands and focus.  As the puppy matures and their skills advance we may add new skills like beginning agility, tricks, and interactive dog toys, to help keep the puppy stimulated and learning

  • Potty Training Continued.  Supervised Play, taking puppy out to go potty, and teaching puppy to go on command on field trips.
  • Crate Training Advance.  Puppies are comfortable in their crates for longer periods of time. 
  • Advance Leash Work which includes the introduction of the "Heel" command.
  • Advance Socialization which includes field trips.
  • Continue with the Settle
  • Advance Recall
  • Advance Grooming
  • Basic Obedience Commands
    • Continue to build upon the basics:  Sit, Down, Wait, etc
    • Stand
    • Build on the Stay work including Sit Stay and Down Stay, adding distractions
    • Wait work to include learning to wait in the car and at doors
  • Continue with Play Nice Training.
  • Introduction of new skills that we see as the puppy progresses and shows an aptitude for them.

 

Puppy Training Camp Session 4 20-24 weeks (5-6 months) $500

This camp builds upon all the basic skills and moves into any advance skills they may require.   Working on things like longer stays, fine tuning leash work, adding more distractions.  This camp is more flexible in that we are tailoring it more to the puppy and their individual skills, temperament, and personality.   We also can work on any custom training a family is looking for.  Example a family that wanted to do the Reading with Rover Program.   Working with Special Needs Kids.  Therapy or Service Type of work.  Rabies Vaccination Upon Request $40.

  • Advance Potty Training.
  • Advance Leash Work.  Introduction of Off Leash Work
  • Advance Socialization especially if we are training a Service or Therapy Puppy
  • Advance Recall from a Wait and adding more distractions
  • Advance Stay Work
  • Advance Grooming (if a family requests it we will also schedule a trip to the Groomers. This is an extra cost, what ever the groomer charges us)
  • Work on skills needed for the Canine Good Citizen Test (If a family requests it we can see if we can schedule this test with a local trainer.)
  • Beginning Agility Work
  • Continue of any New Skills that we started (Tricks, Interactive Games and Toys)
  • Customized Training per request of the family.

 

Puppy Training Camps Advance Sessions 4 weeks $500-$600

For any camps after Session 4 they are customized for the individual puppy and the family needs.  Most of these are puppies that would stay longer are puppies that are being trained for Special Needs Kids, Therapy Dogs, or Service Dogs.  They involve more specialized field trips and specialized skills and training.  Please contact us for details on these programs.