More than 3,000 Doodle families jumped into the Fall 2026 Doodle Parent Challenge this week, and some of what happened in those five days is just incredible. 🐾

In this celebration episode, I share the wins straight from the live chat and your messages: a Goldendoodle named Willow who finally clocked out for the night, a sit that held while a FedEx driver walked right by, and the moment a Doodle parent swapped a harsh label for "having a difficult moment."

In this episode: 

🐾 Why a playbook that worked beautifully for your last dog may not fit this one (a mismatch, not a failure) 

🐾 Why turning your back or saying "off" 100 times a day never sticks, and what works instead 

🐾 The three steps from Day 3: name the paycheck, stop the rehearsal, pay the alternative 

🐾 One doable first step for every Doodle parent this week

Zoomies to Zen™ doors are open. We kick off live Friday, September 18 at 2 PM Eastern (noon Mountain), and doors close Wednesday, September 16 at 11:59 PM Eastern. Jump in here: thedoodlepro.com/zoomiestozen

Read the full episode recap: thedoodlepro.com/doodle-training-wins

Wondering if Zoomies to Zen™ is a fit? Email [email protected] with your Doodle's name and the one thing you'd most love to change.

CHAPTERS 

0:00 More than 3,000 Doodle families in 5 days 

0:50 Inside the live chat 

1:12 When the old playbook stops working 

3:05 A new lens changes what comes next 

3:26 Kelly and Willow: the Doodle on patrol 

4:50 Kathy and Lucy Gray: the FedEx test 

5:45 Why it worked 7:00 What Zoomies to Zen™ is (and isn't) 

8:46 Dates, price, and doors close 

9:51 Your one doable first step

The Doodle Pro® Podcast, where we celebrate how Doodles are different, wonderfully so.

Zoomies to Zen™ doors are open. We kick off live Friday, September 18 at 2 PM Eastern (noon Mountain), and doors close Wednesday, September 16 at 11:59 PM Eastern. Jump in here: thedoodlepro.com/zoomiestozen

Corinne Gearhart is the founder of The Doodle Pro®, a science-based training platform helping Doodle parents raise calmer, well-mannered dogs using positive reinforcement. She is the host of The Doodle Pro® Podcast and author of Your Doodle’s Daily Schedule Blueprint™.

📘 Get the Doodle Schedule Blueprint:
https://thedoodlepro.com/doodle-schedule-bonus/

🎧 More episodes:
https://thedoodlepro.com/podcast

There is a folder on your phone. Saved reels, screenshots, a loose-leash method with four steps and you remember two. Forty-seven tips in there, give or take.

And your Doodle still loses their whole mind when the doorbell rings.

Here is what I want you to hear: that is not evidence that you failed or that you did not try enough. It is evidence about what a tip actually is. A tip is a puzzle piece with no box top.

In this episode I walk through the difference between a tip and a system, using recall and the doorbell as the worked examples, and I name the reason your feed is full of one and empty of the other. It is not a conspiracy. It is economics.

"By Day 3 of the challenge, I understood my Doodle in a way I never had before. It felt like someone finally gave me the manual." - Sarah M.

More than 800 Doodle parents are already in for the 5-Day Doodle Parent Challenge, kicking off Monday night, September 7 at 8pm ET. Complimentary, live, and it is the system. Five days where I hand you the box top instead of another forty-seven tips.

The live kickoff happens once. Save your spot before Monday so Day 1 is the first thing you do, not the thing you catch up on.

👉 https://thedoodlepro.com/challenge

Doodles are different, wonderfully so. 🐾

CHAPTERS

0:00 The 100 calls they heard and ignored

0:28 The folder on your phone

1:23 Why 47 tips is not training

1:54 Forty-seven humans in one body

2:19 Why your feed is full of tips and empty of systems

3:09 Recall: the tip version vs. the system version

4:07 The doorbell, same pattern

5:01 Exhausted from trying, not from not trying

5:30 You were not set up to fail

5:47 What Monday night is

Note: chapter times may drift by up to about a minute in the back half of this episode due to mid-roll ad insertion.

Corinne Gearhart is the founder of The Doodle Pro®, a science-based training platform helping Doodle parents raise calmer, well-mannered dogs using positive reinforcement. She is the host of The Doodle Pro® Podcast and author of Your Doodle’s Daily Schedule Blueprint™.

📘 Get the Doodle Schedule Blueprint:
https://thedoodlepro.com/doodle-schedule-bonus/

🎧 More episodes:
https://thedoodlepro.com/podcast

There is a Doodle in your neighborhood who has not taken a day off since 2023.

The window barking. The full body launch at the doorbell. The patrol route from the front door to the couch to the window and back, like they are being graded on it.

Here is the reframe that changes everything: that is not a behavior problem. That is a Doodle running a department nobody created, with no manager, no training, and no lunch break. Meet the Overworked Doodle.

In this episode we walk through a real shift log, hour by hour, and then get honest about why the popular advice keeps failing you. Ignoring it does not work, because the barking was never for your benefit. Yelling does not work either, and the reason is sneakier than you think. And anything built on startling, scaring, or hurting a Doodle backfires harder with this population than almost any other, because you cannot punish a dog out of a job they believe is keeping the family alive.

Then the part you can actually use: the two things the Overworked Doodle needs, in order, and one small assignment for this week that takes about ten minutes.

Doodles are different, wonderfully so. 🐾

WHAT WE COVER

(00:00) The Doodle who never clocked out

(00:44) A day in the life, the full shift log

(01:54) Diligent, not dramatic

(02:45) Vigilance is a workload, not a personality

(03:16) Why the stress never gets to reset

(04:03) Why “just ignore it” and yelling backfire

(04:30) What force and fear actually do

(05:02) The two things that work, in order

(05:48) Your one small assignment this week

(06:14) Five job titles, and finding yours

YOUR NEXT STEP

The 5-Day Doodle Parent Challenge starts Monday night, September 7. It is free, it is live, and it is the whole system in order instead of 47 scattered tips.

Save your spot: thedoodlepro.com/challenge

Curious which of the five job titles your Doodle holds? Take the quiz, it takes two minutes:

thedoodlepro.com/doodlejob

Full write-up, FAQ, and transcript: thedoodlepro.com/goldendoodle-barking-at-window

Corinne Gearhart is the founder of The Doodle Pro®, a science-based training platform helping Doodle parents raise calmer, well-mannered dogs using positive reinforcement. She is the host of The Doodle Pro® Podcast and author of Your Doodle’s Daily Schedule Blueprint™.

📘 Get the Doodle Schedule Blueprint:
https://thedoodlepro.com/doodle-schedule-bonus/

🎧 More episodes:
https://thedoodlepro.com/podcast

Somewhere in your house right now, there is a Doodle on the clock. Monitoring the window. Tracking the snacks. Escorting you to the bathroom. Nobody hired them, and that is exactly the problem.

In this episode, Corinne Gearhart of The Doodle Pro® explains why every Doodle assigns themselves a job, why the barking and the sock stealing are not misbehavior, and the one principle that changes everything: an unmet need does not disappear, it gets self-directed. You'll meet the self-appointed surveillance shift, the Sock Acquisition Specialist, and the accidental HR department every household is secretly running (kindly: that is not a criticism of you).

There are five job titles a Doodle can hold, and each one needs something completely different from you.

🐾 Find out your Doodle's actual job title. Take the 2-minute quiz: https://thedoodlepro.com/doodlejob

Then come tell Corinne what you got on Instagram @thedoodlepro. She reads every single one.

Chapters:

0:00 Your Doodle is on the clock

0:52 Nestlé, Head of Snack Surveillance

2:32 Why Doodles hire themselves

3:13 The principle: unmet needs get self-directed

3:50 The full-time surveillance shift

4:41 The Sock Acquisition Specialist

5:43 Who is running the HR department

6:31 The question that changes everything

7:17 Five job titles, five different needs

8:15 Take the quiz

The Doodle Pro Podcast, where we celebrate how Doodles are different, wonderfully so.

Corinne Gearhart is the founder of The Doodle Pro®, a science-based training platform helping Doodle parents raise calmer, well-mannered dogs using positive reinforcement. She is the host of The Doodle Pro® Podcast and author of Your Doodle’s Daily Schedule Blueprint™.

📘 Get the Doodle Schedule Blueprint:
https://thedoodlepro.com/doodle-schedule-bonus/

🎧 More episodes:
https://thedoodlepro.com/podcast

Your Goldendoodle is brushed. Your Goldendoodle is also matted. Both of those things can be true on the same dog on the same day, and it does not mean you failed.

In Part 2, Fear Free certified groomer Joy Burton gets specific about how to brush a Goldendoodle at home. The brush most Doodle parents own that should go in the trash, and the two to buy instead. Line brushing, step by step, in words you can use tonight. The comb rule that settles the front desk conversation before you ever get there. The six places mats always start. Skunk brushing, which is exactly as delightful as it sounds. And the red flags that tell you a salon is not the right room for your dog.

We also get into crates and cage free grooming, what a good groomer does the second a dog says they are scared, and the difference between fear and aggression that almost nobody names out loud.

Then the room opens up. The Doodle parents who joined this recording live named their own dogs and asked Joy about them, and she answered.

Her closing line is the one I want every Doodle parent to hear: it is never the dog.

New here? Start with Part 1, Why Is My Goldendoodle Matting When I Brush Every Day?

🐾 What groomers wish you knew about brushing your Doodle, on the house.

🐾 My favorite brushes and grooming tools, the whole shelf in one place.

Some links are affiliate links. If you use them, The Doodle Pro® may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. I only point at things I would use on my own dog.

CHAPTERS

0:00 Welcome back

1:45 Crates, kennel banks, and what cage free really means

7:14 When a dog gets scared mid-groom

8:50 Happy visits, the appointment before the appointment

11:58 What Joy will never do to a dog

14:04 Three things to do before your next appointment

16:35 The brush to throw out, and the two to buy

17:37 Line brushing, step by step

18:03 Why you need a Greyhound comb

20:44 The comb rule, and Swiss cheesing

21:43 Detangler spray, and what it cannot fix

22:53 Why the de-matting comb stays out of your kit

24:49 Skunk brushing and the Doodle Mohawk

26:11 The six places mats always start

28:58 How to find a groomer for your Doodle

30:23 Red flags at the grooming salon

32:20 The one thing: it is never the dog

33:01 Joy’s salon, and 25% off for listeners

33:47 Listener Q and A

41:33 Your one doable first step this week

THE TOOLS JOY NAMES IN THIS EPISODE

The slicker brush: look for long bristles that come out at a straight angle and then point slightly down. Flat pin brushes are built for short coats and will skate right over a Doodle. Match the brush size to your dog’s size. Chris Christensen is the investment version, Groomers Supply House and JellyPet are excellent for less, and Paw Brothers extra-long bristle is Joy’s pick if you are just learning the technique.

The Greyhound comb: a plain metal comb, about five or six dollars, any brand. This is the tool that tells you the truth.

Detangling spray: for maintenance and softening tangles before you brush. It will not remove a mat that is already too far gone.

An electric toothbrush: not for teeth. For desensitizing a puppy’s face to buzzing and vibration before a groomer ever holds a clipper there.

Shampoo and conditioner: Joy’s picks are NKITA Pet for a simple all-in-one, and Curly Wax if you want to bring the curl out.

🚫 The one to skip: the de-matting comb. Those hooked blades in the at-home kits are a professional tool. Joy does not even let her own bathers use one.

🐾 Want the printable tool list? Grab my Top Brushes cheat sheet.

FIND JOY BURTON

Joy Burton is a Fear Free certified professional groomer and co-owner of Well-Groomed Pets Orange County in Laguna Niguel, California.

Instagram: @groomwithjoy

Doodle Pro® listeners get 25% off their first service. Mention the podcast when you book.

WHAT’S YOUR DOODLE’S JOB TITLE?

Six questions, five results, and one of them is asleep on your couch right now. Take the quiz.

Corinne Gearhart is the founder of The Doodle Pro®, a science-based training platform helping Doodle parents raise calmer, well-mannered dogs using positive reinforcement. She is the host of The Doodle Pro® Podcast and author of Your Doodle’s Daily Schedule Blueprint™.

📘 Get the Doodle Schedule Blueprint:
https://thedoodlepro.com/doodle-schedule-bonus/

🎧 More episodes:
https://thedoodlepro.com/podcast

You are brushing. You bought the good brush. And your groomer still met you at the door with the word "matted."

Here is the part nobody explains: Doodles do shed, the hair just gets trapped in the curl instead of falling on your floor. That trapped hair is what mats. So the problem usually is not how often you are brushing. It is what you are brushing with, and how deep you are getting.

In part one of this two-part conversation, professional groomer Joy Burton walks me through what is really happening on the other side of that grooming table. Why Doodles are genuinely high maintenance and nobody warned you. Why your groomer's comb tells a different story than your eyes do. Why waiting until eight months for a first haircut is the thing that causes trauma, not an early one. And why a shave down is an act of care, not a failure.

Joy is Fear Free certified, has been grooming professionally for over a decade, and specializes in dogs who are scared of the process. She is honest, she is warm, and she is not here to blame you.

This one was recorded live with Honor Society members in the room. Part 2 drops next week.

🐾 WHAT GROOMERS WISH THEY COULD TELL YOU

Joy said out loud what most groomers only think at the front desk, and she is
not the only one. I interviewed professional groomers all over the country and
asked them what they wish they could say to Doodle parents if they had the time
and the space to be honest.

Then I put every bit of it in one guide. The brushing truths nobody says at
pickup, and none of it holds back.

It is on the house: https://thedoodlepro.com/uncensored

Want to be in the room the next time an expert like Joy shows up live? Come join us at https://thedoodlepro.com/society 🐾

Corinne Gearhart is the founder of The Doodle Pro®, a science-based training platform helping Doodle parents raise calmer, well-mannered dogs using positive reinforcement. She is the host of The Doodle Pro® Podcast and author of Your Doodle’s Daily Schedule Blueprint™.

📘 Get the Doodle Schedule Blueprint:
https://thedoodlepro.com/doodle-schedule-bonus/

🎧 More episodes:
https://thedoodlepro.com/podcast

The Doodle Pro® Summit opens Monday: 15 leading experts, 16 Doodle-specific sessions, 3 days, and your seat is complimentary. But 16 sessions is a lot, and nobody stands at a buffet and eats everything. That's not a buffet problem, that's a plate problem.

So I built you a trail map. Take the 60-second quiz at https://thedoodlepro.com/summitquiz and I'll tell you exactly which session to watch first, what to climb next, and one scenic detour worth taking, matched to YOUR Doodle. Already registered? The quiz tells you where to start Monday at 9am MT. Not registered yet? Your complimentary spot is one click past your result.

In this short episode I walk three of the fifteen trails (resource guarding, separation anxiety, and the Doodle with no off switch), do the honest math on fitting a three-day trail into a real week, and invite you to the pre-party call this Sunday at 2pm ET / 7pm UK, where the pop-up community doors swing open. All-Access Pass holders: both Companion Workbooks are ready right now, print them or scroll the digital version.

Pet pros, the very first quiz question sorts you onto your own trail. This is complimentary continuing education.

🥾 Find your trail: https://thedoodlepro.com/summitquiz
🏔 Save your spot: https://doodleprosummit.com
🎙 Basecamp: Live Doodle Talk daily, 3pm MT / 5pm ET

Corinne Gearhart is the founder of The Doodle Pro®, a science-based training platform helping Doodle parents raise calmer, well-mannered dogs using positive reinforcement. She is the host of The Doodle Pro® Podcast and author of Your Doodle’s Daily Schedule Blueprint™.

📘 Get the Doodle Schedule Blueprint:
https://thedoodlepro.com/doodle-schedule-bonus/

🎧 More episodes:
https://thedoodlepro.com/podcast

"Wait, is this a joke?" That's a real message I got about the Doodle Pro® Summit. So today I'm answering it the best way I know how: by letting you hear the experts yourself.

I pulled four clips straight from the Summit interviews. Kristi Benson reframes demand barking in a way that made me laugh out loud. Dr. Adam Christman nearly has a panic attack as I quiz him on every chew in the pet store aisle. Dr. Sylvalyn Hammond, The Honest Vet, shares why she fights pet misinformation with nothing to sell you. And Kate LaSala reveals the surprising truth about dogs who bark and lunge on leash. Hint: most aren't aggressive at all.

Doodle parents from 21 countries and 46 states have already registered. The Summit is July 27 to 29, fully online, and completely complimentary to attend live. Plus, every day at 5 PM ET I go live for Doodle Talk Live to translate the talks into exactly what to do with YOUR Doodle.

🐾 Save your spot: https://doodleprosummit.com

Corinne Gearhart is the founder of The Doodle Pro®, a science-based training platform helping Doodle parents raise calmer, well-mannered dogs using positive reinforcement. She is the host of The Doodle Pro® Podcast and author of Your Doodle’s Daily Schedule Blueprint™.

📘 Get the Doodle Schedule Blueprint:
https://thedoodlepro.com/doodle-schedule-bonus/

🎧 More episodes:
https://thedoodlepro.com/podcast

The doors to the Doodle Pro® Summit: Doodle Parent Edition are open, and this episode is your personal invitation. 🎉 Built entirely for Doodle parents, this three-day online event gathers fifteen world-class dog and veterinary experts July 27 to 29 to welcome your Doodle instead of correcting the both of you. Because Doodles are different, wonderfully so, and so are their parents.

Corinne Gearhart is the founder of The Doodle Pro®, a science-based training platform helping Doodle parents raise calmer, well-mannered dogs using positive reinforcement. She is the host of The Doodle Pro® Podcast and author of Your Doodle’s Daily Schedule Blueprint™.

📘 Get the Doodle Schedule Blueprint:
https://thedoodlepro.com/doodle-schedule-bonus/

🎧 More episodes:
https://thedoodlepro.com/podcast

Ever had someone call your Doodle a "mutt" or insist they're "not a real breed"? I just got back from Alaska, where I went dog sledding on a glacier and completely geeked out on the musher. 🐾

Here's what stopped me in my tracks: the Alaskan Husky, one of the most respected working dogs in the world, isn't a registered breed either. It's a type, intentionally bred for purpose over generations. Sound familiar? It's the exact same story as our Goldendoodles and Labradoodles.

In this short and sweet episode I share the picky eater test (some of our Doodles would not make the sled team, and that's okay), why your Doodle was bred for companionship, and the phrase that changed how I think about the whole "real breed" debate: purpose over paperwork.

Plus, I'm pulling back the curtain just a little on the biggest project I've ever built for you.

Get on the wait list and grab your complimentary Morning Flow Blueprint: https://doodleprosummit.com

Corinne Gearhart is the founder of The Doodle Pro®, a science-based training platform helping Doodle parents raise calmer, well-mannered dogs using positive reinforcement. She is the host of The Doodle Pro® Podcast and author of Your Doodle’s Daily Schedule Blueprint™.

📘 Get the Doodle Schedule Blueprint:
https://thedoodlepro.com/doodle-schedule-bonus/

🎧 More episodes:
https://thedoodlepro.com/podcast