There are a lot of questions and sometimes even more conflicting information about puppy training. Fortunately, Dr. Kristyn Echterling-Savage, our very own founder and Certified Applied Animal Behaviorist can help guide you through puppy training timelines; just keep reading!
We believe that providing safe learning environments and opportunities as soon as possible will help you teach your puppy new skills as well as create and strengthen the bond between you and your new addition. Before we get into too many details, let’s take a moment to talk about development:
Between 3-12 weeks your puppy will be in the puppy stage of “socialization” (see the graphic above). This stage is one of the most important stages for development for your puppy because it will be imperative for socialization of new people, dogs, and environments. This teaches your puppy that the world is not a scary place. Your puppy will likely be with their mothers or a breeder until about 8 weeks, so not all of this important sensitive period is on you and the puppy will be learning SO much with their moms!
Once your puppy is at home, we recommend working on socialization, housebreaking (see our blog on this issue!), and puppy manners. You can achieve this by having puppy-play dates with friendly and fully-vaccinated dogs. Other activities include bringing your puppy on car-rides so they can see the world (safely) or taking them to dog-friendly stores aimed for people (pet stores should be avoided until your puppy is vaccinated). Family and friends are also welcome to visit your puppy to introduce them to new people in and out of your home! Other behaviors you can start working on as soon as your puppy comes home are play biting, jumping, and chewing. Puppy Private-in-Home lessons can be a perfect jumpstart to basic puppy manners, and give you plenty of ideas to teach your puppy appropriate behavior in their new home. So, the short answer to when to start training is: right away!
At about 14 weeks, your puppy hits the juvenile stage (see graphic). At this time, you may see your puppy have much more energy to burn, be more curious about the environment, and generally be more interested in their world. This is a perfect time to set up more “formal” or “advanced” training to keep your puppy busy (and wear them out!), provide mental stimulation, and work on important life long skills like sit, stay, and come. Until your puppy is fully vaccinated (~16 weeks) we recommend taking precautions to ensure your puppy is safe – that means no dog stores or dog parks where the risk of transmittable disease is higher than in “people” oriented stores or your own home.
If you are interested in talking or meeting with a professional dog trainer for puppy training, we would be happy to speak with you! You can find our contact information here.
