What Age Can You Start Training Your New Puppy
Early puppy training is an indispensable ingredient in developing a well-behaved dog. You will be training your new puppy from the moment you bring it home and start to house train. Puppies start learning from birth. Good breeders encourage handling and socialization from birth. Some training can begin as soon as the puppy can open its eyes and walk. Young puppies have short attention spans but expect them to begin to learn simple obedience commands such as ‘sit’, ‘down’ and ‘stay’, from as young as 7 to 8 weeks of age. (Ask for our handouts on Controlling stealing and teaching the “give” command; Teaching – sit, down, stand, and stay; and Training puppies – come, wait and follow for training on the specific tasks).
Formal dog training has traditionally been delayed until 6 months of age. Actually this juvenile stage is a very poor time to start. The dog is beginning to solidify adult behavioral patterns, dominance behavior is beginning to emerge, and behaviors learned in puppyhood may need to be changed.
When training is started at 7 to 8 weeks use methods that rely on positive reinforcement and gentle teaching. Puppies have short attention spans, so training sessions should be brief, but daily. Puppies can be taught to sit, down, and stand using a method called food-lure training. We use food treats to entice the dog to follow its nose into the proper positions for sit, down, stand, and stay.
Puppies learn in spurts and starts. One day he may know absolutely everything and perform to perfection. The next day it is as though he never had a moment’s training. Too many owners make the mistake of thinking that if their puppy does it right once or twice he knows it forever, but it really takes hundreds of repetitions for a puppy to learn something.
Aug 23, 2009 | 0 | puppy training