Best Age to Start Training Your Puppy: What to Know

Now, we all know how exciting it is to bring home a new fur baby. And while the joys of raising a puppy are incomparable, this doesn’t mean that it doesn’t come with its own difficulties and challenges. One of the harder aspects of raising a puppy is making sure that your new furry friend is properly trained. This is something that can be quite difficult, even for experienced dog owners.

However, many of the problems usually stem from how dog owners approach training. As such, we believe that people are too preoccupied with the wrong question. Instead of focusing on how to train a puppy, we think a better way to approach it is to figure out the best age to start training. Just like humans, dogs develop at different ages, and trying to train a pup that’s too young may not be the best use of your time and effort.

So, at what age should you start training your furry family member? The answer isn’t as simple as you may think, as different training requires a specific level of development. If you want to know the answer to this question, read on as we break down the best age to start training your puppy!

Special Cases

Before we jump into deeper details, it’s important to discuss that there may be differences with training timelines depending on your dog. This is especially true in the case of rescued dogs, as they may be facing physical or psychological hindrances that make them harder to train. In such cases, it’s best to consult with a veterinarian and a trainer from The Pets People for rescued dogs so that you will know how to give them the proper care, attention, and training that they require.

Simple Commands – 7 to 8 weeks old

Given their young age, it’s quite difficult to teach puppies complicated commands when they are 7 to 8 weeks old. This is because their short attention spans and abundance of energy make absorbing complicated concepts quite difficult. However, this doesn’t mean that no training will be done at this stage.

For this age, it’s best that you stick with simple commands, such as “sit” and “stay.” Remember to approach training with lots of care and patience, as your puppy can be quite sensitive at this age, and approaching training with hostility could lead to more issues down the road.

Formal Training – 7 to 12 weeks old

You can start with more complicated training once your puppy gets a little older; 7 to 12 weeks old is the sweet spot for house training your dog. At this age, dogs can control their bladders and bowel movements. But you also don’t want to do this too late, as dogs get more difficult to train once they reach adolescence. At 7 to 12 weeks, it is also when your puppy may start demonstrating potential behavioral issues. But these issues can still be ironed out at this age, especially with professional trainers’ help.

Professional dog training sessions are also great for teaching your dog how to socialize with other pets and people. This is because the presence of a professional trainer will drastically make this process easier.

Conclusion

We won’t sugarcoat it – training your puppy can get a little frustrating at times. However, this is an invaluable part of being a dog owner as it helps you bond with your little fur baby. Everything from house training your dog to teaching them basic commands will go a long way when it comes to building your relationship.

If you’re looking for more information on how to train your dog, then The Pets People is for you! Check out our articles for practical information that can help you be a better pet parent today!