Chapter 1- Got a Puppy, Now What? The Right Age to Start Training

It used to be that people would wait until the dog was old enough to understand before beginning training. But understand what? Common theory was training should start when the dog is about one year old. Can you imagine if we just catered to a baby’s every need until they were seven (or one in dog years) and then started training and educating the child?

I believe that you can start training your puppy as soon as you get one. Training your puppy is probably the most important thing you can do for guaranteeing a lifelong relationship with a well adjusted and well behaved dog when he or she grows up.

Dog training is NOT something that you will start at a certain age and then stop when you feel your dog has learned what you need for him to know. There are different levels of training that you will do as your puppy and then dog grows. Think of training a dog as you would be in any other relationship. The difference is that you will be the full caretaker of this animal and you can’t expect total logical behavior back. As in I pay your allowance, you will always to the dishes. The nice thing is that while your dog will not wash the dishes, she will love you and want to do what you ask most of the time. All your dog wants from you is affection, love, food and guidance as to what behavior from her keeps you happy.

Dogs’ brains develop gradually and you will be adapting the training as they grow, so training can start as early as seven weeks, and most certainly the day you bring your puppy home.

The more you understand how and when your puppy’s brain develops, the more easily you will be able to move to the next level of training. It is also important to remember that not all breeds of dogs develop at the same rate. In fact dogs from the same litter could also develop at slightly different rates. Be careful not to get frustrated or concerned if your dog seems a bit behind schedule. Take advantage of the ahead of schedule pups, but don’t push so hard that they rebel.

I will say this over and over, so repeat it to yourself often as you will need it: consistency and patience are two key tools to make the training process fun and rewarding.