When should I start training my puppy?

Bringing your new puppy home is one of the most exciting days of your life. But it can also be one of the most stressful. Puppies need to learn so much to grow into amazing adult dogs. You’ve got this overwhelming list of things you need to teach your puppy. But you have no idea what you should teach them first and whether you should start training them now or wait until they’re a bit older.

A lot of people wait until they go to puppy classes to train their puppy. But this isn’t a great idea. Your puppy is constantly learning all about the world and how they’re expected to behave. If you wait weeks to teach your puppy anything then they’ll probably have learnt a lot of things you would rather they didn’t…

How to train your new puppy

At 8 weeks your puppy’s brain is ready to learn lots of new information. You can teach your puppy new skills but since they’re a baby you can’t train them like you’d train an adult dog. When training your puppy, your aim should be to build your bond with them and teach them that training is fun. It’s really easy to expect way too much from your puppy and accidentally put them off training by making it too hard and too boring.

Your puppy will get tired really easily so keep training sessions really short (no more than 5-10 minutes). If you teach your puppy through play they’ll enjoy training with you and want to learn lots of new skills. And they’ll learn that you’re really fun to be around. Giving your puppy a chance to sleep after training sessions is really important. Sleep helps your puppy store memories so they can actually remember everything you’ve taught.

A good sleep after each training session with help your puppy remember all their new skills

Life skills to teach your puppy

You know you need to start toilet training your puppy as soon as they come home. But what else should you prioritise? Puppy training is mostly about helping puppies build the emotional skills they’ll need when they’re older. Socialising your puppy will help them grow up to be confident. Building a strong bond with your puppy will help them grow up to be independent. Teaching your puppy to chill out will help them grow up to be calm. And you’ll want to make sure your puppy has enough sleep to reduce puppy biting.

There are also few foundation life skills that are important to teach your puppy. Your puppy’s going to need to learn their name and understand it means they should listen to you. Rewarding your puppy when they choose to look at you will make a huge difference to their ability to focus on you when they’re older. You can also teach your puppy their recall cue through fun games that build your relationship.

Skills you don’t need to teach right now

You might be feeling like there are too many things to teach your puppy and not enough time. If you are, it’s probably because you’re wanting to teach them way too much. Most life skills can wait until your puppy is older. The first things most people want to teach their puppy are ‘sit’ and ‘down’. And while these aren’t bad things to teach, there’s really no rush. Still behaviours like ‘sit’ and ‘down’ aren’t very fun for your puppy and you won’t find much benefit to teaching them in your puppy’s first few weeks home.

Teaching your puppy to sit is super cute - but it’s not super useful

A lot of people are also keen to start teaching their puppy to walk calmly on a lead. Especially if their dog is a large breed or one known for pulling. But it’s really better to wait until your puppy’s a little older. Your puppy’s first walks are about socialisation, not training. Your puppy needs to explore and understand the world and that means dragging you to sniffs or stopping and watching what’s going on. If you focus too much on your puppy’s loose-lead walking you’ll get frustrated and they won’t get the socialisation they need.

Written by Juniper Indigo, dog trainer in Tiverton and Exeter