Training a puppy starts as soon as you bring them home, which is typically about 8 weeks of age. At this young age, they can learn basic puppy training cues such as sit, stay, and come.
Keep the training sessions short. 10 repetitions is usually plenty for an 8 week old puppy.
8-10 Weeks Old
This is around the age that many new puppy owners bring home their new puppy. During this phase of your pup's life, they should be learning the basics such as their name, good manners at home, introducing some commands, and some early socialization.
Puppies are capable of learning basic obedience commands from as early as eight weeks old, essentially the moment they're through your front door they can begin their training.
Individual training sessions for cues or skills should be no more than a few minutes long at first and can be done a few times a day. Teach quiet skills like going to the crate, going to bed, or lying down when your puppy is feeling calmer.
Ideally, you'll start potty training when they're anywhere from 8 to 16 weeks old. Young puppies have small bowels and bladders, and they don't have full control over their bladder until about 5 months.
Ways To Provide Mental Stimulation
Interactive feeding tools: Things like puzzle games, Kongs, Kibble Balls, and all food-related toys are a great way to kick start your dog's mental stimulation routine.
The three most common, and most necessary training techniques are teaching your dog to sit, stay and come. Teaching your dog to sit is simple and it is also the basis for other commands, so it is a good one to start with.
More specifically, a well-behaved pup should respond to seven directions in order to become a good canine citizen: Sit, Down, Stay, Come, Heel, Off, and No.
Along with their name, the best training lesson you can teach them are the 5 basic commands. These include “come”, “lay down”, “sit”, “stay”, and “leave it.” These 5 tricks may not seem like much, but they provide your pup with a foundation that sets them toward a good path for adulthood.
While there is no specific order in which to train basic commands, one of the best skills to teach first is “come” because it is a lifelong skill your puppy needs for obedience and safety. “Sit” is another relatively easy command to teach your puppy, especially if you use rewards and lots of praise.
The first things a puppy needs to learn are basic manners, his name, potty training, and not to bite your hands with those sharp teeth. A puppy needs to learn socialization skills, including people, places, and things.
From 8 to 12 weeks of age, your puppy is in the “I'm afraid of everything” stage. This period is characterized by rapid learning but also by fearfulness. Your puppy may appear terrified of things that she used to take in stride. This is a good time to avoid loud voices and traumatic events.
5 minutes of exercise per month of age: that's the routine advice for growing puppies to prevent physical problems during development. So for an 8 week old puppy, that means 10 minutes of exercise per day.
You need an incentive to encourage your dog to come back - a really tasty treat or a fun game with a toy. Show your dog the toy or food. Run away a couple of paces then call your dog's name and say "come" in a friendly, exciting tone - getting down low can also encourage them to come back.
Sit. Unlike teaching your pup to stay down, “sit” is the easiest command to teach your furry friend. To teach your puppy this trick, make sure to follow the next steps carefully: Kneel in front of your puppy with a treat in your hand.
Naturally, we want our puppies to learn quickly. BUT, that's not always the case. While many behaviors can be learned in 3-6 months (or more… or less), so many factors can influence how fast your puppy will learn new behaviors.
When you set aside time for a training session, plan on working on just one command. The quick, intense lessons will help your dog learn, and sticking with just one command or behavior will help the dog stay focused. You can train them on more than one command in a day but try to stick to just one for each session.
According to the AKC, puppies at 7-8 weeks should get 18-20 hours of sleep per night! Most puppies are weaned from their mother and brought to a new home at this age. This schedule persists until about 20 weeks of age. As the dogs get older, sleep time is reduced to 13-15 hours.
Signs of Boredom in Puppies
A puppy that's bored when left alone in a fenced yard, for example, may turn to barking to burn off pent-up energy or just to hear the sound of its voice. Another dog may decide to dig its way under the backyard fence to seek more exciting things to do.
Provide adequate mental stimulation with food puzzle toys, chew toys, and playtime. Engage them in an appropriate amount of physical exercise for their abilities and life stage. Give your pet loads of love and affection.