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.
While there is some variance among answers, we generally found that most answers could be lumped into one of two categories: Approximately 50% of owners and trainers voted 3-4 months as the toughest age citing nipping as the top difficulty of this age.
You can begin training your puppy at around eight weeks old because that's the age where they can start understanding basic skills like potty and crate training, their name, and other essential phrases like “sit,” “come,” and “stay.”
Basic obedience training
Puppies can learn all of the basic cues that older dogs can— from down to shake to roll over. Start with the two foundational behaviors of “focus” and “sit.” To build focus, try the name game: Say your dog's name in a happy tone of voice.
One way to do this is to show your dog what you want or don't want it to do. For example, hold a treat and show it to your dog. As your dog tries to get it, say “no,” and close your fist around the treat. Let your dog sniff and lick at your hand, but don't give it the treat.
Around the 4-5 month age pups get quite naughty (cheeky), they have worked you out by now and know how to get around you and they begin to ignore your instructions. At first it can seem funny but it soon wears thin.
If you're wondering when it's too late to train a dog, the answer is never! Training a dog as an adult can be beneficial in some ways — he may be less distractible and energetic than he was as a puppy.
At what age are puppies most hyper? Puppies' energy levels follow a rough timeline as they grow into adult dogs, from their first few weeks all the way through to maturity, but you may find they're at their most hyper at two stages in their journey. The first stage occurs between 10 - 16 weeks.
And remember, if you have moments where you regret getting a puppy, that is fine! It is a totally normal feeling! Here are 5 things to do to help you when times are tough with your pup and you're feeling regret. The relationship you can form with your puppy can be one of the most important relationships in your life!
Either ignore him for 10 to 20 seconds or, if he starts mouthing on you again, get up and move away for 10 to 20 seconds. After the short time-out, return to your puppy and encourage him to play with you again. It's important to teach him that gentle play continues, but painful play stops.
Undesirable behaviours such as barking, chewing, counter surfing, house-soiling and jumping up commonly begin to occur at around 3-6 months of age. Your puppy will not grow out of these behaviours. On the contrary, it is more likely that these behaviours will worsen if not addressed early on.
3-6 Months
By this point in the puppy training schedule, your puppy is old enough to learn how to play, spend time alone, and control their impulses. At this point in the puppy training schedule, you should also make sure your puppy is spending time around other dogs and people.
Your 7 month puppy may take a few steps back in training during puppy adolescence, but don't let this discourage your efforts! Learning ebbs and flows for all developing babies and continuing the education is a key to staying on track. We recommend you enroll your pup in an advanced training, tricks or agility class.
Even experts have difficulty agreeing that while most puppy trainers say that training should be delayed until 6 months (where a dog will still be young enough to learn but have lost much of its puppy rambunctiousness) some other experts, especially those that use hunting dogs, say the sooner the better.
Labrador Retriever takes the crown
The Labrador Retriever earned the crown as the “naughtiest” breed. Traditionally, people know this popular dog for its friendly and outgoing nature. Yet, it seems that the breed's strength and energetic spirit could sometimes steer them into less desirable behaviors.
Increase Walks as Puppy Grows
By 16 weeks of age (4 months old), most puppies can go for 30-minute meandering walks. Increase the time to 45 to 60 minutes as your puppy reaches 6 or 7 months of age. Hold off on true hikes or long purposeful walks on pavement until your puppy has physically matured.
According to the American Kennel Club, puppies younger than 10 weeks cannot be left alone for more than an hour. From 3-6 months, they should not be left longer than their age in months (for example, 3-month-old puppies cannot be alone for longer than 3 hours).
Something to remember about puppies is that they need sleep - lots of it, just like babies. Your puppy will need about 18-19 hours sleep in every 24. So only expect 4 to 5 hours of being awake and only about an hour at a time. If they're kept awake and playing, you could both be heading for a stressful time.
At 3 months of age, you should start your puppy's training for basic commands, such as sit, stand, and come. You can also start leash exercises so that your dog knows how to behave outside your home.
Consider taking your puppy out every two hours so they get the habit of doing their business outside. If they do it successfully, offer them a treat. If you find your puppy pooping or peeing somewhere else in the house, immediately take them outside instead of scolding. Give them a treat as a reward.
The most challenging time of raising a puppy is the adolescent period. Dogs become “teenagers” and seem to forget everything they have ever been taught. This period is individual to each dog, but it may begin when he's about eight months old and continue until he's two years old.
3-4 Months Old
Your puppy is starting to grow up quickly and you can start to work in more complex training routines with the commands they've learned! Introduce Stay and Leave-It commands to your puppy! Start command combinations and working indoors.
Try to practice with your puppy every day for about 10 minutes, and make it fun so she looks forward to some one-on-one time with you. Some basic commands your puppy is ready to learn include sit, stay, heel and no. You will also want to practice walking on a leash.
For a dog who is acting out of fear or frustration (for example, a dog who is barking and lunging on leash), using the word 'no' to stop the behavior without helping to alleviate their fear or frustration will often lead to an escalation in behavior, such as growling, air snapping, or biting.