When should I start training my puppy?

Are you wondering when you should start training your dog commands or tricks?

Watch my video to find out

Puppy training can start as soon as you bring them home

In fact, puppy training should start while they’re still at the breeder with their mum and littermates.

Little pups have a short attention span but they can learn to make positive associations to things from as early as 3 weeks.

They can also learn to make negative associations too, which is why you need to do your research before buying from a breeder. 

You want to make sure your puppy has been raised in the breeder’s home so that they’re familiar with everyday household noises like kettles, blenders & vacuum cleaners.

When you get your puppy home, you can use positive reinforcement techniques to start teaching them:

• That their crate or playpen is a lovely place to be, by feeding them in there.

• What their name is, by saying their name and giving them a treat.

• That being handled and groomed is fun, by pairing this with treats.

If your puppy’s tummy is sensitive and can’t handle treats, you can use their breakfast, lunch or dinner and train them at these times.

Why training is important

When you train a dog using positive reinforcement or rewards-based training, you’re rewarding your dog for good behaviour, which means, they’re more likely to repeat the good behaviour!

Giving you a human example, when I was a kid we used to drive up to Auckland regularly to visit my grandparents.

One day we stopped in a small town to get an icecream and they gave us the biggest icecreams we’d ever encountered!!!

So, as a result, we stopped there on our way to and from our grandparents for years to come!

It’s the same for dogs. If you reward your dog for doing something good, they’ll continue to do it.

And that’s why it’s important to set your brand new puppy up for success by making it really easy for them to get things right and impossible to get things wrong.

The other great thing about rewards-based training is that it’s a really quick way for your puppy to bond with you.

You’ll quickly gain some focus from them and some control.

Plus it’s just really fun!

When is it too late to train a dog?

Never. 

From the age of 4 months, dogs have a pretty firm opinion about the world and whether it’s safe or unsafe.

But you can teach an old dog new tricks, it just takes a bit longer.

When I adopted Amelia, she was a disaster in many ways, but she was so willing to learn, she’d just never been given the opportunity before.

So even though she was an adult, she quickly learned all the basic training commands like “Watch”, “Sit”, “Wait”, “Leave it”, “come” and a few tricks like “Sit Pretty”, “Roll Over” and “Shake paw”.

But, because she was an adult who had never had any guidance or socialization before, it took a while to teach her that:

• Cats were friends not prey

• Dogs were friends not enemies

• Toileting inside wasn’t ok

So you absolutely can train an older dog, but if you have a puppy you should start while they’re young and before any bad behaviour or negative stuff crops up.

Make everything a positive experience for them and you’ll have a confident dog who is happy to make friends (of the human, dog, and cat variety) and who doesn’t think their world is ending when the vacuum cleaner turns on.

Do you find that puppy parenting is proving to be more challenging than you anticipated?

Is your adorable bundle of fluff acting like a bit of a maniac at times?

Are they:

·         Refusing to sleep in?

·         Jumping up on you?

·         Destroying all your favourite things?

·         Chewing your hands, feet, and clothes?

·         Peeing and pooping all over your house?

Then check out "The Calm Puppy," a 5-part program designed to transform your energetic puppy into a well-behaved and delightful companion