You’re probably wondering about the perfect time for dog training. Ideally, you would want to start training your dog as soon as possible in order to instill a good attitude and mitigate bad behaviors immediately. Dog training isn’t easy and it requires a lot of patience. Hence, it is very important to do it at the right time. In this article, we will discuss the ideal age for starting training of your furry buddy.
We have discussed in the previous blog post that training doesn’t necessarily have to be done by professionals and as a parent, it is your responsibility to instill good behaviors on them because you should be their first teacher. According to training experts, training should be done as early as six (6) to eight (8) weeks. However, before fully starting officially, you need to establish a good relationship with your dog first, which is an indication that they’re in a good and safe environment. Therefore, establishing a good relationship is a necessity as it can make the training more effective.
Apart from relationship-building, you also need to remember that a structure or a schedule for the training is also necessary. Plan ahead the days and the specific time of the day as well as the length of the training so that your pup can get used to it. Furthermore, we recommend that training should be done in different places, but make sure that your pup is comfortable in the training place. For example, you can house train your dog in the living room for a few days and if good manners are instilled, you can go to a different place in your house like the kitchen. This is to remind the dog that good manners shouldn’t only be practiced in one area. In addition to this, taking them to different environments other than your house once they’re fully house trained can be mentally stimulating for them because it introduces them to new sights and smell. More ideas regarding this shall be discussed later.
If you feel like your dog is a little older than the recommended age, fear not because you can still train them, but it will require more effort, patience, and treats. Before formally beginning training, it is also ideal to make a sketch of how the ideal training will flow to ensure consistency and maximum learning on the dog’s part. This will also help you determine the specific goals you want to obtain, as well as to keep track of your dog’s growth in training. If you feel like you have little to no idea about this, just keep on reading this article because we will help you make the perfect dog training plan for you and your dog!
Setting the Ideal Timeline and Environment for Dog Training
Time: Between 6 to 18 weeks of age
First goal: Building trust through exposure to the environment
Second goal: Controlling your dog’s impulses
Ideal environment: Home and outside area such as gardens.
Activities:
- Helping them to get familiar with the world around them by introducing them to different places.
- Try to perform scent work activities with them to show how the world around them works, to train their noses to distinguish what is okay and not okay to play with.
- Obedience training.
- Teaching of vocal commands.
- Establishing some trust and relationship between the two of you.
- Teaching your dog to obey instructions and rewarding them when followed correctly.
- Teaching your dog that they cannot simply get what they want whenever they want it.
- Positive reinforcement training such as Clicker training.
Time: Puppy stage, around 6 months of age
First goal: Polite play
Second goal: House training
Third goal: Separation training
Fourth goal: Recall of commands
Fifth goal: Continued impulse control training
Ideal environment: Different areas inside your home
Activities:
- Teaching your dog boundaries such as when it is and when it is not playtime.
- Teaching your dog proper waste management through potty training.
- Teaching the difference between their “toys” and off-limit items.
- Crate training (optional).
- Teaching proper behavior when they’re alone in order to diminish excessive chewing and destroying random items.
- Teaching the importance of obeying commands instantly by giving them rewards when they do a great job.
Time: One year of age
First goal: Mastery of all the behaviors instilled
Second goal: Diminishing unwanted and destructive behaviors
Third goal: Proper manners outside
Ideal environment: Inside your home and public places such as the vet clinic, parks, etc.
Activities:
- Leash training.
- Obedience training without rewards.
- Teaching them to behave with or without a leash in public.
- Proper behavior around other people, dogs and animals.
What If my Dog is Too Old for Training?
If your dog is older than the recommended age of training, you can still train them however, it’s harder to instill a good attitude, as well as diminish bad behaviors, so it often requires more time and patience. Regardless, training can still be beneficial regardless of their age. You just need to remember that establishing a good relationship with your dog is the key to training them effectively no matter how old they are.