Whats the best age to train a puppy?

Answer 1

as soon as you get the puppy home, i would give him/her time to adjust the the new environment but as soon as the dog gets settled

time & positive reinforcement (treats, petting etc) remember it is a puppy do not hit or scold

Answer 2

The sooner the better really. Start with smaller commands like sit and stay, make sure you're consistent, and progress the commands and training as the puppy learns. I was reading a dog training book that said that a puppy and/or dog can learn a new command once every month.

Answer 3

Any age is the best age.

If you are calm and assertive with your dog, you can train them at any age. It will take some time depending on the intelluctual level of the dog if the dog is older.
I found it easier to train my dog when he was very young, at about 8 weeks. Just simple things like sit and lay down. Also gives some good bonding time for you and the puppy.
Take some classes in your area for dog obiedance and training.
Good Luck to you and your new friend.

Answer 4

Training should always begin the first day you take your pup home.

As far as housebreaking goes, here are some tips to help with that:

How often you’ll need to take her outside depends on her activities. Puppies normally need to go to the bathroom after they eat, drink, play, chew, or sleep. After each of these activities, take your puppy outside on a leash and take along a tasty treat about the size of a pea.

Try to go to the same spot each time. The odor from the previous visits will remind her why she’s there.

Once she starts to eliminate, softly praise her. (If speaking interrupts her, though, don’t say anything.)

When she finishes, immediately give her the treat and more praise.

Sometimes puppies urinate or defecate more than once per outing. After she relieves herself, don’t rush back inside. Wait a few more minutes just in case.

If you’re outside for more than 10 minutes and your puppy has not gone to the bathroom, but you think she has to, take her nside, wait 10 minutes, then return outside and try again. Keep this up until she goes.

Make your puppy’s elimination schedule more predictable by feeding her the same amount of food, at the same time, everyday. (Sudden diet changes can cause diarrhea.)

To prevent indoor accidents, keep close tabs on her. I would recommend using a lightweight, 10-foot leash with a clasp on one end. Tie the leash around your waist or belt loop, and hook the clasp to your dog’s collar.

Now everywhere you go, she goes too. Look for signs that your puppy may need to eliminate, such as sniffing the floor in circles, or trying to run out of sight.

If you’re not home during the day, use a crate or if you don't want to crate train, use a baby gate to confine your pup in a room with tile or linoleum to make cleaning up accidents easier.

During your lunch break, go home to let your puppy outside. If you can’t, consider hiring a pet sitter, or asking a neighbor.

I believe housetraining pads (wee-wee pads) are an unnecessary step in the housetraining process because your puppy is capable of learning right from the start that the appropriate place to eliminate is outside. However, if you insist on using them, keep moving them closer and closer to the outside, until your pup doesn't need them anymore.

When an accident happens, DON'T yell, hit or rub his nose in the mess.

If you catch puppy in the act, say "no" sharply and scoop her up, take her to the backyard, and reward her for finishing outside.

Your pup will start reliably going outside within several weeks, but do not to let her have too much freedom, too soon. It can take up to nine months before she’s fully trained. Even now, my 3 mini Eskies (ages 6, 5 and 3) have an occassional accident. It doesn't mean they're not housebroken, just that they've had an accident. Actually, I think they get more upset about it than me or my husband.

I would also suggest enrolling your puppy in a puppy class. This will help both of you in the long run. It's great fun for the puppies, it's a great tool for you in that it helps to socialize your puppy, it strengthens the bond between yourself and your puppy and it just really creates a well adjusted, nicely behaved dog. Check with your local vet or shelter for information regarding classes.

Positive reinforcement is the best way to train your puppy. Again, never yell or hit your puppy for bad behavior. The only thing they learn from that is to be afraid of you. It can cause your puppy to have severe behavioral problems.

Great question! I hope you and your puppy have a happy healthy life together!

Answer 5

When you first get the puppy. First teach; "Yes" and "No" or what two words you want to use for stop and go. These two simple words will make puppy training very easy in the future. Use a gentle voice for "Yes" and a more harsh/commanding voice for "No". Add plenty of love and you got it.

Answer 6

You will be training your puppy from the moment you bring it home and start to house train. Puppies start learning from birth. Good breeders encourage handling and socialization from birth. Some training can begin as soon as the puppy can open its eyes and walk. Young puppies have short attention spans but expect them to begin to learn simple obedience commands such as ‘sit’, ‘down’ and ‘stay’, from as young as 7 to 8 weeks of age.

Formal dog training has traditionally been delayed until 6 months of age. Actually this juvenile stage is a very poor time to start. The dog is beginning to solidify adult behavioral patterns, dominance behavior is beginning to emerge, and behaviors learned in puppyhood may need to be changed. In addition anything that has already been learned or trained incorrectly will need to be undone and retaught.

When training is started at 7 to 8 weeks of age, use methods that rely on positive reinforcement and gentle teaching. Puppies have short attention spans, so training sessions should be brief, but daily. Puppies can be taught to ‘sit’, ‘down’, and ‘stand’ using a method called food-lure training. We use food treats to entice the dog to follow its nose into the proper positions for ‘sit’, ‘down’, ‘stand’, and ‘stay’ .

I contacted a trainer yesterday regarding formal training for our puppy - she will not take our puppy in her classes until all vaccines are done (about 4 months of age). Hope this helps!

Answer 7

You can start training your puppy as soon as you get it. Pups can start learning at about 3 weeks of age, but should be in prime learning age when it's ready to go to its new home.

However, dogs are creatures who can continuosly learn, so while it is best to start training as young as possible, it really is possible to teach an old dog new tricks!

Good luck with your pup!

Answer 8

As soon as you bring the puppy home you can begin the training process. The sooner the better.

Answer 9

now.b 4 he or she realy starts getting out of control. but u need 2 work w / puppy alot. u need 2 have patience. some i find hard 2 train and some easy. good luck and love your puppy

Answer 10

the best time to start training a puppy is when u first get them! obviously start with small tasks then work ur way up to the bigger tasks! hope this helps! good luck!