What is a good age to start training a puppy?

Question

I have a 4 week old St. Bernard puppy and she isn't really old enough now to start training, but I was wondering what is a good age to start?

The reason I am training a 4 week old pup is because the mother did not draw any milk, and the pups had to be bottle fed. We took her to the vet and they okayed her to start eating hard watered down food because she has almost all her teeth.

Answer 1

Puppy are sponges right away is good. Just don't expect much at such a young age. Right now you are just teaching routine and manners. To people saying it's to young.....mom dogs teach there pups not to bite to hard or use there bed as a bathroom. If mom can teach them these things so can you. Now saying this 5 months is the time to really start with obediance.

Answer 2

First, do not follow a single bit of the first person's advice. There is no need to use a puppy pad, and smacking a puppy on the nose for peeing makes no sense. If you were going to pop it it would need to be lightly on it's rear so it knows what you're doing it for. You should start POTTY training immediately. As soon as the puppy gets done eating or drinking you take it outside and walk around with it. When it pees you reward it (not with treats). Take the dog out every hour on the hour and repeat the process. Dogs are smart. It will catch on. Obedience training I would start at 10-12 weeks.

Answer 3

I begin their potty training as soon as they are eating any food other than milk or formula. . It is just a matter of taking them outside when they have finished a meal..It helps to have some way to mark where they should go, such as spreading a bag of sand for them in a secluded area..They do respond to positive training at that age..Just have realistic expectations and patience. A puppy should never be stressed (or scolded) about potty training..
You can also teach bite control at this age..If the puppy bites you, just say "no bite", and ignore the puppy for a minute or two.

Answer 4

The sooner the better. Get some of those puppy training mats and put them in front of the door, that way you are teaching to go to the door when she's gotta go. Call her by her name is she has one. Take her out regularly too if it is good weather to play and generally helps in potty training. They have smaller squeaky toys at pet stores that you might want to also pick up. and play with her. Toss it in your house a couple of feet and she will get the general idea of fetch. Bottom line-the sooner you start the better and in some cases quicker the dog will catch on.

Answer 5

a good age to start training is around 7 to 9 weeks old. i asked my vet the same question and she said the sooner the better, but not before 7 weeks because they are pretty much like a baby being born for 4 weeks and you already want it to start playing soccer. that was the example she used.

Answer 6

it is best to start training as soon as you can. first by making it come to you when you call it to come. but do not use the name except to get it's attention , just say come and when it does you reward it with good boy/girl. and when the pup is doing good and come each and every time start with another command such as sit or stay. they are easy to train and you should be doing that now. some thinks at a older age but the sooner the better. good luck

Answer 7

If you were given a 4 week old puppy, call the nearest Animal Control.
This dog is FAR TOO YOUNG to be away from it mum, she should still be drinking milk!!

I brought home a rescue pup whom they said she was 8 weeks, but our vet thinks only 6 weeks, and we started training right away.

She is officially 8 weeks now, and fully house trained, knows sit, stay, laydown, shake paw, don't touch it, and "get off Foster".

LOL
Good Luck!

Answer 8

Maybe the work "train" is the problem. Yeah, you're right, it's probably too early to start training, but it's never too early to start making habits and patterns. Definately give her a name and use it often! Begin placing her on the potty pad or taking her out on a schedule, but don't be frustrated when she doesn't pick it right up, she's still very young.

Answer 9

We started training our puppy as soon as we got her, around 7-8 weeks. We started with the basics of sitting, shaking, and going down. It is never too early to start. They may not understand at first, but they will start to pick it up.

Answer 10

Four weeks is fine! Whether your dog is weeks old or much older, begin teaching your dog appropriate behaviors immediately. Education begins as soon as you bring your dog into your home. Always keep in mind the three points of the learning triangle to form a happy, healthy relationship with your dog. The top of the triangle is setting up your environment for safety and success. The next point of the triangle is forming positive associations with the environment (classical conditioning). And the last point is training behaviors and shaping reliability.

Training should be included in the overall process that is called socialization. We ask our dogs to live with us under our terms and conditions. Therefore, it’s important to socialize them so they can more easily adapt to their human family, neighbors, and other animals. Socialization deals with stimulating the five senses. It is the exposure to sights, sounds, smells, tastes and touch. Socialization is interaction with life and all it has to offer, and being able to adapt to its challenges. “It’s all about surviving errors,” as leading veterinary behaviorist Dr. Karen Overall puts it.

The first 12-14 weeks of a dog’s life are the most influential in shaping the adult dog’s temperament and behavior. Pups should be handled as soon as they’re born to get them used to human touch and start the socialization process. In addition to puppy kindergarten classes, include environmental enrichment exercises in your puppy’s routine. Let her explore safe surroundings, both inside and outside; put toys and novel stimuli on the living room floor and in the yard without you. These items can include balls of different sizes (baseballs, basketballs, beach balls), stuffed animals, and lawn tools. Introduce other animals with strict supervision.

~from The Dog Whisperer - www.dogwhispererdvd.com
Best Wishes~