The first 16 weeks of a dog’s life has much influence on his habits and temperament. Not only is it a critical learning stage, it’s also a time for rapid learning. This is why puppy training is so critical. They say you can’t teach an old dog new tricks, which is false. But it’s highly advantageous to imprint good habits and manners via puppy training when he’s just a tyke so as to minimize issues in the future. As always, no matter what the age, consistency and effective pack leadership are essential to good dog behaviors.
The first three weeks of a puppy’s life are generally lived on auto-pilot with plenty of help from his mother. His motor skills and sensory abilities are still in development, so while he may be learning a thing or two about where he fits in with his pack, no real puppy training occurs in this phase that will be carried into the next phase, which is where he really begins the socialization process.
Weeks three through twelve are the most important for social development, and the biggest part of this development is “playtime”. Mom is a big influence, as are his littermates, and much like a child, this is where the puppy learns to play nice and share, to put it in simple terms. This applies to his interactions with people, as well. The time is ripe for puppy training, and conversely, valuable time is lost if no attempts are made at puppy training at this phase. Don’t lose heart, though, if your puppy hasn’t undergone formal training during this time—ideally, he has been held and petted by people and has learned that basic canine-human interaction is a pleasant, welcome thing.
Around the age of eight weeks, your little Einstein will be ready to learn basic commands and simple tricks. Just be sure to take his limitations into account and be patient, rewarding his efforts and success with praise and looking for signs that he is running low on endurance in each puppy training session.
As mentioned before, consistency and effective pack leadership are the most important—really, they are non-negotiable—things you can contribute to your puppy’s training, as well as to the lifespan of your dog. Your puppy, and later mature dog, must be able to always trust that you are in charge and that he always knows what to expect from you. If you can provide him with those two simple things, puppy training, as well as most every other endeavor you ever undertake together, will go off without a hitch.
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