When to Start Training Your Puppy

People frequently ask us what a good age is to start training a new puppy.  The short answer is as soon as they set foot in your home, in fact a good breeder should have already started training.  I know what some of you may be thinking – how do you expect to train an 8 week old puppy?  A lot of people think dog training only refers to teaching sit, come, paw, and stay; however dog training is so much more then that.

Training a puppy or a dog goes way beyond obedience, dog training is about structure, boundaries, leadership, socialization, behavior, balance, and so many other things.  All of these things need to be established from the first second you take home a new puppy.

Obedience can be taught at any time, but when you first bring home a new puppy, you should be focusing on molding your puppy into the dog you want him or her to become.  Sometimes you only get one chance to work on certain skills, that is why it is important to start immediately, things like walking on a leash and retrieving can wait.

The focus of puppy ownership should be concentrated in the following areas:

• Socialization with people of all different races, shapes, sizes, age and personality
• Socialization with puppies and other WELL-SOCIALIZED dogs
• Prevention of resource guarding
• Handling skills
• Potty training
• Leadership drills

We get a lot of calls from adult dog owners who are experiencing behavior issues that could have been easily avoided if certain drills and exercises were practiced when the dog was younger.  We understand that puppies do not come with an owner’s manual, so Unleashed Unlimited offers a Puppy Consultation that is designed to give the right information and confidence to get you and your family off on the right foot with your new puppy.

Please take our advice and realize that obedience should not be the primary focus of a young puppy’s life.  Start on the important, time sensitive things that your puppy needs.  If you have any questions about your puppy, please feel free to contact us.

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