People always ask me if their puppy is too young or old to start training. The answer is that your puppy is never too young or too old to start training, and the best time to start is right now. The best-case scenario is that you hire a trainer before you even get your puppy—someone who will help you choose the right puppy for your family.
A good puppy trainer will:
Help you choose the right puppy for your family and lifestyle.
Help you pick out the products you’ll need for your puppy before they arrive, such as a crate, bed, food, and water bowls, etc.
Educate you on how to manage your puppy during their first few days and nights in your home as they settle in, learn where to potty, and learn how to sleep away from their litter mates and mom.
Young puppies are like sponges, ready to learn ALL the things! If they’re awake, they’re learning, so it’s up to you to guide your puppy and teach them the things that will help them successfully navigate their person’s world.
Older puppies and adult dogs are still learning throughout their entire lives, so it’s never too late to start teaching your old dog new tricks.
Puppy training is more about teaching you how to interact with your puppy to get the behaviors you want than it is about training your puppy. Most of the behaviors that we “train” are natural behaviors that your puppy already does anyway, like “sit,” “down,” and “come.”
What your puppy trainer will teach you is:
How to potty train and crate train your puppy.
How to socialize your puppy and condition resilience.
How to manage puppy biting and chewing.
How to manage your puppy jumping on people.
What to do when your puppy steals your stuff or picks up things off the ground.
How to get your puppy to offer the behaviors you want consistently.
How to add a cue (aka command) so your puppy learns to do specific behaviors when you ask.
How to get your puppy to automatically perform specific behaviors in various contexts so you don’t always have to tell them what to do.
How to prevent your puppy from doing things you don’t want them to do.
How to manage your puppy when they do things you don’t want them to do.
If you have a puppy, no matter how young or old, it’s time to start training! The earlier you start, the more likely you and your puppy will learn to live harmoniously together for life.