Puppies, like other animals, are taught by their mothers. Nevertheless, it’s your responsibility as a new puppy owner to teach your dog all he needs to know in order to become a well-rounded and disciplined adult dog.
All of us who have raised puppies have hoped for something like this. Puppies that are walking with you or relaxing on your feet. There are, however, a few things you can do to ensure that your dog is on the proper path with their training!
Some of that wonderful puppy’s growing pains will include biting, chewing, barking, potty accidents, and more. As you can see, your puppy is gaining weight and maturing rapidly.
It’s a good idea to start working on obedience training and basic instructions with your puppy as soon as they’ve been home for a few weeks.
When it comes to teaching your dog, how do you know what to start with?
As your puppy matures and learns the skills he or she will need in the real world, you may use our puppy training timetable as a guide for teaching him or her the excellent manners you imagine for your new best friend.
How to Properly Craft a Puppy Training Schedule
Owning a puppy always comes with more than its fair share of joys. However, it takes a whole lot of effort to ensure that they are as well-behaved as they possibly can be.
Routines are central to a less stressful life with a puppy. This includes creating a best schedule for a puppy to train and that includes each and every thing in his daily life.
The right method executed consistently day in and day out will ensure that your puppy will be obedient and on its best behavior. Here are some things that you should include in its training schedule!
Positive Reinforcement Training
Positive Reinforcement training is effective and should be a part of your new puppy training schedule.
Science has shown that Positive Reinforcement training, which rewards your puppy for good behavior, instills confidence in them and helps them learn new things.
Simply stated, greater incentives lead to better behavior. More well-behaved dogs mean more contented dog owners.
Having our puppies sit, lie down, settle, or return when we call out their name are all examples of excellent behavior. Your puppy’s favorite foods, toys, praise, and attention are all acceptable reward options.
Be Consistent and Have Patience
The puppy training process may be frustrating. It’s normal for puppies to make errors since they’re still learning about the world around them.
Don’t expect your puppy to grasp the concept of communicating on the first attempt; it takes time to build a relationship with them.
Maintaining a regular routine for your dog can help them learn quicker. Puppy training sessions, feeding and playtimes and naps should all be included in a regular puppy plan!
This will give your puppy a better understanding of how things work around the home, as well as a sense of security and stability, all of which will foster good behavior.
Just keep practicing!
When it comes to puppy training, the old adage “practice makes perfect” is quite accurate! Set aside a few minutes each day to teach and practice the commands you’ve chosen for your dogs.
You may only be able to keep a small puppy’s attention for 5-10 minutes at a time, and an adult puppy’s attention for 10-15 minutes.
This is a perfect time to do this since you can make your puppy work for their meals! In order to keep your dog excited and eager to participate in these training sessions, keep them short and interesting!
As soon as your puppy has finished their vaccinations, begin teaching them in a variety of places. Your puppy’s obedience will be strengthened by this, and you’ll see the same conduct everywhere you take him.
Words Associated with Routines
There are a number of important words you need to teach your puppy, with “No” and “Good” leading the way. These words for correction and praise should be introduced when the puppy is around 2-3 months old.
Teaching it includes the right tone and body language, too. If your puppy doesn’t learn it at this time, it can be harder to move forward with the other aspects of training.
Biscuit Training: A Big No-No
To be clear, relying on biscuit training as the only way to train your dog is ineffective. This is because you are reliant on when your puppy is hungry enough to obey your command so it can get the treat.
While food certainly motivates a puppy, it is only one aspect of a comprehensive puppy house training schedule.
Prioritizing Respect Training
Your ultimate goal in your puppy training schedule is for your puppy to respect and acknowledge you as the leader in your house. You want your puppy to recognize the words and routines you teach it, but more important you want it to follow through.
Refusing to follow your command is a sign of disrespect, which is rooted in improperly training your puppy in the first place.
Training Components at 2-3 Months
Your puppy’s second and third months of life are key month in teaching essential concepts such as:
1. Crate Training
Here, you need to teach your puppy to view its crate as a safe and comfortable place of his own.
To help you started, here are a few guidelines on crate training:
• Set up a fresh toy and a few goodies in the crate and prop the door open to start the training process. Bring a well-loved toy to her new box to help her settle in. Throw the toy inside the container with the others.
• Let your dog out of the kennel to explore on her own. Make sure the front door is always left wide open.
• Treats thrown inside the kennel over the following several days will encourage your dog to keep looking for new things.
• Begin shutting the door after she is able to enter the house on her own. Repeat the training by re-opening the door again.
• Make sure to play this version of the training over and over again until you have the hang of it before adding any more commands.
Before releasing your dog, you may begin by keeping the door locked for around 20-30 seconds. Afterwards, begin to leave the room and return to it to reward and release yourself.
• Your puppy should be able to go into her crate on command by the end of the 10th week or earlier.
It is possible that she may continue to whimper or growl for a few minutes after being crated. But this will diminish over time as she becomes more used to the crate.
2. Housebreaking
Despite your puppy still being incapable of controlling its bladder at this age, housebreaking should all the more be emphasized in these months to avoid the development of peeing anywhere.
Essentially, you are trying to prevent bad habits from developing through housebreaking. There are a number of methods for this including the use of an exercise pen, a crate, a doggy door, or even a litter box.
You might even find yourself having all of these in your house so your puppy will have several options when it wants to relieve itself.
3. Leadership Acceptance
This age is also the prime age for the puppy to learn that it must accept you as its leader and supreme authority. Associated with this is trusting that you will do everything you can to give your puppy what it needs.
These include bathing your puppy, clipping its nails, giving its vitamins, strapping on its harness or collar, and many more.
These are daily decisions that you get to decide and implement, which the puppy must accept because it knows everything you do for it is for its welfare.
4. Gentleness Training
Apart from acceptance, there is also such a thing as gentleness training. This also goes hand in hand with respect and vocabulary training, wherein you emphasize gentleness through firm corrections when your puppy is playing too roughly.
In this context, gentleness is all about setting firm but loving limits on both good and also bad behavior.
5. Household Rules
As a member of the household, your puppy must know which of its behaviors are allowed and aren’t. He should know that it is not right to shred paper or grab its co-puppy’s toy away from it.
In setting up household rules, there are many aspects which will be particular to your own preferences.
These include the idea of jumping on furniture or climbing on someone’s lap – which can be acceptable or not, depending on the household.
Whichever one it is, you have to make your puppy see (and later on, follow) that there are rules that need to be followed in the household. If it does not know how to follow then there will be unpleasant consequences.
This video is going to show you a puppy training schedule by age, so you can plan your training sessions with your new puppy!
Proper Training Schedule by Age for your Puppy
As a dog owner, you might be thinking about what is a good puppy schedule for training. It’s time to create your training schedule for puppies according to their age.
An easy-to-follow puppy training regimen for puppies starting at two months of age is provided below. It’s okay if your puppy is older and hasn’t mastered all of the skills described here, so go back and fill in any gaps.
Each puppy develops at a different rate. It’s important to bear in mind that some may need more time in particular phases and others may be able to go on to more advanced training more quickly.
If your dog isn’t ready to go on to the next step, don’t force it!
Here is your complete puppy training schedule by age, week by week:
• 8 – 10 weeks old puppies
Many new puppy owners bring their new dog home at this age. Your puppy’s first year of life is an ideal time to teach them the fundamentals, such as their name, excellent house manners, basic commands, and socialization.
• Assimilate your puppy’s eating and drinking periods, as well as time spent exercising or learning new skills and taking naps.
• You should begin potty training your dog as soon as it arrives at your house!
The easiest strategy to begin potty training your dog is to implement a potty routine to educate your dog where to go and how to hold it!
Taking your puppy’s age in months and dividing it in half can give you an idea of how long they can go between toilet breaks while potty training.
• Puppies and puppy parents alike can benefit greatly from crate training. It’s a big aid in speeding up the house training process and reducing the puppy’s fear of being left alone.
• Begin by teaching the basics of obedience.
At this point, use only sit and come. You’ll use these two commands on a daily basis for the rest of your pup’s life, so teach them at this age. This is a good time to begin teaching these instructions, so make sure you do it during a meal.
Start by holding some of your puppy’s food in your palm and letting them smell it. Then, while saying “Come,” move away from them while holding out your hand to entice them closer.
Whenever they come to you, give them a “Good!” and serve them some food!
A great way to help your puppy learn the importance of sitting properly is to hold out your hand while saying “Sit,”. And when your puppy’s butt reaches the ground, say “Good!” and deliver them their meal once again.
“Come” may be used as a command for your dog to follow you to their food and water bowls. Then, when they’ve settled down, say the command “Sit” and lead them into a sitting posture.
• Begin socializing your puppy with those closest to you, such as your family and friends.
This can help your dog form good associations with new people and situations throughout their whole life by getting them exposed to the idea of meeting new people at a young age.
• Your dog’s name is really essential, and it’s something that you’ll use for the rest of their lives!
You should use your dog’s name often throughout the day to keep their focus on you. With this, you would have a lot of fun together!
Whenever they gaze at you or come to you, treat them with smiles and food! Bring a portion of their treats up to your forehead and reward them when they stare at you to assist develop eye contact! Teaching your puppy’s name may be a lot of fun.
• Using a chew toy, divert your puppy’s chewing and mouthing habits as soon as they begin!
Your puppy will use their mouth and nose to discover the world around them. Make sure your puppy knows the difference between your feet, hands, and footwear and their chew toys.
• 10 – 12 weeks old puppies
Your pup’s commands, sociability, and impulse control will begin to grow at this time.
• At home, teach your dog additional fundamental training instructions like “Stop,” “Lie,” and “Up.”
You’ll need to use a high-value reward to teach these instructions. You may also begin teaching Fetch and Drop-It to pups with a greater level of excitement during playtime!
• If you haven’t already, introduce your puppy to the collar and harness at 3-4 months old.
When you’re out with your dog, these are the two most important tools you’ll have at your disposal. While you monitor, let your puppy wear their collar and leash around the home to become acclimated to it.
• After vaccines, it’s important to keep socializing your puppy by exposing him to new people and calm dogs.
In addition, play recordings of ordinary noises like construction, traffic, trash trucks, and others from YouTube videos to get them acquainted with the sounds they will experience in their daily lives.
• Waiting for water and food bowls is a great way to teach your puppy to manage their impulses.
Before placing their plates on the table, ask them to “Sit.” Using a phrase like “Break” or “Okay” to let them know they can get up from their seats can help them relax.
• Start teaching your puppy to walk quietly through entrances, doors, and sidewalks by training them to walk calmly.
Your walks will be more peaceful if your puppy doesn’t lunge and pull when they encounter an open entrance to another area, which they interpret as a new adventure to discover.
• 3 – 5 months old puppies
Starting now, you may include more difficult training routines into your puppy’s daily routine using the instructions they’ve already learned!
• Educate your dog on the concepts of stay and leave-it.
• Work inside and begin command combinations.
For example, a lengthy Sit and Stay command, or a series of commands linked together, might help your puppy develop endurance. In order to keep your puppy interested, try a variety of exercises.
• To help your puppy adjust to the noise and stimulation of the outside world, practice Heel outside in your driveway or on the pavement in front of your home!
• Vaccinations completed, it’s time to start socializing your puppy with other new puppies!
• 5-6 months old puppies
As your puppy gets older, it’s time to take them out of the house and into public places to work on their obedience and social skills!
• You may improve your puppy’s command skills by having them practice in the front or backyard of your house. The park is also a great place to take your dog for training too.
• Increase your walks with your dog outside your own neighborhood. You should practice the Heel command and leash training with your puppy as soon as possible.
• It’s a good time to start weaning your puppy off of food incentives while they’re still learning it by having them do multiple tasks correctly first before rewarding them with food.
• 6 months – 1 year old puppies
Your puppy should know all of their fundamental instructions and have a strong foundation in toilet training, crate training, and socializing. You’ll keep working with your puppy to repeat what they’ve previously learned from this point on.
• The 3Ds: distance, duration, and distractions!
Keep reinforcing the instructions your dog has learned and start incorporating the 3Ds!
Practice your dog’s instructions by increasing the distance between you and your pet. This allows them to hold orders for longer periods of time, and introduce additional distractions to work through.
Practicing safely outside for a lengthy period of time is something we highly suggest, as is included. Practice having your dog come to you from a greater distance if you haven’t already.
• Stay on top of things at home!
Leaving your dog to their own devices throughout their early years might result in misbehavior. Puppies’ behavior might change if their training and structure at home is relaxed, and this can lead to chewing, nipping, and other issues.
A puppy’s socialization should grow on a weekly and monthly basis. This includes introducing him to new people, other pups, experiences, and sounds.
The duration between bathroom breaks should be gradually increased as your puppy matures and has the ability to hold it longer.
You’ll spend the first year of your puppy’s life emphasizing excellent manners in the house and training, as well as keeping structure in place.
You can assure that your puppy’s training and excellent conduct will last for the rest of their lives if you do this regularly.
It’s never too late to get your puppy back on track to being well-behaved by the time they are a year old, even if they started off later in life.
Training an Older Puppy
If you have a puppy that you welcomed in your home past the age of 2 or 3 months, you are probably wondering if the training schedule and its contents will be different. The answer to that is no.
Even if your puppy is 6 or 9 months old, the training schedule and its components will stay the same.
This is because the order of puppy training is developmentally appropriate. An older dog who failed to learn a concept at the right time will still have to learn it now. This is because it precedes other behaviors that are hinged on that basic one.
If you have an older puppy that is all over the place or is overly excited, simply look back at the training schedule and begin right at the very beginning.
It is useless to issue commands when the older dog has zero experience or awareness of it. Your job as its loving owner is to begin teaching it the most essential vocabulary words.
For older puppies, you might have to place a bigger emphasis on respect training before you can move on to other things like:
o Not pulling on its leash while out on a walk
o Consistently approaching you when you call it
o Stays in its dog bed when you are busy working or doing something
o Learn to wait next to the gate or door and only going out when you give the command
o Dropping or giving you whatever object is inside his mouth when you order it
o Etc.
The skills you might expect from a puppy all go back to its ability to learn the essential words it needs to recognize and follow. There are many ways to teach these words, and you need to find the one that works best with your puppy.
Extra Best Training Schedules for your Puppy
• Puppy Toilet Training Schedule
For what purpose do you need a toilet-training schedule?
With a puppy, you may have noticed that they need to go to the bathroom often since they lack bladder control.
Fortunately, as they get older, they’ll become better at holding in their poop. And that means less visits to the bathroom for you and more effective communication about when they need to go.
Puppies who are trying to get your attention may stand at the back door or sit in front of you and whine until you notice them. Another option is to begin smelling and circle around quietly.
Eventually, you’ll be able to decipher your puppy’s sign language!
Your puppy will most likely need to go potty every hour during their younger years.
This ability to keep it for a longer period of time develops with age. Make sure you don’t become too enthusiastic about crate training and don’t rush into it, since this might lead to an accident in the crate.
• Puppy Feeding Schedule
Puppies must be fed on a regular schedule in order for their metabolism to get used to regular meal times.
Feeding your puppy on a regular basis is also going to aid you with all of your other puppy training and routines, such training and home alone training activities for your dog.
The more you know about when they may need the bathroom, the more prepared you’ll be to manage the remainder of your day. It depends on their age on how often you should feed your puppy.
• Schedule for Naps and Bedtime
How many hours a night should my puppy be sleeping to be healthy?
It’s a lot, just like with human infants. Puppy sleep requirements range from 16 to 20 hours per day on average. They’re easily exhausted from all of the plays and training they do.
Why do puppies need so much sleep?
Puppies need a lot of sleep since they are undergoing rapid physical and mental development. Furthermore, they’re doing so at an astonishingly rapid pace!
When should my puppy sleep?
Puppies need to nap often throughout the day. The following is a typical schedule for when they go to bed:
• Mid morning: After they’ve eaten and had some time to play or practice, in the middle of the day.
• After lunch: When they’re done eating, they’ll take the time to digest their meal. At this moment, their body functions as a feces factory.
• After dinner: is a great time to digest your meal and take in new knowledge.
• At night: The end of the day is a good time to take stock of the day’s events before dozing off for the night.
Do I really need a sleep routine for my puppy?
When your puppy is on a sleep schedule or has fixed nap periods, it would be easier to train them since they know when they should take a rest.
Is it possible that my puppy will need less sleep as they age?
Yes! Keep in mind that even though your puppy’s sleep patterns may change as they mature, even adult dogs sleep a lot .
When it’s time for a potty break, should I wake up my puppy?
Your puppy may wake up earlier or later than indicated. Just be sure to take a pause thereafter to use the restroom.
They’re already asleep, so there’s no need to bother them. It’s best to let your puppy alone if they’re napping, since they plainly need the rest.
Your dog will tell you what they require at night. If they don’t wake up in the middle of the night, you should set an alarm for 4:00 a.m. to make a quick trip to the bathroom.
Summary
A puppy training schedule includes a number of components that all work to shape your puppy into its best and most behaved version of itself.
At the young age of 2-3 months, it must learn the right vocabulary words, respect and acknowledgement of you as its leader, and the necessary rules around the house it needs to follow. Older dogs will also have to learn these routines as they are basic to higher-level behavioral training that comes as they age.
Got a problem training your puppies? Do you have unique tips when training puppies? We would love to hear from you! Share it with us by commenting down on the comment section below!
