Whether you live alone or are part of a family, puppies are usually a great addition. They bring a lot of excitement and happiness to the homestead. And as you and your puppy start settling into your new life, you both start developing new behaviors. At this stage, when your dog is still young, you should start obedience training. Without obedience training, you’ll find it difficult to control your dog and keep it away from harm as it gets older. And according to Off-Leash K9 Training, the best in Phoenix, your dog can achieve the same level of obedience as military dogs. However, most dog owners don’t know the best age to start obedience training for their puppies. This article will answer this question and explain why it’s important to start dog training at such a young age.
When Should Your Puppy Begin Obedience Training?
Dog trainers, behaviorists, and veterinarians have widely debated this question. Dog trainers and behaviorists recommended that dog training start as soon as possible. While veterinarians recommended that puppy training start after the puppy had received their vaccinations. Today there is a consensus that dog training starts at 7 to 8 weeks. However, this doesn’t mean you shouldn’t vaccinate your puppy. The American Veterinary Society of Animal Behavior (AVSAB) recommends that your puppy receive at least one set of vaccines before the first class. And as the classes continue, all vaccines should be up-to-date.
Why Should Your Puppy Start Its Obedience Training At 7 to 8 Weeks?
The best dog trainers in the world will tell you that it’s possible to train a dog at any age. And they will also tell you that it’s more beneficial for you as a dog owner to enroll your dog in obedience training at a young age.
Puppies start becoming more open to learning when they’re 7 to 8 weeks old. They’ve started to explore and are learning through their experiences at this age. Therefore, this is the best stage to train your puppy on how you’d like them to behave when they’re older. It usually takes about 6 weeks to train a puppy properly.
You’ll find that some dog trainers and veterinarians recommend you start training your puppy at 6 months. However, this time frame is often considered quite late to start training. And that’s because, at 6 months, your dog has begun to solidify the behavioral patterns and social skills they’ve already learned. On top of that, it’s at this stage that dogs start to seek some independence from their owner. They’re more interested in exploring their environment than training.
Does This Mean It’s Impossible To Train Your Dog After 6 Months?
No, it’s still possible to train your dog after 6 months. Earlier it was mentioned that the best dog trainers in the world can provide obedience training for a dog at any age. However, you should note that your puppy has already learned some behaviors and social skills during puppyhood. Luckily, dogs are brilliant animals. And if your dog has picked up annoying behaviors, like biting, such behaviors will be undone with proper training. It’s only recommended to start obedience training at 7 to 8 weeks since it’ll be easier, and your puppy will learn more.
If The Dog Owner Is Personally Handling The Training, How Much Time Should They Spend Training Their Puppy Daily?
The attention span of 7 to 8 weeks for puppies is short. Therefore, you should start their training with simple commands like sit, stay, and down. And due to the short attention span, it’s impossible to have daily set training sessions. So, you should spread these training sessions throughout the day.
Your minimum goal should be to achieve at least 15 minutes of training every day. How you structure the training time of each short session largely depends on you. The rule of thumb is usually 5 minutes per training session.
Training is likely to be more successful if you schedule it before providing your puppy with their requested necessities like food or treats. Like children, puppies are more compliant when they want something. For example, to prevent begging, you can train your puppy to sit right before you give it food. Simple commands aren’t enough to properly train a puppy. As your puppy gets older, you’ll need to increase the complexity of the training.
Many dog owners don’t have the time to train their puppies personally. If you’re one of these dog owners, the best option for you and your puppy is to hire a professionally trained dog trainer. With their help, your puppy will learn the appropriate behaviors and social skills. So, if you’re looking for the best dog trainer in Phoenix, visit our website and check out our dog training offers.
