Obedience training for puppies: the best tips
Obedience training for puppies: how to succeed. When should puppy obedience training start? Puppies – 5 – 7 weeks
The age of your pup plays a big role in deciding when to start the training program…
- 5 – 7 weeks – This is the age when puppies start to act and behave like dogs.
- The mother will begin to wean the pups around the fourth week (although this can vary slightly).
- From the fourth week (approx.) the the mother dog will begin to teach the puppy discipline like bite inhibition – this is the process of teaching the pup how much pressure to put into a bite (so puppies don’t bite their littermates too hard).
- the age since 5 – 7 weeks it is also very important in the development of a puppy since it is the moment in which the mother dog begins to teach the puppy social skills – this will allow the puppy to learn What to interact with other puppies, dogs and humans.
- Important – If a puppy is removed too early during these developmental stages, it could have disastrous effects on the puppy and its behavior and obedience in the future.
The importance of early Housetraining…
- If puppies are properly housetrained at this crucial 5-7 week or longer stage, they will learn the basics of housetraining.
- Puppies (if given the choice) will not eliminate naturally in their crate/whelping box (if their mother has taught them this and they weren’t separated too early), even if it means quickly stumbling and staggering to the other side of the crate . whelping box.
- If for some reason (you may have been left in the crate/whelping box for a long time) your pup relieves himself in his den, then he may think it’s okay and continue to do so.
Puppies from 8 to 16 weeks.
- This is a critical stage in your puppy’s life and development – if you If you get it wrong here, then you are setting yourself up for puppy obedience and puppy behavior problems down the road.
- At this age, your pup begins to figure out if it’s a great world to live in or a scary, scary world.
- IMPORTANT – If your puppy does not know and interact with other people, children and dogs at this age, it can get scared and as we know, a nervous and scared dog can become an aggressive dog.
- At this point, if you are inconsistent with the house training process, then your puppy will be inconsistent with future house training.
Do not be fooled!
- You may think your pup is fully housebroken at this stage, he may even go to the door when he wants to relieve himself, however…
- This is where basic and very common mistakes occur in the training process: YOU have unrealistic expectations…
- Just because your pup THINKS he’s a big kid, he’s learned the concept of the asking out process, but biologically he’s still a baby and can pee on the way out because as a baby he still has bladder control issues.
- At about 8 weeks your pup can hold his bladder for about 2 hours and this will increase to about 4 hours by the time he reaches 16 weeks.
- Don’t expect your pup to hold it; if he does, he’s asking your pup to have a urinary tract infection.
Puppies from 4 to 6 months.
This is where all your training proves to be either hit or miss!
- If you thought all was well and your beautiful pup was house trained, don’t hold your breath as this could prove you wrong.
- At this age, your puppy is very easily distracted, just when you think he is about to urinate, he will go after a fly, this is normal.
- At this age, puppies can hold their bladder for about 4 to 5 hours or so, without needing to go to the bathroom.
- At about 6 months, your pup should be able to last around 6-7 hours.
Puppies from 6 to 12 months.
This is when your little pup begins to develop sexually, which brings its own problems.
- If you have a non-neutered male, because he is developing sexually, he may start to lift his leg and urinate on the furniture.
- If you have a female, she can have her first heat between 6 and 12 months.
- If you have been consistent in his house training, then your pup should be able to hold his bladder for 7-8 hours between potty breaks.
- Don’t make the common mistake of thinking your pup is fully house-trained at this age; many people let it run around the house when they are out, only to find accidents around the house. This is because puppies may not associate their den/crate with the whole House until they are around 1 year old or older.
