As the age old saying goes, it is possible to teach an old dog new tricks. Which begs the question, when should you start training your dog? Ideally, as soon as possible is the best advice to follow.
Puppy Stage
It may seem daunting to take on training a puppy but neglecting good manners at a young age will instill behaviors that will take longer to undo.
Puppies, though rambunctious, are always looking for new ways to stimulate their brains. Research suggests that the prime time to teach a puppy commands is from two to 14 weeks.
At this stage, the puppy’s brain is very receptive to new stimuli. Therefore, it’s important to expose puppies to a wide variety of scenarios and objects to prevent them from developing a fear of these things later in their lives.
This is the ideal stage to teach your puppy sit, come, and down. Once the puppy reaches five months, owners can teach them commands that require more attention span such as stay and heel.
Older Dogs
The challenge for training older dogs is undoing bad behavior that the dog has learned over the years. Just like puppies, older dogs learn through repetition. It’s important to be diligent in your dogs’ training and always encourage and reinforce good behavior.
Certain breeds also need more stimuli than other dogs. As dogs get older, they grasp more complex tricks and even find it enjoyable to be engaging their brain. Enrolling your dog in class to learn new skills will also give them new challenges and goals to overcome.
What tricks you want to teach your dog is decided by you and your beloved, furry friend. Remember that training your dog doesn’t have to be a chore, in fact, it is fun and a great bonding experience. Do you have any questions? Contact Fetchers at 701-936-9536.