đ Explore More Pet Tools
đ Pet Vaccination Schedule
đ Pet Nutrition Calculator
đś Dog Age Calculator
âď¸ Dog Weight Checker
Enter your puppyâs age to see what training and socialization milestones to focus on right now.
Puppies go through predictable developmental stages, each with specific physical, mental, and behavioral changes. Understanding these stages helps you provide age-appropriate training and set realistic expectations.
This timeline helps you focus on the right skills at the right timeâtraining that matches your puppy's developmental stage is more effective and less frustrating for both of you.
This is the most important period in your puppy's life for behavioral development. Experiences during this window shape how your dog responds to the world forever.
Socialization means exposing your puppy to a variety of people, animals, environments, sounds, and experiences in a positive way. The goal is to teach your puppy that the world is safe and interestingânot scary.
Until fully vaccinated, avoid areas with high dog traffic (dog parks, pet stores' floors). Carry your puppy or use puppy classes held on sanitized floors. The disease risk must be balanced with socialization needsâdiscuss with your vet.
House training typically takes 4-6 months with consistency, though some puppies take up to a year.
A crate provides a safe den-like space, aids house training, and prevents destructive behavior when unsupervised.
Adolescent dogs often seem to "forget" their training. This is normalâtheir brains are reorganizing. Stay patient and consistent.
Puppies explore with their mouths, but learning bite inhibition is crucial. This means teaching them to have a "soft mouth."
Don't reward jumping with attention. Turn away, wait for four feet on floor, then reward. Teach "sit" as default greeting behavior.
Provide appropriate chew toys. Puppy-proof your space. Supervise until reliable. Chewing is normalâredirect, don't punish.
Identify cause (boredom, alert, demand). Address underlying need. Teach "quiet" command. Don't yellâit sounds like barking back!
Practice short absences from early age. Don't make departures/arrivals dramatic. Crate training helps. Provide enrichment when alone.
Start the day you bring them home! Puppies can learn from 8 weeks old. Early training focuses on socialization, name recognition, and simple cues like "sit." Keep sessions short (5 minutes) and positive. The earlier you start, the easier training becomes.
Most puppies are reliably house trained by 4-6 months with consistent training. Some take up to a year. Key factors include: frequency of outdoor trips, supervision when inside, consistent schedule, and not punishing accidents. Smaller breeds often take longer than larger breeds.
Puppies explore the world with their mouths and go through teething (which peaks around 4-5 months). This is completely normal. Redirect biting to appropriate toys, teach bite inhibition by withdrawing attention when bites are too hard, and ensure plenty of appropriate chew options.
Crate training is highly recommended. When done properly, dogs view crates as safe dens. Crates aid house training, prevent destructive behavior, keep puppies safe, and help with travel. Never use the crate as punishment, and don't crate for excessive periods.
Yes! The "teenage phase" (roughly 6-18 months) is when adolescent dogs test boundaries and seem to "forget" commands. Their brain is reorganizing. Stay patient, consistent, and increase rewards. Go back to basics if needed. This phase passes.
Extremely important. The critical socialization window (8-16 weeks) shapes your dog's behavior for life. Undersocialized dogs are more likely to develop fear and aggression problems. Expose puppies to varied people, animals, environments, and soundsâalways positively.
Yes, puppy classes are highly recommended. They provide socialization with other puppies, teach you proper training techniques, and help prevent behavior problems. Look for positive reinforcement-based classes. Most accept puppies after first vaccinations (around 10-12 weeks).
Use positive reinforcement (reward-based training). This means rewarding desired behaviors with treats, praise, or play. Punishment-based methods can cause fear, anxiety, and aggression. Modern science supports positive reinforcement as most effective and humane.