One of the most common questions I get from new puppy owners is: At what age should I begin to train my puppy? With age-appropriate exercises in mind, the answer is now. Right now.
Begin Training From Day One: Why It Matters
My current puppy, Astra, who is almost six months old, joined my life at 10 weeks and one day of age. The moment her leash passed to my hands, her training began in earnest. On that first night, I reinforced her name and her looking up at me. I reinforced her getting into her little travel carrier for our big flight the next day (her breeder did an excellent job in this department—I just continued on). I sat on the floor and played tug with her. I built on the first steps of impulse control, having her wait a nano second for her meal. That first night together was a single stepping stone on her path of learning.
Teaching Your Puppy How to Learn (Not Just What to Learn)
In the short time she’s been with me, Astra’s skills have grown tremendously. Apart from all the cool things she can now do, the byproduct of this early learning is an investment in the future dog she will become. The habits she is forming, the confidence and social skills she is developing, and the human-to-dog bond she is forming during our training sessions are the result of learning together as a team. I am also building a better functioning brain!
Above all, Astra has “learned how to learn,” which I’m constantly reminded of when working with a new rescue dog who has no history of learning with a human. Such dogs need to be taught HOW to learn and in adult dogs this takes time. In puppies, this concept is much easier because they are sponges.
In the beginning, teaching Astra a new behaviour took time and considerable problem-solving on my end because she was still grasping the concept that I had something (a food or toy reward) she could earn by doing something in return for me. Once the idea of reinforcement was established, training became easier. Today we breeze through much of our training: last week in two short sessions I taught Astra to pick up an object and drop it into a dish. Of course I think she is brilliant but really she has developed great learning skills. This ability to learn will become more important as the behaviours I teach her become more complex, especially in agility.
Building Confidence, Social Skills, and Your Bond
By working together we have developed a very close bond in a short period of time. As I write this, she is curled up at my side fast asleep, choosing to be beside me when many other options are available to her. The trust and connection we’ve created is equal only to the time and effort I’ve invested. I am excited to see this build as she matures. When she is worried or concerned, I love that she comes to me for support. I love that she can play in a local park with other dogs and people around and choose to stay with me without a sideways glance.
In the skills she is learning, Astra is building confidence in herself and a strong social sense of the world. Being social doesn’t mean running up to every person and every dog for an interaction. It means learning who is a part of her “tribe” (my friends and family members, and my friends’ dogs) and who to be polite and neutral toward. That is how she will function well in this complex urban society. The training we do together supports that.
House Training and Crate Training: Easier Through Early Learning
I also find that essentials like house training and crate training go much easier, as these are part of the process of developing good habits. This past weekend we stayed in a hotel in a new city and her manners in our room were great: no potty accidents, no chewing, no barking. This will open up Astra’s world, allowing her to go more places as she grows up.
The Neuroscience of Early Puppy Learning: Building Better Brains
There is strong science behind early learning in puppies. Beyond “sit, down, stay and come” behaviours, synapses are reinforced by positive early experiences and learning, becoming permanent “highways” in a puppy’s brain. Unused pathways get pruned away (this stage starts at 16 weeks) so the “use it or lose it” principle holds true. The more I exercise my puppy’s brain through fun training sessions, the more she develops extra synapses to absorb the world around her. Training early builds a better brain!
Each day our training builds on the day before and I am discovering better how Astra learns, what she likes, what is difficult for her and where our next step needs to go. Astra loves the learning and gets excited when I take her treats and tug downstairs to the training room. She can’t get down the stairs fast enough.
Creating a Positive Emotional Response to Learning
This is perhaps the most important byproduct of the training process: I am creating a positive emotional response in my puppy toward learning with me. This is something I wish for all of my puppy students.
