When is the perfect time to start training?
When will your dog understand what you want?
How old does a dog need to be to learn “good behavior” and be trained to your expectations?
Great questions! Let’s take a look at timing:
From the day you bring your dog home, they’re learning from you, observing you, doing what dogs do, and seeing how you act or react. So the perfect time to start training is now. Day 1. (yes, I know today would be day 0 for you mathematicians).
Whether you have a weeks-old puppy, or a middle aged constant companion, you can teach your expectations to a dog of any age. Actually, you as the owner, have a responsibility to teach your dog how to act in daily life, in every situation.
Moving on – if you start today, how long will it take?
Honestly, there is no magic month or specific age in a dog’s life when their behavior magically aligns with your expectations. Behavior patterns are not age-based or time-based as much as they are habit-based and understanding-based. Yes, there are some KEY times in a dog’s early development when socialization and training foundations are necessary and best done during the development of the first year or two – that’s another guide in The Settled Puppy Method altogether.
Back to training timing:
As your dog’s teacher in the world, if you create the good habits of teaching every day, to help your dog understand what’s acceptable and what’s not, then you’ll shorten the path and timing to good behavior.
There is no specific timeline to be trained the way you want. Good communication, and good habits, should be a DAILY way of life that you build with your dog.
The mindset I suggest is to think of every day you live with your dog as a training day. Each day of your dog’s life, you’re teaching, reinforcing, and creating the environment for trust, for communication, and for understanding good behavior.
Start today.
Want to know more?
My guide in the series The Settled Puppy Method, “Essential Fundamentals of Good Behavior” covers the guiding principles of dog training as daily teaching, in 10 chapters with information, advice, and worksheets for you to use at home. Read more about the guiding principles, the 7-part recipe for good behavior, the ingredients you need, and the 8 components of practice.