The first 3 months of your new puppy’s life are so important for introducing them to new people and new experiences. Why? It’s the prime time for puppy socialization!
Keeping in mind that your puppy is also more susceptible to disease at this age, you may be wondering when you can safely start puppy classes. Combined with at-home puppy training basics, puppy classes can help train and socialize your puppy early on.
Puppy socialization classes
First off, let’s cover why puppy socialization classes are so important. After about 3 months of age, your puppy will go through a period where fear responses may outweigh their sociability. Puppy socialization classes are focused on introducing your puppy to other animals and people in a safe environment rather than teaching obedience or new tricks.
Behavior problems are a common reason for dogs to get relinquished to animal shelters, and in some cases, euthanasia is the unfortunate result. Gentle introductions to other animals and different people from 6 to 8 weeks of age until your puppy is about 14 weeks old will shape their future response to introductions. You must ensure that these experiences are positive and safe for your puppy.
Puppy training schedule by age
Puppy training may seem daunting at first, but you can simplify it by following a puppy training schedule based on your puppy’s age. Learn what to teach your puppy as they grow to promote a happy (and obedient) adulthood.
7 to 8 weeks
The American Veterinary Society of Animal Behavior recommends starting puppy socialization classes as early as 7 to 8 weeks of age. The following are recommendations for keeping your puppy safe during socialization classes:
Your puppy should have at least one set of vaccines and their first deworming at least 7 days prior to the puppy class.
- Keep your puppy up to date on their vaccines throughout socialization classes.
- Make sure the puppy class you choose requires proof of vaccination.
- Choose classes which are held in easily disinfected environments, preferably indoors.
- Avoid visits to dog parks or areas that cannot be sanitized until the puppy vaccine series is complete.
- When selecting socialization or training classes, ensure you are picking a positive reinforcement-based class. With positive reinforcement classes, treats and rewards are used to increase positive behaviors, and punishment isn’t used as a training tactic. Punishment can cause fear and anxiety, which actually leads to undesirable behaviors in the future.
You can also begin to work on potty training, crate training, name recognition and the commands “sit” and “come” at this age. Start working on mouthiness early! Discourage your puppy from nipping and biting during play sessions by stopping play and redirecting them toward appropriate objects to chew.
10 to 12 weeks
You should still be working on socialization during the 10- to 12-week age range. By this point, you’ve introduced your new puppy to your friends and family, but you want your puppy to be comfortable with unfamiliar people, too. Consider whether your puppy has met people wearing hats, people of different races, children or elderly people, people in wheelchairs or with canes—any unfamiliar or unique difference. You can also think about different ways they could encounter people, such as someone on a bike or riding a scooter. Make sure all introductions are safe and comfortable for your puppy.
This is also a good age range to start working on desensitizing your puppy to common noises, such as the vacuum, alarm clocks, storm noises and music.
You can introduce your puppy to leashes and harnesses at this age, but it’s not quite time for long walks outside. Begin teaching new commands such as “down” and on impulse control by having your puppy sit and wait to eat their meals until you give them the okay.
Continue to work on potty training and crate training. At this age, your puppy needs to eliminate every 2 to 3 hours.
3 to 4 months
In preparation for short walks, start working on the commands “stay” and “leave it.” You can also start to work on commands like “heel” within the safety of your home, driveway or sidewalk. Your puppy is also old enough to start engaging in structured play sessions like fetch or gentle tug-of-war.
Continue to work on potty training and crate training. At this age, your puppy needs to eliminate every 3 to 4 hours.
4 to 6 months
Once your puppy completes their vaccine protocol, you can continue working on socialization with less fear of infectious disease. This means planning fun and safe play dates with other dogs. Your puppy can practice their commands outside of the home, such as on walks, at the park or at pet-friendly locations.
If you’ve been consistent with food rewards, you can begin to decrease how frequently you reward with food. The goal is to have your puppy continue to perform desirable behaviors with praise or affection as their reward, though you should continue to intermittently give treats.
Your puppy should be getting better at potty training by the end of this time period. When they’re 4 months old, they may still need to go out every 4 hours or so. As they approach 6 months of age, you may find your puppy is finally able to make it through the night without a potty break. During the day, you’ll still want to go outside every 4 to 6 hours.6 months to 1 year old
By this age, your puppy is pretty good at potty training and basic commands. During this time, you’ll want to ensure you’re continuing to reinforce all commands and that you’ve established a well-structured daily routine.
Obedience training can help you continue to build on positive behaviors. You can also look into other puppy classes, such as early agility training or scent and lure work. Make sure to get any classes that involve a lot of exercise approved by your veterinarian.
This is also a great time to work on fun commands like “shake” or “spin.”
