Puppy Training Tips

A puppy is not a small adult dog. It has a short attention span, a bladder it cannot fully control, and a mouth that explores the world. Training that respects those facts works quickly; training that ignores them creates frustration on both sides of the lead.

Start early and keep sessions short

Begin the day your puppy comes home. Sessions of three to five minutes, two or three times a day, beat one long session every time. Puppies learn through repetition paired with immediate reward, so the reward has to arrive within a second or two of the behaviour you want — a delay of five seconds and you are rewarding whatever the puppy did last.

Toilet training is routine, not discipline

Take your puppy outside after every meal, every nap, every play session and every drink, and stay with it until it goes. Then reward. Accidents indoors should be cleaned without drama and never punished; a puppy that is scolded for toileting in front of you simply learns to toilet out of sight. Feed at fixed times so you can predict the pattern.

Crate training done properly

A crate should be a den, never a punishment. Feed meals inside it, leave the door open during the day, and build up to short absences gradually. Size matters: the crate should be large enough to stand and turn around, but not so large that the puppy can toilet in one corner and sleep in the other.

Redirect chewing instead of punishing it

Chewing is developmental and unavoidable. Your job is to make the legal option more attractive than the furniture. Keep a small basket of chew toys in every room, rotate what is on offer so it stays interesting, and offer a chew toy the moment your puppy starts working on a chair leg. Chill a chew in the freezer for teething days.

Socialise during the window you get

The main socialisation period closes around sixteen weeks. In that time, aim for positive exposure to different surfaces, sounds, people, vehicles and friendly vaccinated dogs, always at a distance the puppy can cope with. One frightening experience at this age can leave a longer mark than ten boring ones.

Build a routine you can keep

Feeding, walking, training and settling all at roughly the same times each day gives your puppy a predictable world, and predictable puppies settle faster. Stock up on reward-size treats, puzzle feeders and long-lasting chews from our dog category before the first week is out — you will need them sooner than you think.

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