Puppy Training Schedule: Week by Week, from 8 Weeks to 6 Months

The schedule at a glance

Think of the first months as three parallel tracks, not one checklist: training (cues your puppy learns), socialization (the world they get used to) and life skills (sleeping, toileting, being alone, being handled). A puppy who knows "sit" but panics at the vacuum cleaner has a gap; so does a confident puppy who never learned to rest.

If your puppy arrived later, say at 12 weeks, don't skip ahead: do a quick version of the earlier stages first. The foundations take days, not weeks, when you go at the puppy's pace.

This week's focus: puppy planner

Slide to your puppy's age in weeks. You'll get three short lists, one per track, and a reminder about session length. Print it and stick it on the fridge so everyone at home follows the same plan.

Why socialization comes first

Here's the part most schedules underplay. The American Veterinary Society of Animal Behavior (AVSAB) says the first three months of life are the primary and most important time for puppy socialization: it's when sociability outweighs fear, so puppies adapt easily to new people, animals and places. The idea goes back to classic research on a "critical period" in dogs' social development (Freedman et al., 1961).

Miss that window and you can still make progress, but it's harder. AVSAB points out that poor socialization raises the risk of fear, avoidance and aggression later, and that behavior problems are a major reason dogs are given up. In one study of dogs adopted as puppies from a humane society, those who attended the shelter's puppy classes were more likely to still be in their first home (Duxbury et al., 2003).

What good socialization looks like

• Quality over quantity. One calm, happy meeting beats ten overwhelming ones. Watch your puppy: loose body and curiosity are good; freezing, hiding or a tucked tail mean "too much, back off."
• Pair new things with good things. A treat when the bus goes by, a game on a new surface.
• Let them choose. Don't hand your puppy to every stranger. Let people crouch and wait.
• Cover categories: people of different ages and looks, other calm animals, surfaces, sounds, car rides, handling, the vet's office.

Age by age, in detail

8-10 weeks: settle in and start small

Your puppy just lost their mother, littermates and everything familiar. Week one is about feeling safe. Training is tiny and woven into the day:

• Name game. Say their name once; when they look at you, "Yes!" and a treat. Ten times a day, different rooms.
• Charge the marker. "Yes!" then treat, a few times, so the word means "you got it." This is the tool you'll use for everything, from basics to clicker training later.
• Lured sit. Treat at the nose, move it up and back. Rear goes down: "Yes!" No cue word yet.
• Handling. Touch a paw, an ear, lift a lip for a second, then treat. Future vet visits and nail trims will thank you.

10-12 weeks: words, targets and first time alone

• Sit on cue. Say "sit" just before the lure, then shrink the hand movement.
• Hand target. Hold out a flat palm; nose touch = "Yes!" It becomes a handy way to move your puppy without pulling.
• Come, the easy version. From one or two steps, with a party when they arrive.
• Alone time. A few minutes behind a baby gate with a chew while you're in the next room. Come back before they fuss.

12-16 weeks: down, come and the outside world

• Down from a sit, luring the treat to the floor between the paws.
• Come across a room, then in a quiet yard. Never call your puppy for something they dislike.
• Leash indoors. Let them drag a light leash, then walk a few steps, rewarding when they're by your side.
• Puppy class. A well-run, reward-based class is socialization and training in one hour.

4-6 months: proof it and keep it fun

Teething, more independence and, soon, adolescence. This is where many owners stop training because the puppy "knows it already." Keep going:

• Stay: a couple of seconds, then build distance or duration, one at a time. Our guide to teaching stay has the full progression.
• Leave it with a treat covered by your hand.
• Loose-leash walking on quiet streets, rewarding often.
• A first trick, like shake: great for confidence and for a few minutes of mental work on a rainy day.

For the full method behind each cue, see how to train a dog, which also has a 4-week plan you can use once your puppy is past these first months.

A sample day

Puppies run on a simple loop: potty, play, train, nap. Most of the "training" in a day is actually management: taking them out at the right moments and protecting their sleep. Here's what a day can look like for a young puppy.

Puppies need a lot of sleep, and an overtired puppy often gets bitey and wild. If yours is zooming and nipping, it's frequently a nap they need, not more play.

Potty, crate, biting and alone time

Potty training

Take your puppy out after waking, after eating, after playing, and every so often in between. Go to the same spot, wait quietly, and reward right after they finish, outside, not when you're back in the house. Accidents happen: clean them with an enzyme cleaner and don't scold, which mostly teaches a puppy to hide when they need to go.

Crate or pen

AVSAB recommends confinement training with pens or crates so puppies have a safe place to rest, and notes that dogs used to a crate are less stressed if they're ever hospitalized or have to travel. Make it the best place in the house: meals and chews inside, door open at first, short closed-door naps next.

Biting

Mouthing is normal. Your job is to teach how gentle to be and what to bite instead. When teeth land on skin, pause the game for a few seconds, then offer a toy. Keep chews handy, avoid hand-wrestling, and check whether the "shark" is just tired.

Being alone

AVSAB suggests scheduling time for puppies to play alone with favorite toys, such as stuffed food toys, or nap in safe places, to help them learn to amuse themselves. Start with minutes, while you're home, and build slowly. Food puzzles and other brain games make great "alone time" company.

Basics first, then tricks, a few minutes a day

HeyFido has a video lesson curriculum built on positive reinforcement: all the basics first, then tricks. A daily streak keeps you consistent, and the health booklet lets you log your puppy's vaccines and vet visits in one place.

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When to get help

Some things are more than "puppy phase." Talk to your vet and, if needed, a reward-based trainer or veterinary behaviorist if your puppy:

• is very fearful, hides or freezes often, even at home;
• growls or snaps when handled, or guards food and toys hard;
• panics when left alone even for a minute;
• has frequent potty accidents after weeks of a good routine (it can be medical).

AVSAB specifically advises owners of fearful puppies to seek veterinary guidance. Getting help early is much easier than fixing a habit later. And skip punishment: AVSAB recommends reward-based methods only.

FAQ

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