Puppy Training
5 min read
You should start puppy training the day your puppy comes home. Early socialization, gentle structure, and foundation skills are far easier to build now than to fix later — you don't need to wait for a certain age or for vaccinations to finish before beginning at home.
Puppies are learning constantly whether or not you're teaching on purpose. Every interaction is shaping habits — so the question isn't whether your puppy is being trained, it's whether the habits forming are the ones you want.
The early weeks are also a critical window for socialization: safe, positive exposure to new people, surfaces, sounds, and environments builds a confident adult dog. Waiting until problems appear means unlearning bad habits instead of building good ones.
Start with the foundations: crate and potty training, a name and recall game, gentle leash introduction, calm settling, and impulse control around food and doors. Keep sessions short, upbeat, and frequent.
Socialization should be thoughtful, not overwhelming. Quality beats quantity — a few calm, positive experiences are worth more than one chaotic dog park visit.
Every dog begins with a free evaluation. Tell us about your dog and we'll recommend the right path — no pressure.