Training
Puppy training that actually sticks in the first eight weeks
6 min read
New puppies learn in tiny bursts. Three or four sessions a day of two to three minutes each will teach more than one long, frustrating half hour. The goal in the first eight weeks at home is not obedience — it is teaching your puppy that paying attention to you is the best game in the house.
Start with the name game
Say your puppy's name once in a bright voice. The moment their head turns, mark it with a word like "yes" and hand over a pea-sized treat. Repeat five times, then stop.
Never repeat the name over and over while they ignore you — that teaches the name means nothing. If they do not turn, you are too far away, too boring, or the room is too busy.
Capture the behaviours you like
Rather than luring every position, reward what your puppy already offers. A puppy who sits by the kitchen door gets a treat for sitting. A puppy lying calmly on their bed gets quiet praise and a chew.
- Sit: hold a treat at their nose, lift slowly over their head, reward the moment their bottom lands.
- Recall: two people, ten metres apart, take turns calling and rewarding. Keep it giggly.
- Settle: reward the moment all four elbows touch the floor, not when they get up.
Loose-lead walking starts in the hallway
Clip on a flat collar or a well-fitted step-in harness and practise walking two metres down your hallway. Every time the lead goes slack, feed a treat by your left knee. Tension means you stop and wait — never pull back.
Outdoor walks are for sniffing and confidence. Save real lead training for quiet moments at home until the sniffing is less overwhelming.
When it goes wrong
Biting, jumping and general madness usually mean an overtired puppy, not a naughty one. Puppies under sixteen weeks need eighteen to twenty hours of sleep a day. If training falls apart, offer a nap in the crate before you try anything else.