Bringing home a new puppy is joyful, chaotic, and just a little terrifying. Everyone tells you to “start training early,” but almost nobody tells you what to actually teach, or when. Do it too fast and you overwhelm a baby dog. Leave it too late and you miss the golden window where puppies soak up learning like a sponge. This week-by-week schedule takes the guesswork out of it, so you always know exactly what to work on next.
A quick reassurance before we start: you cannot get this perfect, and you do not need to. Puppies are forgiving. What matters is showing up for a few minutes most days and keeping it positive. Follow the rough timeline below, adjust to your own puppy, and you will raise a confident, well-mannered dog.
The one thing that matters most: the socialisation window
Before any of the specific lessons, understand this: the period from roughly 3 to 16 weeks is the single most important window in your dog’s entire life. During this time their brain is wired to accept new experiences as normal. Everything they meet calmly now, people, sounds, surfaces, other friendly dogs, becomes something they are comfortable with for life. Everything they miss can become something they fear later.
That is why socialisation runs through every week below. It is not a box to tick, it is the backbone of the whole schedule. And because puppies this young are not fully vaccinated, you socialise safely: carry them to see the world, invite calm vaccinated dogs to your home, and avoid high-risk places like public dog parks until your vet gives the all-clear.
How puppies actually learn (read this first)
Three rules make everything else work. Keep sessions short, because a young puppy can concentrate for only 5 minutes, and an older one 10 to 15. Keep them positive, because rewarding what you like teaches far faster than punishing what you do not. And keep them frequent, because three tiny sessions a day beats one long one. Feed part of their meals through training and you turn every day into a lesson.
8 to 10 weeks: the foundations
Most puppies come home around 8 weeks, and yes, training starts on day one, gently. Your goals here are about safety, comfort, and first impressions, not obedience.
What to teach:
- Their name. Say the name once, and the instant they look at you, mark it with a happy “yes” and a treat. You are teaching “your name means look at me,” the basis of all future attention.
- Potty training. Start immediately. Take them out after every nap, meal, and play session, and every hour in between. Reward the moment they go in the right spot. Our full puppy potty training guide walks through the schedule.
- Crate love. Make the crate a “treasure chest.” Toss treats in, feed meals in it, never use it as punishment. A puppy who loves their crate is easier to house train and far calmer when alone.
- Handling. Every day, gently touch ears, paws, mouth, and tail, pairing each with a treat. This makes future vet and grooming visits painless.
- Sit. Lure their nose up and back with a treat until their bottom hits the floor, then reward. Their first real command.
Keep it light. If your puppy is tired or distracted, stop. Sleep is when their brain files everything away, and young puppies need a lot of it.
10 to 12 weeks: building the basics
Your puppy is more confident now and ready for a bit more structure. This is also when the infamous land-shark phase arrives, all teeth and ankles.
What to teach:
- Bite inhibition. Puppy biting peaks now and it is completely normal. The key is teaching a soft mouth and redirecting to toys, not punishing. We cover the exact method in how to stop a puppy biting.
- Sit before everything. Ask for a sit before meals, before the door opens, before a fuss. This quietly teaches self-control and that good things come from you.
- Recall (the fun version). Say “come” in a happy voice, and throw a party when they arrive. Never call them for anything they dislike. Build a rock-solid, joyful recall now and you will thank yourself for years.
- Lead introduction. Let them wear a light collar and lead around the house, following them, so it becomes normal before you ever ask them to walk with it.
- Alone time. Practise leaving them settled for short, gradually longer periods. This gentle build-up helps prevent separation anxiety later.
12 to 16 weeks: real training begins
Your puppy’s attention span is growing and they can genuinely learn now. Keep socialising hard, because the window is starting to close.
What to teach:
- Down and stay. Lure them into a lie-down, then build a short “stay,” rewarding calm stillness for a second, then two, then five.
- Loose-lead walking. Now the lead means walks. Reward them for walking beside you with slack in the lead, and stop moving when they pull. Full method in how to stop a dog pulling on the leash.
- Leave it. A potentially life-saving cue. Teach them to turn away from something on the ground in exchange for a better reward from you.
- Proofing. Practise known cues in slightly harder settings: the garden, then the quiet street. Dogs do not generalise well, so a “sit” learned in the kitchen needs re-teaching outdoors.
4 to 6 months: polish and consistency
Adolescence is coming, and with it a phase where your once-obedient puppy seems to forget everything. This is normal. Do not panic and do not stop training. Keep reinforcing the basics, keep sessions positive, and hold your boundaries kindly and consistently. Add more challenging mental work now, because a bored adolescent is a mischievous one. Our guide to mental stimulation games is perfect for this stage, and if you want a structured plan that grows with your puppy, our Brain Training for Dogs review is worth a read.
A simple daily routine that ties it together
Structure makes a puppy feel secure, and a secure puppy learns better. A workable day looks like: potty on waking, breakfast (part fed through training), a short lesson, nap, play and socialisation outing, potty, lunch, long nap, training game, calm chew time, dinner, evening settle. You do not need to be rigid. Just keep the rhythm of eat, potty, play, train, sleep, repeated through the day.
Realistic expectations (so you don’t get discouraged)
Potty training is usually reliable around 4 to 6 months, though accidents happen. Basic cues are learned quickly but need months of practice to become reliable in distracting places. And adolescence, roughly 5 to 12 months, will test your patience. None of this means you are failing. It means you have a normal puppy. Consistency, not perfection, is what gets you to a wonderful adult dog.
Frequently asked questions
What age should you start training a puppy?
The day they come home, usually around 8 weeks. Keep it gentle and short at first, focusing on name recognition, potty training, and positive handling. The 8 to 16 week window is the most valuable learning period of their life.
How long should puppy training sessions be?
Very short. Around 5 minutes for young puppies and 10 to 15 for older ones. Several tiny sessions a day work far better than one long one.
What should a puppy know by 16 weeks?
Their name, sit, the beginnings of down, recall, and loose-lead walking, plus solid progress on potty training, crate comfort, bite inhibition, and broad, positive socialisation.
Is it ever too late to train a puppy?
No. While the early window is ideal, dogs learn at any age. Older puppies and adult dogs absolutely can be trained, it just takes a little more patience and consistency.
How do I socialise a puppy who isn’t fully vaccinated?
Carry them to experience sights and sounds, invite calm vaccinated dogs to your home, and avoid high-risk public areas like dog parks until your vet confirms it is safe.
The bottom line
A great adult dog is not luck, it is the result of a few good minutes most days during puppyhood. Follow the week-by-week rhythm above, keep every session short and happy, and above all socialise widely while the window is open. Next, set up a stress-free house-training routine with our puppy potty training guide, and tackle the biting phase with how to stop a puppy biting.
Sources and further reading: American Kennel Club puppy timeline, ASPCA, and PetMD.
