Puppy Training Schedule by Age: Week-by-Week Guide

# Puppy Training Schedule by Age: Week-by-Week Guide

One of the most common questions new puppy owners ask is: **"When should I start training my puppy?"** The answer is simpler than you think — you should start the day you bring them home. But what you train, how you train it, and how long each session lasts changes dramatically as your puppy grows.

The biggest mistake new owners make is either waiting too long to start (thinking the puppy needs to "settle in" first) or trying to teach advanced behaviors before the puppy has the developmental foundation to learn them. Both lead to frustration on both ends of the leash.

This guide breaks down exactly what to focus on at every stage of your puppy's first year, with specific skills, session lengths, and realistic expectations for each period.

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The Golden Rules of Puppy Training (All Ages)

Before we get into the schedule, these principles apply regardless of your puppy's age:

• **Keep sessions short.** Puppies have the attention span of a goldfish. Sessions should be **2–5 minutes** for young puppies, building to **10–15 minutes** for adolescents. Multiple short sessions per day are far more effective than one long session.
• **End on success.** Always finish a training session with something your puppy can do well. This leaves them feeling confident and wanting more.
• **Use high-value rewards.** Kibble works for easy behaviors. For new or challenging skills, use soft, smelly treats that your puppy goes crazy for. Cheese, hot dog pieces, and freeze-dried liver are popular choices.
• **Train before meals.** A slightly hungry puppy is a motivated puppy. Schedule training sessions 30 minutes before feeding time.
• **One skill at a time per session.** Especially with young puppies, focus each session on a single behavior. Mixing three new commands into one session creates confusion.
• **Everyone trains the same way.** If you use "down" for lying down, your partner cannot use "lay down." Consistency across all household members is non-negotiable.

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8–10 Weeks: The Foundation Period

Your puppy has just left their mother and littermates. Everything is new, slightly scary, and incredibly exciting. This period is about building trust, establishing routines, and introducing the concept that good things happen when they make good choices.

Priority Skills

**1. Name Recognition** This is not a command — it is an association. You want your puppy to hear their name and immediately look at you.

• Say the puppy's name once (not repeatedly)
• The moment they look at you, mark with "yes" and deliver a treat
• Practice 10–15 repetitions throughout the day in low-distraction environments
• **Goal by end of week 2:** Puppy turns to look at you 8 out of 10 times when you say their name indoors

**2. Sit** The first actual command, and the easiest for most puppies to learn.

• Hold a treat just above the puppy's nose
• Slowly move it backward over their head
• As their nose follows the treat up, their bottom naturally hits the floor
• The instant their bottom touches, mark "yes" and deliver the treat
• Add the verbal cue "sit" only after the puppy is reliably offering the behavior
• **Goal by end of week 2:** Puppy sits with a hand lure in 3 seconds or less

**3. Crate Introduction** Not a behavior per se, but critical training that begins immediately.

• Feed all meals inside the crate
• Toss treats into the crate randomly throughout the day
• Leave the crate door open and reward any voluntary entry
• Begin closing the door for 5–10 seconds while the puppy eats, then open it
• **Goal by end of week 2:** Puppy enters the crate willingly for meals and short periods

**4. Handling Exercises** Teaching your puppy to accept body handling prevents problems at the vet, groomer, and during nail trims.

• Gently touch ears, paws, mouth, and tail while feeding treats
• Keep sessions to 30 seconds at this age
• Stop immediately if the puppy shows stress (turning away, lip licking, whale eye)
• **Goal by end of week 2:** Puppy tolerates brief handling of all body parts without stress

Daily Schedule (8–10 Weeks)

| Time | Activity | |------|----------| | 7:00 AM | Potty break, breakfast in crate | | 7:30 AM | Supervised play (15 min), then nap | | 9:30 AM | Potty break, **training session #1** (3 min — name recognition) | | 9:45 AM | Supervised play (15 min), then nap | | 12:00 PM | Potty break, lunch in crate | | 12:30 PM | Supervised play (15 min), then nap | | 2:30 PM | Potty break, **training session #2** (3 min — sit) | | 2:45 PM | Supervised play (15 min), then nap | | 5:00 PM | Potty break, dinner in crate | | 5:30 PM | Supervised play (20 min), then nap | | 7:30 PM | Potty break, **training session #3** (3 min — handling) | | 7:45 PM | Calm interaction, then nap | | 10:00 PM | Final potty break, bedtime |

Notice how much sleep is in this schedule. **An 8-week-old puppy should sleep 18–20 hours per day.** The play and training periods are deliberately short.

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10–12 Weeks: Building Blocks

Your puppy is starting to feel more comfortable in their environment and is ready for slightly more complex behaviors. This is also the heart of the **critical socialization window**, so exposure to new experiences is just as important as formal training.

Priority Skills

**1. Recall (Come)** Start building this skill now, even though reliable off-leash recall will take months.

• In a small, enclosed space, crouch down and call your puppy's name followed by "come"
• Use an excited, happy voice
• When they arrive, deliver a **jackpot** of treats (5–6 small treats delivered one at a time) and genuine praise
• Never call your puppy to come for something unpleasant (bath, crate, end of play)
• **Goal by end of week 4:** Puppy comes reliably when called inside the house

**2. Leave It (Introduction)** This is a safety command that prevents your puppy from eating dangerous items.

• Place a treat in your closed fist and present it to the puppy
• They will lick, nibble, and paw at your hand — wait patiently
• The moment they pull back or look up at you, mark "yes" and give a **different** treat from your other hand
• Repeat until the puppy immediately looks at you when you present the closed fist
• **Goal by end of week 4:** Puppy looks away from the closed fist within 2 seconds

**3. Leash Introduction** Not walking on a leash yet — just wearing one.

• Let the puppy drag a lightweight leash around the house under supervision
• Pick up the leash occasionally, apply zero tension, and drop it
• Reward the puppy for walking near you while on the leash
• **Goal by end of week 4:** Puppy is comfortable wearing a leash and collar/harness without fussing

**4. Down** Build on the sit command.

• With the puppy in a sit, hold a treat to their nose and slowly lower it straight down to the floor
• As they follow the treat down, their elbows should touch the floor
• Mark "yes" and reward the instant they are in a full down position
• If they stand up instead, you are likely moving the treat too far forward — go straight down
• **Goal by end of week 4:** Puppy follows a lure into a down position within 5 seconds

Session Length

Increase to **3–5 minutes** per session. You can now do **4 sessions per day** if the puppy is engaged and enthusiastic. A **puppy training app** like PupCoach can help you keep track of which skills to practice each day and ensure you are progressing at the right pace for your puppy's breed and development.

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3–4 Months: The Learning Explosion

This is where things get exciting. Your puppy's brain is developing rapidly, and they can begin to chain behaviors together. Their attention span is growing, and they are capable of learning new commands in fewer repetitions.

However, this is also when **the first fear period** may occur (typically between 8–11 weeks, but sometimes delayed to this period). If your puppy suddenly becomes fearful of things they were previously fine with, do not force exposure. Let them observe from a comfortable distance and reward brave behavior.

Priority Skills

**1. Stay (Duration)** Start with sit-stay — it is easier than down-stay because the position is less comfortable, making a short stay more natural.

• Ask for a sit
• Hold your palm out in a "stop" gesture and say "stay"
• Wait **1 second**, mark "yes," and reward
• Gradually increase the duration: 2 seconds, 3 seconds, 5 seconds, 8 seconds, 10 seconds
• If the puppy breaks, you increased too quickly. Go back to the last successful duration
• **Goal by end of month 4:** 15-second sit-stay with you standing 3 feet away

**2. Loose Leash Walking** This is one of the hardest skills to teach consistently. Start early and be patient.

• Stand still. Wait for your puppy to look at you or for the leash to go slack
• The moment the leash is loose, mark and reward, then take 2–3 steps
• If the puppy pulls, stop immediately. Become a tree. Wait for slack
• Reward frequently — every 3–5 steps of loose leash in the beginning
• **Goal by end of month 4:** Puppy walks 20 steps on a loose leash in a low-distraction area

**3. Place/Bed Command** Teaching the puppy to go to a designated spot and stay there.

• Lure the puppy onto their bed or mat with a treat
• Mark and reward the moment all four paws are on the mat
• Gradually add duration: reward for staying on the mat for 5 seconds, 10 seconds, 30 seconds
• Introduce the verbal cue "place" or "bed"
• **Goal by end of month 4:** Puppy goes to their bed on cue and stays for 30 seconds

**4. Drop It** The companion to "leave it." This teaches the puppy to release something already in their mouth.

• Offer the puppy a low-value toy. Let them engage with it
• Present a high-value treat near their nose
• When they drop the toy to take the treat, mark "yes" and deliver the treat
• Pick up the toy and offer it again — this teaches the puppy that dropping things does not mean losing them
• **Goal by end of month 4:** Puppy drops a toy on a verbal cue 7 out of 10 times

Session Length

Increase to **5–8 minutes** per session. Continue with **4–5 sessions per day**. At this stage, you can start incorporating short training moments into daily life — asking for a sit before meals, a down before going through a door, a "look" before crossing the street.

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4–6 Months: Adolescence Begins

Welcome to the phase where your puppy pretends they have never heard any of the commands they have been doing perfectly for weeks. This is puppy adolescence, and it is the stage where many owners give up on training. Do not be one of them.

What is actually happening: your puppy's brain is undergoing significant restructuring. They are testing boundaries, developing independence, and becoming more aware of the external environment (which means distractions become exponentially more challenging). This is also when **the second fear period** may occur.

Priority Skills

**1. Proofing Existing Commands** This is more important than teaching new skills. Take everything your puppy knows and practice it in new environments with increasing distractions.

• Practice sit/down/stay in the garden, then the driveway, then the sidewalk, then a quiet park
• Each new environment will initially feel like starting from scratch — this is normal
• Increase the value of your treats as distractions increase
• **Goal by end of month 6:** Puppy responds to basic commands (sit, down, come, stay) in moderately distracting outdoor environments

**2. Reliable Recall — Distance and Distraction** Build on the recall foundation from earlier.

• Use a **long line (15–30 feet)** in open spaces — never practice off-leash recall in unfenced areas until it is rock solid
• Call the puppy away from moderate distractions (another dog at a distance, a squirrel across the yard)
• Always make coming to you the best thing that happens to the puppy — never punish after a recall
• Practice "surprise recalls" during walks — call when the puppy is not expecting it
• **Goal by end of month 6:** Puppy recalls from 20 feet away in the presence of moderate distractions, 7 out of 10 times

**3. Wait** Different from stay — "wait" means "pause momentarily until I release you."

• Use at doorways, before meals, and before getting out of the car
• Ask for a sit, say "wait," open the door slightly
• If the puppy moves, close the door and reset
• When they hold position, say "okay" (release word) and let them through
• **Goal by end of month 6:** Puppy waits at doorways until released

**4. Impulse Control Games** These build the puppy's ability to think before acting, which reduces jumping, snatching, and lunging on leash.

• **"It's Your Choice":** Place treats on the floor under your hand. When the puppy stops trying to get them and looks at you, mark and reward from a separate stash
• **"Ready, Set, Go":** Ask for a sit, build excitement by saying "ready... set..." and only release to a toy or treat when you say "go." If they break early, reset calmly
• **Goal by end of month 6:** Puppy can hold a sit while you place a treat on the floor 4 feet away, and only take it when released

Session Length

**8–12 minutes** per session. You can reduce to **3 sessions per day** but make them higher quality. Incorporate training into daily life as much as possible.

This is the stage where PupCoach really shines — its daily lesson plans adjust to your puppy's age and developmental stage, so when your 5-month-old suddenly "forgets" everything they learned, the app guides you through proofing exercises rather than trying to teach new advanced commands that your puppy is not ready for.

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6–9 Months: The Teenage Phase

If 4–6 months was adolescence beginning, 6–9 months is full-blown teenager. Your puppy may:

• Ignore commands they have been doing for months
• Become more reactive to other dogs, people, or environmental triggers
• Test boundaries around the house (counter surfing, stealing items, jumping on guests)
• Have boundless energy combined with zero patience

This is **the most critical period to maintain training consistency.** The dogs who become reliable, well-mannered adults are the ones whose owners pushed through this phase without giving up.

Priority Skills

**1. Advanced Recall** Your recall needs to work when it really counts — not just in the living room.

• Practice in increasingly challenging environments
• Use the "premack principle:" call the puppy away from something fun, reward, then release them back to the fun thing. This teaches that coming when called does not end the fun
• Add variety to your recall rewards: treats, toys, play, running away from them (chasing you is inherently rewarding)
• **Goal by end of month 9:** Puppy recalls from 30+ feet with significant distractions, 8 out of 10 times on a long line

**2. Polite Greetings** Jumping on people typically peaks during this period.

• Ask for a sit before all greetings (from family members, guests, people on walks)
• If the puppy jumps, the person turns away immediately. No eye contact, no touching, no talking
• When all four paws are on the floor or the puppy sits, the person can greet them
• Be relentlessly consistent — every single greeting, every single time
• **Goal by end of month 9:** Puppy sits for greetings 7 out of 10 times with familiar people

**3. Extended Stay and Place** Build real-world duration.

• Practice place command during meals (the puppy stays on their bed while you eat dinner)
• Start with 1 minute and build to 10–15 minutes over several weeks
• Use a stuffed Kong or chew to help the puppy settle
• **Goal by end of month 9:** 10-minute place-stay during low-distraction household activities

**4. Leash Manners in Public** This is where all the loose-leash foundation work gets tested.

• Practice walking past other dogs at a distance
• Reward focus on you (eye contact, checking in) rather than just punishing pulling
• Use "let's go" as a direction change cue when the puppy fixates on something
• **Goal by end of month 9:** Puppy walks on a loose leash for 5-minute stretches in moderately busy environments

Session Length

**10–15 minutes** per session. **2–3 structured sessions per day** plus real-world training moments.

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9–12 Months: Maturity in Sight

By this stage, your puppy has the cognitive ability of a young adult dog. Their physical energy is still high, but their capacity for learning and impulse control has grown dramatically — if you have been consistent with training.

Priority Skills

**1. Off-Leash Reliability (Fenced Areas)** If your recall is solid on a long line, you can begin testing in fenced areas.

• Start in a securely fenced yard or dog park during quiet hours
• Practice recall amid the ultimate distraction: freedom
• Keep sessions short and end on a high note — do not let off-leash time devolve into the puppy ignoring you for 20 minutes

**2. Duration and Distance with All Commands** - 30-second sit-stay with you 15 feet away - 1-minute down-stay with mild distractions - Place command for 15–20 minutes during household activities

**3. Real-World Manners** - Walking calmly past other dogs without pulling - Settling in outdoor cafe environments - Ignoring dropped food on walks - Calm behavior when the doorbell rings

**4. Trick Training** This is not fluff — trick training builds engagement, confidence, and a stronger bond.

• Shake, spin, bow, roll over, "touch" (nose to hand)
• Tricks also keep training fun during a period when obedience drilling can become monotonous for both of you

Session Length

**15 minutes** per session. **2 sessions per day** plus daily life integration.

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What Happens If You Start Late?

If you adopted an older puppy or got a late start on training, do not panic. The schedule above is optimized for starting at 8 weeks, but dogs of any age can learn. The key differences with an older start:

• **Socialization becomes more challenging** after 16 weeks, but it is not impossible — just proceed more slowly and watch for stress signals
• **Existing habits** (jumping, pulling, counter surfing) take longer to change than preventing them
• **The same principles apply:** short sessions, positive reinforcement, consistency, patience

A structured **puppy training app** can be especially helpful for late starters because it provides a clear progression path rather than leaving you to guess what your 5-month-old who missed early training should be working on.

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Quick Reference: Skills by Age

| Age | Key Skills | Session Length | Sessions/Day | |-----|-----------|----------------|--------------| | 8–10 weeks | Name, sit, crate, handling | 2–3 min | 3 | | 10–12 weeks | Recall, leave it, leash intro, down | 3–5 min | 4 | | 3–4 months | Stay, loose leash, place, drop it | 5–8 min | 4–5 | | 4–6 months | Proofing, recall distance, wait, impulse control | 8–12 min | 3 | | 6–9 months | Advanced recall, greetings, extended stay, public leash manners | 10–15 min | 2–3 | | 9–12 months | Off-leash, duration/distance, real-world manners, tricks | 15 min | 2 |

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Final Thoughts

The first year of puppy training is a marathon, not a sprint. There will be days when your puppy nails a behavior they have been struggling with, and there will be days when they act like they have never heard the word "sit" in their life. Both are normal.

The owners who succeed are the ones who show up consistently, keep sessions short and positive, and adjust their expectations to match their puppy's developmental stage — not their own timeline. If you do that, you will end up with a well-trained companion who is a joy to live with.

You have got this. Start where your puppy is, not where you wish they were, and build from there.