Training begins the day the puppy comes home. The critical socialisation window falls between 4 and 12 weeks of age: what a puppy meets calmly in that period, it will accept for life. Use positive reinforcement — reward what it gets right — and never use physical punishment, which produces fear and aggression rather than obedience.
Key facts:
- Start on day one: good manners are taught from the moment it arrives.
- Socialisation window: between 4 and 12 weeks — the most important period of its life.
- Positive reinforcement: reward the behaviour you want to see again.
- Never punish physically: it creates fear, not learning.
- Expose it gently to people, noises, places, other animals and being handled.
Almost every serious behaviour problem in an adult dog traces back to something that did not happen when it was a puppy. Training is not about obedience tricks; it is about building an animal that can cope with the world.
When should I start training?
The day the puppy arrives. There is no age at which training “begins” — a puppy is learning from the first minute, and if you are not teaching it deliberately, it is teaching itself. Keep sessions very short and always end on a success.
What is the socialisation window?
It is the period, roughly between 4 and 12 weeks of age, in which a puppy’s brain is unusually open to accepting new things as normal. Whatever it meets calmly and pleasantly in that window — children, men with beards, umbrellas, traffic, vacuum cleaners, other dogs, cats, car journeys, being picked up — it will generally accept for the rest of its life. What it does not meet, it may find frightening forever.
This is the single most valuable thing you can do for your dog, and the window does not reopen. Expose it gradually and positively, never by force: an overwhelmed puppy learns fear, not confidence.
What is positive reinforcement?
It means rewarding the behaviour you want repeated — with a treat, praise or play — at the moment it happens. Dogs repeat what works. If sitting quietly earns a treat and jumping up earns nothing at all, the dog will sit. The skill lies in the timing (reward immediately) and in the consistency (everyone in the household plays by the same rules).
Why should I never punish physically?
Because it does not teach the dog what to do; it teaches the dog to be afraid of you. Physical punishment produces fear, anxiety and defensive aggression, and it damages the relationship the training is supposed to build. An animal that is frightened of its owner is harder to train, not easier. Redirect unwanted behaviour and reward the alternative instead.
What should my puppy get used to?
As much of ordinary life as you can manage, calmly and in small doses: people of different ages and appearances, noises (traffic, doorbells, household appliances), places (the street, the car, the vet’s waiting room), other animals, and being handled — paws, ears, mouth, being brushed, being picked up. That last one pays dividends every time you visit the vet for the next fifteen years.
Frequently asked questions
When should I start training my puppy?
From the day it comes home. It is learning from the first minute regardless.
What is the socialisation window?
Roughly 4 to 12 weeks of age, when a puppy most readily accepts new experiences as normal. It does not reopen.
Does punishment work?
No. It creates fear and defensive aggression. Reward the behaviour you want instead.
How long should training sessions be?
Very short — a few minutes — and always ended on a success.
A well-socialised dog is a safer dog, but accidents still happen. Petplan España (Petplan Ibérica, S.L.) reimburses 100% of the vet bill up to €3,100 a year, with a €45 excess, at any vet you choose. See the policy terms.
