Puppy training: the basics to set from the first weeks

Training a puppy isn’t about teaching tricks. It is about giving it the reference points it needs to live calmly with you: knowing how to settle, coming back when called, walking without pulling, staying alone without panicking. These basics are set in the first weeks, a few minutes a day, and they will serve you for its whole life.

The principle: reward what you want to see again

A dog repeats what has worked for it. If sitting earns a treat, it will sit more often. If jumping on visitors earns cuddles and laughter, it will keep jumping. All modern training rests on this simple idea: you reward the behaviour you want, and you make sure the unwanted behaviour pays nothing.

Punishment, shouting and jerking don’t teach a puppy what to do. They mostly teach it to fear you, and a frightened dog learns badly. Behavioural studies are clear on this: reward-based methods produce more obedient and less anxious dogs than coercive ones.

In practice you need:

• tiny, very tasty treats, the size of a pea;
• a marker word, always the same, such as “yes!”, said at the exact instant the puppy does the right thing;
• very short sessions of three to five minutes, several times a day.

Socialisation: the priority of the first weeks

Between about three weeks and three months, a puppy goes through a period when everything it discovers in good conditions will seem normal later on. After that age, novelty worries it more easily. So this is the time to introduce it to the world, without rushing it.

Calmly and with encouragement, let it meet:

• all kinds of people: children, the elderly, bearded men, people in djellabas, wearing a motorbike helmet, with an umbrella or a stick;
• noises: traffic, horns, the market, the vacuum cleaner, storms, firecrackers;
• surfaces: tiles, sand, grass, stairs, grilles;
• situations: the car, the vet’s waiting room, a lift, a café terrace;
• other dogs, adult, calm and vaccinated.

What matters is quality, not quantity. If the puppy backs away or trembles, move away until it relaxes, give it a treat and try again later, from further off. Never force it towards what frightens it.

Learning its name and recall

Recall is the cue that may one day save its life. Start on the first day, at home.

1. Say its name once, in a cheerful voice. As soon as it looks at you, say “yes!” and reward.
2. Move two steps away, crouch down and call “come!”. When it arrives, celebrate and give several treats in a row.
3. Increase the distance, then add small distractions, first indoors, then in an enclosed place.

Two rules have no exceptions. Never call your puppy for something unpleasant, like scolding it or trimming its nails: go and get it. And don’t let it off the lead in an unfenced place until its recall is reliable; use a ten-metre long line.

Sit, down, stay

Sit

Hold a treat above its nose and move it slowly back over its head. Its bottom lowers by itself. Say “yes!” and reward. Once the movement is learned, add the word “sit” just before.

Down

From the sitting position, lower the treat between its front paws, then draw it slowly away along the floor. Reward as soon as its elbows touch the ground.

Stay

Ask for a “sit”, show your palm, wait a second, reward. Build up the duration second by second, then the distance step by step. Always go back to it to reward rather than calling it: it learns that staying put is what pays.

Walking on a lead without pulling

A puppy pulls because pulling makes it go forward. Change the rule: a tight lead stops the walk, a loose lead starts it again.

• First get it used to the collar or harness at home, for a few minutes, while playing.
• Outside, as soon as the lead tightens, stop. Wait until it turns or comes back, reward beside your leg, and move off.
• Reward often while it walks beside you, at first every three or four steps.
• Change direction frequently so it pays attention to you.

The first walks will be slow. That’s normal: you are investing for the next fifteen years. A well-fitted harness is better than a collar for a puppy that pulls; avoid choke and spiked collars.

Nipping: learning to control its jaw

All puppies nip. It is how they play and discover, and their milk teeth are sharp. When it pinches too hard, stop the game immediately: freeze, fold your arms, look away for a few seconds. Resume when it has calmed down, and offer a chew toy in place of your hands.

Be consistent as a family: if one child plays at being nibbled, the puppy won’t understand why it is forbidden with everyone else.

Learning to be alone

Solitude is learned, in small doses. From the first week, leave the room for a few seconds, then a few minutes, without a fuss on leaving or a big welcome on returning. Leave it a chew toy. Lengthen absences very gradually. A puppy left alone for four hours at once, unprepared, risks developing separation anxiety, with barking and destruction.

The most common mistakes

• Repeating the cue ten times: the puppy learns that “sit-sit-sit” is the real word.
• Rules that change from person to person or day to day.
• Sessions that are too long: always stop on a success.
• Scolding after the event: beyond two seconds, it no longer connects the two.
• Waiting for it to “grow up” before starting.

Getting help

If you are a beginner, a few sessions with a dog trainer who uses positive methods are an excellent investment. Puppy classes, where they exist near you, combine training and socialisation. Check the services listings to find a trainer in your city, and ask to sit in on a session before you commit.

Key takeaways

Reward what you want to see again, be consistent, and work little but often. Socialisation, recall, lead walking and being alone are the four priorities of the first months; the rest will come easily afterwards. For house-training, follow our step-by-step method.