Puppy Training Tips: A Beginner’s Guide to Training Your New Puppy

Getting a new puppy comes with a nice feeling, but that may only last for an hour before you start asking yourself a few questions.

For many first-timers, the questions about owning a new puppy normally revolve around what they should teach their puppies, how they should teach, and how long should the sessions last.

If you’ve got a teething puppy, you may also find yourself wondering whether the kind of chewing you’re seeing is normal.

In this guide, we have outlined several puppy training tips which will help you answer those questions in plain terms.

The good news is that puppy training can be achieved within your set timelines so long as you organize your program and know how to do it.

So have this guide by your side as your puppy grows and check back anytime to see the relevant sections that you’re interested in.

There are two tools that make the first weeks with your puppy much easier.

In our puppy playpen training guide, we explain what playpen training is, why it helps and how to set up a pen.

We also have an article about how to crate train a puppy in 9 easy steps which also helps you choose the right crate size.

Training is only one part of those first weeks.

The part that catches most new owners off guard is everything around it, like the bedtime routine, the chewing and the first vet visit.

I put all of that into my complete puppy survival guide, with a printable checklist at the end of every chapter so you always know what to do next.

Before sit, down or anything fancy, there’s one skill we’d teach on the very first day, and you’ll find it at the top of our what-to-train-first list.

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When Should You Start Training a Puppy?

For those wondering when to start training a puppy, we recommend you start training your puppy the very day they come home!

Most puppies get a new home when they are about 8 weeks old, and the good news is that training can always begin straightaway.

It may come as a surprise to you, but your new puppy is already learning a lot of things the moment they walk through your doors.

The only question that you should ponder though at this moment is whether they are learning the habits you’ll want them to pick!

At this tender age, you don’t expect your puppy to pick the hard training sessions like obedience lessons.

You can keep the sessions as short as 2 minutes just by rewarding your puppy every time you say their name.

Another important fact about early puppy training is that you can get quick success when you toss in management alongside the techniques you’re teaching.

A good example is that your puppy cannot chew your shoes, when they can’t reach them. This means they won’t learn to chew them.

So, by placing your shoes in the right place, you’re indirectly teaching your puppy how NOT to chew them.

If you’re still getting more supplies for your new puppy, we have the ultimate new puppy checklist that we recommend you check out.

In that article we talk about the food, toys, crate and bedding, ID and microchipping, insurance and your first vet visit, plus more.

The other lesson you should aim to teach your new puppy during the first week is trust.

Remember the puppy has just left their mother and littermates, so to keep things gentle and predictable for them, make sure they trust you.

We strongly believe those early days are the best time to learn how to train a puppy through small easy wins because they will build confidence and trust with every achievement.

There’s one habit almost every new puppy parent falls into, and the sad thing is that it quietly teaches puppies to tune out cues.

Continue reading this page because we’ll show you how to fix that in the tips just below.

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Puppy Training Tips Every New Owner Should Know

These should be the basic principles when you want to properly train your puppy. Everything else we cover in this guide sits below them.

Once you get these principles right, then your road to success can be much smoother.

Also, these are some of the top dog training tips new puppy owners always say they wish they’d heard sooner.

1. Use Positive Reinforcement

Positive reinforcement is simply rewarding your dog for doing what you consider right. These are the behaviors you want to see more often from your puppy.

The whole idea behind this method is that your dog will always want to repeat that action until they form a habit.

Positive reinforcement is one of the best puppy training methods used by dog trainers and vets today.

Food rewards work best for most puppies. We recommend you choose a food/treat that is tasty and one that your puppy doesn’t eat all the time.

You can also consider interactive toys, playtime, and praise as part of the reward system, especially if you’re watching their calories.

According to the American Veterinary Society of Animal Behavior (AVSAB), punishment-based training may raise the risk of fear and aggression, so we advise against that.

2. Get Your Timing Right

Always remember to reward your puppy at the exact moment they do what you intended them to do.

When you get the timing right, your puppy will quickly connect their most recent action with the reward they just received.

3. Keep Sessions Short

Young puppies have a very short attention span, that rarely goes past 10 minutes.

The American Kennel Club (AKC) suggests that you should aim for a few minutes of training, spread out several times a day.

Your canine will learn a lot when they have three sessions a day, with each lasting for about 2 minutes, instead of having a long boring session.

4. Stay Consistent Across the Household

Everyone in your household should work toward training the new puppy for good behavior.

If, for example, one member allows the puppy on the couch, and another says no to the same behavior, the puppy will surely be confused.

Before everything else, have a chat with every member of your home and agree on the house rules and cue words to be used in training.

The same goes for cue words. We suggest keeping “down” for lying down and using “off” for furniture, so your puppy never has to guess.

5. Say a Cue Once

This is the habit we warned you about earlier. Many owners say “sit, sit, sit” when their puppy doesn’t respond the first time.

The problem is that your puppy soon learns the real cue is the third “sit,” and they’ll wait for it every time.

Instead, say the cue once and give your puppy a few seconds to respond. If nothing happens, guide them into position with a treat in your hand, reward them and try again a little later.

6. Manage the Environment

Management simply means setting up your home so your puppy has fewer chances to make mistakes.

Baby gates, a pen, a crate and a light leash in the house all help to prevent bad habits while you work on the good ones.

This is one of the most useful new puppy tips we can give you, because every time your puppy repeats a mistake, the habit becomes a little stronger.

7. Add Distractions Gradually

Don’t be surprised when your puppy sits perfectly in the kitchen and then ignores you in the backyard. This is normal for puppies.

We recommend teaching new skills in a quiet room first. Once your puppy gets the hang of a skill, add small distractions one at a time before you move to new places.

8. End on a Win

Always finish each session with something your puppy can do well, even if that’s just an easy sit.

Ending on a success keeps your puppy motivated, and they’ll look forward to the next session.

9. Keep Your Expectations Realistic

Remember that your puppy is still a baby. They’ll forget things, get distracted, have bad days and need plenty of repetition.

These are the tips for first time dog owners we repeat most often, because frustration usually sets in when expectations run ahead of what a puppy can do at their age.

They’re simple tips for training a puppy, but they’ll save you a lot of stress.

10.  Reward Calm Behavior

Most of us pay attention to our puppies when they’re causing trouble and ignore them when they’re lying quietly.

We recommend doing the opposite. When your puppy settles on their bed or chews a toy on their own, calmly drop a treat between their paws.

Wondering how all these principles fit into a normal day?

Further down, we’ve put together an example daily routine from wake-up to bedtime, with training added to each part of the day.

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What Should You Train Your Puppy First?

Now that you have the principles, here’s what we’d focus on in the first few weeks.

You can use this as a loose puppy training checklist instead of a strict order.

We’ve stuck to simple puppy training methods here, so most of them need nothing more than treats and a bit of patience.

1.  Name and Attention

Your puppy’s name should tell them that good things happen when they look at you.

Say their name once in a happy voice, and the moment they look at you, reward them.

Repeat this a few times a day in different rooms.

Avoid using their name when you’re frustrated or about to do something they don’t like.

We start with this skill because you can’t teach a puppy anything when they’re not paying attention to you.

2.  Potty Training

A potty training puppy needs far more trips outside than most people expect.

The basics of how to potty train a puppy are simple. Take them out often and reward them for going in the right spot.

We recommend taking your puppy out after they wake up, after eating or drinking, after play and before bed.

Go to the same spot each time, stay calm and reward them the moment they finish.

A useful rule of thumb is that puppies can hold their bladder for about one hour per month of age.

This is only a rough guide and not a target, and small breeds often need to go sooner.

Use those key moments to build a steady puppy potty training schedule.

Potty training commonly takes 4 to 6 months, and sometimes longer, so don’t panic if your puppy still has a few accidents at 12 weeks.

When accidents happen, clean them with an enzyme cleaner so the smell doesn’t draw your puppy back to the same spot.

Never punish your puppy for an accident. Punishment only teaches puppies to hide when they need to go, which makes house training a puppy much harder.

Here are a few puppy potty training tips that help a lot:

• Go outside with your puppy so you can reward them at the right moment.
• Say a short cue like “go potty” just before they go.
• Watch for sniffing and circling indoors, then head out right away.
• Keep a simple log of when your puppy goes for the first couple of weeks.

For more on this, including how to handle accidents, read our complete guide on the best way to potty train a puppy.

3.  Crate Training

A crate gives your puppy a safe and quiet den. The crate also helps you prevent accidents and chewing when you can’t watch them.

Choose a crate that’s big enough for your puppy to stand, turn around and lie down comfortably.

If you have a growing breed, a wire crate with a divider panel lets you adjust the space as your puppy gets bigger.

The key to crate training puppy success is to make the crate a nice place to be.

You can toss treats inside, feed meals in there, and let your puppy walk in and out freely before you ever close the door.

Never use the crate as punishment. Keep daytime crate time short and suitable for your puppy’s age, then build up slowly.

Some people call this kennel training a puppy, but the principles are the same.

4. Playpen Training

A playpen gives your puppy more room than a crate while still keeping them safe.

We find a pen especially useful when you’re home but busy, like when you’re cooking or working.

Set the pen up with a bed, water, a couple of chew toys and, if needed, a potty pad in one corner.

Reward your puppy for playing and resting quietly inside. Practice short stretches while you’re still in the room before you start stepping away.

You Might Also Like:

• Should I Wake My Puppy Up To Pee At Night?
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• 10 Easy DIY Puppy Pens For Safe & Stylish Stay

5. Biting and Chewing

Mouthing is completely normal for puppies.

They explore the world with their mouths and play with their littermates using their teeth.

The chewing also gets worse during teething, which runs from about 3 to 6 months of age.

Your goal is not to stop mouthing overnight, but to teach your puppy what’s okay to bite.

Here are some puppy biting training tips that work:

• Redirect your puppy to a toy the moment their teeth touch your skin.
• Pause play for a few seconds if the biting continues, then start again calmly.
• Offer a nap when the biting gets worse, since overtired puppies bite more.
• Keep chew toys in every room so the right choice is always easy.

If you want to understand why puppies bite, how normal play biting differs from aggressive biting and what bite inhibition means, read our guide on how to get a puppy to stop biting.

The point about tired puppies is more important than most people think.

In our daily routine section, we show where naps fit into the day, which can help calm those bitey evening hours.

6. Basic Commands

Once your puppy knows their name and is starting to enjoy training, you can move on to the basic puppy training commands, which are sit, down, come, stay and leave it.

Use a treat to lure your puppy into each position, then reward them.

Within a few days, start fading the lure so your puppy responds to the word or a hand signal alone.

We’d give recall (‘come’) special attention.

Never call your puppy to something they don’t like, such as a bath or the end of playtime.

If ‘come’ always leads to something bad, your puppy will stop coming.

Pair the word with great treats and happy greetings instead.

Most of the puppy training commands you’ll use for the rest of your dog’s life come from this short list, so practice a little every day.

7. Leash Walking

We recommend starting leash training puppy skills indoors, where there are fewer distractions.

Let your puppy wear a light collar or harness with a leash for short periods, and reward them for walking next to you.

When training a puppy to walk on a leash outside, follow one simple rule. If the leash gets tight, stop walking, and when the leash goes loose, keep going.

Once your puppy comes back toward you and the leash goes slack, reward them beside your leg, then continue walking.

For recall practice outdoors, a long line gives your puppy some freedom while still keeping them safe.

8. Settling and Calm Behavior

You can teach settling by rewarding your puppy for lying on a mat or bed, starting with a few seconds and slowly increasing the time.

Chew toys and a puzzle feeder also help, since chewing and licking naturally calm puppies down.

Very young puppies sleep about 18 to 20 hours a day, so regular naps in the crate or pen are part of settling, too.

9. Appropriate Socialization

The main socialization window runs until your puppy is about 12 to 16 weeks old.

AVSAB supports starting socialization before your puppy has finished their vaccines, as long as you take sensible precautions.

You can carry your puppy to see new places, arrange playdates with vaccinated dogs you know, and join a puppy class once your vet gives you the go-ahead.

Avoid dog parks until your vet clears your puppy.

Remember that socialization is about good experiences, not a long list of them.

Let your puppy watch traffic from a distance, walk on different surfaces and meet calm people, and reward each new experience with treats.

If your puppy seems worried, move farther away and try again another day.

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Puppy Training Schedule & Daily Routine

A puppy training schedule doesn’t have to be a formal plan with fixed lesson times.

Most training happens in small moments throughout the day, like asking for a sit before breakfast or playing a recall game before dinner.

We recommend building a puppy routine around your puppy’s natural pattern of sleeping, eating and playing, since this makes training easier for both of you.

A predictable new puppy routine is one of the best things you can give your puppy in the first weeks. The best puppy training routine is simply the one you can stick to.

Below is an example puppy routine schedule for a puppy aged about 10 to 12 weeks. The times are only a sample, so adjust them to fit your day.

Time	What happens	Training to fold in
6:30 a.m.	Wake up, straight outside	Potty cue, reward the moment they finish
7:00 a.m.	Breakfast, part of it by hand	Name game, sit before the bowl goes down
7:30 a.m.	Potty break, then short play	Toy trades, hand targeting
8:00 a.m.	Nap in the crate or pen	Quiet settling, calm crate time
10:00 a.m.	Wake up, potty, play	Two-minute session on sit and down
11:00 a.m.	Nap	Settling on their own
12:30 p.m.	Lunch, then potty	Leash practice in the house or yard
1:00 p.m.	Nap	Pen time with a chew toy
3:00 p.m.	Potty, then a short outing	Socialization with new sounds and surfaces
5:00 p.m.	Dinner, then potty	Recall games indoors
6:30 p.m.	Family time and chewing	Rewarding calm on the mat
9:30 p.m.	Last potty, then bedtime	Crate settle with a quiet goodnight

Looking at this new puppy schedule, you’ll notice that every wake-up is followed by a potty trip.

The training sessions are short and tied to things that already happen, like meals and outings. The naps also come often, because an overtired puppy tends to bite more.

You can set aside part of each meal as puppy training treats, so your puppy doesn’t fill up on extras.

Keeping them in a treat pouch on your waist also makes it easier to reward on time.

It also helps to plan what you’ll focus on each week. A simple weekly puppy training plan could be one new skill and one skill to polish.

Your crate training puppy schedule should also match your puppy’s age and bladder.

Short daytime rests after play and meals, with a potty break before and after, work much better than long stretches.

Finally, add some puppy enrichment to the day. Sniff walks, snuffle mats, chew toys and puzzle feeders tire out your puppy’s brain just like a run tires out their body.

Training is only one piece of your puppy’s first months.

In my 50-page puppy survival guide, I step back to cover the bigger picture, from home setup, routines and bedtime to chewing, teething, vet visit prep and the adolescent stage.

Bonus pages on potty training and crate training sit alongside those chapters, and each chapter ends with a printable checklist.

Your puppy won’t stay small for long, and what they need to learn changes as they grow.

In the next section, we break it down by age, including the six-month stage when many puppies seem to forget everything.

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Puppy Training Schedule by Age

A puppy training schedule by age helps you know what’s realistic at each stage.

Keep in mind that every puppy grows at their own pace, so use this as a loose puppy training timeline instead of a list of deadlines.

8 – 10 Weeks

This is the settling-in stage, where your puppy is learning where to go potty, where to sleep and who you are.

Focus on name games, frequent potty trips and slowly introducing the crate.

You can also start handling their paws, ears and mouth for a second at a time, with a treat after each touch.

This makes vet visits and grooming easier later on.

If you’d like to prepare a little more before that first appointment, our Puppy Care 101 guide covers simple handling routines that can help your puppy feel more comfortable during vet checkups.

10 – 12 Weeks

At this age, you can start teaching sit, down and hand targeting, along with simple recall games indoors.

Keep the potty schedule steady and introduce short periods alone in the pen.

This is still prime socialization time, so aim for a few calm new experiences every week. A puppy class is a good option once your vet approves.

3 – 4 Months

Your puppy’s attention span grows a little at this stage, and so does their confidence.

Practice commands in new rooms and in the backyard, and start leash walking in quiet places.

Teething usually begins around this time, so keep chew toys close by.

4 – 6 Months

Your puppy’s skills become more reliable, and you can start adding duration and distance.

For example, ask for a sit that lasts a few seconds longer, or a stay while you take a step back.

Teething is at its peak, so expect more chewing and plan for it.

Many puppies are almost fully potty trained by the end of this stage, though some take longer.

6 + Months

Adolescence starts at about 6 months and can last until 18 or even 24 months.

Don’t be surprised if your puppy suddenly acts like they’ve never heard “come” before. This temporary forgetting is normal.

Go back to the basics, practice in easier places and use higher-value rewards for a while.

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Many of the setbacks during adolescence come from a few everyday habits. We cover the biggest ones next, including why calling your puppy for a bath can ruin your recall.

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Common Puppy Training Mistakes

Every puppy parent makes a few of these mistakes. The good news is that most of them are easy to fix once you notice them.

• Repeating cues. When you say ‘sit’ five times, your puppy learns to wait for the fifth one. Say the cue once, help your puppy if needed, and then reward.
• Calling your puppy for something unpleasant. If ‘come’ leads to a bath, a nail trim or the end of playtime, your puppy will start avoiding you. Go and get your puppy for these things instead, and only use recall for good news.
• Punishing accidents. Scolding your puppy for a mess teaches them fear, not bladder control. Clean up quietly, take your puppy out more often, and reward them when they go outside.
• Giving too much freedom too soon. A puppy with the run of the house will find your shoes, the cables and the corner of the rug. Use gates, a pen and a leash indoors, then give more freedom as your puppy earns your trust.
• Skipping naps. An overtired puppy bites more and listens less. If your puppy goes wild in the evening, they probably need a nap, not more exercise.
• Stopping training too early. Many owners relax once sit and potty training are working, only to find adolescence harder than they expected. Keep practicing in short sessions as your puppy grows.

Even with good habits, some puppies get stuck. In the next section, we explain how to tell whether you need a vet, a trainer or just a new plan.

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What If Puppy Training Isn’t Going Well?

Training a puppy usually takes longer than most people expect, and sometimes progress stalls even when you’re doing everything right.

Start by making things easier for your puppy. Go back to a quieter place, shorten your sessions and try better rewards.

Next, rule out any health issues. Sudden changes in potty habits, sensitivity to touch or unusual biting can have a medical cause, like a urinary infection or pain.

We always recommend a vet check first whenever your puppy’s behavior changes out of nowhere.

If progress still stalls, or you notice strong fear, growling, snapping or aggression, get professional help.

A certified trainer, such as one with the CPDT-KA credential, can help with everyday training problems.

For fear or aggression, a veterinary behaviorist can check for both medical and behavioral causes.

Choose someone who uses positive reinforcement, and stay away from anyone who relies on harsh corrections.

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What Comes After Basic Puppy Training?

Basic training is only the beginning.

Your puppy will keep learning for the rest of their life, and the habits you build now will make everything that follows easier.

If you ever need a refresher on the basics, our list of 15 essential dog training tips for beginners is a good place to go back to.

Tricks are a great next step. Teaching puppy training tricks builds focus and confidence, and they’re a fun thing to work on together.

Once sit and down are solid, there are plenty of tricks to teach your puppy.

Our article on 20 easy tricks to teach your dog go from essential to advanced, with favorites like shake and back up.

When your puppy is ready for something more impressive, our post about 22 cool dog tricks you can teach at home include fun ones like smile and a selfie pose.

We hope this guide for training a puppy makes your first months together easier.

Whenever things feel stuck, come back to these puppy training tips and start with the basics again.

I wrote the Complete Puppy Survival Guide to sit alongside the training you’ve just read about and cover the rest of the new-puppy stage.

It’s roughly 50 pages, and it takes you through your puppy’s first months chapter by chapter so you always know what to do next.

What you get:

• About 50 pages across 7 chapters in PDF
• Chapters on home setup, routines and bedtime, training basics, vet visit prep, treats and rewards, chewing and teething, and the adolescent stage
• Two bonus pages on potty training and crate training (‘The Crate Isn’t Puppy Jail’)
• A printable, screenshot-friendly five-part checklist at the end of every chapter: do this right away, set up your space, practice daily, a pro tip and one thing to track

Get the Complete Puppy Survival Guide →

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Conclusion

To summarize this guide, let’s just say that good puppy training is achieved through consistency, repetition, rewards, and patience from the trainer.

We hope the above puppy training tips have given you a practical framework, with which you can base your sessions.

For the final reminder, remember to keep the sessions short because this will make the training easier for your puppy.

We also encourage you to adjust your expectations as your puppy grows and develops into an adult dog.

When something goes south, do not hesitate to go back to the basics, and never punish your dog for making mistakes.