Puppy training · Schedule · Updated June 2026
A puppy training schedule,
week by week.
Puppies develop in stages, and training works best when it follows them. Here's a clear age-by-age roadmap from the day you bring your puppy home to the start of adolescence.
Quick answer
A puppy training schedule should follow development. At 8-10 weeks: name response, gentle handling, the start of house-training and crate love, and broad positive socialization. At 10-12 weeks: sit, down, recall indoors, bite inhibition, and short alone-time. At 3-4 months: loose-leash introduction, "leave it", continued socialization, and teething-chew management. At 4-6 months: proofing cues around distractions, recall on a long line, and preparing for adolescence. Keep every session to 5-10 minutes, several times a day, all reward-based, by six months your puppy should have solid foundations to build on.
01 · The roadmap
What to train,
and when.
Each stage builds on the last. Don't rush ahead, a solid foundation at each age makes the next one easy.
8-10 wks
Settle in & socialize
Priorities: name response and eye contact, gentle handling of paws, ears and mouth, the first days of house-training, and falling in love with the crate. Begin broad, positive socialization, new people, sounds, surfaces, and safe vaccinated dogs. Sessions are tiny: 3-5 minutes, several times a day.
10-12 wks
First cues & alone-time
Add sit, down, and recall inside the home, all lured and rewarded. Keep working bite inhibition and house-training. Start very short absences so the puppy learns being alone is normal, heading off separation problems later.
3-4 mos
Leash, "leave it" & teething
Introduce loose-leash walking with the stop-and-stand method and a front-clip harness, and teach "leave it". Keep socializing, the window is closing. Provide plenty of appropriate chews as adult teeth come in, and redirect mouthing onto them.
4-6 mos
Proofing & distractions
Generalize every cue to new places and add distractions gradually. Build recall on a long line before any off-leash freedom. This is when foundations either get solid or get sloppy, so reward reliability and keep sessions upbeat.
6 mos+
Adolescence, hold the line
Expect a "teenage" phase where your puppy seems to forget everything. It hasn't, adolescence just tests boundaries. Don't abandon what you taught: keep the routine, double the reps, stay patient, and it passes.
Keep going
How to train a puppy (full guide)
The complete method behind this schedule.
How to potty train a puppy
The house-training track in detail.
How to stop puppy biting
Managing the nipping stage.
When to start training a puppy
Why the 8-16 week window matters.
Puppy training basics
Read →
How long training takes
Read →
Most-searched questions
The questions people
actually ask.
What should an 8-week-old puppy know?
Nothing yet, 8 weeks is the starting line. Focus on settling in, name recognition, gentle handling, the first house-training trips, positive crate associations, and lots of calm socialization. Keep sessions to a few minutes.
How many training sessions a day for a puppy?
Three to five short sessions of 5-10 minutes, spread through the day, work best. Frequent short reps suit a puppy's attention span far better than one long session, and leave the puppy keen rather than burned out.
Is 6 months too late to start training?
Not at all. The peak socialization window has passed, but a 6-month-old learns quickly. Start with the same foundations now and prioritize positive exposure to anything the dog is unsure about; it just takes more repetitions than it would have at 10 weeks.
When can I start leash training a puppy?
Introduce loose-leash walking around 3-4 months using a front-clip harness and the stop-and-stand method, in low-distraction settings first. Before that, you can get the puppy used to wearing a harness and collar indoors so the gear itself isn't novel.
Why has my well-trained puppy started ignoring me at 7 months?
Adolescence. Between roughly 6 and 18 months puppies test boundaries and seem to forget cues. They haven't, keep the routine consistent, raise the value of your rewards, and don't stop practicing. Consistency through this phase is what produces a reliable adult.
Our method & sources
Every TailorPup plan and guide uses reward-based training (positive reinforcement), the approach the American Veterinary Society of Animal Behavior (AVSAB) recommends for all dog training. Read the full science and source list on our training method page.
TailorPup is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or certified by the AVSAB. References are provided for informational purposes only and are not a substitute for advice from your veterinarian or a qualified trainer.
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