When the novelty of a puppy wears off, it’s often replaced by a little wonder — or sometimes grumbling — at how long it will take for the new family member to be as well-trained as the previous one: walks nicely on a leash, comes right when called, has no accidents in the house, and responds to sit, we sit down, we stay, we leave and we learn by other behaviors dogs to help them fit into family life.
Can dogs learn everything they need to know in one eight-week puppy daycare or basic obedience class? No. It is only a small part of your dog’s education.
With a typical dog lifespan of 10+ years, it’s all too easy to forget that the previous dog didn’t come fully loaded, but instead took careful weeks, months, and maybe even years of patience, consistent training, and reinforcement to become perfect. dog your memory. If you are wondering “How long does it take to train a dog basic cues?” we are here to help with information on the factors that affect dog learning and how long it can take to teach certain skills.
How learning begins
It may seem like newborns do nothing but eat and sleep, but from birth they absorb smells and experience touch, which contributes to their knowledge of their surroundings, even if they cannot yet see or hear.
The critical period for learning is when puppies are between 3 and 14 weeks old. By three weeks, their eyes and ears have opened and they are mobile, albeit a little wobbly. They begin to use their paws and mouth to explore their surroundings.
With no preconceived notions of vacuum cleaners, cats, people in uniforms or veterinary clinics, it’s the perfect time to give them positive exposure to many different people, places, objects, sounds, surfaces, smells and other environmental stimuli, known as socialization. . With puppies being weaned and going to new homes when they are usually 8 to 12 or more weeks old (later is often better if they are in a situation where they get a variety of socialization experiences), this type of activity can occur in breeders, foster home or after the puppy comes home with you.
Puppies should meet new people and animals and have new experiences several times a week, instead of meeting the same neighbors and friends and going to the same places all the time. Those encounters and experiences should be so great that your puppy looks forward to everything new.
As puppies grow in experience, so does their brain. The brain grows larger and changes shape as its dendrites – specialized structures of the brain’s nerve cells that receive and process information – reach out to make connections with other nerve cells. By the time puppies are four months old, their brains are almost completely wired. Almost. A dog’s brain continues to develop until the dog is about two years old, so even if a puppy looks grown up, it still has a lot to learn, especially about impulse control.
Factors affecting learning
Socialization is an important element of learning, but it is not the only one. How quickly your dog learns depends on several key factors:
- Maternal care and stress levels during pregnancy
- Good puppy nutrition
- Genetic predisposition
- Learning style
- Training techniques
The stress level of a mother dog can affect the future behavior of her unborn puppies. If they experience high stress situations before giving birth, their puppies may be more anxious or fearful in stressful or unexpected situations. These young dogs may benefit from additional or intensive socialization.
Studies show that feeding a high-quality puppy food containing DHA from fish oil improves learning ability – cognition, memory and psychomotor skills – in puppies up to one year of age. Puppies fed a diet high in DHA appear to have a stronger response to training.
Race or mix is important because different races have different types of skills and intelligence. It doesn’t make certain breeds “smarter” (Border collies, poodles, we’re looking at you), but it can affect not only how they learn but how quickly they learn. Here’s what you need to know about certain types of dogs:
- Herding, working and sporting dogs (including poodles, which originated as fetching dogs) usually have a reputation for being quick learners.
- Some dogs may look like they haven’t caught something, but they often sit, watch and think, later showing that they have absorbed the lesson. This type of learning is often seen in hounds and guard dogs, says veterinarian, breeder and trainer Deb Eldredge, but any dog can learn this way.
- Independent dogs tend to have good problem-solving skills. Sometimes this makes it difficult to stay one step ahead of them.
- Toy dogs and non-sporting dogs—the latter group being a diverse assortment of unrelated breeds—are just as smart and capable of learning as larger dogs. Don’t neglect training them just because they are small, cute, or lack noticeable skill!
Puppies are generally “sponges”, learning things quickly – often things we don’t want them to learn – but they also have short attention spans. Short, sweet workouts that end on a high are more effective than long, intense ones. Rewards help dogs understand what you want and get them more excited about repeating certain behaviors.
Having another dog as a teacher’s assistant can also be helpful. It’s not unusual for dogs to imitate what they see other dogs doing, especially if they see those dogs being rewarded for the behavior. This has often worked well in my dog training life.
The power of instinctual behavior is also a factor. Beagles, for example, have excellent nose intelligence, but they probably won’t be very good at herding sheep, says Minnesota dog trainer and Beagle owner Denise Nord.
Training time
The theory is all well and good, but how long does it take to train a dog on basic cues? The answer – “It depends” – is not satisfactory, but remember that dogs learn fastest with practice and patience. Start with easy behaviors and build on your and your dog’s success.
Sitting is perhaps the easiest and fastest behavior for dogs to learn. It is a natural action, making it easier to “catch” by clicking and treating when the dog is already in position or by luring the dog into position with a treat. Using these techniques, dogs can learn to “Sit” within minutes.
The trick then is to give the act a name and to practice and reinforce it over time so that the muscle memory is activated immediately when the dogs hear the signal. It takes longer, from a few weeks to a few months. Practice in different situations, in different places, around different people and around other animals: this is how you “prove” your dog so that the answer to “sit” is immediate, no matter what. It pays off in a lifetime if your dog sits at the door, to greet people, before a meal, or as part of an agility or rally competition, to name just a few of its uses.
Similar techniques work well with Down and Stand. I find it’s easiest to catch the fluff instead of luring the dog to a spot, but a good mantra is “Every dog is different.” Do what works for you and your dog. Like “Sit”, it takes time and practice to get a reliable answer every time.
A more complex behavior to learn is walking on a leash without pulling. Unless you’re training for an obedience competition, there’s no need for the dog to walk right next to you all the time, but it should be well-behaved enough that you don’t have to worry about it being pulled or tripped.
Achieving this is much more complex than attaching a leash to a collar and expecting the dog to go where you want, when you want. Expect to walk confidently on a loose leash for up to a year. A five- or six-month-old adolescent puppy will begin to backtrack as it tests its position in the family and your patience.
Walking on a loose leash must be practiced in many different places and situations, simply because puppies change so much during their first year. “What they find distracting today may not be distracting tomorrow,” says Nord. “What you get in your backyard is going to be very different from what you get walking down the street or in class or at a big event.”
What about home training? The schedule is important, but it also takes time for the puppy’s body to mature so it can “endure” it for longer. Plan six months to a year to achieve full reliability. For more information, see How to adopt a puppy.
Class and homework
As long as they have had their first vaccination, puppies can often participate in kindergarten classes from 8 weeks old. But don’t wait until then to start teaching your new dog the basics. It can start on the first day at home. Your puppy or new dog should look like a provider of all good things and fun, and that should be training.
Although training can take months, it doesn’t require much time at this point. As mentioned above, puppies have short attention spans. Spending a few minutes — or even just 30 seconds — training several times a day helps build a strong foundation for success as a puppy and throughout life. It also ensures that training becomes a routine part of the day.
As you work with your new dog, pay attention to how they react to their environment. Every dog approaches things differently. If a new puppy or adult dog seems anxious, give him time to settle down. Start with easy, fun activities that allow them to be successful and build confidence. Then their brain can work at full capacity.
How long does it take to fully train a dog? Plan on six months to a year to learn the basics and feel confident with your dog’s behavior. To build a solid response in any situation? It may take longer, but it’s worth the effort. Checking helps dogs learn to adapt to environmental variables and respond appropriately.
What experts call “behavioral conditioning” usually happens when dogs become familiar with their environment and understand what is expected of them. For most dogs, this seems to magically happen when they are 18 to 24 months old. Or not. Many dogs behave like puppies well into adulthood, not reaching the adult brain until they are five or six years old, if ever.
But no matter when your dog reaches maturity, learning is a lifelong endeavor. Continuing to practice dog skills and teaching new ones throughout life, even in old age, helps keep their brains flexible and can help repel dementia.
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