For many years, dog trainers assumed that formal training should not begin until a dog was a year old. The reasons for delaying formal training were varied: some folks thought a young dog was simply incapable of learning complex lessons, some assumed (and probably accurately) that the harsh training methods of yesteryear required that a dog be mature enough to withstand the physical and psychological stressors of training, and others, recognizing that veterinary science had only progressed so far, wanted to ensure that a dog survived the precarious puppy years before investing in training. Regardless of the reasoning, only recently have folks begun seeing puppies as capable of taking on formal training at a young age. In this installment of the Flush column, I’d like to explore just what sort of training is possible for a puppy, and when it can be started.

I am going to begin by providing a bit of a qualifier for my statements about early training. As I have said time and again, good breeding and good bloodlines will afford a more biddable dog, and one that is set up to receive training more readily than a dog from untested lines. Flushing dogs that are selected to exhibit drive, resilience, composure, and athletic ability will take to training with greater ease, and at an earlier age, than dogs with traits that trend in the opposite direction. Simply put, the better the bloodline—and the better the breeding—the earlier you can start training a flushing dog, and the more easily that training will stick. Start with good ingredients, and the end product will likely taste pretty good.

I should also qualify what follows by saying that though there are specific skills that a flushing dog should learn and master, the training that a puppy receives is largely a training in foundational skills and boundaries. In essence, a puppy needs to learn how to learn...how to understand desired behaviors and how to respond to corrections so those behaviors can be integrated. A puppy begins learning, or begins receiving training, as soon as it is born. A dam and littermates constantly teach a puppy about social standards and acceptable behaviors, and a pup learns from its environment how to successfully navigate the pathways to food, warmth, etc. It may seem obvious, but a puppy is learning from the very start, and therefore capable of learning training lessons from the earliest age. This realization should give us some confidence that we can start training a dog as soon as it arrives in the home.

Puppy Training – Foundational Skills

When I think about formal training, the first skills that I see a puppy require are basic foundational and behavioral skills. Early in the puppy’s life, the dam sets the ground rules, explaining with a nip or a nudge what behaviors are acceptable, and which aren’t. As the owner adopts this teacher role, he or she must decide what behaviors are acceptable and which are not. From there, the puppy must be instructed, and the lessons must be consistent. For example, I would say that no puppy should be allowed to jump up on an owner. Therefore, when a puppy does jump up, the owner should say “no” and use a gentle knee to nudge the puppy back onto the ground. This standard response should happen every time that a puppy jumps up. If a puppy nips, the owner should say a firm “no” and gently tap the puppy on the nose. The same response should result from the puppy barking in the house. A little tap on the nose and a firm “no” mimics the correction a dam would give a pup, and if the lesson is delivered consistently, the desired behavior will be learned quickly. This process can start immediately.

A more traditional place training process can also begin at nine weeks or so. Place training is an invaluable tool that really sets up all of the puppy’s future training and allows the trainer to practice boundary-setting and a performance/reward thought process. I encourage folks to start with a raised place board so that the puppy can fully understand that the board is a distinct place. I begin place board training by leading a puppy over and onto the board, and then holding a treat above his head, which forces his head up and his butt down. When he sits, I give him a treat. I do this multiple times before placing a name to the behavior, essentially saying to the pup that “when you go up on this board and sit, that behavior is called ‘place.’” When done correctly, a treat reinforces that behavior.

Introducing Formal Puppy Training

As you might imagine, teaching “place” helps the puppy learn far more than just the desired behavior that the command “place” dictates. It teaches him that a treat or a reward is the indicator of a desired behavior, which in turn establishes a “cause and effect” type of thought process. In sitting still and awaiting a reward, a dog learns composure and restraint, which will be key in future steadying work. Finally, in the repeated, replicable, and consistent practice of a specific behavior, a dog learns that boundaries are not flexible and specific behaviors are non-negotiable. As more specific formal training unfolds, a dog should never approach a desired behavior as optional.

Typically, place training and boundary setting—what I think of as foundation training—can typically be well- established by four months or so. It is important to look at the puppy and see where he is at developmentally. If it feels that he is taking to the training and responding well, add some new training. Begin working on a retrieve in a hallway, and slowly up the level of expectation of a quick delivery. Begin working on heel, first in the house, then in the yard—ideally on a short lead. Make sure that your puppy is getting socialized with other dogs in a safe and supervised setting. Basically, introduce your dog to a variety of settings and scenarios, and practice those foundational behaviors in new environments, with enhanced stimuli. Doing so builds a puppy’s resiliency and ability to learn.

Despite the fact that a good deal of real training can begin in early puppyhood, there are certain facets of training that should be approached slowly, and thoughtfully. Take, for example, the introduction of gunfire. Loud or startling noises should be introduced slowly, and the stress of their occurrence should be offset by a powerful desire. What I mean here is that you might slowly introduce loud noises from a distance, but only when a pup is fed, or otherwise provided a desirable distraction that mitigates the impact of the stress. If food drive is low, be slow and cautious introducing loud noise around mealtime. Instead, look for another distraction. Does the pup love to chase a ball? During the retrieve, slowly introduce loud noise from afar, and work closer. Basically, take the time to establish conditions that motivate the pup positively before introducing a stress.

Similarly, don’t start introducing live birds too early or too quickly. If sufficient prey drive is yet to be established, an encounter with a big flappy pigeon can traumatize a pup. Therefore, cultivate prey drive: begin by teaching retrieve, then retrieve with a dead frozen bird, then let a pup chase a harnessed pigeon or a wing-clipped quail. Take slow steps to build conditions that allow for more challenging lessons to be taught.

For years, people shied away from beginning training in puppyhood. I think that the practice simply resulted in folks losing precious time developing their dogs. Start early, start thoughtfully, and move forward with intention. After all, our dogs are with us for too short a time, and it’s a shame to think we’d miss out on any opportunity to help them learn.