How to Train a Puppy: Complete Beginner Guide
New puppy? Here are the essential training techniques every owner needs to know in the first 8 weeks.
Potty Training
Take your puppy outside every 2 hours, immediately after eating, drinking, and waking up. Go to the same spot every time. Praise enthusiastically when they go outside. Never punish accidents — just clean them up with an enzymatic cleaner to remove the scent. Most puppies are reliably house-trained by 4–6 months.
Crate Training
A crate is not a punishment — it is your puppy’s safe space. Make it cozy with a blanket and a chew toy. Start with short periods (5–10 minutes) and gradually increase. Never force the puppy in. Feed meals inside the crate so they associate it with good things. A properly crate-trained puppy will voluntarily go to their crate to rest.
Basic Commands: Sit, Stay, Come
Start with "sit" — hold a treat above their nose, move it back over their head. Their bottom naturally goes down. Say "sit" the moment it happens, then treat. Practice 5 minutes, 3 times a day. Short, frequent sessions work better than long ones because puppies have short attention spans.
Bite Inhibition
Puppies explore the world with their mouths. When they bite too hard, yelp loudly and stop playing for 30 seconds. This teaches them that biting ends the fun. Redirect biting to appropriate chew toys. Never use your hands as play toys or the puppy will always see hands as things to bite.
Socialization
Between 3 and 14 weeks is the critical socialization window. Expose your puppy to different people, dogs, sounds, surfaces, and environments in positive ways. Carry them to busy areas before they are fully vaccinated. Poor socialization in this window leads to fearful, reactive adult dogs.
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