You’ve brought your puppy home. The house is puppy-proofed, the vet is booked, and you’re standing in your kitchen wondering what on earth to do next. The first few weeks with a new puppy are overwhelming. There’s so much to teach and so little time before bad habits set in.
This guide gives you a week-by-week training schedule from the day your puppy arrives at 8 weeks old through to 6 months. It covers what to teach, when to teach it, and how to fit training into your daily routine without losing your mind. The timelines are based on typical developmental milestones and are drawn from guidance by the RSPCA, the British Veterinary Association, and UK-based animal behaviourists.
Every puppy develops at their own pace. Use this as a framework, not a rigid timetable. If your puppy needs more time on something, give it. If they pick things up faster than expected, move on.
Weeks 1 to 2 (8 to 10 weeks): settling in
The first two weeks are not really about training. They’re about helping your puppy feel safe in their new home. Everything is new: the smells, the sounds, the people, the floor surfaces, the routine. Your puppy has just left their mother and littermates. They’re confused, probably scared, and definitely missing familiar faces.
What to focus on
Establish a routine immediately. Puppies thrive on predictability. Feed at the same times each day. Toilet breaks at the same times. Walks (once vaccinated) at the same times. Bedtime at the same time. A consistent routine reduces anxiety and speeds up house training.
Start crate training from day one. An open crate with treats inside, meals fed in the crate, building up to short periods with the door closed. The earlier you start, the easier it is.
Begin name recognition. Say your puppy’s name clearly and reward them with a treat when they look at you. Do this 10 to 15 times a day in different rooms. Within a few days, your puppy should respond to their name at least some of the time.
Introduce a toilet routine. Take your puppy outside to their designated toilet area every 30 to 60 minutes, after every meal, after every play session, and immediately after waking up. Reward with praise and a treat every time they toilet outside. Accidents inside are inevitable at this age. Clean them up without fuss using an enzymatic cleaner.
What to avoid
Don’t overwhelm your puppy with visitors in the first week. Close family is fine. The entire neighbourhood queueing up to meet the new arrival is not. Let your puppy settle before introducing new people.
Don’t take your puppy to public places before their vaccinations are complete. Your vet will advise on the vaccination schedule, but in the UK, puppies are typically safe to go out 1 to 2 weeks after their second vaccination, usually around 12 to 13 weeks of age. Until then, carry them outside and let them experience the world from your arms.
Weeks 3 to 4 (10 to 12 weeks): building foundations
Your puppy is starting to settle in now. They know where things are, they recognise your voice, and they’re beginning to understand the household routine. This is where real training begins.
Sit
Teaching “sit” is usually the first formal command. Hold a treat in front of your puppy’s nose. Slowly move it up and back over their head. As their head follows the treat, their bottom will naturally lower to the ground. The moment it does, say “sit” and give them the treat. Repeat 5 to 10 times per session, 2 to 3 sessions per day. Most puppies learn this within a few days.
Recall basics
Start building recall in the house and garden. Say your puppy’s name enthusiastically, crouch down, open your arms, and reward them when they come to you. Make coming to you the best thing that happens in your puppy’s day. Use high-value treats (small pieces of chicken or cheese) for recall practice. Never call your puppy to you for something unpleasant (a bath, nail clipping, being crated). If you need them for something they dislike, go and get them instead.
Handling and gentling
Handle your puppy daily. Touch their paws, look in their ears, gently open their mouth, run your hands over their body. Pair this with treats. This makes future vet visits, grooming, and nail clipping much less stressful. A few minutes of gentle handling every day builds tolerance that lasts a lifetime.
Start brushing their coat gently with a soft brush. Even short-haired breeds benefit from being comfortable with brushing. If your puppy will need professional grooming later (poodles, cockapoos, spaniels), this early handling is especially important.
Socialisation window
The socialisation period (roughly 3 to 12 weeks) is when puppies are most open to new experiences. After 12 weeks, they become increasingly wary of novelty. This means you have a narrow window to expose your puppy to as many positive experiences as possible.
Even before full vaccinations, you can carry your puppy to shops, sit outside cafes, walk through town centres, and expose them to traffic noise, crowds, and different environments. You can also invite vaccinated, friendly adult dogs to your home for carefully supervised introductions.
The Blue Cross recommends exposing puppies to at least 100 different experiences during their socialisation period. That sounds like a lot, but it includes things like different floor surfaces (carpet, tile, grass, gravel, wood), different sounds (hoovers, washing machines, doorbells, traffic, children playing), different people (men with beards, people wearing hats, children, elderly people, people with umbrellas), and different environments (the vet’s waiting room, a car journey, a friend’s house).
Weeks 5 to 8 (12 to 16 weeks): vaccinations done, world opens up
This is where things get exciting. Your puppy’s vaccinations should be complete by around 12 to 13 weeks, which means you can start taking them for proper walks and letting them explore the world on all four paws.
Lead training
Start with short walks in quiet areas. Let your puppy wear a collar and lead around the house for a few days before the first proper walk. The lead feels strange to them, and they need time to get used to the sensation of something attached to their neck.
On the first few walks, don’t worry about heel work or loose lead walking. Let your puppy explore. Follow them. Let them sniff everything. These early walks are about building confidence, not obedience.
If your puppy sits down and refuses to move (very common), don’t drag them. Crouch down, encourage them with your voice and treats, and walk a few steps away to see if they follow. If they’re genuinely overwhelmed, pick them up and try again tomorrow. Some puppies need 5 to 10 short outings before they’re comfortable walking on a lead.
For more detailed guidance on this, check out our guide to stopping lead pulling.
Down
Teaching “down” follows a similar pattern to “sit.” Ask your puppy to sit, then lower a treat from their nose straight down to the ground and slowly forward along the floor. As they follow the treat, they’ll lower into a lying position. The moment they’re down, say “down” and give them the treat. This can take a bit longer than “sit” because lying down puts puppies in a more vulnerable position.
Stay
Once your puppy can sit reliably, add “stay.” Ask them to sit. Hold your hand up like a stop sign (palm facing the puppy) and say “stay.” Take one step back. If they stay, step back to them, reward, and release with “ok.” Gradually increase the distance and duration. Build up over weeks, not days. A 3-second stay at 1 metre is a good starting point for a 12-week-old puppy.
Leave it
“Leave it” could save your puppy’s life. It teaches them to ignore something they want (a dropped chocolate, a broken glass, a suspicious item on the ground). Hold a treat in your closed fist. Let your puppy sniff and lick your hand. Say “leave it.” Wait. The moment your puppy stops trying to get the treat and looks away, give them a different treat from your other hand. They learn that ignoring something they want leads to something even better.
Weeks 9 to 12 (16 to 20 weeks): teenage phase begins
Around 16 weeks, many puppies enter a phase that owners describe as “the teenage months.” Your sweet, biddable puppy might start testing boundaries, ignoring commands they previously knew, and generally acting like a small rebellious teenager. This is normal developmental behaviour, not a regression or a failure on your part.
Consistency is everything
During this phase, consistency matters more than ever. If “sit” was reliable at 12 weeks and now your puppy is ignoring it, go back to basics. Reward every correct response. Raise the value of your rewards (use better treats). Practice in lower-distraction environments. Your puppy hasn’t forgotten; they’re just discovering that the world is more interesting than you right now.
Walking on a loose lead
By 16 to 20 weeks, you can start expecting more from your puppy on walks. Begin practising loose lead walking in quiet areas. Use the stop-and-go technique: stop every time the lead goes tight, walk on when it’s slack. Reward your puppy regularly for walking beside you. Keep training walks short (10 to 15 minutes) and separate from exercise walks where your puppy can sniff and explore freely.
Meeting other dogs
Socialisation with other dogs needs to continue, but with more structure now. Not every dog your puppy meets will be a good influence. Prioritise calm, well-mannered adult dogs over bouncy puppies (puppies teach each other bad habits). Let greetings happen on a loose lead. Avoid tight-lead greetings, which increase tension and can trigger reactivity.
If your puppy is nervous around other dogs, don’t force interaction. Let them observe from a distance and reward calm behaviour. Consult a behaviourist if nervousness persists or worsens.
Impulse control exercises
Teaching impulse control becomes important during this phase. Simple exercises like “wait” before food (make your puppy wait 5 to 10 seconds before releasing them to their bowl) and “wait” before going through doors build self-control. Start easy and build up gradually.
Weeks 13 to 16 (20 to 24 weeks): solidifying skills
Your puppy is now around 5 to 6 months old. They should have a reliable sit, down, stay, recall, and leave it in low-distraction environments. If they don’t, keep practising. Some puppies take longer than others, and that’s fine.
Generalise commands
Your puppy might sit perfectly in your kitchen but completely ignore “sit” in the park. This is normal. Dogs don’t automatically generalise commands across different environments. Practice known commands in increasingly distracting locations: the garden, the street, the park, outside a shop. Start in the easiest environment and work up.
Recall training gets serious
Recall is the most important command your dog will ever learn, and it’s also the one that takes the longest to proof. By 5 to 6 months, you should be practising recall in enclosed spaces with gradually increasing distractions. Use a long line (5 to 10 metres) in open spaces so your puppy has freedom while you maintain control. Always reward recall enthusiastically. If your puppy comes to you and you just clip the lead on and walk home, they’ll learn that recall means the fun stops.
Good quality training treats make a difference here. Small, smelly treats like Fish4Dogs training treats or pieces of cooked chicken work well because they’re motivating and easy to carry.
House training check
By 5 to 6 months, your puppy should be mostly house trained. Occasional accidents are still normal, but if your puppy is regularly soiling in the house at this age, something needs to change. Review your routine: are you taking them out frequently enough? Are you rewarding outdoor toileting consistently? Is there a medical issue? If in doubt, speak to your vet. Our puppy training pads guide covers managing the transition from pads to outdoor toileting.
Weeks 17 to 26 (6 to 9 months): adolescence and beyond
Welcome to adolescence. Your puppy is now a teenager in every sense. Hormones are kicking in (especially if not yet neutered), independence is growing, and the adorable puppy that followed you everywhere might now prefer the company of other dogs to yours. This phase can last until 18 months to 2 years, depending on the breed.
Keep training
This is the time when many owners stop training because “the basics are done.” Don’t. Continue practising all the commands your puppy has learned. Increase the difficulty gradually. Practice in busier environments, with more distractions, and at greater distances.
Behaviour management
Adolescent dogs often develop new or worsened behaviours: increased pulling on the lead, selective hearing (ignoring recall), more vocalisation, boundary testing, and sometimes reactivity towards other dogs. These are typically normal developmental behaviours, but they need to be managed. Continue socialisation, maintain consistent rules, and don’t be afraid to go back to basics with training if things slip.
Consider puppy classes
If you haven’t already, puppy training classes are worth attending. Look for classes run by qualified trainers registered with the Animal Behaviour and Training Council (ABTC) or the Association of Pet Dog Trainers (APDT). Good classes provide structured socialisation, professional guidance, and the opportunity to practise training around other puppies. They’re also excellent for owners who want reassurance that they’re on the right track.
Daily training routine
Training doesn’t require hour-long sessions. Short, frequent sessions work better. Here’s what an ideal daily routine looks like for a 12 to 16-week-old puppy.
Morning: Toilet break. 3-minute training session (sit, down, name response). Breakfast. Another toilet break. Short walk or garden play.
Midday: Toilet break. 5-minute play session with a training element (recall practice in the garden, tug toy with “drop it” practice). Quiet time in crate.
Afternoon: Toilet break. Second short walk with some lead training. 3-minute training session (stay, leave it, or whatever you’re currently working on). Play session.
Evening: Toilet break. Gentle handling practice (paws, ears, mouth). 2-minute training session. Quiet settling time. Final toilet break before bed.
That’s roughly 15 to 20 minutes of formal training per day, spread across multiple short sessions. Puppies learn best in short bursts. Anything beyond 5 minutes and their attention starts to wander. Three 3-minute sessions are far more productive than one 10-minute session.
Socialisation checklist
Use this checklist to track your puppy’s exposure to different experiences during the critical socialisation period (up to about 12 to 14 weeks, though socialisation should continue throughout their first year).
- Different floor surfaces: carpet, tiles, wood, grass, gravel, sand, wet grass, stairs
- Different sounds: hoover, washing machine, doorbell, traffic, thunder audio, fireworks audio, children crying, sirens
- Different people: men, women, children, elderly people, people with hats, people with beards, people in uniforms, people with walking sticks, wheelchair users
- Different dogs: calm adult dogs, small dogs, large dogs, different breeds
- Different environments: vet’s waiting room, car journeys, friend’s house, busy street, quiet park, cafe outdoor seating
- Different handling: vet-style examination, grooming, nail trimming, tooth brushing
- Different objects: bicycles, pushchairs, umbrellas, skateboards, bin lorries, buses
Tick things off as your puppy experiences them calmly. If your puppy shows fear or anxiety towards something, don’t force exposure. Reintroduce it gradually at a distance, paired with high-value treats.
Frequently asked questions
My puppy is 12 weeks and doesn’t know any commands. Am I too late?
Not at all. 12 weeks is still very young. The first few weeks at home are primarily about settling in and building a bond. Many professional trainers recommend waiting until 10 to 12 weeks before starting formal training anyway. Your puppy’s brain is developing fast, and they’re more than capable of learning commands at this age. Start with “sit” and name recognition and build from there.
How many training sessions per day does my puppy need?
Three to five short sessions of 2 to 5 minutes each is ideal for a puppy under 6 months. That’s roughly 15 to 20 minutes total per day. Quality matters more than quantity. A focused 3-minute session where your puppy is engaged and getting lots of rewards beats a 15-minute session where they’re distracted and losing interest.
Should I use treats for every command forever?
No. In the early stages, reward every correct response to build the behaviour. Once your puppy is consistently responding (roughly 8 out of 10 times in a quiet environment), start varying the rewards. Sometimes a treat, sometimes verbal praise, sometimes a toy. Over time, most commands can be maintained with intermittent rewards, though recall is worth rewarding generously every time for the dog’s entire life.
My puppy was doing great but now ignores everything. What happened?
You’ve hit the teenage phase. Around 16 to 24 weeks (sometimes earlier in some breeds), puppies go through a developmental stage where independence increases and previously reliable behaviours become patchy. This is completely normal. Go back to basics, use higher-value rewards, and practice in easier environments. Consistency through this phase is what separates dogs that maintain good training from those that don’t. It passes.
Can I start training before vaccinations are complete?
Absolutely. You can (and should) start name training, sit, handling, and crate training from day one at 8 weeks old. For socialisation, carry your puppy to experience the world before they can walk in public places. Once vaccinations are complete (usually around 12 to 13 weeks in the UK), you can take them for proper walks and let them interact with other vaccinated dogs.
The bottom line
Puppy training isn’t a race. There’s no prize for having the youngest dog that can do a perfect recall. What matters is consistency, patience, and building a strong relationship with your puppy based on trust and positive reinforcement.
Follow the schedule loosely. Adjust it to your puppy’s pace. Celebrate small wins. And remember that the first 6 months are the hardest part. Once your dog has solid foundations in sit, down, stay, recall, and loose lead walking, everything else gets easier. These are the skills that will serve your dog for the rest of their life.
