PuppyweeksPuppy guide
Puppy training schedule by week
Puppy training follows developmental windows, not a calendar of tricks. Light handling and name recognition can start around weeks 5–7; sit, come, and crate usually wait until the puppy is home, around weeks 11–12. Breed size shifts when adolescence arrives, not those early windows.
Last updated 20 August 2026
The schedule at a glance
| Stage | Weeks | Focus |
|---|---|---|
| Neonatal | Weeks 1–2 | Breeders — no training yet |
| Transitional | Weeks 3–4 | Gentle handling with the litter |
| Peak Socialization | Weeks 5–7 | Name recognition, first exposures |
| First Fear Period | Weeks 8–10 | Homecoming — go slow |
| Juvenile | Weeks 11–12 | Sit, come, crate — first real cues |
| Teething & Boundary Testing | Weeks 13–16 | Chewing, recall, short alone time |
| Adolescence Onset | Toy · Small: 17–24 · Medium: 17–28 · Large: 17–32 | Holding cues as adolescence starts |
| Peak Adolescence | Toy · Small: 25–36 · Medium: 29–44 · Large: 33–52 | Keeping the line through the messy middle |
| Consolidation | Toy · Small: 37–52 · Medium: 45–65 · Large: 53–78 | Reinforcing what’s already there |
| Young Adult | Toy · Small: 53–104 · Medium: 66–104 · Large: 79–104 | Adult manners, not puppy drills |
How to use this schedule
- Know the week. Count from birth, or use the stage finder — size matters once adolescence starts.
- Open this week’s stage. The table is an index — the stage page is the guide, and the app is the version for your puppy.
- Keep sessions short. Two to three minutes, end on a win, several times a day.
- Write down what happened. A sentence is enough. That’s what the Puppyweeks journal is for.
Size changes the later weeks
Bigger dogs stay adolescent longer — larger breeds reach each later stage weeks after smaller ones. Early windows (socialisation, first fear period, first cues) stay on roughly the same calendar. See adolescence itself on adolescence onset and peak adolescence.
What this is not
Not a 52-week trick list. Not a substitute for a trainer. During a fear period, the job is going slow — not stacking new cues. Anything that looks like injury, illness, or biting that breaks skin belongs with a vet or a certified trainer (CPDT-KA), not a schedule.
Want this highlighted for your puppy’s size and birthdate? Use the interactive training timeline.
Common questions
When can you start training a puppy?
Very light training can start as early as 5–7 weeks — name recognition and calm, brief exposure to handling and household sounds, usually while the puppy is still with the breeder. Structured basics like sit, come, and recall typically start around 11–12 weeks, once the puppy is settled into their new home.
How long should puppy training sessions be?
Short — 2 to 3 minutes at a time for young puppies, ending on a win. Puppies this age have short attention spans, so several brief sessions through the day work better than one long one.
When should I start crate training a puppy?
Around 11–12 weeks is a good time to begin, alongside basic cues like sit and come. Introduce the crate gradually and pair it with alone-time desensitization, not punishment.
What if my 12-week-old puppy “forgets” sit?
Selective hearing and “lost” cues are common as teething and confidence pick up, and again in adolescence. The training isn’t gone — drop the distraction, keep sessions short, and reinforce what they already know. A certified trainer (CPDT-KA) is the right call if biting breaks skin or fear is new.
Does the schedule change for small vs large puppies?
The early windows — socialisation, the first fear period, first cues — sit on roughly the same weeks for every size. Adolescence is what shifts: toy and small breeds tend to hit it earlier, larger breeds later and for longer. The table below shows both bands.
Grounded in established canine behavioural science — see our sources.