Your dog will go through several developmental stages as they approach adulthood. As such, it’s up to you to ensure that you use these periods to steer them in the right direction. From their first few weeks of life, puppies are constantly exploring, learning, and growing. One of the most crucial timeframes in your dog’s life is the beginning of the training process. Here, we’ll discuss the importance of training a dog at five and six months old and a few things you gain by doing so.
Improved Behavioral Control
Around the five-month mark, your dog will begin developing a sense of independence. They’ll run around your property lines, find new toys to play with, and start pushing your limits. You can mitigate some of their potentially harmful behaviors with an official training regimen. If you wait until your pet is eight, 10, or 24 months old, they’re much more likely to have solidified habits that are harder to break. So, starting this early will be the key to a life of good behavior.
Energy Expulsion
Five-month-old puppies are also incredibly energetic, with bouts of play that only a human toddler could rival. As such, you’ll want to find effective ways to tire them out so that they can stave off boredom and the destructive habits that can come from it. Training, especially behavioral training, helps expend some of that energy. Not only are their bodies working to follow your commands, but so are their brains. As they focus on you, their brains are working to interpret the commands you give them. Remember that their attention span will be shorter than an older dog’s attention span, and you’ll need to be patient with them.
Better Training Retention
As alluded to earlier, the importance of training a dog at five and six months old also has to do with education retention. This is the age when they are done teething and have a better attention span. Once they can comprehend your commands, the earlier you start to train them, the easier it will be to maintain that training throughout their life. Though the process of training your dog never ends, as you should keep up with it throughout their growth, this period sets a strong foundation for any future education you give your pet.
Increased Socialization
Additionally, training them now will give them extra socialization time with you and your family. Part of acclimating a puppy into your household is spending time with them and providing them with key experiences in the home alongside you. So, in undergoing the proper obedience training, you’re teaching them what you want and creating a solid relationship from both perspectives.
If training your puppy has become too challenging, consider contacting Acadia Canine Academy for help. We offer quality dog obedience training in a home environment with a team of professional dog trainers. Our board and train courses give your dog a one-on-one experience with a trainer who will appeal to their instincts and find ways to convey commands clearly. Contact us today to learn more.
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