Puppy Training Schedule by Age: A Complete Week-by-Week Guide

Bringing home a puppy is pure joy, followed quickly by a wave of "what now?" You're staring at this fluffy bundle of energy and teeth, knowing you need to train them, but the internet gives you a thousand different starting points. Most generic advice fails because an 8-week-old puppy and a 5-month-old puppy are different creatures with different brains. A one-size-fits-all plan sets you both up for frustration.

I've trained dogs for over a decade, and the single biggest mistake I see is owners trying to teach a 9-week-old puppy to "heel" before the pup even knows its name. It's backwards. This schedule flips that script. We'll map out a realistic, week-by-week puppy training schedule by age, focusing on what your puppy's brain is actually ready to learn from 8 weeks to 6 months. Forget the commands for a second. We're building a dog.

Your Puppy Training Roadmap

The Golden Rule: Training is More Than Commands
The 8-16 Week Window: Your Puppy's Prime Learning Period
Your Week-by-Week Puppy Training Schedule (8-16 Weeks)
The 4-6 Month "Teenage" Phase: Solidifying the Basics
3 Common Mistakes That Derail Your Puppy Training Schedule
Your Puppy Training Questions, Answered

The Golden Rule: Training is More Than Commands

Before we look at the calendar, let's get one thing straight. When I say "puppy training schedule by age," I'm not just talking about sit, stay, come. In fact, those formal obedience commands are a small part of the first few months.

The real training happens in the moments between. It's teaching your puppy that the world is a fun, safe place (socialization). It's building a communication system where they learn to offer calm behavior (manners). It's managing their environment so they succeed at potty training instead of practicing mistakes in the house. The American Veterinary Society of Animal Behavior (AVSAB) states that the primary socialization period for puppies ends around 12-14 weeks. Miss that window, and you're playing catch-up for life on fear and anxiety issues.

So this schedule prioritizes socialization and life skills over perfect obedience. A well-socialized, confident puppy who understands house rules is 90% of the way to being a great dog. The polished commands come later, and much easier.

The 8-16 Week Window: Your Puppy's Prime Learning Period

This is it. The most critical phase in your dog's life. Their brain is a super-sponge, but it's also vulnerable. Experiences now shape their permanent worldview. The goal isn't perfection; it's positive exposure and preventing bad habits from forming.

A huge, rarely mentioned pitfall here is "over-socialization." Yes, it exists. Dragging a tired, overwhelmed puppy to a busy farmers' market to "meet everyone" can backfire, creating fear. Socialization is about quality, not quantity. Let them observe the world from a safe distance. Let them choose to approach new things. Forced interactions aren't socialization; they're stressful.

Pro Tip: Carry high-value treats (boiled chicken, cheese) everywhere. Any time your puppy notices something new—a garbage truck, a person in a hat, a skateboard—mark that moment with a "Yes!" and give a treat. You're not bribing them; you're programming their brain: "New things predict chicken. New things are good."

Your Week-by-Week Puppy Training Schedule (8-16 Weeks)

Here’s the actionable plan. Assume you bring your puppy home at 8 weeks. Adjust if yours is older, but start from the beginning of the sequence. Each week builds on the last.

Puppy's Age	Primary Focus	Key Skills & Socialization Goals
Weeks 8-9	Decompression & Bonding	Let them settle in. Establish potty spot routine. Introduce name (say it, treat when they look). Handle paws, ears, mouth gently. Short, positive sessions with crate. Explore quiet yard/room.
Weeks 10-11	Potty Training Foundation & Bite Inhibition	Solidify potty schedule (after sleep, play, meals). Start teaching "sit" using luring (hold treat to nose, move up). Most important: Teach bite inhibition. When teeth touch skin, yelp "Ouch!" and stop play for 15 seconds. Socialize to household sounds (TV, vacuum from another room).
Weeks 12-13	Socialization Blitz & Leash Introduction	This is peak socialization time. Carry puppy to watch life: sit outside a cafe, watch kids play, see traffic. Introduce leash/harness indoors, let them drag it, then follow them for treats. Practice "come" in house with high-value rewards.
Weeks 14-16	Manners & Independence	Work on "settle" on a mat. Practice short separations (5-30 mins in crate/pen). Introduce "drop it" with toys. Short, structured walks in low-distraction areas. Continue meeting vaccinated, friendly dogs.

See how "sit" shows up only once? That's intentional. In weeks 10-11, you're not drilling it for minutes. You're capturing the natural behavior as it happens and putting a word to it. The rest of the time, you're building the dog's confidence and teaching them how to live in your world.

I had a client with a Labrador named Max. They were frustrated at 14 weeks because he wouldn't "stay." I asked about his routine. Turns out, they hadn't left him alone for more than 5 minutes since they got him. He had zero independence. We paused "stay" and worked on crate-and-separate drills for a week. The anxiety dropped, and suddenly, "stay" became possible because he wasn't vibrating with attachment stress.

What About Vaccinations and Socialization?

This is a major worry. Vets say "keep them home until fully vaccinated," but behaviorists say "socialize before 16 weeks." It feels like a trap.

The middle ground is risk management, not risk avoidance. Avoid high-risk areas like dog parks and pet store floors where unknown dogs frequent. Instead, socialize through:

Controlled environments: Puppy kindergarten classes that require proof of first vaccines.
Carrying: A puppy sling or holding them in your arms to experience sights and sounds.
Visiting homes of friends with known, healthy, vaccinated dogs.

The risk of a behaviorally unsound dog (from lack of socialization) is statistically far higher than the risk of disease in these controlled settings. Discuss a balance with your vet.

The 4-6 Month "Teenage" Phase: Solidifying the Basics

Around 4 months, you might feel like you've hit a wall. The sweet, compliant puppy seems to forget their name. They might test boundaries, chew things they shouldn't, and get more distracted. This is normal adolescent brain development.

Your puppy training schedule by age now shifts from pure foundation to proofing. It's less about new skills and more about making the existing ones reliable with more distraction.

Month 4-5: Increase duration of known cues. "Sit" for 10 seconds before the treat. "Stay" for 5 seconds, then 10. Practice "come" in the backyard on a long line (30-foot leash). Start introducing polite leash walking patterns (change direction when they pull).
Month 5-6: Add distance to stays. Practice commands in new locations (front yard, quiet park). This is "generalization." A "sit" in the kitchen is easy; a "sit" on a sidewalk is a totally new challenge for them. Introduce fun impulse control games like "leave it" with a treat in your fist.

The key here is patience. They're not being stubborn. Their brain is rewiring, and the world is suddenly more interesting. Keep sessions short (3-5 minutes), fun, and heavily rewarded. If they fail, make the exercise easier, not more repetitive.

3 Common Mistakes That Derail Your Puppy Training Schedule

After watching hundreds of families, these are the subtle errors that quietly undermine progress.

1. Using the Crate as a Time-Out. The crate must always be a positive, safe den. Throwing your puppy in because they chewed a shoe links the crate with punishment. Instead, manage their environment with puppy pens and supervision so they don't get the chance to chew the shoe.

2. Repeating Commands. Saying "Sit. Sit. SIT!" teaches your puppy to ignore the first two (or ten) times. Say it once. If they don't respond, they likely don't understand well enough or are too distracted. Go back a step, get their attention, lure them into position, and reward. Then practice in an easier setting.

3. Ending on a Failure. You're practicing "down," and after three tries, your puppy just walks away. Don't let that be the last experience. Call them back for an easy, known trick they love (like a hand touch), reward lavishly, and end the session. Always finish with a success, even if it's not the thing you were working on.

Your Puppy Training Questions, Answered

My 12-week-old puppy still has accidents. Am I failing?

Probably not. At 12 weeks, bladder control is still developing. The failure point is usually management, not the puppy. Go back to basics: take them out more frequently (every 45-60 minutes when awake), always after naps/play/meals, and supervise like a hawk when loose. Use a tether or pen to prevent sneaky accidents. If they have an accident, it's a sign you waited too long or weren't watching closely enough. Clean it with an enzymatic cleaner, and adjust your schedule.

How do I stick to a puppy training schedule with a full-time job?

Integrate training into life, don't just add "sessions." Mealturns into training. Use their kibble for practicing "sit" before putting the bowl down, or for rewarding calm behavior while you work. A puppy pen is non-negotiable for safe containment. Hire a dog walker or ask a neighbor for a midday potty break. Focus on quality, not quantity. Five minutes of focused, fun training when you get home is better than 30 minutes of frustrated repetition on the weekend.

My 5-month-old puppy suddenly barks at dogs on walks. What happened?

Welcome to adolescence and the end of the "socialization grace period." Fear periods often pop up around this age. This is reactivity, not aggression. Your old strategy of "let them meet" might now be overwhelming. Stop letting them greet on-leash. Create distance. The moment they see another dog but before they bark, start feeding high-value treats. You're changing their emotional response from "Alert! Bark!" to "Oh, a dog means chicken happens." If they bark, you're too close. Increase distance next time. This requires patience but prevents lifelong leash reactivity.

Is it too late to start this schedule with my 4-month-old puppy?

Not at all. Start at Week 1 of the schedule (decompression/bonding) and move through it at an accelerated pace, gauging your dog's confidence. You may have some gaps in socialization to fill, so prioritize those positive exposures. The foundational principles—managing for success, positive association, building life skills—apply at any age. An older puppy might learn formal commands faster but may need more work to overcome fears or habits formed in the early months.

A final thought. This puppy training schedule by age is a map, but you're the guide. Your puppy is an individual. Some weeks they'll leap ahead; others they'll seem to regress. That's normal. The goal isn't a perfectly checked-off list by 6 months. It's a confident, connected dog who trusts you and understands how to navigate your shared world. Focus on that relationship, use this plan as your framework, and you'll build more than a trained dog—you'll build a lifelong friend.