Eight to sixteen weeks
This window shapes how your dog sees the world for the rest of its life. Prioritize calm exposure to surfaces, sounds, people, handling, car rides and crates — quality over quantity. A puppy who has twenty good experiences learns more than one who has a hundred overwhelming ones.
Alongside that, start the boring basics: name response, house training, crate comfort, and being alone for short periods.
Four to eight months
Adolescence arrives and your puppy starts testing what the rules actually are. This is where structured obedience and a weekly class pay off, because the habits you set now are the ones you will live with.
Older puppies and adult dogs
Starting later is not a lost cause — it just means unlearning habits alongside teaching new ones. Adult dogs learn fine; they simply have more history to work through.
Every dog is different. If you want a recommendation for your dog specifically, tell us what's going on and we'll point you to the right program — we're at 8618 Ridgefield Rd, Crystal Lake, IL.