Dani Waser asked:

When Should You Begin Training a Puppy?
While you want to give your puppy as much freedom as possible until he turns 4 or 6 months old, it’s never too early to start training him. You don’t want him to run amok in public places, do you? When your puppy is in public places, always keep a leash and collar on him to avoid dangers such as road traffic. It is also illegal to allow a dog to run free in some countries, so be careful and do your research.

You must always be careful in parks as loose dogs could attack a crazy puppy if he is infringing in their territory. An energetic puppy of a larger breed could also hurt very young children or elderly people by jumping on them. You are responsible for your puppy at all times so always keep him in sight, even when he is off leash.

Young puppies require plenty of exercise and fresh air in order to grow into healthy dogs. They need exercise to make their bones stronger and fresh air to develop their lungs. Being in public places lets your puppy interact with people and your puppy gets the opportunity to get used to traffic noises and life in general. If possible, your puppy should exercise everyday. He will sleep better and won’t get bored, which is why bad habits and destructive behavior start to appear in the first place. Taking your dog out for exercise will also help prevent shyness caused by isolation; although shyness could also be inherited.

Starting Basic Puppy Training
You can begin training puppies from the time they are 4 to 6 months of age. You can also train older dogs, but it’s a lot more difficult. Try to limit training to 10 minutes a day. Your puppy gets tired fairly quickly and once he’s tired, he won’t learn anything. Be consistent in your training sessions and take him out at about the same time every day. Wear the same shoes and jacket and the pup will learn to associate those shoes and jacket with training.

Training Puppies to Heel
Walk at a steady pace with your puppy on a firm fitting collar and leash. Keep him to your left and occasionally say the command “Heel”. Slap your thigh each time you say “Heel”. If your puppy pulls away or gets distracted, keep walking. Your dog will soon understand and follow along. If you don’t stop, your dog will have to follow. When he starts to follow you again after being distracted, pat him on the head and say “Good dog”. If your dog tries to run or pull against the leash, say “Heel!” in a firm voice. When he obeys, praise him and pet him and he’ll soon get the message and learn to heel on command.

Training Puppies to Sit
Once your puppy has learned to heel on command, you can teach him to sit. Walk with him on your left and stop, then transfer the leash to your right hand. Push down his rear end with your left hand while pulling up on his collar. Your puppy will have no choice but to sit. Lifting his collar takes weight off your dog’s front legs and this motion along with you pushing his read end causes your dog to want to sit. Say the command “Sit” with a firm voice as you push him down.

Repeat this exercise several times and reward and praise him every time he sits. When your dog gets it, start walking again and repeat the exercise several more times during your 10-minute walk.