What AGE Should You START Training Your Dog?

Because training starts the moment they come home.

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Training does not start at a certain age.

Training starts the day you get your dog.

Whether your dog is 8 weeks old or 2 years old, the moment they enter your home, you’re already training them — either intentionally or accidentally. Every interaction teaches something. The question is whether it’s teaching structure or creating bad habits.

At Elite K9 Service, we believe early training prevents problems instead of fixing them later.

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Start Training at Home Immediately

You don’t need your dog fully vaccinated to begin training.

Training starts inside your home.

One of the most powerful tools early on is hand feeding.

Hand feeding:

• Builds a strong relationship

• Teaches focus on you

• Prevents food entitlement

• Creates calm behavior around resources

Your dog learns that you control the good things, and that listening turns them on. This builds leadership from day one.

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When to Start Socialization

Socialization should NOT start in public until your dog is fully vaccinated.

That’s not fear — that’s responsible ownership.

Once vaccines are updated, you want to begin:

• Exposure to new environments

• Different surfaces

• Noises

• People

• Calm dogs

But here’s the key:

Socialization is to PREVENT problems — not fix them.

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Why Socialization Alone Doesn’t Work

A lot of people think:

“If I just socialize my dog, everything will be fine.”

That’s not true.

Socialization without training:

• Creates overstimulation

• Builds excitement, not control

• Can actually increase reactivity

• Teaches dogs to pull toward distractions

Socialization + Training is what builds stability.

Your dog should learn:

• How to exist calmly around the world

• How to ignore distractions

• How to follow you instead of the environment

That’s how you avoid:

• Nervousness

• Reactivity

• Overexcitement

• Fear-based behaviors

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Why Starting Early Matters

When you train early:

• Bad habits never form

• Boundaries are clear

• Your dog trusts your guidance

• Reactivity is prevented

• Confidence is natural

When you wait:

• Bad behaviors become normal

• Correction becomes harder

• Dogs get confused

• Owners get frustrated

Early training limits the problems you’ll face later.

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Key Takeaway

Training starts the day you get your dog.

Socialization starts once vaccines are complete.

Hand feeding builds the relationship.

Structure builds confidence.

Training plus socialization prevents issues.

At Elite K9 Service, we don’t wait for problems to show up —

we train early so they never do.