When Should Your Four-Legged Friend Start School
                     When Should Your 
Four-Legged Friend 
Start School?
www.aldenskennels.com
    Whether you just got a new puppy or adopted a good 
boy who’s seen a few more years pass than he’d like 
to admit, the question on lots of owners’ minds when 
they first get their pet is: what age do you start dog t
raining? For those with a puppy, there are likely moti
vations of potty training, learning basic commands th
at affect your daily life, and cultivating a well-behave
d pup who will fit in well with your family. For those w
ith an older dog, training might have more to do with 
learned behavioral issues, like jumping on people or 
barking at people who don’t live in the household. Yo
ur hopes are that education from a good Illinois progr
am will help your pup shine, even if there’s a little m
ore gray on their snout. For either a puppy owner or s
omeone with an older pet, the question of choosing t
he right time to start training your dog is a really imp
ortant one. And there are a couple answers.
• In general, puppies will understand enough to start learning 
basic commands and retain the information when they are a
round 7-8 weeks old. This is usually shortly after they’ve be
en relocated from their mother and siblings and placed in a 
loving home with a doting owner. They’re in a new environ
ment, already naturally learning new things, and it’s a great 
time to introduce them to a leash and basic commands.
• However, most professional dog training won’t begin with a
ny pupil younger than six months. Illinois professionals give 
your pet’s mind a little more time to develop, so they are pr
epared for more careful and intentional training that can bui
ld on itself and give your dog the skills they need to becom
e a service animal, a rescue animal, or a pup you can take t
hrough an agility course.
• And, for many professionals, age is just a number. Ol
der pups are still able to learn new tricks, despite the 
adage that declares otherwise, and as long as you fin
d an Illinois program that’s willing to give your pet ti
me, attention, and love, you can expect amazing res
ults for pupils who are far beyond six months old.
• An Illinois dog training program that might be a good 
one to check out is Alden’s Kennels. Alden’s Kennels 
offers boarding services as well as beginner through 
expert classes in behavioral training; with the profess
ionals working on the beautiful campus of Alden’s Ke
nnels, your pet, no matter what the age, will dive int
o the program and come out a pup better prepared f
or the world ahead.