When you have a dog as a pet, it’s important that you train them so they learn proper behavior, such as not jumping on people or pulling at their leash. If it’s your first time having a dog, you might wonder how long it will take to train them. Unfortunately, there’s not a definitive answer, as it will depend on many external factors such as their willingness to learn and your commitment to teaching them. That said, if you’re consistent, you should start seeing results within 3–8 weeks.
Full training of your dog can take longer than that, though. In fact, having a dog means you might spend a lifetime training them on new things. But for basic commands such as “sit” or “stay” or learning not to jump, etc., 3–8 weeks should have you seeing a significant transformation in your pup.
What Things Can Extend the Training Period?
As we said, there are many factors that can lengthen the amount of time it takes to train your dog. Some of these involve the dog themselves, while others involve you. When it comes to dog training, some of the factors that might keep them from learning include:
And then there are things you may do that affect how long it takes to train your pet. For example, consistency. If you aren’t consistent in your training (using the same signals and commands or only doing them sometimes but not all of the time) or if everyone in the family isn’t following the rules of training, your dog is simply going to be confused, and it will take them much longer to learn.
There’s also how much time you’re willing to invest. If you don’t have lots of time available due to work or life in general, the process will go much more slowly.
- Related Read: 10 Best Dog Training Books: Reviews & Top Picks
Tips For Training Your Dog
There are some ways you can make the training process go more smoothly for everyone involved, though. Doing the following will help your dog learn and might even speed up the process a bit.
And if you give training a go but realize it’s not going so great, for whatever reason, consider taking your dog to a professional trainer or obedience class. It could be immensely beneficial!
Final Thoughts
Training your dog is a process, and depending on what you want to teach them, it can be an ongoing one. However, for basic commands like not jumping on people, you can see significant progress after 3-8 weeks. Part of how quickly training goes will depend on your dog, and part of it will depend on the time you’re willing to invest. You can make things run more smoothly, though, by being consistent and patient, as well as by using positive reinforcement. But if you end up having problems with the training process, you can easily try a professional trainer instead.
No matter how long training takes, it’s always a delight to see your pup’s joy when they’re learning something new and finally get it right!
Featured Image Credit: DestinyWiens, Unsplash
