How to Train a 5 Month Old Puppy

Training dogs takes consistency, diligence and above all, patience. While training optimally begins early in the puppy’s life, generally around 6 to 8 weeks of age, any dog can be trained to do any number of tricks at any age. In training an older puppy, you must overcome the bad habits that have already been learned and replace them with new, more desirable ones.

Things You'll Need

  • Food reward
  • Clicker (optional)
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Instructions

    • 1

      Decide what you want to teach your 5-month-old puppy. Basic obedience training is what most people are interested in instilling in puppies of this age because they have usually outgrown their puppy cuteness at this point and bad behaviors like jumping up on people, rooting through the garbage and begging are now becoming more than minor annoyances. The first and most basic command is Sit. This is an essential skill for all dogs, and the basis of many other commands.

    • 2

      Get the dog’s attention. The fastest way to get your puppy focused on the training session is to have a food reward at hand. Most dogs are very food oriented, so using food rewards is the fastest and most reliable way to teach your dog the correlation between a desirable behavior and the verbal command you give. Also, older puppies benefit from the use of a clicker. Clicker training involves using a small device that makes a clicking sound as you reward the dog for performing a proper behavior. The dog associates the sound with the treat and soon performs without treats, expediting training. According to the Puget Sound Labrador Retriever Association (PSLRA), one of the easiest ways to control your puppy and get his attention is to attach a lightweight, long leash that you can tug gently to encourage certain behaviors.

    • 3

      Give the command. Whatever behavior you choose to have your dog perform, decide on the verbal cue that you are going to use. The command must be short and simple. The inflection that you use to give the command should be the same each time you use it. Give the dog the command and attempt to elicit the appropriate behavior. For example, if you say “sit,” get the dog to sit by holding the food reward just out of reach over his nose. When he sits, praise him and give the food reward. If you are using a clicker, click it the second the dog sits and reward him with a treat immediately.

    • 4

      Repeat the process. Continue giving the command, eliciting the behavior and rewarding the dog over and over for up to 10 minutes, and then take a break. You can conduct up to three 10-minute sessions a day, but no more. Dogs will get bored and begin to disregard you and your commands after this amount of time, as their attention spans are very short. Continue with the same command until the dog performs the behavior without any prompting from you other than the verbal command. Intermittent treating keeps the dog's motivation strong.

    • 5

      Train a new behavior. After the dog has mastered the first command and will perform the appropriate behavior 99 percent of the time with only a verbal command, begin the process over again with a new command. This process can continue until your dog has learned an arsenal of tricks. The more he learns, the faster he’ll pick up on new tricks.