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Four weeks, five short sessions a day, one new focus at a time. This plan covers the first behaviours the AKC says to teach from day one: housetraining, crate skills, alone time, appropriate chewing, socialisation and bite inhibition, plus name, recall and leash foundations.
Puppies from eight weeks to about five months, in their first month at home. It also works as a restart plan for an older puppy whose early weeks were chaotic. If your puppy is fearful of people or the world in a way that is not improving week to week, work through the plan with a certified trainer alongside you.
Two foundations run underneath all four weeks. First, the socialisation window: the AKC describes the early weeks, up to around three to four months of age, as the period when puppies are most receptive to new experiences, so safe, positive exposure now pays off for the dog's whole life. Second, sleep: plan the day around naps, because a rested puppy learns and an overtired puppy bites.
Goal for the week: your puppy learns the shape of the day, toilets mostly outside, and hears their name paired with good things.
| Day | Focus | Session notes |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Home tour and toilet spot | One room at a time. Outside to the same toilet spot on waking, after every meal, after play and at least every hour while awake. Mark and treat every outdoor toilet within seconds. |
| 2 | Name game begins | Say the name once, happily. When your puppy looks at you, mark, treat, release to play again. Ten tiny repetitions, three times a day. Never use the name to scold. |
| 3 | Crate as a good place | Door open all day. Toss treats and chews inside, feed one meal in the crate, let the puppy wander in and out. No closing the door yet unless the puppy settles happily. |
| 4 | Handling practice | Touch a paw, treat. Lift an ear flap, treat. Brief collar holds, treat. Keep each rep to two seconds. This pays off at the vet and groomer for years. |
| 5 | First closed door crate naps | After a toilet trip and play, settle the puppy in the crate with a chew. Stay nearby. Open the door before any real distress, ideally as the puppy wakes. |
| 6 | Sounds and surfaces at home | Walk the puppy over a mat, a tray, a rustling bag, with treats raining for bravery. Play household sounds quietly during a meal. |
| 7 | Review day | Repeat whatever was hardest. Note toilet accidents in the log: the pattern of times tells you where the schedule needs another trip. |
Goal for the week: short, calm crate rests with the door closed, the first rules about teeth, and the first seconds of being alone without worry.
Goal for the week: a recall cue that means something wonderful, and a puppy who can walk a few steps on a leash without fighting it.
Goal for the week: the same skills, in slightly harder places, with the socialisation checklist nearly complete before the most receptive window closes.
| Focus | This week's step up | Done when |
|---|---|---|
| Socialisation | Watch the world from a bench or car boot: traffic, prams, bikes, joggers, children playing at a distance. Treat for calm watching. | Puppy notices new things, looks back at you, and recovers within seconds. |
| Recall | Garden games with a second person, mild distractions, longer distances on the long line. | Puppy turns and comes on the first call, nine times out of ten, at home and in the garden. |
| Leash | Short pavement walks where your vet says ground contact is safe: five to ten minutes, mostly sniffing, rewards for walking near you. | Puppy walks a short route with a mostly loose leash and checks in with you often. |
| Crate and alone time | Crate rests while you move around the house; alone time building toward a few minutes behind a closed door. | Puppy settles in the crate and rests without sustained fussing. |
| Manners | Four paws on the floor for greetings: turn away from jumping, reward the moment all four feet land. | Puppy offers a sit or four feet down when meeting household members. |
After week four, keep the daily rhythm and move to whichever programme fits your dog's next challenge. Most owners continue with the housetraining programme until fully reliable, then the leash skills programme.
The day your puppy comes home, which for most puppies is around eight weeks. The AKC notes that reward based training can start as soon as a puppy arrives home. Very young puppies tire fast, so keep sessions to two to five minutes and build up slowly.
A lot. Puppies commonly need up to around 18 hours of sleep a day, and overtired puppies are noticeably mouthier and wilder. Scheduled naps in the crate or pen are part of the programme, not a break from it.
Ask your veterinarian what is safe in your area. Common safe options include carrying your puppy in public places, watching the world from a parked car or a blanket, meeting healthy vaccinated dogs in private gardens, and short visits to friends' homes. Floors of high dog traffic areas are the main thing to avoid until your vet clears ground contact.
Mouthing often peaks as puppies get bolder and more overtired before it improves. Keep the rules identical: teeth on skin ends the game, every time, from every person. Add a nap before you add more training, and read our guide to jumping up and mouthing. If biting is intense, hard to interrupt, or still uncontrolled at six months, the AKC advises consulting an experienced trainer or behaviour specialist.
Yes. Run the same four weeks and expect to move faster through weeks one and two. Adolescent dogs may stall at the distraction levels in week four; repeat those levels for as many weeks as needed. The order of skills matters more than the calendar.
If you can, yes. A well run class adds supervised socialisation and a trainer's eyes on your handling. The AKC recommends classes taught by qualified instructors who use positive reinforcement, such as AKC S.T.A.R. Puppy classes. A class supports this programme; it does not replace the daily home practice.
Last updated: November 2026. The week by week plan is our own work, written to the reward based methods and first behaviour priorities in the sources above. How we work: our methodology.
All training programs | Topic guide: housetraining