Is it too late to train my dog?

Puppies have a lot of learning to do in their early months, just like human babies do, especially when it comes to navigating their new environment and picking up polite behavior.

We turned to AKC Canine Good Citizen Evaluator and Doggie Academy Manners Program Director Kate Naito, a certified dog trainer, for advice on how to encourage that learning.

But What If I Missed the Socialization Window?

Want the hard truth? You’ll have more work ahead of you if you missed the crucial puppy socialization window.

And, worse, your dog may never completely catch up.

Don’t worry, though; there are still a lot of things you can do to train an adult dog to become less fearful or reactive by helping them learn about and adapt to their environment.

How Training an Adult Dog is Actually Easier

While older dogs may present some physical challenges during training, other aspects of the procedure may be simpler than with a puppy.

Here are some advantages to training older dogs:

They may already have a base knowledge of some commands

They already have an understanding of certain human words

They already know the process of learning a new skill

They are eager to please and appreciate spending time with humans

Their attention span is likely greater than that of a distracted puppy

You’ll be relieved to learn that in some situations, the process of training a dog can actually be a little bit simpler as you wonder whether it is ever too late to begin.

Growth stage: between 8–16 weeks

Puppies are students of life during this crucial socialization period, which ends in 16 weeks, according to Naito. They should educate themselves about how the world around them functions because they are curious about how things appear and sound. Naito generally focuses on introducing puppies to their environment first before beginning obedience training because of this.

She recommends making sure puppies become familiar (and comfortable) with:

Surroundings: Including traffic noises, public transportation, car rides, passersby of all ages and shapes, and other dogs.

Activities: Including visits to the vet and body handling.

The objective, according to her, is to show a puppy that the world is fun and not frightening.

FAQ

At what age is it too late to train a dog?

It’s never too late to train a dog. There is no reason to put off training an older dog, whether you are bringing one home from a shelter (or rescue), or you want to work with your own older dog. Working with an older dog has some benefits in fact.

Is 2 years old too late to train a dog?

Although it is never too late to train a dog, a 2-year-old dog is still very young—just a teenager—and needs a lot of training. Some breeds, particularly large breeds, take two to three years to mentally mature, and big dogs continue to grow physically for almost as long.

What age is the hardest to train a dog?

Puppies that are six months old have reached the adolescent stage, which is the most challenging to train at. For this reason, it’s crucial to begin training them at a young age.

Can any dog at any age be trained?

In fact, because they have a longer attention span and more self control than puppies, adult dogs can occasionally be simpler to train than puppies. You can train a dog of any age, though puppies may learn things more quickly than older dogs and older dogs may be a little more set in their ways.