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Step 1
After one week in your home, your puppy should be comfortable in his environment. He should move easily from room to room (if allowed) and he should know where his food and water bowl are located.
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Step 2
By eight weeks of age, your puppy will begin chewing on anything within reach of his new razor-sharp teeth. Puppies need to chew in order to alleviate the discomfort of teething. Your puppy will have most of his baby teeth by three months of age and then he will begin losing them and his adult dogteeth will come in after he is six months old. Provide plenty of solid chew toys during this time. By four months of age, his bite will be less painful but he should not be allowed to mouth your hands.
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Step 3
At two months of age, your puppy should be ready to begin learning basic obedience skills. An obedience class or a puppy kindergarten is optimal since he will learn to get along with other dogs, a skill that will serve him well later.
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Step 4
Housebreaking may begin as soon as you bring your puppy home but it is impossible to evaluate the pup's progress until he is old enough to refrain from having "accidents," usually not before six months of age. Until then, it's normal for your puppy to soil something occasionally. However, if you scold him, it may worsen the problem.
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Step 5
By three months of age, many puppies have developed life-long social skills, making it imperative that you socialize your puppy right away. If there is no dog class available locally, take your puppy for daily walks in the parks where he can encounter other dogs and humans.
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Step 6
When your puppy turns four months of age, he may show a definitive acceptance or fear of certain sounds. He should recognize the sound of your car approaching, of the front door opening and of his dog food sack crumpling. To these sounds, he should react favorably. However, he may also show anxiety or fear of loud noises, such as fireworks or a gunshot. Most hunting dogs require special training to adjust to loud noises.
