Some people might call it lazy or argue that you shouldn’t get a dog if you have to resort to that, but I understand the appeal, especially for very active breeds like Malinois or Dutch Shepherds.
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Got our pup at 8 weeks and started potty training pronto. Also worked on sit, lie down, and shake right away.
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We immediately began formal training but concentrated on high-yield, hands-on activities. Basically, it’s just laying a solid foundation and proving that training is enjoyable. Puzzles, kennel training, and (brief) walks off-leash were all well-liked. Try to decide which behaviors—kennel training, recall, and waiting—you would like to have later in life and concentrate on those, while keeping sessions interesting and brief.
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The same thing here, 8-week-old dog. He was used to leaving his “nest” before I started, which took about one or two days.
Especially sit, I only did sit and stay for the first two weeks. Week 3 was down and wait, I think.
We started with formal training right away but focused on practical stuff with lots of rewards. Basically just building a really good foundation and establishing that training is fun and interesting. Kennel training, puzzle games, (short) off-leash walks were all a hit. Try to identify what behaviors you want later in life (kennel training, recall, wait) and focus on those, but keeps sessions short and engaging.