Reward That Puppy! Inc. Dog Training is dedicated to educating new puppy owners. The most important period of time for a puppy is from birth to 16 weeks. When a puppy is 8 weeks old, it is the ideal time to bring the puppy home and start introducing positive reinforcement training and socialization. "The window of opportunity for your puppy to be exposed to life experiences that will shape their adult life ends at approximately 16 weeks. What they experience during this time can positively or negatively affect their temperament as an adult." - Ray Coppinger Ph.D. thesis in biology (at the University of Massachusetts) founding faculty at Hampshire College, where he is a professor of biology. He teaches and does research on animal behavior, especially the behavior of canids. My method is FORCE-FREE and REWARD BASED as recommended by The American Veterinary Society of Animal Behavior