Have you ever wondered how long it takes a puppy to learn their name? I know that we have. After all, trying to pick the right name for your new addition to the family can be a bit of a challenge. And once you have a name picked out, it can take a bit for it to really stick.
So we decided to ask some experts for their insight into naming puppies. And especially how long it takes for our new puppy to learn their name.
We were lucky enough to get some interesting insight from two experts, a vet professional as well as a dog trainer and behaviorist. So what did they have to say?
How long does it take for puppies to learn their name?
According to Colby Julien, a dog trainer and animal behaviorist for Geo-Sniffing, the important thing to remember is that naming a puppy is all about creating a bond between you and your new dog.
Specifically, they shared that, "teaching a puppy its name is often the first step in building a bond, and it doesn’t take long for a puppy to associate a word with something positive. Since dogs respond to the sound of a name rather than the actual word, they often recognize key parts of a name. For example, my dog Loki responds to anything with the "-kie" sound, like "Pokie" or "Happy." Over time and with repetition, a dog's response to their name improves significantly."
As a dog trainer, Julien also shared that it is important to be intentional when using your dog's name, which certainly made sense to us. "The biggest challenge in teaching a name is avoiding 'name poisoning.' When a dog's name is used casually without intention, they can start ignoring it as background noise."
It makes sense that if we are not careful, a dog might ignore their name. Since we don't want that, we need to be mindful of what we are using as a name as well.
Of course, we also had a second expert share their insight into naming a new puppy. And that expert was Andrea Taskey, the founder of Modpetcare.com. In terms of name recognition when it comes to puppies, they shared that, "Puppies typically begin recognizing their name between 7 to 12 weeks of age. Most dogs can learn to consistently respond to their name within 2-4 weeks of consistent training. However, the learning process isn't just about time – it's about technique and positive reinforcement."
Essentially, it's not just a set amount of time that is important when it comes to a puppy learning its name, but also how you go about making it happen. Being intentional and using positive reinforcement is going to make all the difference in not only your puppy learning their name, but also responding to it.
While it may take time for your puppy to learn their name, it is something that will happen with plenty of consistency and intentionality.