Building the Foundation: The First Weeks of Training an FCI Dutch Shepherd Puppy 🐾💙

Building the Foundation: The First Weeks of Training an FCI Dutch Shepherd Puppy

The first eight weeks are only the beginning.

Once my FCI Dutch Shepherd puppies reach the end of their first eight weeks, we enter one of my favorite stages of all: foundation training.

This is where the fun really begins.

It is also where those adorable little puppies sometimes turn into tiny alligators! 😂 Those puppy teeth come out, and the nipping, grabbing, chasing, and exploring can really begin.

But foundation training isn’t about simply correcting everything a puppy does. With an FCI Dutch Shepherd, I have to understand what the puppy is telling me through its genetics, drives, confidence, and temperament.

My goal is never to suppress the genetics that make these dogs extraordinary working dogs.

Instead, I teach the puppy when, where, and how those instincts are appropriate.

🐊 The Little Alligator Stage

At this age, puppies are naturally mouthy. They investigate their world with their mouths, and some puppies have significantly stronger prey or play drives than others.

If a puppy may eventually participate in bite work, I am particularly cautious about how I address this behavior.

I never want a correction to make a genetically confident working puppy afraid to use its mouth or uncertain about the behaviors its genetics are telling it to explore.

For puppies staying with OSS for obedience training, I generally work on redirecting that behavior toward an appropriate outlet such as a toy or tug.

The puppy learns:

“You can bite this—not me.”

That distinction matters.

For puppies going into families with small children, I may approach the same behavior differently. A child running past a puppy can naturally activate prey or chase drive, so I focus heavily on redirection, positive reinforcement, engagement, and teaching the puppy appropriate choices.

Every puppy is an individual.

There is no one-size-fits-all foundation program.

13–14 Weeks: Leash Work Begins

By approximately 13–14 weeks, I am beginning more intentional leash work.

But I want the leash to mean something positive.

I don’t want a puppy thinking:

“Oh no, here comes the leash.”

I want:

“YES! We’re going somewhere!”

I use food rewards, balls, toys, praise, engagement, and plenty of encouragement.

I also use a clicker for marker training.

The click becomes a way of communicating with the puppy:

“That! That’s exactly what I wanted.”

I mark both behaviors I intentionally ask for and behaviors the puppy offers naturally.

And I don’t keep everything predictable.

Over the next several weeks, I intentionally change patterns and expectations so the puppy isn’t simply memorizing a sequence.

I want the puppy to think.

Mental stimulation is just as important as physical exercise for these dogs.

Off-Leash Foundation Work

I also begin introducing small amounts of off-leash work in appropriate environments.

I’m watching the puppy constantly.

Does the puppy naturally follow me?

Does it check in?

Does it want to engage?

Will it come with me?

Will it move between my legs while I’m walking?

That last behavior—sometimes called “saddling”—can become a useful behavior for certain handlers.

However, I don’t automatically train every behavior for every owner.

For example, if a dog is destined to live with an elderly person, I would not emphasize a behavior that could cause the dog to move between the handler’s legs and potentially contribute to a trip or fall.

Again, the puppy’s future matters.

I’m not just training a dog.

I’m preparing a dog for a specific life.

Collars, Leashes & New Experiences

At this stage, puppies are also becoming accustomed to wearing collars and walking on a leash.

I like using a 6-foot neoprene police-style lead because it gives me a good grip and works well in different weather conditions, including rain and snow.

Everything is introduced gradually.

The puppy should learn that equipment is normal—not something to fear.

I’m also introducing different colors, textures, surfaces, environments, sounds, and experiences.

Playground equipment can become part of environmental exposure.

Different flooring and surfaces help puppies learn that the world isn’t always predictable.

We may venture into appropriate public environments and expose puppies to different people, children, animals, sounds, and surroundings.

The goal is a puppy that can confidently walk into a new environment and say:

“Okay. What’s next?”

Food, Growth & Development

At this stage, puppies are growing incredibly fast and burning significant amounts of energy.

Because of that, I don’t rigidly micromanage every calorie during these early working stages. I allow appropriate access to food morning and evening while closely observing each puppy’s growth, body condition, activity level, and development.

Their nutritional needs change as they mature, and feeding is adjusted accordingly.

A growing working puppy needs fuel.

New Commands Every Week

I introduce new commands gradually.

I don’t believe in overwhelming a young puppy with a huge list of commands just because I can.

Instead, I’m building communication.

We learn something new, reinforce it, play, engage, and always end on a positive note.

I want the puppy thinking:

“Training is fun.”

That attitude becomes incredibly valuable later.

Aptitude Testing Doesn’t End at Eight Weeks

One of the biggest advantages of doing aptitude testing at 6, 7, and 8 weeks is that I already have an early picture of each puppy’s drives, confidence, engagement, environmental response, and working tendencies.

But I don’t consider that test a permanent label.

Puppies mature.

Their drives can change.

A puppy that initially demonstrates moderate drive can sometimes mature into a higher-drive dog—or occasionally a lower-drive dog.

It doesn’t happen often, but when it does, I adjust.

If a puppy’s drive changes, I may increase the value of the rewards I’m using, change the training strategy, or communicate with the future owner or handler about what I’m seeing.

The ultimate goal is always the same:

The right dog in the right home doing the right job.

I’ve had only a very small number of puppies wash out of a specific intended working placement. In those cases, I worked toward a better match rather than forcing a puppy into a job that wasn’t appropriate for that individual.

That’s responsible breeding and responsible training.

Basic Obedience: Building the Pieces

As the next several weeks progress, I’m proofing everything we’ve already introduced.

Crate training becomes routine.

Basic commands become stronger.

Focus increases.

I’m looking for clean, intentional sits and downs rather than sloppy behavior.

We’re developing contact heeling and engagement.

We’re beginning the foundations of the down-stay.

We’re increasing duration and focus.

We’re building impulse control.

And we’re constantly proofing what the puppy already knows while introducing new concepts.

The puppy isn’t simply learning commands.

It’s learning how to work with a human.

Advanced Obedience: Taking It Off the Leash

When we move into advanced obedience, the foundation we’ve built doesn’t disappear.

It becomes stronger.

Everything learned in basic obedience is now being proofed at a higher level, including off-leash work and recall.

Crate training becomes routine.

Recall becomes increasingly reliable.

Focus becomes more deliberate.

The puppy learns that commands aren’t dependent on having a leash attached.

I’m building reliability.

I’m building communication.

And I’m building a working partnership.

If an owner or handler needs additional commands for their particular situation, I can incorporate those into the program as well.

Every Puppy Has a Different Destination

This is one of the most important things I want people to understand about my training program.

Every puppy has different needs.

A puppy going to a family with young children doesn’t necessarily need exactly the same foundation as a puppy going into advanced protection work.

A service-dog prospect has different considerations.

A sport prospect has different considerations.

A working protection dog has different considerations.

An older handler may have completely different physical requirements than a young athletic handler.

That’s why I try to identify the puppy’s future needs as early as possible.

The earlier I can introduce appropriate behaviors, the more naturally they become part of the dog’s understanding later.

Keeping Owners Involved

I also believe owners should be kept in the loop.

Whenever possible, I send photos and videos so owners can see their puppy’s progress.

I don’t film every single training session because my priority is actually training the dog, not constantly documenting myself training the dog.

But I try to provide updates at least twice a week when possible.

Owners should know what their puppy is learning, how the puppy is progressing, and what we’re working toward.

Love Without Taking the Owner’s Place

I absolutely love on these puppies.

I play with them.

I praise them.

I reward them.

I build confidence.

But there is an important distinction.

I don’t want to become the puppy’s forever person.

These puppies eventually need to bond deeply with their owners and handlers.

I often describe myself as being “mom after mom.”

Their mother teaches them many of the early lessons of being a dog.

I help teach them what is expected of them in the human world.

My job is to help build the bridge between those two worlds.

Building More Than Obedience

Foundation training isn’t just about teaching a puppy to sit.

It’s about building a dog with:

• Confidence

• Stable nerves

• Environmental adaptability

• Engagement

• Appropriate drive

• Impulse control

• Human focus

• Positive associations

• Clear communication

• A willingness to learn

• The ability to recover from new experiences

I’m exposing puppies to different surfaces, environments, equipment, people, children, animals, sounds, and experiences in age-appropriate ways.

I want them to experience the world.

Not overwhelm them with it.

There is a difference.

The Goal: A Dog With a Job and a Forever Home

When I start foundation training on an FCI Dutch Shepherd puppy, I’m not thinking only about what that puppy can do today.

I’m thinking about who this dog is going to become.

I’m thinking about the family waiting for them.

The handler who will depend on them.

The job they’re going to perform.

The environment they’re going to live in.

And the relationship they’re going to build with their person.

My goal is to produce and develop loving, confident, stable, well-rounded working dogs that can transition successfully into their forever homes and their future jobs.

And that takes time.

A tremendous amount of time.

It takes patience, consistency, observation, knowledge, repetition, rewards, praise, play, exposure, and sometimes a whole lot of puppy teeth! 😂

But this is the part I love.

Because I’m not simply teaching a dog commands.

I’m building the foundation for a lifelong partnership.

And every puppy deserves that foundation.