Puppy Developmental Milestones

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Puppy Behavior, Growth & Development


Newborn Puppy Growth and Development & Behavior up to 3 weeks
· A puppy is born blind, deaf and toothless
· During its first week 90% of a puppys time is spent sleeping and 10% eating. They are only able to crawl
· The puppy's eyes, which are closed at birth, open when it is between one and two weeks old. It then begins to see
· The pups ears should open when it is two to three weeks old
· Puppies whimper when they are cold, hungry or uncomfortable
· Puppys grow while they sleep
· A puppy is reliant on its mother for the first few weeks for food, comfort and to learn basic dog requirements

Puppy Growth and Development & Behavior between 3 to 7 weeks old
· A puppy will be weaned between the ages of 3 and 7 weeks
· During the ages of 3 to 7 weeks its first teeth, or milk teeth will appear
· A puppy is taught basic behaviour disciplines from its mother
· A puppy will continue to develop by socializing with other dogs and animals and people
· Puppies will stand up and start walking
· At the age of 3 weeks a puppy will develop its sense of smell
· At 3 weeks the puppy will begin to bark and show social development such as wagging its tail, growling and baring its teeth
· Up to the age of 4 weeks the mother will be with the puppy almost constantly
· The puppy has good use of its legs and is able to chase
· Between 4 and 5 weeks the mother will gradually spend time away from her puppies
· Rapid growth and development rate at this stage
· Interaction with litter mates leading to Order of Dominance
· After weaning puppies need to receive a series of vaccines in order to develop immunity on their own. Vaccinations for puppies generally include distemper, hepatitis, leptospirosis, parainfluenza, parvovirus, rabies, and sometimes bordetella

Puppy Growth and Development & Behavior between 7 and 12 weeks
· Puppies are usually found new homes at this age it starts focusing attention on its owner rather than other puppies
· The first fear period of the puppy begins
· A puppy starts to learn his name but still has a short attention span
· The puppy will start house training
· At first, the puppy should be fed three times a day. (Feedings should be reduced to twice a day by the time a puppy is mature or even once a day in the case of a dog that gets little exercise)
· The puppies motor skills improve
· The puppy will use his basic instincts to naturally explore its new environment and the different things within it
· Puppies will still sleep a lot and grow as they are sleeping. During times of stress, a dog raises its hackles - the hair along the neck and spine
· Puppy training must begin and pups need to be made aware of your rules

Puppy Growth and Development & Behavior between 12 and 16 weeks
· The first of the permanent teeth will work through
· Ensure the puppy has plenty of attention and toys to play with
· At this age a puppy might demonstrate Pack Leader Behavior and test who is the Boss. A puppy will challenge your authority

Puppy Growth and Development & Behavior between 4 and 8 months
· The adult teeth continue to come through and during this time puppies need to chew! The incisors and the canines are very important because the dog bites and tears at its food with these teeth
· Provide them with lots items to chew
· The confidence of the puppy will now have grown as would its physical size
· The puppy will be showing interest in chasing other Puppies at this age and starts to become independent

Puppy Growth and Development & Behavior between 8 months to 1 year
· Feeding frequency should be considered - reduce to 2 meals per day
· Some dogs reach sexual maturity at the age of eight months
· The puppy is old enough to start Obedience Classes or a professional training program
· The puppy would have grown to approximately half to three quarters the size of and adult
· Female dogs would have probably reached their eventually height but will to continue to 'fill out'

Growth and Development & Behavior - 12 months old
Puppies are now considered to have finished their development and growth rate and are viewed as adult dogs.
Although sexually mature beforehand, a dog usually does not attain full growth until at least its first birthday.

www.dog-names.org.uk/puppy-behavior-growth-development.htm

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Of course, as soon as I say I can't find something...I find it. Here's the article I was referring to from the "He just won't go" thread.

The 7 Stages of Puppy Development
Charlie Lafave


Let’s take a look at the different stages, but before we do, keep
in mind that these stages are generalizations – each dog will
progress at its own pace. This is a general guideline.


Stage 1: The Transitional Stage 2-3 Weeks

The Transitional stage generally lasts from age two to three
weeks, and it’s during this time that your puppy’s eyes will
open, and he’ll slowly start to respond to light and movement and
sounds around him. He’ll become a little more mobile during this
period, trying to get his feet underneath him and crawling around
in the box (or wherever home is.) He’ll start to recognize mom
and his littermates, and any objects you might place in the box.


Stage 2: The Almost Ready To Meet The World Stage 3-4 Weeks

The Almost ready to meet the world stage lasts from 3 to about 4
weeks, and your puppy undergoes rapid sensory development during this time. Fully alert to his environment, he’ll begin to
recognize you and other family members. It’s best to avoid loud
noises or sudden changes during this period – negative events can have a serious impact on his personality and development right now. Puppies learn how to be a dog during this time, so it’s
essential that they stay with mom and littermates.


Stage 3: The Overlap Stage 4-7 Weeks

From 3-4 weeks your puppy begins the most critical social
development period of his life – he learns social interaction
with his littermates, learns how to play and learns bite
inhibition.

He’ll also learn discipline at this point – Mom will begin
weaning the pups around this time, and will start teaching them
basic manners, including accepting her as the leader of the pack.
You can begin to introduce food to the pups starting around the
4th week – transition gradually as Mom weans them. Continue
handling the pups daily, but don’t separate them from either Mom
or litter mates for more than about 10 minutes per day. Puppies
that are removed from the nest too early frequently are nervous,
more prone to barking and biting and have a more difficult time
with socialization and training. Puppies need to be left with Mom
and siblings until at least 7 weeks of age - and preferably a
little longer - for optimum social development. Experts say that
the best time in a puppy’s life to learn social skills is between
3 and 16 weeks of age – that’s the window of opportunity you have
to make sure your puppy grows up to be a well-adjusted dog. It’s
extremely important to leave your puppy with Mom and his
littermates during as much of this period as possible. Don’t
discipline for play fighting, housebreaking mistakes or mouthing
– that’s all normal behavior for a puppy at this stage.


Stage 4: The “I’m Afraid of Everything” Stage 8 Weeks to 3 Months

The “I’m Afraid of Everything” Stage lasts from about 8 weeks to 3 months, and is characterized by rapid learning as well as a “fearful period” that usually pops up at around 8 to 10 weeks. Not all dogs experience this, but most do, and they’ll appear terrified over things that they took in stride before. This is
not a good time to engage in harsh discipline (not that you ever
should anyway!), loud voices or traumatic events. At this time
your puppy’s bladder and bowels are starting to come under much
better control, and he’s capable of sleeping through the night.
(At last, you can get some rest!) You can begin teaching simple
commands like: come, sit, stay, down, etc. Leash training can
begin. It’s important not to isolate your puppy from human
contact at this time, as he’ll continue to learn behaviors and
manners that will affect him in later years.


Stage 5: The Juvenile Stage 3 Months to 4 Months

The Juvenile stage typically lasts from 3 to 4 months of age, and it’s during this time your puppy is most like a toddler. He’ll be a little more independent - he might start ignoring the commands he’s only recently learned – just like a child does when they’re trying to exert their new-found independence. As in “I don’t have to listen to you!” Firm and gentle reinforcement of commands and training is what’s required here. He might start biting you – play biting or even a real attempt to challenge your authority. A sharp “No!” or “No bite!” command, followed by several minutes of ignoring him, should take care of this problem. Continue to play with him and handle him on a daily basis, but don’t play games like tug of war or wrestling with him. He may perceive tug of war as a game of dominance – especially if he wins.
And wrestling is another game that can rapidly get out of hand. As your puppy’s
strength grows, he’s going to want to play-fight to see who’s
stronger – even if you win, the message your puppy receives is
that it’s ok to fight with you. And that’s not ok!


Stage 6: The Brat Stage 4-6 Months

The Brat Stage starts at about 4 months and runs until about 6
months, and it’s during this time your puppy will demonstrate
even more independence and willfulness. You may see a decline in
his urge to please you – expect to see more “testing the limits”
type of behaviors. He’ll be going through a teething cycle during
this time, and will also be looking for things to chew on to
relieve the pain and pressure. Frozen doggie bones can help sooth
him during this period.

He may try to assert his new “dominance” over other family
members, especially children. Continue his training in obedience
and basic commands, but make sure to never let him off his leash
during this time unless you’re in a confined area. Many times
pups at this age will ignore commands to return or come to their
owners, which can be a dangerous, even fatal, breakdown in your
dog’s response to you. If you turn him loose in a public place,
and he bolts, the chances of injury or even death can result – so
don’t take the chance.

He’ll now begin to go through the hormonal changes brought about
by his growing sexual maturity, and you may see signs of
rebelliousness. (Think adolescent teen-age boy!) If you haven’t
already, you should have him neutered during this time. (Or
spayed if you have a female.)



Stage 7: The Young Adult Stage 6-18 Months

The Young Adulthood stage lasts from 6 months to about 18 months,
and is usually a great time in your dog’s life - he’s young, he’s
exuberant, he’s full of beans – and yet he’s learning all the
things he needs to become a full-fledged adult dog.

Be realistic in your expectations of your dog at this time – just
because he’s approaching his full growth and may look like an
adult, he’s not as seasoned and experienced as you might expect.
Gradually increase the scope of activities for your dog, as well
as the training. You can start more advanced training during this
period, such as herding or agility training, if that’s something
both of you are interested in. Otherwise, extend his activities
to include more people and other animals – allow him to interact
with non-threatening or non-aggressive dogs.

Congratulations! You’ve raised your puppy through the 7 stages of
childhood, er, I mean puppyhood, and now you have a grown-up,
adult dog! Almost feels like you’ve raised a kid, doesn’t it?

Charlie Lafave, author, "Dog Training Secrets!" To transform your
stubborn, misbehaving dog into a loyal, well-behaving "best
friend" who obeys your every command and is the envy of the
neighborhood, visit: tinyurl.com/6u2cj

www.petcaretips.net/stages-puppy-development.html