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The 7
Stages of Puppy Development
In order
to understand why your puppy doesn’t
listen to you sometimes, you need to
understand all the stages of development
puppies go through as they mature.
They’re kind of like kids – you wouldn’t
expect the same behavior out of a
two-year-old that you would out of a
teenager, would you? Of course not!
So why do you expect your eight-week-old
puppy to react the same way your
3-year-old dog does?
Let’s
take a look at the different stages, but
before we do, keep in mind that these
stages are generalizations – each dog is
an individual. I’ve seen six-month-old
dogs act more mature than
eighteen-month-olds.
Socialization and training time you’ve
spent with your dog can make an enormous
difference in accelerating, or slowing
down, your dog’s individual development.
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
The Overlap stage lasts about 3-4
weeks to about 7 weeks. It’s called the
overlap period because it overlaps with
the Almost Ready period. 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.
In terms
of socialization, this is the prime time
for your puppy to learn basic social
skills. 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 this period. 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? |
