![]() Like most adolescents, puppies are very rambunctious, so continue the process of training and socializing your dog during this phase. Adolescent stage and continued training and socialization: 6-12 months Again, this is a perfectly normal part of puppy development and is nothing to be alarmed about. Puppies may experience another fear phase that lasts about a month and seems to come from nowhere. Among themselves, puppies begin to use ranking in their group structure - that is, they start testing where they fit in. Even though puppies are very energetic, don’t exercise your puppy too much, since he can overdo it. Of course, you’ll need to use caution and make sure that the other animals are friendly.Įstablishing hierarchy within the group: 4-6 monthsĭuring this period, puppies grow rapidly and you may notice daily changes. Puppies can socialize with other species of animals as well - horses, cats, whatever animals you would like your puppy to be comfortable around. Ask your veterinarian for information pertaining to your individual puppy and whether she or he knows of any parvo or distemper outbreaks in your area. In general, about a week after the second parvo/distemper vaccination, it is reasonably safe for your puppy to play with other similarly vaccinated puppies, in a class with a relationship-based trainer. You don’t want to socialize your puppies with other dogs and cats until the puppies have been vaccinated, since they may pick up diseases (such as parvo, distemper, and hepatitis) that can be fatal to puppies. This is a perfectly normal reaction - it doesn’t mean that you will have a fearful dog. At this age, you can also start training puppies with positive reinforcement methods: using a clicker, praise and rewards.Īt about eight weeks, puppies start experiencing fear everyday objects and experiences can alarm them. You should handle all parts of the puppy, introduce his first collar and lead, encourage him to come using his name, and reward him with praise and treats. House-training can begin as early as five weeks, when puppies will follow their mother through a dog door or can be taken out for elimination lessons.įor help with potty training, see House-Training a DogĪt approximately six weeks, puppies can begin in-home training. Training and socialization can begin very early, from the beginning of this socialization period, but do not permanently separate a puppy from his mother and siblings before eight weeks of age. Also, handling of the feet and body parts is a good thing for a puppy to experience at an early age. During the socialization period, it’s also very important to expose your puppy to other normal experiences, such as car rides, crate-training, vacuum-cleaning, ringing doorbells, and a variety of objects and sounds. To socialize your puppies to humans, have a variety of people interacting with them - young (with supervision) and old, male and female. Puppies become much more vocal during this period, with the appearance of play barking and growling.Īt this point, if mom is aggressive or fearful of people, the puppies may be affected by her attitude. The puppies also learn the ins and outs of group structure and ranking within the group. They learn to play, gaining needed social skills from litter mates, such as inhibited biting (biting to play, not to hurt). Training, vaccinations and socialization: 3-16 weeksįrom four to six weeks, puppies continue to be influenced by their mother and litter mates. By the time the puppies are eight weeks old, they should be eating solid food and no longer nursing. Offer the puppies small amounts of soft food in a shallow dish. At around three weeks, puppies should be started on solid food. Weaning from the mother also begins during this phase. By the end of this period, puppies are able to eliminate without their mother’s stimulation. During this stage, puppies begin to walk, bark and wag their tails. The senses of hearing and smell are developing their baby teeth start emerging. Their eyes open and their sight is well developed by five weeks. Transitional stage and development of senses and weaning: 2-4 weeksįrom two to four weeks, puppies become aware of and interact with their litter mates as well as their mother. Neonatal puppies have limited movement and are capable of only a slow crawl. The senses of touch and taste are present at birth. Neonatal stage and dependence on mother dog: birth to 2 weeksįrom birth to two weeks, puppies are completely dependent on mom for food and care, such as keeping themselves clean. Here is a quick summary of the stages of puppy development, starting at birth up to two years old. To help puppies grow up happy and healthy, it’s important to be aware of what they need at each phase in their development. ![]()
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