The stages of puppy development

THE STAGES OF

PUPPY DEVELOPMENT

To ultimately have a well-adjusted and healthy dog, you must ensure that his needs are met during each development phase. Knowing how to manage a puppy through each developmental stage will help you create a happy and integrated family member.

THE FIVE STAGES OF PUPPY DEVELOPMENT

The puppy development process falls into five distinct stages. Puppies go through these stages at their own pace, so the timelines here are just a guideline.

1. NEONATAL PERIOD (0-2 WEEKS) This is the first stage of puppy development, and it begins at birth. At this age, puppies only have the senses of taste and touch and rely totally on their mother to meet their every need.

2. TRANSITIONAL PERIOD (2-4 WEEKS) During this time, the senses of hearing and smell develop. Puppy teeth start coming through, and their eyes will begin to open. This is also the age when your puppy's personality begins to develop. Puppies will interact with their litter mates, wag their tails, stand, walk a little and begin to bark.

3. SOCIALISATION PERIOD (3-12 WEEKS) This is the most important stage of a puppy's development and critically is when the young pup goes home to live with his new family (between 7 and 12 weeks). During this period, changes occur rapidly.

Between 3-5 weeks, puppies start to become aware of their surroundings and have the ability to develop a relationship with people. This is the period when puppies get used to the day-to-day noises of a regular household. At this age, puppies are just learning to really interact with each other and will start to play. This means they are also learning their dog social skills and exploring how interactions work. Their curiosity develops, as do their biting skills! Nipping behaviours begin as they practice their biting behaviours with their mother and brothers and sisters.

At 7-9 weeks of age, their senses are all fully developed, and they are ready to go home to their new family. The challenge with this is it falls right in the middle of their socialisation period. Therefore, you must introduce your puppy to as many new dogs, people, objects and surroundings as possible. Of course, this must be done in a controlled manner and must never put your puppy in a dangerous situation where they could get injured, scared or catch a disease. During this phase of development,

puppies develop much more consistent reactions to things. They are also likely to focus on different types of people and should be friendly to strangers. They are also very curious and will probably try and explore their environment more than before. For this reason, puppies should always be kept close to you or on a leash.

4. TESTING PERIOD (3-6 MONTHS) This is when your puppy starts to test their boundaries within their world. They will begin to push the limits with their owners and other animals. At this age, many adult dogs will start to enforce manners in these youngsters.

As you might expect, problematic behaviours can begin to arise in this period, so it is important that you start a training programme with your puppy if you haven't already. You want to find a positive training class and also practice at home on a daily basis.

At this age, your puppy will also go through a teething phase, and chewing is a common side effect. To avoid your puppy chewing everything in sight: • Don't leave him unattended • Make sure he has plenty of chew sticks and toys • Use commercial sprays to dissuade your puppy from chewing your belongings.

Puppies are usually finished teething by 6 months when the upper canines come in.

TOP TIP

Soak a cloth in chicken stock and freeze it if your puppy is experiencing pain while teething. Once frozen, this can be given to your puppy as a chew toy and helps to relieve pain from sore gums.

SIGNS OF PUBERTY IN DOGS

Here are the typical signs of puberty in dogs: Males: • Descent of testicles • Scent marking • Raising his leg to mark (pee) • Becomes less friendly • More interested in roaming and less interested in coming back to you • May start lifting his leg indoors • Can become aggressive towards other male dogs

Females: • Usually starts with the first heat cycle • Exhibits erratic behaviour • Moody • Lethargic • Shows aggression

You may see some or all of the above signs. 5. ADOLESCENCE (6-18 MONTHS) This is commonly the most challenging time during a puppy's development. Your adorable little puppy starts to become a teenager and will start producing hormones that may result in behaviour changes. NOTE: Dogs go through adolescence at different times, depending on their size; for small breeds, it can be as early as months old while larger dogs start at nine or ten months of age. Adolescence in larger breed dogs continues until there are two or three years old, with smaller dogs reaching maturity at about 18 months. Typically, the larger the dog, the slower the development.

Characteristic behaviours of the adolescent dog include: • Inappropriate chewing (furniture etc.) and general destructiveness • LOTS of energy • Starting sexual behaviour if not spayed or neutered • Starting to claim the bed or couch areas and growling if you try to move him • Starting to pee or poo indoors • Displaying aggressive behaviour towards people or dogs • Resource guarding

• Lack of focus and concentration • Selective 'deafness,' i.e. doesn't come when called

Many of these behaviours will diminish as your puppy matures as long as you keep up training and socialisation through these periods.

One of the best ways to handle an adolescent dog is to give him plenty of daily exercise and continue positive training sessions. Consistency and routine are essential. If the dog displays any aggressive or other unmanageable behaviours, you should contact your vet, behaviourist or a certified trainer for assistance.

FEAR PERIODS

In addition to the five stages of development, puppies go through an average of four fear periods during their journey into adulthood: • Between 8-10 weeks • Between 4-6 months • About 9 months • Between 14-18 months

These fear periods, if mishandled, can create aggression problems so it is imperative to be aware of them. As your puppy enters a fear period, he will suddenly become frightened of something that he used to be okay with or used to ignore. He could react by shaking, backing away, hiding, running away, submissively urinating or hunching. Alternatively, he might growl, bark, raise his hackles or show his teeth.

Whatever signs he demonstrates, once you recognise one of these behaviours at the age range mentioned above, you should stop taking your puppy to new places and introducing them to new things for about a week. It is also best not to schedule any vet appointments during the fear period.

TAKE HOME MESSAGE

Familiarising yourself with these stages of development is critical in giving your puppy the best chance of adjusting optimally to family life. Puppies are a large commitment and these early years are particularly challenging, but if handled correctly, they can be enormously rewarding!