The Wondrous Stages of Puppy’s Development
The first 18 months of puppy life comes with a process of exciting physical and mental changes that you as a new puppy owner should be aware of.
See below for a specific list.
This is not a complete list and Arizona Goldendoodles does not hold any legal liability, when in doubt please contact your Veterinarian.
Source: quickinfoplanet.blogspot.com
0-2 Weeks – Neo-Natal Stage
Puppy is Born
Influenced strongly by mother
Develop senses of touch and taste at birth
2-4 Weeks – Transitional Stage
Starts being influenced by littermates
Eyes and ears open and senses develop
Puppy stands and starts walking
4-8 Weeks – 1st Socialization Stage
Puppy picks up cues from littermates and human interaction
Starts learning social structure and pack ranking
Increase in mobility including wrestling with littermates and exploring surroundings
Becoming more aware of surroundings and human interaction
8-12 Weeks – 2nd Socialization Stage
Puppy is developing a sense of self and will start responding to his/her name
Able to leave his/her mother and littermates and start his life with a new family!
Will begin to experience fear: Avoid loud noises or potentially scary situations
Can begin training and housebreaking
3-6 Months – Ranking Stage
A second fear/light stage will occur keep your pup on a leash or in a secured environment
Puppy will be forming dominant vs. submissive behavior
Picking up more and more social cues from new “littermates”
Will establish a place in your pack
Introduce your pup to new dogs and humans around town to increase socialization
Teething occurs
Continue training: Correct negative actions, especially biting, and always use positive reinforcement
6-12 Months – Early Adolescent Stage
Most influenced by human interaction so keep up a regular training regimen
Like a human teenager, your puppy will start to act out and test his/her boundaries
Second chewing phase occurs to test new territory
Sexual maturation occurs in non-spayed/neutered dogs
12-18 Months
By 12-18 months your pup is almost fully developed physically, but mentally he/she is still very much a puppy
In an attempt to mature your pup may test his/her social rank and try to become a more dominant figure in the pack
Keep up training activities and give your pup more difficult tasks and commands
Always use positive reinforcement. Negative reinforcement can damage your bond with your pup and will cause behavioral problems later on in life.