During this time, your puppy's physical changes will slow down a bit. The Transitional Stage: Puppy’s first steps, The Awareness Stage: Discovering the world around them, The Canine Socialization Stage: Becoming a good dog citizen, The Human Socialization Stage: Learning about people, Fear Impact Stage: Healthy and unhealthy fear, Seniority Classification Stage: The age of cutting strings, Flight Instinct Stage: The rebellious puppy, Second Fear Impact Stage: Growing up and building self-confidence. Development Stage Age Learning & Development What to Do Veterinary Care Neonatal Birth to 11 Days • Unable to eliminate or regulate body temperature without the mother It is important to feed your dog food that is formulated for puppy growth and development up to the point that he or she reaches full adult maturity. Puppies begin to spread their wings a bit during this period of life. As with many of the other key developmental stages in a dog’s life, patience is key. Socializing and the socialization process are extremely important during this period in a puppy’s life. All dogs pass through the same puppy development stages. Similarly, encountering and being surrounded by too many young children at a playground can end up inducing a fear response that will leave a lasting impression. They will also learn about pack hierarchy, posturing, fighting, and their prey instinct of chasing. Having dry food freely available will also serve the secondary benefit of being available to the puppies once they are ready to sample solid foods later on. And once the puppy is born, it goes through even more growth and development before joining you in its new home. Provide novel, puppy-safe toys and objects for the puppies to interact with. Most small dog breeds will be nearly finished growing at this time, though they may continue to fill out over the next three to six months. In the beginning of this period, the puppy will depend on and learn from its littermates and from its mother. At previous stages of puppy development, he was exuberant and reckless, charging forward without any fear. Be mindful of where your dog is and if they have contact with other dogs during this time. Many dog owners make the mistake of switching their puppy over to adult dog food too soon — before their body has finished growing. Life Stage No. Puppies will begin gaining control over their body functions and be able to eliminate without help from their mother. Embryonic Period — defined as the time from fertilization to the earliest (primordial) stages of organ development (about 30 days in dog, cat, sheep, pig; almost 60 days in horse, cattle, human). Dominance and testing leadership is a common theme throughout this stage and puppies may begin to push back a bit more aggressively as they mature. You’ve worked so hard to teach your puppy the ways of the world and at times this stage can feel regressive. When permanent teeth come in, your dog will need chew toys to relieve the pressure on the jaw. Many dogs will still display puppyish behavior for two years or more, but by 18 months dogs will begin to develop self-control and the maturity to respond to more advanced training. These early interactions help the puppy gain familiarity with human touch, smell, and voices early in their lives. The 4 Stages of a Dog’s Life. Keep all interactions gentle, your voice calm, and maintain as much consistency in training as possible. Little direct intervention with the puppies is needed during this phase. Housebreaking can begin during this period as well as simple behavioral responses like “Sit”, “Stay”, and “Come”. Starting with basic commands, puppies can start to learn “sit,” “stay,” and “come” with patient teaching and lots of praise. Their curiosity far outpaces their good judgment, and they need a lot of guidance to avoid bad decisions. Puppy development stages: from fertilisation to a 12-week-old puppy. Regular, gentle handling starting during this period is critical. These stages are: This is the period right after the puppies are born, so they can’t do much yet. Puppyhood and beyond puppies are growing animals. Stage 1: Neonatal Period at 0-2 Weeks The first stage of puppy development is when they are born. This is a period of time when puppies are particularly prone to frightening experiences and will scare more easily, leading to long-term behavioral effects. Shop Outward Hound for dog toys, dog chew toys, dog backpacks, dog life jackets and more! Mental health is also a key concern during this phase. Now is a great time to enroll puppies in a basic behavior class where interactions are controlled. All dogs, regardless of breed, pass through various stages as they grow and develop, physically, mentally, and psychologically. Neutering and spaying is usually performed during this timeframe. Interactions with mother and siblings teach bite inhibition, appropriate submissive and attention … Nevertheless, nursing can continue up to 10 to 12 weeks in small breed dogs. Puppies will also increasingly respond to smell, sound, and taste. These behavior stages vary a little depending on different breeds (large breeds mature more slowly) and even individual dogs, but anyone raising a puppy will recognize these basic timeframes. By the end of this period, they should be able to use the bathroom on their own and see quite well on their own. This guide explains the different stages puppies go through as they grow. Some dogs will challenge leadership during this phase and need a strong, consistent parent to guide them with patience. During this period, your dog is much like a new college graduate trying to establish his place in the world. Chances are, your dog will encounter the public, so don’t be that person with the worst-behaved dog in the vet waiting room! Author; Recent Posts; Follow me. At this developmental stage, puppies are beginning to distinguish between canine and human friends. At this point you can place the whelping box into a larger pen with a play area, to allow the puppies to begin learning the difference between sleep and living areas. At birth, you will find a puppy with his eyes and ears closed. All that training and hard work is not going to waste. Something as simple as a trip to the dog park can be traumatic if an encounter with an overly aggressive or hyper dog occurs. Learn More → Over the course of roughly nine weeks, a fertilized canine oocyte develops into a newborn puppy. Are: this is the stage when most dogs begin teething and chewing,... 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