The 8 Stages of a Puppy's Development

It might seem like puppies jump from childhood straight to adolescence in the blink of an eye, but if you pay close attention, you might notice that growth doesn't happen all at once. Regardless of breed, all puppies go through different stages of development from their first day on earth to maturity, when they reach their full potential. Consider however that these stages are not exclusively dictated by physical changes but mental as well. Behavior professionals often refer to these stages as "critical" because of their lasting effect on the dog's future behavior. Learning more about these stages paves the way toward understanding your puppy better and gives you an important head start on what to expect in the weeks and months ahead.

These are the 9 stages of a dog's childhood.

Stage 1: The Neonatal period – 0 to 2 weeks

Just as the name suggests, this is the first stage of a dog's childhood and begins the day he is born. Born blind, deaf, toothless and unable to control their temperature, puppies are quite vulnerable creatures in the first few days after birth. Thankfully, the mother is quite protective and takes care of them. She will warm the puppies, feed them, clean them and help them eliminate by licking their ass. Puppies at this stage sleep a lot, about 90% of the time, and squirm a lot in their sleep. The remaining 10% is spent eating. Your immune system develops by ingesting breast milk, a liquid called colostrums, which is very rich in antibodies. This immunity will protect you from an illness during your first few weeks of life. In spite of the blind and the deaf,
 
Stage 2: the Transactional Stage – 2 to 4 Weeks

       

 At this stage, puppies become explorers as the world presents itself to their eyes. In fact, at this stage, the puppies' eyes open and their hearing develops. Since puppies can now see their mothers and siblings, they can begin to learn the ABC's of canine society. During this time, the puppies also gain more leg strength and become able to stand on all fours. As they stumble, the desire to play begins to awaken and the puppies learn to communicate through new vocalizations. While during the neonatal stage puppies are totally dependent on their mother, in the transactional stage they begin to gain some independence. They start to eliminate on their own and their first tooth comes in.

Stage 3: The Socialization Stage – 4 to 12 Weeks

In week four, the critical window of socialization opens. During this time, the breeder should begin exposing the puppies to positive experiences that will have a lasting effect on the dogs' future behavior. Now that dogs are able to walk more, they will continue to play, and through playing with their siblings, they will learn valuable lessons about bite inhibition. When a puppy is too tough, his siblings will warn him to be gentler with his teeth. At around 4 weeks, the bitch will start producing less milk. With the development of sharp teeth, breastfeeding becomes painful for the mother and her reluctance to feed her pups initiates the weaning process. Puppies can now begin to sample new food sources. Once the puppies reach 8 weeks, must be completely weaned and ready to go to their new homes. Although, some smaller breeds are better off staying with their mother and siblings until 12 weeks.

Stage 4: First Fear Period – 8 to 11 weeks

        

The fear phase overlaps somewhat with the socialization phase. When the puppies are sent to their new homes at around 8 weeks, they will go through the first phase of fear, which takes place between 8 and 11 weeks. During this time, puppies may be frightened and should not be exposed to situations that could frighten them, such as being sent on a trip to the other side of the world or undergoing elective surgeries. With gentle exposure, taking care not to over-stimulate them, puppies can continue to be successfully socialized. Avoid places frequented by stray or unvaccinated dogs, as at this stage your puppy is vulnerable to potentially fatal infectious diseases. This is a good time to start training sessions with a good trainer.

Stage 5: Senior – 12 to 16 Weeks

This is a pre-adolescent stage where the puppy can engage in testing behaviors to see what is acceptable and what he can get away with. Biting a lot is quite common at this stage and you should provide clear and consistent rules about what is and is not allowed. Puppies at this time need a structured environment, but they must be treated with affection. Nibbling behaviors should be redirected to the appropriate toys. Exercising will help the puppy learn to enjoy touch for future visits to the vet and pet store. Praising and rewarding appropriate responses will help form a positive attitude.

Stage 6: Flying Instinct – 4 to 8 Months

   

During this time, the chicks begin to test their wings to “take flight”. They will become more independent and may be sniffing around completely ignoring your requests to come back to you. This is a good time to polish the call command to make it really interesting. Always keep your puppy on a leash when not in an enclosed area. During this time, you may also notice an increase in bites. Make sure you have plenty of toys for your dog to play with.

Stage 7: Adolescent Stage: 6 to 18 months

  

As the name implies, expect more testing behaviors from your teen dog. This stage can be considerably shorter in smaller breed dogs and considerably longer in larger breeds. When dogs reach this stage, they are usually reaching sexual maturity and marking territory with urine on intact males. Females can go into heat and males can start looking for a female. Some dogs at this stage may also start to become less friendly with other dogs and the first fights may arise between dogs. Don't be discouraged by all these changes. This is a good time to register your puppy for obedience classes. To keep you active and stimulated. After the adolescent stage, your dog will have reached social maturity and become an adult, usually between 12 months and 3 years of age.

Stage 8: The Second Period of Fear – 6 to 14 Months

This period of fear coincides with the middle of the adolescent phase and generally has a greater impact than the first period of fear. Dogs at this point are quite large and their fearful behaviors may seem more worrisome. Affected dogs may be reluctant to experience new stimuli or may be preoccupied with familiar ones. These dogs can be helped by not forcing them to face their own fears until they are ready to do so. Desensitization along with conditioning will help.

Even though all dogs go through developmental stages, it is important to note that developmental stages tend to vary slightly from puppy to puppy and not all will exhibit the behavior changes listed above. Just like with people, dogs are individuals and there are no rules written in stone. Regardless, all dogs seem to go through irresistible childhood, challenging adolescence, and the softer adult phase followed by the calmer years of seniority.