Early Puppy Development Stages

By Teri Champigny

Puppies progress almost the same as children do.  They need to eat, sleep, and learn new things along the way.  When you can, interact and play with your puppy to give him his exercise and keep him mentally and physically fit. 

The first two to three weeks are usually the hardest.  Your puppy will begin to move around and open his eyes.  By now he will know his Mom and recognize her smell - but that's about it.

At three to four weeks, your new puppy should begin to recognize you, too.  Any kind of negative event, like immediate changes in his environment, can deeply impact his personality.  So try to keep things calm for your puppies during this time.  Mom is beginning to teach her litter how to be dogs, so they need to stay with her as much as possible for now.

During the four to eight week stage, your puppy will begin to interact with his siblingsand will also be learning how to play.  Weaning happens around this time and Mom will teach her mischievous brood a few manners with the odd growl or nip.  The puppies are not ready to be separated from Mom yet - she still has a few more things to teach them.  This is also the time to start them on puppy food - be sure it's a good, high-quality food designed just for puppies. Big-Dog food is just too hard on their systems at this point.

Once they get to eight weeks, some puppies hit a fearful time where things they used to be accustomed to now terrify them.  Do not yell or scream at your puppy or isolate him during this time.  You can, however, use this time to teach simple behaviors such as 'sit' and 'stay'.

By three months old, your new puppy will be growing more independent every day.  He will challenge you by not doing the simple commands he already knows.  He will want to play wrestle with you but even if you win, the puppy will still think it's alright to fight with you - which can certainly lead to other bad behaviors down the road, so be on the lookout for and correct any agressive behavior now.

Four months brings the teenage stage for most puppies.  He will go through hormonal changes and may have even less desire to do what you say.  Unfortunately, he will also go through teething, much as a child does.  Always have something cold, if possible, for your puppy to chew on.  Fortunately this stage usually ends by the six-month mark, which is the perfect time to spay or neuter your puppy.

Pay attention to your puppy whenever you can, and monitor his development and behaviour. If you can help him grow and stay on track through the puppy period, you should be blessed with years and years of joyous times as your puppy matures into a loving, obedient dog you're proud to call your own!