See our article on how to have a harmonious relationship between dogs and children. Puppies learn at an extremely fast rate at this stage and experiences in this phase can have the most lasting impact on their future life. What action should you take: It is important to ensure they are continuing to be exposed to new people, environments, objects and experiences but in a very considered and positive fashion. This is the time, for example, when you may want to take your pup to the vet, just to get everyone to give them lots of tasty treats and cuddles or start getting them used to going into the car , building up to short trips.
Positive introductions to dogs outside their litter group is also important at this stage. Consider taking them along to a well-managed puppy class which involves careful introductions and positive training methods. A puppy socialisation class where all that happens is free for all puppy play is not the right sort of environment for your puppy.
Make sure any training you are doing is short, fun and very positive. Introductions to children need to be calm, positive and gentle. What to look for: Your pup is going to start to look for more independence and trying to figure out who the boss is, they may start to puppy mouth and bite more frequently.
They will be testing the boundaries. See our article on further tips for dealing with puppy biting. It is important to discourage rough mouthing and puppy biting which can increase during this stage. What to look for: We so often hear new puppy owners say they are surprised how good their pup has been when off leash when they first start going on walks.
This is usually just because the pup is in their first fear phase and they stick close to their humans because they are a bit nervous about the great unknown. This can all change in the Flight Instinct stage as dogs start to really develop their independence and their sense of adventure and go through a puberty type phase.
They might stop listening when they are called, even if you have worked really hard on getting a solid recall, and be more inclined to venture further afield. They may also up the ante with their mouthing behaviour they will also have their adult teeth coming through. What action should you take: We would recommend keeping your dog on the leash during this phase and working on loose leash walking , you could always use a long line to allow them a great sense of freedom.
If they keep running off and being rewarded by lots of fun and adventures, perhaps play with other off-leash dogs, and you are not able to get them back they will learn that running away is more rewarding than coming back when called. Keep working on recall training whilst you use the long line and heavily reward any good behaviour. See our recall article for more information on getting your pup to come back to you reliably. We would also recommend having lots of safe and appropriate chewing items for you to redirect your dog to if they start becoming mouthy.
See our article recommending some safe interactive toys. Make sure you have plenty of appropriate chewing toys available for your pup during this stage.
What to look for: Your dog is in their teenage phase now. They are starting to reach maturity sexually and you will start to notice your male dog cocking his leg and female dogs will go into heat. Your dog may suddenly start to react fearfully or aggressively towards things that they had previously been totally fine with and new things may frighten them more than they did previously. During this phase, maturity can take longer to appear in larger breeds. What action you should take: If your pup is showing fearful behaviour it is really important not to punish them as this can make their fear even worse.
For more information on how to deal with this please read out fearful dog article. Try not to overwhelm your pup with too many new experiences during this phase. Be sure you have lots of treats on hand form the start to reward and train new behaviors, but use other rewards as well, like positive comments, petting and cuddling.
Adolescence is as physically and mentally challenging and confusing for dogs as it is for people. Both male and female dogs go through hormonal changes that can be disturbing. Dogs reach adolescence between six and 18 months, during which your dog will go through rapid growth spurts, which may cause some mild pain.
When permanent teeth come in, your dog will need chew toys to relieve the pressure on the jaw. Be careful about any extreme activity, because growth plates are fragile and susceptible to injury. If your adolescent dog exhibits destructive behavior, it is likely a sign of boredom or anxiousness.
Your Oak Park veterinarian recommends giving your adolescent dog more exercise to help counter all their physical changes, provide the mental stimulation they need and tire them for calmer times at home. Some of us, when we think of a puppy, imagine an adorably tiny dog that can barely open his eyes stumbling around as he explores the world. So what are the stages of puppy growth and development? Depending on what methodology you want to follow, there are anywhere from 5 to 7 stages of puppyhood that start at birth and end when your dog reaches adulthood.
During this period, they are going to be most influenced by their mother or mother surrogate and littermates, and will start learning some simple social skills, coordination, and the ranking process. By the end of this period, they should be able to use the bathroom on their own and see quite well on their own. By five weeks, puppies are aware of their surroundings and start really enjoying playtime.
Good experiences with people from weeks 5 to 7 will play a large role in how they continue to interact. By week seven, you may be able to start house-training your puppy. During this stage, your pup will begin to understand and use ranking in terms of submission and dominance. Teething and related chewing and chewing issues!
Your pup now understands that he has a pack which may consist of both humans and dogs and his behavior will be most influenced by this group. You can expect your dog to challenge you more as he explores dominance and his role in the pack. By knowing what to expect and at which times, you can better prepare yourself to deal with specific behaviors so you handle them in a way that is both positive and encourages the kind of behavior you want.
Post a photo of your puppy in the comments.
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