Puppies are little bundles of fun, but they also keep us on our toes! As the owner of a new puppy, it can be useful to know what to expect as your dog grows and develops. We’re going to take a look at some of the physical and emotional stages of growth that your puppy will go through.
Newborn to four weeks
When your puppy is first born, their senses are very limited. Their ears and eyes are closed, and they spend most of their time asleep or drinking milk from their mother. Their mother needs to stimulate them to go to the toilet (through licking) and they are reliant on her for warmth and protection.
From two weeks onwards their eyes open and they start to smell and hear more too. They begin to interact with their mother and litter mates.
By four weeks of age, they can walk around, wag their tails and may even bark. Around this age, puppies will start toileting by themselves. Their deciduous (milk) teeth will start to come through at this time too.
Puppies are born with growth plates at the end of their long bones, also known as epiphyseal plates. These are made of cartilage, transforming into calcified bone over time. They also add to the length of the bone until the age at which your puppy reaches maturity and growth stops. It is therefore very important that care is taken not to damage these growth plates as your puppy is growing as it could lead to issues and deformities occurring.
Four to eight weeks
During this period, your puppy will wean from milk to solid foods. This usually starts around four weeks of age, when they experiment with small amounts of soft foods. Over the next few weeks, they will gradually take in more and more solid puppy food and decreasing amounts of milk. By seven to eight weeks of age, your puppy should be completely weaned and no longer needs their mother for nutrition.
This is also part of a key socialisation window for puppies. They begin to explore their immediate environment and take notice of household sights and sounds. They are more accepting of new things at this age, so the breeder must introduce them to as much as possible, including things like vacuum cleaners, doorbells, washing machines, different people and other household animals.
Your puppy will also be playing with their litter mates during this time, practising social interactions and learning the art of communication. Their mother will be guiding them too.
Eight to twelve weeks
Eight weeks is when most puppies will go to their new permanent homes. This will be the first time they will have been away from their mother and siblings. Your puppy will need understanding and patience during this time, as they adapt to their new surroundings.
Puppies need to be continually exposed to new sights and sounds during this time. Their key socialisation window closes at twelve weeks of age. After this time your puppy will become less adaptable to new experiences and could be more fearful. So, any socialisation that has been carried out during this early time will help your puppy to be a more confident adult dog.
Even if your puppy hasn’t had their full vaccination course yet, there is a lot that you can do at home. This includes getting used to different textures (hard floors, rugs, grass in the garden, gravel etc), sounds (consider using a CD or the internet to introduce fireworks, traffic, babies crying and thunder) and sights (including different family members or friends and a variety of hats, glasses and facial hair). You can also introduce your puppy to the car and get them accustomed to wearing a collar and lead.
Once your puppy’s vaccination course is completed, you can continue their socialisation journey outside of the home. Begin slowly and try and keep any interactions with strangers and other dogs positive.
Your puppy will require three or four meals per day at this age. Make sure you are feeding your puppy a diet appropriate for their age and size. Check the packet guidelines and divide their total daily allowance into multiple smaller meals. This will be easier for them to digest.
Puppies at this age will not need much exercise and will still have plenty of naps, between episodes of playing, exploring and eating. Once their vaccinations are complete, they can start going for short 10-minute walks. You can start house training at this age. Some puppies pick it up quickly, others can take several weeks to get the hang of things.
Three to six months
Your puppy will become more active, and you can gradually increase the amount of time you spend walking your dog. The key is not to do anything too strenuous with them – for example, marathon training or hiking is not advisable at this age, but plenty of low-impact ambling around the park and play is. Consider your dog’s breed too. A working breed like a Hungarian Vizsla or Labrador is likely to need much more daily exercise than a toy breed like a Chihuahua or Pug.
They will still need to have their daily rations divided into three meals a day up until six months of age.
Your puppy’s permanent teeth will start to emerge at four months of age. They will begin losing their deciduous (milk/baby) teeth at this time, usually starting with the small incisors at the front. They will have all their adult teeth by 6 months of age. This teething period can mean more chewing, so make sure your puppy has plenty of toys of varying textures.
Training will be key during this time, and you may want to start taking your puppy to classes. Your puppy should be able to learn basic commands like ‘sit’ and ‘come’.
Six to twelve months
Between six and nine months of age a rapid period of development occurs. Most of your puppy’s remaining height and muscle growth happens around this time.
Your puppy is also now adolescent, and this can be a challenging period for some dog owners. This is also known as your dog’s ‘teenage phase’ as they go through puberty. During this time, hormones are flowing, and your dog is pushing boundaries. This means your dog may try to assert themselves, with you and any other dogs in the household.
The exact age your dog reaches sexual maturity varies between dogs, with small ones maturing more quickly than large or giant breeds. Female dogs can therefore have their first season any time between six and eighteen months, depending on their size and breed.
Make sure your dog is receiving enough physical and mental stimulation during this time, to keep boredom at bay. You should also continue to work hard on your dog’s recall, as they may become easily distracted by more interesting sights and smells during this time.
From six months onwards, dogs should receive two meals a day (their daily ration divided equally, into morning and evening portions).
Twelve to eighteen months
Most dogs will become emotionally mature between twelve and eighteen months of age. Most dogs will also have physically matured by this time, though some large or giant breeds can take up to two years to reach their full potential.
By now you have come to understand what your dog’s adult personality is like. Don’t expect your dog never to make a mistake though, many dogs still show puppy-like tendencies until they are at least two years old.
From twelve months of age onwards most dogs will move into an adult diet. Just ensure that it is good quality and appropriate for their size and lifestyle. Measuring the food out accurately can help to prevent unwanted weight gain.
Once your dog has physically matured and completed their bone development, the cartilage in their growth plates is replaced by bone, and their adult skeleton is fully formed. You can now start to do more strenuous forms of exercise with them such as jogging or hiking, if their breed and health allows for it.
Neutering was traditionally advised from six months of age onwards, but now it is more common practice to ensure that your dog has reached maturity before neutering. For many dogs, this is now around twelve to twenty-four months, depending on the dog’s breed/size. The reason for this is to reduce the risk of joint problems as well as certain types of cancer in some breeds. It also gives you more time to understand your dog’s personality before you make the decision. Some male dogs that are nervous or nervous aggressive could be made worse by the reduction of testosterone hormone levels that neutering brings.
Summary
Due to the wide variety of breeds and sizes of dogs, individual puppies will vary, but hopefully our timeline will give you some idea of what to expect. If you have any concerns about your puppy’s growth, development or health care, then don’t hesitate to contact us.