WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT THE EMOTIONAL, MENTAL AND PHYSICAL DEVELOPMENT OF PUPPIES

Puppies cannot be taught anything prior to 21 days. They need only to be kept clean, warm, dry, (between 80 and 90 degrees) and allowed to nurse and sleep. These needs are usually met by the dam (mother dog.)

This is a general discussion of critical periods in a dog’s emotional, mental and physical development. If a critical learning period is missed, although a dog may be trained, its basic and natural reactions are permanently affected and its full potential will never be reached. Missing one or all of these periods may cause a puppy to become emotionally handicapped in its social interactions with other animals and humans.

Average times behaviors manifest:

(a) Puppies open their eyes somewhere between 11 to 19 days (Avg. 13)

(b) Puppies hear no sounds before three weeks of age.

(c) At 21 days, puppies begin to go toward sights, sounds, or smells, and their tendency to "whine" decreases. All their sense organs are now functional. The puppy is no longer dependent on reflex responses to hunger, cold and touch. It can see, hear, smell, taste and feel. They can eliminate independently and will, normally, given the option, leave their nesting and play area to eliminate. Their memory develops. (Electroencephalograph tests show a puppy's brain to be very immature at birth. At three weeks, their brain starts to take on its adult characteristics. By seven weeks, they have "adult" brains and "mature" brain waves are first recorded.)

(d) From 21 days to 49 days, playing and play fighting begins.

(e) Puppies begin to walk unsteadily on the 18th day (some as early as 12 days.)

Great changes take place mentally and physically to puppies starting at the 3rd week. Sudden and unexpected stimulation is emotionally startling to puppies and any additional noise, confusion, or rough handling can cause puppies to become "fear imprinted." Care should be exercised not to subject puppies to excessive stimulation during this period as they are having to cope with several newly developed senses at once. What a puppy learns during its 3^rd week, becomes fixed and will influence its attitudes toward man, other animals, and its environment, throughout its life.

A critical socialization period begins at 21 days and lasts to four months of age. A puppy's basic character is set during this time. Puppies need to interact with humans and other animals in a variety of places and situations and need individual attention during this period.

During its 4th week, a puppy needs its mother most. Removing a puppy from its mother for any length of time during that week can permanently traumatize the puppy and upset it so much that it never completely recovers.

At five weeks, litters begin to establish a dominance order. Starting the 7th week, puppies need to have limited access to their mothers, spend time with their litter mates, and have daily interaction with humans.

Puppies should not be weaned before seven weeks of age. Weaning before the 7th week may cause noisy and/or nervous behavior for life. Puppies need their litter mates until seven weeks of age to learn to interact well with other dogs.

Generally speaking, puppies should not be adopted before seven weeks. Taken before seven weeks, puppies miss critical socialization periods. If this happens, the puppy may show less interest in normal dog activities for life. Puppies adopted after seven weeks may pick fights with other dogs as adults. However, neither adopting a puppy before seven weeks or after eight weeks will have such a drastic or negative effect that you should never consider adopting a puppy outside of seven weeks. There are simply too many other factors to be considered when choosing a puppy for this to be the deciding factor.

At seven weeks, puppies' brains are fully developed. This is the best time to adopt a puppy. It has had an opportunity to interact adequately with both its mother and litter mates and time to learn the socialization skills critical to its future interaction with humans and other animals. (If weaning and transfer occur simultaneously, the best time to adopt is at eight weeks.)

NOTE: Research shows aggression develops in puppies that do not stay with their mother long enough AND also in puppies that remain too long. Puppies taken at the end of the 4th week and given a lot of human attention may become so socialized to humans they do not care for other dogs. Some identify with humans so strongly that they express sexual desires toward humans rather than dogs, such dogs can be difficult or impossible to breed.

Positive training and gentle discipline can start at eight weeks. With proper training, puppies can be expected to obey every command they have been taught. You may start housebreaking them at 8 weeks BUT do not expect immediate success. Generally speaking, up to 8 months, a puppy can be expected to "hold" eliminations for 1 hour per month of age. Three month old puppy = three hour MAXIMUM time between eliminations.

From 12 to 16 weeks, puppies cut teeth and declare their independence. The puppies decide who the "pack leader" is going to be, it or its human owner. It is critical to establish yourself as leader during this period.

Nothing helps a puppy learn appropriate dog behavior towards humans and its proper role in our families and in society more than simply taking it away from its litter mates and having a pleasant session of one on one play, training and/or work daily.

Although these important critical learning periods occur, one should never interpret this to mean that a dog cannot be trained after these periods. Dogs can be trained throughout their lives and, if the training is done properly, dogs enjoy the process. Dogs that have no defined purpose are often bored and boredom can lead to behavior problems. Training is an important way for your dog to express its energy, intelligence and instincts.