Although your puppy may look all adult, the developmental stages of your pet last for a year or two before it is considered an adult dog. The biggest changes in dog development occur from birth to the age of 12, but even after that, your furry baby is still very much growing.
How Puppies Develop
The period of juvenile puppies generally begins at 10 weeks of age and lasts until puberty and the onset of sexual maturity.
It is during this period that puppies begin to learn the consequences of behavior and begin to determine what is most appropriate for certain circumstances. Puppies at this age have endless curiosity, teasing stubbornness, and enthusiastic love. As long as you wait for your dog to get into everything, you will not be disappointed. In fact, it is an ideal time to start training dogs.
Almost every moment of waking up this juvenile period is spent in play, which is a great fun for babies and great practice for the dog’s life. With play, puppies learn how to do important dog activities like trying to catch and run, eat, bite and fight. The dog’s social skills and etiquette are also taken from interacting with little friends and mom. Interestingly, puppies learn to curb their bite when they are bitten by another pup, and at this stage, they begin to understand the dog’s language. Through play, they also begin to practice dominant and submissive positions in preparation for life in the real world.
10 to 16 weeks: Juvenile Delinquent Pups
Puppies test their limits over a period of 10 to 16 weeks, which lasts anywhere from a few days to a few weeks. These dogs challenge their owners to see who calls them shots, seem to “forget” any training they have learned, and generally act like rebellious teenagers.
Some of these behaviors have to do with teething, as pups lose the teeth of babies around 3 months old. There may also be discomfort, as permanent teeth erupt and puppies tend to chew on anything and everything to relieve pain.
Bad behavior can also be influenced by hormones. Unlike other types, the male testosterone level of dogs (from 4 to 10 months) can be up to five times higher than an adult dog. Even pups that are spayed and neutered , before this stage, can develop a persistent attitude. Owners who have trained their dog right can experience difficult and frustrating stages like this and are encouraged to keep their dog in a leash and under control.
4 to 6 months
Pups grow so fast over a period of 4 to 6 months and you may even notice changes every day. Your browser will also test and challenge you when it comes to figuring out where it stands with the other animals in the group. Thus, some squabbling and playing in the game should be expected. In the dog world, older animals learn the boundaries of small dogs, so this dynamic type may seem scary, but it is completely normal.
Similar to the earlier stage, the testosterone level of an un-neutered male puppy increases to about 4-5 months. This is how adult dogs recognize that the big puppy are still babies and must be taught dog etiquette.
Puppies can also experience a stage of fear (which can last up to a month) and there may even be more than one stage in large breed dogs . This tends to correspond to the growth of spurts, so owners may see “grim” behavior or unwarranted aggression , such as the protection of toys or territory. Just make sure you are not rewarded with scary behaviors with more attention. Instead, learn how to talk to puppies , do not talk to the child and do not ignore the fear of being rewarded. As you build confidence through training, your pup should naturally go through each stage of fear.
6 to 12 Months: Adolescence
Most of your pup growth in height ends between 6 and 12 months, but he or she can continue to supplement and gain muscle and body weight. At this time, small dog coats also begin to be replaced with the adult coat.
While your baby may still be emotionally immature, you will begin to see feet and signs of hunger. Girl pups can go into heat (estrus) at the beginning of 5-6 months, while boys start to get interested in sex during this period.
Puppies seem to explode with high energy and do well with structured play and exercise during adolescence. Continuous training and companionship are vital to ensure your youngsters know how to behave politely with other dogs, other animals like cats and more people including children and strangers.
1 and 2 Years: Social Maturity
Depending on the breed, your dog will be physically mature between 1 and 2 years old. Smaller dogs mature much earlier, while larger ones take longer. The social maturity of your pup also depends on experience with other animals. For example, socialization and training should continue throughout the life of your flesh, because there are always new things to learn and old lessons to review and practice.
