To successfully raise a happy, confident, well-behaved dog, it helps to understand the different stages of puppy development. You might think that training your puppy starts the day he comes home to live with you: it doesn’t!
Raising your new puppy begins when you choose your breeder. Puppies are in their fourth stage of development (more on that later) before they even meet you, so it is of the upmost importance that you select a breeder who has the dog’s best interests at heart and is aware of their needs, not someone with pound signs in their eyes.
Check out my top tips for buying a puppy or read on to find out why your choice of breeder can affect your pup’s behaviour for the rest of their lives. Plus, what you can do to overcome some common behaviour issues.
Why is choosing the right breeder so important?
As mentioned above, your puppy will probably be in his fourth stage of development when he comes home to live with you. He has already been through the Prenatal, Neonatal and Transitional stages of development. At around three weeks old, he will enter the Sensitive period of socialisation and this will last until your puppy is about three months old. Three weeks to three months is a vital time for training and socialising your puppy correctly; what happens to a dog during this vital stage will have a significant impact on its character and behaviour in later life.
Breeders, who actively socialise and desensitise puppies appropriately before letting them go to their forever homes will inevitably produce puppies who are easier to train. These puppies are more likely to be happy, sociable dogs, causing fewer problems for owners later in life. An exceptional breeder will take advantage of the primary socialisation period (between 3-7 weeks) and begin introducing puppies to the sights and sounds they are likely to encounter in the outside world. Performing this stress inoculation at an appropriate pace for a puppy, will make them less anxious about the variety of situations they will be thrust into during their lifetime.
The Stages of Puppy Development
Prenatal (-63 days average)
This stage includes fertilisation and the birth of the puppies. You might think that there is nothing affecting the puppies during this time apart from genetics. However, what the dam experiences throughout her pregnancy can be passed on to the pups – including a higher level of reactivity if she experiences trauma.
Neonatal (0-12 days old)
Puppies are reliant on their mothers for warmth, food, urination and defecation. Short bouts of human handling during this time can make puppies easier to train later on. The puppies learn olfactory and tactile associations during this period.
Transitional (13-21 days old)
During this time a puppy’s ears and eyes will open and they will begin to eliminate independently. They will become more vocal and will start to regulate their own body temperature. During this period, puppies will begin to habituate sounds so it is a good idea to introduce common household sounds to the litter.
Sensitive (3 weeks – 3 moths)
(Scott & Fuller, 1957) discovered a critical period for socialisation between the ages of three weeks to three months. Now termed the ‘Sensitive Period’, this time in a puppy’s life is when it is most likely to approach novel objects, people and other animals, and become socialised to these things. Therefore, what a puppy experiences in this time frame will affect their behaviour in the future and determine what kind of dog they will grow up to be. This is the best time to introduce a puppy to children.
It is vital to introduce a puppy to new experiences slowly. A puppy’s cortisol levels are highest between 8-10 weeks. This is when most new owners bring their puppy home. It is important not to overwhelm your pup with new experiences during this timeframe.
Understanding the science behind puppy development can help when it comes to choosing a reputable breeder. It can also help with early socialisation and training, making life easier for you (and your dog) in the long run.