Summary Stages Of Development

week 1:  Puppy has minimal seeing and hearing, stays close to mother and littermates; cannot yet regulate body temperature. Handler should have physical contact with puppy every day.

week 2:  Eyes may open by the end of week 2; puppy can hear sounds,  can walk but is very unsteady. Handler should continue picking puppy up, providing sensory stimulation.

week 3:  By end of week 3 eyes should be open and puppy might start when hearing sounds. Handler should put new things in whelping box for puppies to play with; by end of week 3 puppy starts to be able to learn.  Handler should introduce puppies to new sounds, surfaces, possibly friendly other animals. The window for learning social skills in the litter has opened and puppy starts to learn from mother and littermates how to get along.

week 4:  Puppies start to learn and practice "doggy" behaviors through playing with littermates. Puppies learn biting, barking, basic social rules, through playing with each other. Puppies will hump each other. Through active play with each other they start to learn bite inhibitiion. Puppies will also recognize their handler and other folks they have been exposed to. Mother dog will wean puppies and handler can introduce other food. Puppies also start to learn doggy manners from mom and their littermates.

weeks 4 through 7:  This is a time period in which puppy learns many social skills including how to handle new experiences and how to get along with other dogs. The handler should expose puppy to new sights, sounds, places on a daily basis.  Puppy should also have some experience of being alone for short time periods. Puppy should have time alone with handler.

week 7:  Research indicates that by the end of week 7, puppy's brain waves are the same as those of an adult dog.  The puppy, however, has very little life experience except for what has been learned in the litter and taught by the handler.  How the puppy faces the world has in many ways been shaped by this time.

week 8 to 11:  Puppy has hopefully moved to a permanent home by week 8, and a good handler will continue puppy's early learning by adding more opportunities for socialization and exposure to the outside world.  Puppy's bladder control will be developing more and puppy is more likely to make it more of the way through the night without having to go out.  There is also a "fear phase" that occurs during this time period.