Puppy Behavior & Puppy Development - Age 8-11 Weeks

Understanding and learning about puppy behavior and puppy development can undoubtedly make puppy training faster and more effective in the long-term. A puppy is very much like a child and will go through similar stages in their development and subsequent behavior.

In this article we will focus on some of the behavior traits that you should expect during the age of 8-11 weeks and what you can do to make this transitional stage as smooth as possible so that your puppy does not develop any behavior problems. This will enable you both to start off how you mean to go on so that you develop a strong bond and good working relationship – because you will need to work to get the best from your puppy.

It is important that you start puppy socialization and begin introducing your puppy to a variety of new experiences. Your puppy will initially be afraid of pretty much everything so you need to start exposing him to new experiences. Of course you will want to protect your new puppy from things that are genuinely dangerous, but if you pick up your puppy every-time that he is scared he will start to think that he has a reason to be scared. Without knowing it you are reinforcing his fear with your own behavior. You should start socializing your puppy with other dogs and it is a good idea that you invite friends and neighbors around to be introduced gently and not in mass to your new puppy.

You should expect that your puppy’s behavior maybe challenging during the age of 8-11 weeks. Expect your puppy to whine or bark during the night, he may also start chewing random objects that he encounters during his investigations. It is important that you don’t start giving your puppy over complicated dog food – keep it nice and simple otherwise you may get excessive wind or diarrhea.

You need to stop yourself from being over indulgent with your new puppy. Of course it is natural to cuddle and pamper him but you need to remember that if you don’t start training your puppy at this age you are asking for problem behavior when he gets older. It is relatively common for your puppy to chew shoes and have accidents in the House but you need to challenge this behavior immediately as part of your potty training and house training regime.

Try not to scare your puppy as they are very prone to developing fearful behaviour between the age of 8 and 11 weeks. Although it is important to socialize your puppy, don’t expose him to other dogs that have not been vaccinated – wait until about a week after your puppy’s second vaccination. You need to remember that a puppy at this age may develop diarrhea due to changes in his diet and stresses that he may encounter with his environment. If you have any persistent problems you should check with your vet especially if there is any blood or worms present.

Keep the puppy training short and interesting and make the training commands simple and easy to understand. It is important that you use your puppy’s name and use the same verbal cues with each command – e.g. when puppy potty training use the cue ‘go potty’ and make sure the whole family use the same cue. It is always a good idea to use a hand gesture at the same time as a verbal cue as this will help your puppy associate the two. Start basic training with your puppy at this stage in his development. Between the ages of 8 and 11 weeks you should be training your dog to come, sit and stay.

Between the ages of 8-11 weeks you should expect your puppy to wake up and cry in the night and soil and play bite your clothes. Your puppy may even chase other animals cry when he is left alone and be scared of objects that he faces everyday. It is important that you set the ground rules and remain the alpha male or pack leader – someone that your puppy can look to for leadership. It is important that you enjoy owning your new puppy but remember that owning a puppy is very much like having young children; if you fail to set the boundaries you are going to have problems. So have fun and enjoy your puppy at this stage in his development and behaviour but remember you are the teacher and your puppy is the pupil.

Puppy Behavior
Learn how to train a dog or puppy from home with simple dog obedience training techniques