Puppy Growth and Development Phases

A dog is a man’s best friend and how! Loyal, cute, cuddly and extremely loving, dogs are a delight to have as pets. Pet dogs give us that sense of completion with their unending love that goes unspoken but is felt from the heart. No matter the kind of dog breed, puppies are always adorable and a bundle of joy to have around the house. Mischievous but with a streak of innocence, pups need a whole lot of love and care. For all the dog lovers, let’s take a look at puppy growth and developmental phases.

Puppy Growth and Developmental Phases:
0-2 weeks: This is the time when the tiny pups are completely dependant upon their mother. This is the most exciting time, when they are learning about bonding with their mother and trying to move around on their tiny legs.

2-4 weeks: Even at this stage, the puppy is dependant upon the mother. It’s eyes then open and it’s sense of smell and hearing begin to develop. At this puppy growth phase, they also learn how to stand and walk a little. A tiny woof may also be expressed sometimes when the pup is in a playful mood. By the 4th week or the 5th week, the vision is fully developed for the pup.

5-8 weeks: This stage is very important for the puppy’s social growth and development. This is time when it learns more about social interaction with the mother and the siblings! It even learns few disciplinary acts from the mother. At this time you can even try to handle the pup but do not separate it for long intervals from the mother.

9-12 weeks: This is the time when the pups also discover new opportunities to meet other dogs and people. They are influenced by other pups as well as people. They learn certain social skills and know about relationships. They learn to explore their environment.

12-16 weeks: At this stage of puppy growth, the pup shows an air of independence and would insist upon chewing and gnawing everything that comes its way.

17-40 weeks: At this puppy developmental phase, it will continue to grow at a rapid phase. It may even tend to be a bit of a brat in that case! You would surely need to keep it disciplined so that it picks up obedience skills.

40 weeks to a year: Depending upon your dog breed, the puppy may even be a mature adult although this is a stage of puppy development. Some large dog breeds are considered to be adults after 18 months. Some pups tend to look larger in size but are immature in behavior. Perhaps in this sense, we can describe it to be the teen years! After a year, many dogs reach sexual maturity.

So, in case you are wondering when is a puppy full grown, the answer is, never! A pup would always retain its mischievous attitude even as a dog! All your pup needs is loads of love and care. Be prepared to get plenty of love and warm licks in return!