Puppy development – How cute puppies become happy healthy adult dogs
Who owns the cutest puppy in the world?
If you are interested in puppy development and puppy care, then you most likely just got your own perfect puppy. Meaning congratulations are in order. You are very lucky indeed. Ugly puppies do not exist. Still we know for sure that you are the owner of the cutest puppy in the world…. we have been there too!
Getting a puppy is always exciting time and great fun. It is also hard work. It is very important to use the time well as puppies grow fast. Your cute happy puppy will soon become an adult dog and it is up to you to lay the right foundations for your puppy’s future.
The puppy development stages
So you are responsible for your puppys future health and wellbeing, both physically and mentally. However, your puppys needs change and evolve depending on your puppy development timeline.
Newborn puppies have different needs than older rescue puppies. Puppies that have not been weaned have different needs than puppies on solid food and cute little puppies have different needs than the big cute puppy breeds.
It is therefore good to be familiar with your puppy development from birth as well as during the different puppy growth stages.
Puppy development stages chart
The puppy growth timeline varies greatly between dog breeds. The larger breeds of course grow much more but it takes them longer to reach their full adult size. The below puppy development chart shows the approximate puppy development by month depending on the puppys size.
Source: The Happy Puppy Site
Puppy development week by week
Your puppy is not only growing fast physically. Your puppy’s cognitive function is also developing fast. Meaning the first few weeks and months are critical for your puppy’s future health and wellbeing. So, you need to support your puppy growth week by week.
For the first 8 weeks your puppy should be with his mother. This means the breeder plays a vital role in your puppy development from birth and until you take him home.
During this time your puppy will learn a lot from his siblings and mother, including basic socialisation skills and bite inhibition. The breeder should make sure your puppy is handled by many different people and introduce him to normal noises in family homes, e.g. vacuum cleaning, washing machine, TV, etc.
Your breeder should also have started toilet training and weaning puppies should be completed by weeks 6 – 8, i.e. before he leaves to his new home.
Weeks 8 – 12 are very important for your puppy development. This is the time when you need to introduce your puppy to as many people and experiences as possible. We recommend downloading good puppy socialization plan and mark what you have done and what you still have left to do. You can even complete your puppy socialisation plan online.
Your puppy socialization continues until your dog reaches adulthood. During weeks 12 – 18 it is important continue to learn social skills with new dogs, humans and experiences but this is also the time to concentrate on training and mental stimulation. This is for example a good time to go to puppy school and learn some good ‘dog citizen’ skills.
Dogs reach adolescence between 18 weeks and 18 months. This means changes in the hormone levels which can affect your puppy’s confidence. Meaning socialisation and training continues to be important during all your puppy phases of growth.
Puppy supplements that support puppy growth
Puppies fast physical growth puts a lot of strain on the body and not least the bones and skeletal system. Puppy bone development can be supported through diet and carefully monitored exercise plan.
This is though not always possible, e.g. when the puppy not eating properly. The strain on the skeletal system is also much more for larger breeds than the smaller ones (see above puppy development chart). All puppies can benefit greatly from a puppy supplement that supports bone and skeletal growth.
Cute baby puppies are not only growing fast physically. They are also growing fast mentally, i.e. their cognitive function and mental skills are developing fast week by week.
Puppy socialization and training are vital for your puppy’s mental health and wellbeing. But your puppy’s diet must also contain all the necessary nutrients for the fast-growing brain and cognitive function.
It can be difficult to get the balance right so you may want to offer temporary extra support during this vital growth period in your puppy’s life. Puppy supplement that supports your puppy’s brain and bone development gives your puppy vital support where and when he needs it most.
It is never too early to start caring for your puppy’s future.
maxxipuppy offers valuable support for growing puppies by supporting their skeletal and neurological growth.
maxxipuppy for the best start in life.