All about puppies is to understand how your puppy develops, both physically and socially. You can tailor your puppys’ training and play time to include sessions that fit you and your pups schedules and abilities. Following this guideline will help to ensure he is getting the most from his or her new world of all kinds of people and places. It also helps limit training failures-which are most common when your puppy is either bored or asked to perform a task of which he is unable to perform to satisfaction. However, with all about puppies, keep in mind that these are generalized guidelines and your puppy will develop at their own pace.

What to expect from your puppy as it grows and develops within the first year

3-5 weeks of age
Your puppy is just now learning to hear , see and smell. As their senses are quickly developing, each puppy is becoming aware of their surroundings. With this awareness, your puppy starts to socialize with other family members; (brothers/sisters/mother). The puppy will also begin walking, barking, jumping, and playing with his /her family and playmates. At this time, their teeth will begin to show through and they want to and should be encouraged to eat solid foods.

5-7 weeks of age
Your puppy is now trying to wean himself/herself away from Mommy. This stage of development is one of the most important and the true start of their growing independence and curiosity of the big world around them. As a result of the puppys’ growing curiosity, they have no fear, making this age the perfect time to begin expanding your puppys’ environment and introducing them to a wide variety of items that will peak curiosity and promote learning.

7-9 weeks of age
By week seven, your puppys’ senses have continued to enhance, as he/she continues to investigate their surroundings, especially anything that is new and exciting. After weeks of interaction with their playmates and family and introduction of unfamiliar people into your puppies world, they have begun to develop a sense of how they should behave during interaction with others.

9-12 weeks of age
Your puppys’ interaction with their surroundings continues to grow as their motor skills continue to improve. Most importantly, your pup has begun to learn which behaviors are proper for which time, even if their attention span has remained short. Best of all, your puppy now has a strong desire to earn your attention now that you and your family have taken the place of their family and playmates.

Beyond 12 weeks of age
Your pup begins to push his way around his/her world as he tries to show who is the ruler of their surroundings and household. He also starts teething, which is marked by their increased chewing of any available object. In addition, your puppy starts to demonstrates more independence and willfulness. As a result, your puppies urge to please you may decrease and they may ignore even the most basic training commands.Your puppy will enter a second chewing phase around seven months of age. This chewing has little to do with teething and everything to do with their continued sense of exploration and curiosity. By this time, your pup also has a heightened awareness of dominant and submissive rankings.

All about puppies, what to expect the first year of the puppies life are very important for proper socialization with humans and other animals. It is preferable during this time to expose the puppy to anything they might be exposed to in the future.