One of the most frustrating things for puppy owners has to do with developmental stages. Puppies go through several developmental periods that cause changes in behavior and responsiveness. Knowing where your puppy is in their development can help ease frustration for both of you, as well as better prepare you for navigating the challenges ahead.
Pat Hastings, author of multiple award-winning books on puppy physical and mental development, goes in depth into each of the stages in her book, Another Piece Of The Puzzle: Puppy Development. I’ve summarized the periods most relevant to puppy and adolescent dog owners below, as well as included some tips for each stage.
According to Hastings, the most critical Socialization Period is from 5 to 16 weeks of age. During this period, the puppy is most impressionable to good and bad experiences. Hastings asserts that the Socialization Period can be further broken down into several stages:
Early Critical Developmental Stages (Ages 5-9 Weeks)
These stages take place while your puppy is still with their mom and siblings, and typically in the first few weeks that your puppy arrives home. It is critical to handle these weeks carefully — missing these windows makes improving on your dog’s natural neophobic (afraid of new/novel things) survival instincts much more difficult to improve upon. Stressful puppyhood (such as living in a shelter, a minimal interaction with owner/foster family, strays, and frightening experiences during this time) can contribute to life-long struggles with fear and anxiety.
Curiosity Period (5-7 weeks)
Period with the lowest fear response and highest acceptance of new things. This is a great time for the breeder or litter raiser to introduce the puppies to different experiences (sights, sounds, smells, textures, etc.) while being mindful of disease risk. Ideally puppies should still be with their litter and mom at this age.
Behavioral Refinement (7-9 weeks)
Puppies now have fully functioning brains and are capable of permanently learning anything. Socialization to sights, sounds, smells, textures, and experiences should continue. Positive reinforcement training can also be introduced to teach useful basics like coming when called. Training should be age and size appropriate — coordination is not the best, so precise or complex behaviors may wait a little longer.
Takeaways For Ages 5-9 Weeks
- Every experience counts toward how your puppy will view similar situations for the rest of their lives
- Stress during this time contributes to anxiety and fear as an adult
- Utilize positive training methods to teach behaviors
- Set your puppy up for success by making right choices easy and wrong choices unavailable
Fear and Awareness (Ages 8-12 weeks)
These stages overlap and can vary slightly from puppy to puppy. Just like the early critical stages, quality exposures are more important than the quantity of exposures. However, being very sheltered during this age will likely cause your puppy to new sights, sounds, and experiences. In addition to careful exposure to pleasant strangers, other dogs, and things that will be a part of your dog’s life long-term, you’ll want to spend some time getting your puppy used to things like ear and paw handling, nail trims, and even wearing an elizabethan collar (sometimes referred to as an e-collar, or “cone of shame”) for future medical procedures. Even if you don’t plan to spay or neuter your puppy, it’s highly likely they will have an injury at some point that will require an elizabethan collar or a similar alternative. Making this a pleasant experience before it’s coupled with an injury, infection, or surgery recovery will reduce your dog’s stress in the future!
Fear Imprint/Impact Period (8-11 weeks)
This is an approximately week-long period within the 8-11 week window where puppy’s fear response increases, and they may be wary of new things and strangers. Bad experiences during this time can cause long-term or even permanent repercussions. Be especially gentle and kind to your puppy during this time, and don’t try to force interactions with others in the name of socialization. Socialization is about being okay with the world and able to focus on the task at hand. This does not mean leaping into the arms of any stranger or rushing up to unknown dogs.
Environmental Awareness Period (9-12 weeks)
Puppies are very inquisitive about the world and develop bonds to people and other dogs. Many breeders consider this to be the optimal period for puppies to go to their new homes (being mindful of the fear imprint period). You should continue with positive training, rewarding the puppy for having paws, ears, tail, etc. handled as well as coming when called.
Takeaways For Ages 8-12 Weeks
- Continue exposing your puppy to things that will be a part of their lives
- Plan ahead: work on wearing elizabethan collars, nail trims, and training goals
- Your puppy will have an approximately week-long fear period where they are more sensitive to stress
Independence and Adolescence (Ages 13 weeks – 14 months)
The next stages are much more variable in when and how long they occur. During this period, your puppy is similar to a teenage human and will become more independent and will test the “system” to see what is available to them. In addition to hormone fluctuations that can impact mood, anxiety, and confidence, your puppy will also be teething during this time and will be dealing with their new life with a sore or painful mouth. Just like when we’re not feeling well, dogs can be distracted or grumpy due to this as well and may not respond to things the same way they did previously.
Seniority Classification Period (13-16 weeks)
Period known for testing boundaries and experimenting with pushy behaviors. Consistency and rules are essential at this stage. Don’t give the puppy more freedom than they are able to make good choices with. Remember they’ve only been in our world for 3-4 months, and don’t have a very long history of making the desired choices! Set them up for success and build on it by diligently adding to that history of correct behavior being rewarded.
Flight Instinct Period (4-8 months)
Period may occur at any time during this timeframe and may last for a few days to a few weeks. Puppies will wander further from what they know and their first response is to run away. Many owners become frustrated in this stage because their sweet, responsive puppy has suddenly developed other ideas! This is why I stress to owners to not give their puppy too much freedom to make the wrong choices, and to build that reinforcement history. Don’t be too quick to fade rewards from a behavior. It doesn’t necessarily have to be a food reward, but it has to be something valuable to the puppy in that moment.
Second Fear Impact Period (6-14 months)
Again this period may occur at any time during this timeframe and may last one or more weeks. Puppies are particularly wary of new situations during this time. Just like the previous fear period, take care to not over-face your puppy and allow them to set the distance they feel comfortable observing things from. It may be further than it was previously, but allowing them to quietly observe dogs, kids, bicycles, etc. at a distance will help them make sense of it. Rushing and flooding frequently cause the puppy to become more sensitized to these things instead of desensitized.
Takeaways For Ages 13 Weeks – 14 Months
- Your puppy is essentially a human teenager with hormone fluctuations and testing what works and what doesn’t
- They may seem to forget what they’ve previously learned — maintain rewards for desired behavior and prevent unwanted behavior
- Your puppy will likely experience a second fear period during this time — be gentle with things that seem to concern them during this time
How should I socialize my puppy?
- Puppies should be allowed to explore the world on their terms.
- Give your puppy careful guidance to make sure they’re not overwhelmed, forced, or frightened.
- Take care to make sure that each experience is a positive one.
- A variety of new things to be exposed to is critical to helping the puppy develop confidence.
- The aim of socialization is to feel safe in their surroundings and be able to focus on the task at hand.
- A well-run puppy class can help with this, but is not the only option
- You can also do a great job socializing your puppy on your own with these tips in mind
- You can also work one-on-one help from a trainer like us.
Jenn is an excellent trainer! She works hard to understand the relationship between you and your pet – and will individualize training based on your needs. She uses positive reinforcement and positive training techniques to help with behaviors and improve the relationship between you and your pet. She is incredibly knowledgable and helped us understand the ‘why’ behind each behavior. Not only that, but she is well versed in breed specifics and offers you specific training and enrichment activities based on your pet’s breed. She also has a very flexible schedule, which made it easy for both of us as owners who work full time, to be present for each training session. We noted remarkable behavioral improvements in our puppy after just the first session and continued improvement with each visit. 100% would recommend for all pet owners.
Nimesh P. with German Shepherd puppy Strider