Understanding your puppy’s developmental milestones is crucial for providing appropriate care and training. Here’s a month-by-month guide to help you track your puppy’s growth and development during their first year.
1 Month (4 Weeks)
- Physical Development: Puppies begin to open their eyes and ears, and start to stand and walk.
- Socialization: Puppies interact with littermates and humans, learning bite inhibition and social cues.
- Weaning/Feeding: Transition from nursing to solid food begins.
- Potty Training: Start learning to eliminate away from their sleeping area.
2 Months (6-8 Weeks)
- Adoption: Puppies are typically ready for adoption.
- Training: Begin basic training, including crate and potty training.
- Vaccinations: First round of vaccinations should be administered.
- Socialization: Continue exposing puppies to various people, animals, and environments to encourage positive experiences. Remember to limit exposure away from public areas where there’s unlimited access to unvaccinated dogs and environments. Puppies are still not fully vaccinated and are at risk of getting viral diseases, like Parvovirus infections.
3 Months (12 Weeks)
- Physical Development: Puppies’ coordination improves, and they become more active.
- Training: If it hasn’t already been initiated, introduce basic commands like “sit,” “stay,” and “come.”
- Socialization: Continue socializing with other vaccinated dogs and people.
- Potty Training: Most puppies are well on their way to being house-trained.
4 Months (16 Weeks)
- Teething: Puppies begin losing their baby teeth, and adult teeth start coming in. Make sure to provide them with toys of various textures to ease their discomfort and encourage healthy or favorable play.
- Training: Reinforce previously learned commands and introduce new ones.
- Socialization: Continue exposing puppies to different environments and experiences.
- Health: Schedule a veterinary check-up to monitor growth and development. If they’ve maintained a consistent vaccination schedule, this is the time they’ll be receiving their final puppy vaccinations.
5 Months (20 Weeks)
- Physical Development: Puppies approach their adult size, especially small breeds.
- Training: Begin leash training and reinforce obedience commands. Click here to join our stellar puppy training classes
- Behavior: Monitor for any signs of behavioral issues and address them promptly.
- Health: Continue regular veterinary visits and vaccinations.
6-12 Months (24 Weeks)
- Sexual Maturity: Puppies reach sexual maturity; if it hasn’t already been performed, consider spaying or neutering. Large or giant breed male dogs are often recommended to get neutered later in life, preferably between 12-24 months old.
- Training: Continue reinforcing obedience commands and address any behavioral issues.
- Socialization: Continue exposing puppies to different environments and experiences.
- Health: Schedule a veterinary check up to begin monitoring heartworm health and status. Heartworm disease is easily preventable but costly and potentially fatal to treat. It’s spread by mosquitoes and has been found across the continental states. Pets can also start to show signs of environmental allergies around this age. Food allergies tend to develop in older patients (18-24 months old).
Developmental timelines can vary based on breed and individual differences. Regular veterinary check-ups and consistent training are essential for ensuring a healthy and well-adjusted adult dog.