What to Expect from your new puppy
and When to expect it.
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8-12 weeks:
Your puppy is getting his act together physically. He is still quite a roly-poly, but learning to
coordinate his growing body well enough for playful jumping and tumbling. Toward his 12th week
he'll start shedding puppy teeth as permanent teeth emerge. By his12th week, bladder control is
improving.
As your puppy shifts his dependence to you as his owner and leader, you will become the
center of his world. He will enjoy snuggling and lying next to his new owner. He is curious about
everything around him. He has a very short attention span at this age and is easily distracted.
Although he had little sense of fear in earlier weeks, at some point between 7 and 9 weeks he
may suddenly be cautious of anything new in his environment. This "fear period" is normal. He
may be fearful of abrupt movement or loud sounds. Be aware of his sensitive phase and try to
prevent undue trauma to him.
Much as toddlers like to explore with their fingers and hands, young puppies like to
investigate with their mouths. Combine this with chewing from teething and you have one mouthy
"gator pup"! Be prepared for this by providing him with lots of safe chewable toys.
Like any baby, your young pup needs to sleep for much of the day. Keep playtimes short and
give him lots of "down time". Don't force him to keep up prolonged activity and resist the urge to
show him off to everyone right away!
Your pup's health and immune system is not fully developed until he is about 12 weeks of
age. To help protect him against several serious canine diseases, it is crucial during this time to
keep up with his vaccination schedule as recommended by your veterinarian. It is also important
to keep him away from other dogs, and from areas where other dogs may have soiled the ground,
until he is 12 weeks of age. Resist giving your pup "people food" but be sure to feed him four
times a day with a high quality puppy food that has nutrients his growing body needs.
Introduce "pre-training activities". Although your puppy has a very short attention span, you
can begin gently developing a few basic behaviors such as wearing a collar, following on a leash,
and coming when called. Keep each session only about 3 minutes long, with the emphasis on fun,
using plenty of treats and praise.
Since his immunity isn't established yet, your pup cannot yet venture into training classes or
public places however, it is very important for him to start meeting a variety of people. This can be
done in the safety of your own home. Simply have friends and family gently interact with your pup
whenever possible.
Not until about 12 weeks, as your puppy gets better control of his bladder and bowel
movements, can more focused housetraining begin. Right now, be sure to take your puppy out
very frequently-after every time he eats, drinks, or awakens; after he has a bout with activity; and
at least every hour or so in between. While you're not with him, provide him with a safe, confined
space that includes a place for him to sleep and a separate "toilet area" where he can relieve
himself.
12-16 weeks
Your puppy's senses and motor skills are well developed now. He still needs to sleep a lot,
but he is full of energy when he is awake! His bladder and bowel control are continuing to
improve. His adult teeth are still coming in. While this is happening, sometimes puppy teeth do
not fall out as they should. Have your Vet check your pup's mouth on the next visit.
Your pup is very inquisitive and interested in exploring the world around him. Right now his
brain is geared toward soaking in everything he can. This coincides with a crucial phase in his
development: He is in what is called the critical socialization period. Through 4 months of age is
the single most important period influencing how your dog will behave as an adult. Now is when
the foundation is laid for the rest of his life in terms of his attitude towards you, other humans, and
other dogs. It is extremely important for your pup to have good experiences now, being introduced
to all kinds of people and things he'll encounter during his life.
Luckily, with his immune system finally matured, it is safe now to take him to a wide variety of
public places. It is also important for him to play with other dogs as much as possible. Play with
other dogs ensures that your pup will be dog-friendly as an adult and teaches him basic important
rules of intercanine behavior. It is not a substitute for your own efforts to socialize your puppy
regularly, but a great help is to enroll him in a local puppy class. These fun and informal gatherings
expose your pup to a variety of people and other dogs each week. This is the crucial time to lay
the foundation for a lifelong loving, positive relationship with your dog. Take time to have fun with
your puppy!
Talk to your Vet about starting your pup on a heartworm preventative. You can also reduce the
number of daily feedings to 3 times a day.
Housetraining can begin in earnest. Take your puppy out frequently, and praise him lavishly
every time he eliminates outside. Don't get lazy and let your puppy roam the house unsupervised.
"Accidents" are not a pup's purposeful misbehavior; they're an indication that your not keeping
tabs on him. The goal is to get him to go outside, then praise him if he finishes there. If an
accident occurs while your not looking, do not punish him. He won't understand, and it will
damage your relationship. Frequent outings, persistence and watchfulness, and lots of praise are
the keys to quicker housetraining. Although your puppy is rambunctious and easily distracted right
now, don't get tough in training him. He is still sensitive emotionally and psychologically. Fears
can occur easily and inhibit learning.
To nurture the bond with your pup, try hand-feeding him. Feed kibble to him bit by bit. Play a
game: call his name, back away, then give him food when he comes to you. You should also be
grooming him with basic brushing, handle his mouth and paws, and trim his nails. This is a good
time to start searching for the "professional groomer" for your pup!
4-6 Months
This is a period of major growth. His high-spirited bursts of activity likely features much
clumsiness. Combine all this with a still relatively short attention span, and you have one
rambunctious puppy on your hands!
At around 4 months your puppy will go through an "avoidance period" similar to the fear
period he experienced at 7 to 9 weeks. During this phase he will probably be hesitant about
doing new things and suspicious of new situations and places. If he tends to be on the shy side,
now is the time to ease up if necessary, and be sure to keep things fun. Be sure not to push him
or punish him for his anxiety. If his usual demeanor is especially bold, this might be the time where
he simply backs off a little and looks to you for support; in that case, it can be an opportunity
where he's especially receptive to training and you can encourage his responsiveness to you.
Talk with your Vet about a healthy weight range for your pup and ask him/her to explain to
you how to recognize a healthy weight for your pup. Ask about flea and tick preventative and also
have your pup's ears inspected regularly to make sure that they are clean and free of odor and
discharge.
Discuss spaying or neutering with your Vet. It makes no sense to plan on breeding your dog
unless you are willing to put in the time, effort, and expense to gain the knowledge about the
breed that is required in making responsible breeding decisions.
Continue socialization, housetraining and teaching basic manners, such as coming when
called, walking agreeably on a leash and short commands such as sit, lie down and stay. Keep it
fun and use treats and praise. Remember that pups cannot take pressure or harsh treatment.
Gentle repetition in short sessions is the key.
6-9 Months
This is another period of major growth and your pup is probably also starting to feel the
effects of increasing hormones in his body. Your raucous adolescent is feeling vigorous and
active, and getting enough exercise during this stage is especially important. With all those
surging hormones, your pup may suddenly seem to ignore you more or challenge your leadership.
Be firm about your rules that you have established. Raising your dog through this energetic
"teenage" stage can be a challenge, but keep giving him loving attention and the guidance he
needs and you'll both come through it gracefully!
Although you can now reduce the number of feedings to twice a day, keep feeding a quality
puppy food during his phase of rapid growth. Keep on schedule with the heartworm preventative.
If you are not going to participate in AKC conformation events and are not planning to breed
your pup, discuss spaying or neutering your pup if you have not already done so. For male dogs,
neutering has been shown to significantly reduce unwanted behaviors such as roaming,
urine-marking, fighting with other dogs and mounting. Spaying females prevents unwanted
pregnancies, as well as eliminating the problems of housing a female during her heat cycle.
Spaying a female ideally before her first heat period which can occur as early as 6 months of age
also greatly reduces her risk for several diseases. Provide your pup with plenty of exercise, keep
reinforcing commands and good manners, and consider scheduling a spay or neuter.
9-12 Months
Although your canine friend will still seem a puppy at heart in some ways, most breeds will
attain adult size by 12 months of age. Most males will begin to lift their leg to urinate by 12
months. If they have not been neutered yet, males will experience a life-time high peak of
hormones. Some will go through a temporary period of mounting. Some dogs at this age will
occasionally show signs of defiance by challenging their leadership. It is a natural part of their
development. If this happens, be calm and firm and insist on good manners.
Keep feeding your pup twice a day, and keep him on puppy food until he reaches a year old at
which time you will change his food to an adult formula being sure to select a good quality food.
Remember your Vet's tips on how to tell that your pup is not becoming overweight. If your pup's
getting a little too portly, cut back on his portion size a little bit. Check with your Vet and make a
note of when your pup will be due for his annual booster vaccine or to have titers run to check
immunity.
Have fun with your new canine friend! Celebrate the rewarding first year you
and your canine family member have shared. It is just the beginning of a bond that will
continue to grow! Keep in touch with your breeder as we are always happy to get
pictures and updates of our babies and we love to share in the joy of their new
accomplishments!
We ask that our puppy clients understand that there are responsibilities that goes along with
any pet. Our babies are loved and well taken care of from birth until we place them with a new
family. It is with great concern that our babies will continue to be loved and taken care of as
we, their breeders have done. We ask that if you are considering a pet, to please do research
and familiarize yourself with the breed. Puppies are very cute and alot of fun, but along with
this, comes responsibility. It takes weeks and sometimes months to completely potty train a
pup and it takes repetiton daily. There will be accidents and this is to be expected. You may
spend a few nights awake with a new pup as they do at times cry and whine when taken away
from their familiar surroundings, parents, siblings, and breeder, until they adjust to their new
family. There is food expense, grooming fees, as well as Vet expense for check-ups,
vaccinations, wormings etc. While it is true that a puppy will outgrow the puppy stage and the
puppy cuteness, he/she will take on an adult look, one of certain beauty and if trained to be
loved, will be lovable, if treated with respect, will give respect, and will be the most loyal and
best friend you will ever know. We hope that you have considered all the ups and downs of
being a pet owner. We can assure you it will be a wonderful endeavor and one that you will
hold dear for a lifetime! If you have any doubts of being a pet owner, then please, give it more
thought.
Please consider all responsibilities of a pet before deciding to bring one into your family. It is
and should be, a lifetime commitment. Sheila Bowman