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    Developmental Stages of A Dog: Development Stage Age Learning & Development What To Do Veterinary Care

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    claudia_dana_marcu
    The document describes the developmental stages of dogs from birth through maturity in 3 sentences: Puppies go through distinct developmental stages in their first year including neonatal, transitional, primary socialization and fear impact periods where they learn critical behaviors and skills from their mother and litter mates. During the juvenile period from 3-14 months pups experience physical changes like replacing baby teeth and enter adolescence. Proper socialization, training and positive experiences during each stage help dogs mature into well-adjusted adult companions.

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    Developmental Stages of A Dog: Development Stage Age Learning & Development What To Do Veterinary Care

    Uploaded by

    claudia_dana_marcu
    236 views3 pages
    The document describes the developmental stages of dogs from birth through maturity in 3 sentences: Puppies go through distinct developmental stages in their first year including neonatal, transitional, primary socialization and fear impact periods where they learn critical behaviors and skills from their mother and litter mates. During the juvenile period from 3-14 months pups experience physical changes like replacing baby teeth and enter adolescence. Proper socialization, training and positive experiences during each stage help dogs mature into well-adjusted adult companions.

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    Developmental-Stages-of-a-Dog

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    The document describes the developmental stages of dogs from birth through maturity in 3 sentences: Puppies go through distinct developmental stages in their first year including neonatal, transitional, primary socialization and fear impact periods where they learn critical behaviors and skills from their mother and litter mates. During the juvenile period from 3-14 months pups experience physical changes like replacing baby teeth and enter adolescence. Proper socialization, training and positive experiences during each stage help dogs mature into well-adjusted adult companions.

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as pdf or txt
    236 views3 pages

    Developmental Stages of A Dog: Development Stage Age Learning & Development What To Do Veterinary Care

    Uploaded by

    claudia_dana_marcu
    The document describes the developmental stages of dogs from birth through maturity in 3 sentences: Puppies go through distinct developmental stages in their first year including neonatal, transitional, primary socialization and fear impact periods where they learn critical behaviors and skills from their mother and litter mates. During the juvenile period from 3-14 months pups experience physical changes like replacing baby teeth and enter adolescence. Proper socialization, training and positive experiences during each stage help dogs mature into well-adjusted adult companions.

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    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as pdf or txt
    of 3
    At a glance
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    The most important time in a puppy's development is the first year, especially the first 4 months. Understanding their development helps owners provide what they need to grow into happy, healthy adult dogs.

    Neonatal, transitional, primary socialization, human socialization, fear impact, juvenile, adolescent, and maturity.

    Provide a stimulating environment, clear sleep/play areas, discuss vaccines with their vet, fun vet visits, socialization classes, and handling exercises.

    DEVELOPMENTAL STAGES OF A DOG

    Your puppy will go through many stages on her road to adulthood – just like a human baby does. The most important time in your puppy’s
    development is during her first year, especially during the first four (4) months of her life. By understanding her development, you can
    provide your puppy with what she needs, when she needs it most – so she can develop into a happy, healthy, well socialized adult dog.

    The Developmental Stages of a Dog chart describes the periods of development your puppy goes through, providing all the critical medical
    and behavioral stages that affect her.

    Development
    Age Learning & Development What to Do Veterinary Care
    Stage
    • Unable to eliminate or regulate • Gentle, daily handling by humans • Should be checked by a
    body temperature without the • Ensure clothes, footwear and veterinarian at 1 to 2 days to
    mother hands are sanitized and clean rule out birth defects
    Birth to 11 • Eyes closed and unable to hear
    Neonatal
    Days • Crawls forward and vocalizes to
    seek mother

    • Eyes open, can hear, reacts to • Expose puppy to safe, novel • Typically, none unless
    sound and changes in light objects – towels with different concerns arise
    • Teeth begin erupting scents, dog-safe toys, etc.
    Transitional 11 to 21 Days • Crawls forward and backward, • Gentle, daily handling by humans
    begins to stand, begins to wag tail

    • Can use all senses fully, regulate • Provide a complex, stimulating • Discuss vaccine regimen
    body temperature and walk environment – will help puppy with veterinarian
    Primary • Puppy begins learning from develop perceptual & learning • Fun visits to veterinarian
    3 to 7 good experiences (i.e. positive abilities starting as early as 4 weeks
    Socialization
    Weeks reinforcement) • Provide clear distinction between of age (see Veterinary
    Period
    • Learns species-specific behaviors sleep & play areas so puppy can Scavenger Hunt)
    (biting, chasing, barking, etc.) leave living area to eliminate
    DEVELOPMENTAL STAGES OF A DOG

    • Learns from littermates & mother • One-on-one daily contact with


    not to bite too hard humans
    • Learns how to play with other dogs • Very short periods (5-10 minutes)
    of isolation away from humans &
    littermates – ensure experience is
    positive, can use this time to begin
    crate training
    • Provide exposure to a variety of
    noises and different floor surfaces
    • Begin handling exercises (see
    Puppy Handling Exercises)
    • Should be completely weaned from • Critical socialization period – enroll • Continue with fun visits to
    mother at 8 weeks of age in a puppy socialization class and veterinarian (see Veterinary
    • Rapid learning occurs obedience class Scavenger Hunt)
    Human • Greatest impact on future social • Continue with handling exercises • Ask veterinarian how to
    7 to 14
    Socialization behavior from experiences at this (see Puppy Handling Exercises) trim your puppy’s nails,
    Weeks
    Period stage • Ensure puppy has bite inhibition spay/neuter & about
    (see Puppy Biting, Nipping & Rough microchipping
    Play)
    • Puppies learn from bad experiences • Continue with handling exercises • Continue with fun visits to
    8 to 11 (i.e. they remember bad or scary (see Puppy Handling Exercises) veterinarian (see Veterinary
    Weeks things that happen to them) • Ensure all experiences are positive Scavenger Hunt)
    Fear Impact (Falls within • Anything that frightens a puppy • Avoid potentially scary situations • Usually none, if puppy is
    Period Human during this period could have a that you cannot control or healthy
    Socialization lasting effect intervene in
    Period) • Period when puppies are easily
    frightened
    • Puppies will attempt to clarify & • Continue with handling exercises • Continue with fun visits to
    3-4 Months resolve their boundaries (see Puppy Handling Exercises) veterinarian (See Veterinary
    to 5-14 • Adult teeth are replacing baby • Continue with obedience classes Scavenger Hunt)
    Juvenile Period Months teeth • Discuss Rabies vaccine &
    (Sexual heartworm prevention with
    Maturity) veterinarian
    DEVELOPMENTAL STAGES OF A DOG

    • Puppy is changing physiologically • Your dog will go through this stage • Continue with fun visits to
    (much like a human teenager) regardless of all the positive work veterinarian (See Veterinary
    5-14 Months • Puppies will test to see if all that is done – remain positive & ride Scavenger Hunt)
    (Sexual previous “rules” are the same it out • Your puppy should be
    Adolescent Maturity) to • Continue with handling exercises spayed/neutered by now
    Period 2-3 Years (see Puppy Handling Exercises)
    (Social • Continue with obedience classes
    Maturity)

    • Puppy may suddenly be • Continue with handling exercises • Continue with fun visits to
    apprehensive about new things (see Puppy Handling Exercises) veterinarian (See Veterinary
    Between or shy/timid of new people or • Continue with obedience classes Scavenger Hunt)
    5 and 12 situations • Avoid potentially scary situations
    Second Fear Months that you cannot control or
    Impact Period (Falls within intervene in
    Adolescent
    Period)

    • Smaller dogs mature earlier, larger • Continue using positive • Yearly veterinary check-up
    dogs later reinforcement for training • Remember to make
    • Consider advanced obedience veterinary visits positive
    classes, specialty classes (agility, each time
    nose work, etc.)

    Maturity 1 to 4 Years

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