0-12 weeks old Full Article 

Stage 1: Neonatal Period (0 – 2 weeks)

This is the first stage of puppy development and begins at birth. At this age, puppies only have the sense of taste and touch and rely totally on their mother.

Stage 2: Transitional Period (2 – 4 weeks)

Sensory development continues with hearing and sense of smell. Puppy teeth start coming through and their eyes will begin to open. This is also the age where your puppy’s personality begins to develop. Puppies will interact with their litter mates, wag their tails, stand, walk a little and bark.

Stage 3: Socialization Period (3 – 12 weeks)

This is the most important stage of a puppy’s development. It is vital to understand this stage as most puppies go home to their new parents between 7 – 12 weeks. During this period, changes start to occur rapidly.

Between 3- 5 weeks puppies start to become aware of their surroundings and have the ability to develop a relationship with people. This is the period where puppies get familiar with the day-to-day noises of a regular household such as TVs, vacuum cleaners, telephones, etc.

At this age puppies are just learning to interact with each other and beginning to play. They are also learning their doggie social skills and exploring their ranking status within their pack. Their curiosity is developing, as are their biting skills. Nipping behaviors begin as they practice biting behavior with their mother and litter mates.

At the 7-9 weeks stage, they will have full use of all their senses and will be ready to go home to their new owners.

Bringing your pup home (usually between 7-12 weeks) is right in the middle of his socialization period. Therefore, it is vital that you introduce your puppy to as many new dogs, people, objects and surroundings as you can. BUT, make sure you do so in a controlled manner and never put your puppy in a dangerous situation where they can be injured, scared or contract disease.

This is a great period to begin crate training, for a variety of reasons. Puppies are old enough to start getting used to being left alone to avoid separation anxiety from developing and are capable of being house-trained. Even though your home is likely puppy proofed, it also saves your possessions.

During this phase of development, puppies are developing their reactions to things much more consistently. They are also likely to focus more on different types of people and should be friendly and approachable to strangers. During this time they are also going to continue to practice their biting skills a whole lot more! It is important to learn how to manage this behavior early on.

You may also notice that they are more curious and will probably look to explore their environment more. Be prepared for this and keep your puppy close to you and leashed.