CRITICAL STAGES OF PUPPY DEVELOPMENT

0 to 7 Weeks
Neonatal, Transition, Awareness, and Canine Socialization
Puppy is with mother and littermates. During this period, puppy learns about social interaction, play, and inhibiting aggression from mother and littermates.Note: Some lines of dogs don't begin to get incisors until about 7 weeks, so this time period may last two additional weeks in those dogs--one can't learn to inhibit his bite if he has no teeth. Puppy learns to use species specific behaviors that make him a dog. Practices body postures, facial expressions, and vocalizations and learns their effects on siblings. Plays chase games to learn coordination and timing, greeting behaviors to learn body postures and fight games teach him use of his body, learns to accept discipline during this time from his mother. Learns bite inhibitions and weaning. Mother dogs set up the puppies for these lessons. Very important to let mother dog stay with pups to teach these lessons. Puppies must stay with their mother and littermates during this critical period. Puppies learn the most important lesson in their lives - they learn to accept discipline.

7 to 12 Weeks
Human Socialization Period
The puppy now has the brain waves of an adult dog, but his attention span is short. This period is when the most rapid learning occurs. Learning at this age is permanent so this is a perfect time to start training. Also, this is the ideal time to introduce the puppy to things that will play an important part in his life. Introduce the puppy to different people, places, animals, and sounds in a positive, non-threatening way.

8 to 11 Weeks
Fear Imprint Period
Avoid frightening the puppy during this period. Any traumatic, frightening or painful experience will have a more lasting effect on the puppy than if it occurred at any other time in its life. Avoid any elective surgery at this time.

13 to 16 Weeks
Seniority Classification Period or The Age of Cutting
Puppy cuts teeth and apron strings! Puppy begins testing who is going to be pack leader. From 13 weeks on, if puppy attempts to bite, even in play, it is an attempt to dominate. You must discourage any and all biting because such biting is a sign of dominance! .Note A quick pinch of the puppy's lip while staring him in the eye and having a stern voice in his face works well in most puppies. Pup is attempting to clarify and resolve the question of leadership. Establishing rules for pup extremely important at this time. It is important that you are a strong and consistent leader. Formal training must begin. Such training will help you establish your leadership.

4 to 8 Months
Play Instinct Period Flight Instinct Period
Puppy may wander and ignore you. It is very important that you keep the puppy on a leash at this time! The way that you handle the puppy at this time determines if the puppy will come to you when called. At about 4-1/2 months, the puppy loses his milk teeth and gets his adult teeth. That's when puppy begins serious chewing! A dog's teeth don't set in his jaw until between 6 and 10 months. During this time, the puppy has a physical need to exercise his mouth by chewing.

6 to 14 Months
Second Fear Imprint Period or Fear of New Situations Period
Dog again shows fear of new situations and even familiar situations. Dog may be reluctant to approach someone or something new. It is important that you are patient and act very matter-of-fact in these situations. Never force the dog to face the situation. DO NOT pet the frightened puppy or talk in soothing tones. The puppy will interpret such responses as praise for being frightened. Training will help improve the dog's confidence. Use treats and positive methods to coach dog at this time. Any training classes began at this age needs to be fun and non-stressful for the dog. Neuter or spay the dog now.

1 to 4 Years
Maturity Period
You may encounter increased aggression and renewed testing for dominance. Continue to train your dog during this period.

3 Secrets to Better Dog Training. There are virtually as many approaches to training a dog as there are dogs to train! It seems as if every day new systems and techniques are announced or older methods are resurrected. Check a bookstore shelf or do a quick internet search and you will be overwhelmed with the number of ways people may advocate training a dog. Despite the tremendous diversity of methods, almost every successful dog training system is premised on positive reinforcement techniques. The once frequent techniques involving intimidation, humiliation and punishment have long been abandoned in the face of growing proof of their relative ineffectiveness. All of the new, more effective, recommended means of dog training share something else in common: their effectiveness can be enhanced significantly by remembering three simple secrets.

Start Young
We've all been told a thousand times "you can't teach an old dog new tricks." That popular old saying, of course, is not entirely true. Any dog, regardless of age, can learn new things. However, like most old adages, it has been remembered because it contains a kernel of truth. Dogs, like humans, are much more receptive to learning new behaviors when young. The earlier you are able to start training your dog, the more effective the training will be. Puppies will learn at a much faster clip and do not have ingrained behaviors that must be un-learned. Thus, any training regimen is sure to be more successful when conducted with a puppy for a subject instead of an older dog. If you weren't able to start training a particular dog when he or she was younger, don't fret. Training is still effective for older animals. However, if you do have the chance, start training early and you'll reap the benefits of increased effectiveness.

Remain Gentle
Dogs are social animals and develop a real attachment to their owners. That attachment, in large measure, is at the heart of successful dog training. A dog who trusts his owner and who sincerely wants to please his companion is far more likely to remain attentive and compliant during the training process. A failure to act gently jeopardizes the training program by undermining the quality of the dog/owner relationship. Of course, aggressive behavior also runs contrary to the very foundations of most dog training techniques. Dog training is premised on the notion that positive reinforcement techniques best modify dog behavior. The interjection of inconsistent activity frustrates that process. Furthermore, there are ethical and moral concerns about mistreating an animal, in addition to the practical concerns. By making a commitment to retain gentleness throughout the training process one can insure they are consistently treating their dog appropriately. A gentle dog owner will find himself with an ally for a trainee rather than a rival. Instead of a battle of the wills, training can become a cooperative exercise. Under those conditions, training tends to take less time and be far more effective.

Emphasize Prevention
Too often, training a dog devolves into a series of constant corrections for behaviors the owner finds unsuitable. This reduces the pleasure found in dog training as well as its overall effectiveness. A strong emphasis on preventing inappropriate behavior reduces the need for correction efforts and can help spur quick progress. The basic goal of prevention is to intervene before a problem is created instead of simply responding to the problem. Instead of waiting for the dog to make a mistake to correct, the prevention-minded owner will keep close watch to see imminent difficulties and will intervene early to prevent them from arising in the first place. This technique allows one to avoid spending undue time on correction and to emphasize real positively reinforced training methods, keeping a program on track and accelerating its successes. It also decreases frustration throughout the training process making it more enjoyable for both the dog and the owner. Although there is a multitude of training strategies form which one can choose, all of them can have their effectiveness increased by adhering to the aforementioned principles. By starting early, remaining gentle and emphasizing prevention, any reasonable method of dog training can garner better results. These three secrets, if always operating in the background, serve to push the effectiveness of any training technique