Puppies are a little ball of energy and have a special place in each family. They add love, laughter, and joy in our lives. Their sugary eyes, darling nose, and innocent mischief are hard to ignore.
If you’re raising puppies and you want to know what is the best way to raise a puppy? And how do you get your dog to accept a new puppy? And what should you not do when raising a puppy?
Then follow the guidelines below to ensure that your puppy will grow into a happy, healthy, and well-trained adult dog.
Stage 1: from birth to 2 weeks
The puppies entirely depend on their mother for food and care for the first two weeks. These cute puppies have limited movement, closed eyes, and are only able to crawl slowly, but they have the sensation of touch and taste from birth.
Stage 2: Transitional stage 2-4 weeks
The puppies begin to wean their mother during this phase. Their eyes will open during this phase, and the puppies will interact with their siblings and their mother.
During this phase, puppies begin to walk, their sense of hearing and smell begin to develop, baby teeth will emerge and begin to bark and wag their tails.
Puppies should start eating solid food at this stage; try feeding soft food in a shallow dish. At the end of this stage, the puppies will begin to eliminate without stimulation from their mother.
Stage 3: Training phase 4-16 weeks
Puppies should never be separated from their mother before the eighth week, as the weaning process occurs naturally in these first weeks.
The puppies continue to be influenced by their mother and siblings for 4 to 6 weeks. Puppies will begin to learn at this stage your responsibility as a caretaker is to provide neurological stimulation and proper care for puppies to socialize and adapt in human society.
Puppies will learn to play, acquire social skills like inhibited bites, and not hurt themselves while playing with their littermates. The puppies will learn the structure of the group and their classification in the group.
The puppies will increase the playing, barking, and growling and will learn the ins and outs during this stage. At this stage of life, puppies are affected by their mother’s attitude if the mother is aggressive or afraid of people.
During this period of socialization, it is essential to expose puppies to normal experiences such as car rides, vacuum cleaners, crate training, bells, and a variety of objects and sounds.
Puppy housetraining starts from the fifth week, when the puppies will start to follow their mother and can be taken to elimination classes.
During housetraining, start training your puppy with the necessary command and teach him the two main guidelines.
- Train your puppy under close supervision to avoid an indoor accident
- Train your puppy to go outside on a regular schedule and reward him for going to the right place.
Most puppies are very smart and learn fast and learn where to eliminate at a very young age, while some puppies take longer to understand. Some puppies are fully home-trained at six months of age and are 100% reliable. Patience is the key.
At the beginning of the sixth week, start in-home training of your puppy. Try to handle all parts of the puppy, start touching his body, so he becomes familiar with it. Start calling the puppy by name, introduce his first lead and collar, and reward him with praise and treats.
By the eighth week, start training the puppies with positive reinforcement if your puppy begins to be afraid of everyday objects and becomes alarmed. Don’t panic. This is a perfectly normal situation and doesn’t mean you will have a fearful dog.
Do not socialize your puppies with other dogs and animals until they are vaccinated, as they contract diseases that can be fatal. Vaccinate your puppy against (Parvo, distemper, and hepatitis) disease.
You can place your puppy in a new home and family after 8 weeks of age. This period is best to acquire a new puppy. It is essential to train your puppy well during this period because he will take on these behavioral traits for the rest of his life.
Stage 4: Energy stage 3-6 Months
At this stage of life, puppies have a lot of energy. If your puppy is bothered, it will begin to growl.
Don’t exercise your puppy too much; your puppy may experience another phase of fear that lasts for about a month. Don’t be alarmed, it’s perfectly normal for your puppy.
Always remember to continue a consistent training regimen at this stage as your puppy progresses to the maturation process. Try to focus on only one training skill at a time and check every day, this will make the training process easier!
Stage 5: Adolescent stage (6-12 Months)
Your puppy may look adult but is still a teenager at this stage. You will thank yourself for the early training and socializing work you did during those first few months, making these next few months so much easier.
Your puppy will begin to test his limits during this stage, but remember that constant training and love is the key to success.
Stage 6: Adulthood (1-2 Years)
Your dog will reach adulthood at this age. Some small breed puppies mature at one year of age, while large breed puppies mature at two years. Your training will ensure a respectful and fun relationship between your dog and all human members of the family.
What not to do while raising a puppy?
There is something you should keep in mind when raising a puppy. Never mistreat or yell at your puppy, do not hit him if he is not obeying your orders in the training process.
Don’t pull on your puppy’s leash and warn your puppy if something goes wrong.
How do you get your dog to accept a new puppy?
Before introducing the new puppy to your dog, separate all of the resources for each dog, so that each has its own bed, box, food and water bowls, and toys.
Your older dog considers your home to be his home. To avoid territorial aggression, find a neutral area to introduce the older dog to the new puppy.
For the first week or two, the older dog and puppy should be continuously monitored to make sure the dogs are comfortable with each other.
Following the steps above will result in an easier transition for both the puppy and the older dog.
Conclusion
Raising a puppy is challenging and a full-time job. You must have thought about how you will raise your puppy. During the first weeks of their lives, puppies are impressionable. In fact, puppies will learn from the fourth week to maturity.
