First Weeks
The first 12 weeks of your puppy’s life are so important. From the moment your puppy
is born it starts to learn about the world around it, discovering the do’s and don’ts of
puppyhood, and developing their own, unique character.
In this section we highlight, week-by-week, your puppies physical and behavioural development, what to enjoy and what to be
wary of, and how you can help ensure it gets all the growing up guidance it needs.
Even if, like many new owners, you’re not collecting your puppy until it is 7-8 weeks old, you can still use this guide to follow
the important milestones in its early life, and make sure you’re fully prepared for its arrival.
Week One
Your Newborn Puppy
Congratulations! Your new best friend has just been born. A bundle of fur who’ll grow to depend on you so much. But right now,
it’s Mum they are dependent on.
For nine weeks your puppy has developed in the warmth and safety of its mother’s body, at a constant temperature and with
all its nutritional needs taken care of. Not surprisingly at birth your puppy is pretty much helpless, and depends almost entirely
on Mum for a healthy start in life.
As soon as they’re born, Mum will literally lick her puppies into shape! Her constant, rigorous attention removes the birth fluids,
clears the air passage, encourages them to breathe and stimulates them to cry.
Your newborn puppy comes into the world deaf and blind. Their upper and lower eyelids are fused together, and their ear canal
is sealed up. They can hardly move, other than to move their front legs. This movement helps your puppy find its way amongst
its littermates in their nest.
Your puppy does, however, have a good sense of smell, taste and touch. It knows when it’s hungry; and whines when it’s ready
to feed.
Your puppy’s brain and nervous system are not properly developed yet, but it’s born with an instinctive urge to suckle, and
makes bobbing movements with its head to help it locate Mum’s nipples.
During the first week, your puppy’s life is dominated by sleeping and eating. It’ll suckle little and often - for around four hours a
day. The rest of the time will be spent sleeping, huddled close to Mum. Mum’s body heat is important as your puppy is not yet
able to regulate its own body temperature.
During the first week of your puppy’s life, he’ll double in weight, developing very rapidly - much faster than a human baby.
Your puppy is unable to go to the toilet on its own and needs its mother to lick its rear end to stimulate it into relieving itself. This
means that she’s also on hand to clear up immediately, which keeps your puppy clean and the nest dry and free from disease.
Mum doesn’t like leaving her pups during this first week. She’s very protective, only stepping out of the nest briefly to eat and
drink, groom and relieve herself.
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Week Two
Hello world!
About ten days old and your puppy is ready to take its first look at the world. Your puppy’s eyes will open gradually during the
second week, and should be bright blue. The colour is brighter than its vision though - your puppy can only see light and shade,
and everything still looks very blurry!
Your puppy’s ears open around this time too. Its hearing is very accurate from the beginning, but not yet as well-developed as
an adult dog. It’ll learn to recognize its littermates’ cries; and your voice too.
Towards the end of this second week, their milk teeth may begin to emerge.
All puppies are naturally susceptible to worms. A worming programme should begin at about 14 days, once a day for three
days. Because your puppy’s stomach is very small and it digests its milk quickly, repeated doses of wormer over a period of
days are essential. For more advice on worming products, contact your vet.
For most of the week life is still all about eating, growing and sleeping, but at about 13 days old, its cries and whines no longer
produce an automatic response from Mum.
It’s all a bit traumatic in just a short fortnight, but mother’s response encourages your puppy to start to develop its own coping
strategies to deal with life’s frustrations and problems.
Week Three
What do you mean, “No!”
By week three your puppy’s vision should be much clearer. It’s really beginning to take in its surroundings. But be careful not
to shine bright lights in its direction. Puppies eyes are very sensitive.
Your puppy will be more vocal and whine dramatically when it’s cold, hungry, or just wants some attention.
But your puppy won’t always get it! It’s time for your puppy to start learning for itself; where to look for warmth, and food.
Whilst Mum still has a meal or two in her, by week three your puppy will be ready to supplement mother’s milk with soft solids.
And Mum’s increasing denial of the milk bar means that nutritional weaning can begin with the mum being removed from the
pups for about ½ hour (maybe take her on a short lead walk to give her some exercise and a bit of a rest). After around 20
minutes put out some mashed up Bakers Complete puppy food in a large flat dish large enough for the pups to share from. Use
cooled down water from the kettle to water the food down. Take care not to over feed the puppies as this can cause diarrhoea.
Check your puppy’s nails, and clip them back if necessary. Sharp, unworn claws are a bit uncomfortable for mother for as long
as she continues feeding her family.
Your puppy is much more active now too. Your puppy can stand up on its own four feet (though it’ll still be very wobbly), and
should be starting to interact and play with its brothers and sisters.
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Your puppy will need a minute or so of being on its own once or twice a day from this time onwards; away from mum, owner
and littermates. This teaches your puppy to cope with its own company before it gets over-attached, and is important in
preventing separation disorders as it gets older, such as anxiety related destructiveness and howling. This is also a time where
it can get used to humans, human play and handling.
Week Four
Stepping out
One month old and your puppy will be far more active. It’ll be increasingly eager to leave the whelping box, follow Mum and
explore. This is the first week your puppy really begins to learn what being a dog is all about.
It’ll also be interacting more with its brothers and sisters.
As your puppy’s bodily functions develop, it’ll be able to spend a penny without Mum’s help, and should develop the instinct
to move away from its immediate area to do so. Its own activity now stimulates it to go as and when nature calls. Time to start
House Training.
His sight and hearing will now be nearly fully developed. If you’ve already chosen one, think about teaching him his name.
Week Five
Learning through play
Your puppies leg muscles and joints are much stronger now. By five weeks it should be running around and full of energy,
sleeping less and playing more. Try introducing it to a few toys.
Expect a fair bit of rough and tumble. The puppies are probably play-fighting; teaching each other what’s fun - and what hurts!
Hunting, sex and hierarchy games are all part of the learning experience.
Your puppy will learn not to bite through play by the reaction of its playmates. A sharp yelp and the game ends, so it’ll learn
to behave more gently next time. You can follow the same pattern, and teach the pup not to mouth or bite in the same way,
yelping and ignoring, rather then scolding or pushing it away.
Mum will also start to teach her puppies where a few behavioural lines are drawn. She’ll teach them gently about facial and
body language, and which barks mean what, especially the ones that say ‘stop it’!
By the end of the fifth week his relationship with Mum is changing. It’s no longer as close as it once was. In some instances
Mum may lose interest in her puppies altogether.
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Week Six
A real character
Six weeks old already! Your puppy should have its own little character by now, recognisably different from its littermates.
But your puppy is still developing fast, so it’s important that you (or the breeder) continue to spend time handling it, separating
it from its brothers and sisters for short periods, and introducing it to visitors and friends. To help your puppy grow into a wellbalanced and sociable pup, the busier the household, the better.
Your puppy should be making good progress with its house training, with a special place to ‘go’. Persevere if you’re training
your puppy yourself, and expect the odd little accident if it’s excited.
Week Seven
Preparing your home
By now your puppy should be fully nutritionally weaned, although some breeds can take a bit longer than others, as can pups
raised by a mother who hasn’t been well during pregnancy or the nursing period.
Your puppy and its littermates will have their noses into everything and will play with each other for hours (punctuated with a
good nap).
As socialisation continues, it’s very important that lots of rewarding human contact continues regularly, every day.
Most owners bring their new arrivals home once they are seven to eight weeks old. If next week is the week you bring your
puppy home...
If your puppy is coming home next week then it’s time to get prepared. You’ll need to:
Start puppy-proofing your home and garden, moving breakables out of harm’s way, putting up stair gates and fencing off your
prize petunias.
Visit the shops for everything your puppy needs; a crate, bedding, food, bowls and toys.
Make sure you’re registered with a vet you trust.
Set the House Rules for what your puppy can and can’t do, and what the family should do around it.
Choose a name for your puppy, if you haven’t already done so.
Try to arrange to visit your puppy at the breeder’s to get some of its scent on a cloth. Then you can get any other pets used to
its smell, and you can rub it around your home so your puppy feels comfortable quickly when it moves in.
Read our article, ‘The Big Day’, to prepare for collecting your puppy and making it as stress-free as possible for both of you.
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Week Eight
Welcoming your new arrival
This is the week when most puppies leave their Mum and littermates, and go to live in their new homes.
If this is your puppy’s first week at home with you... Introduce your puppy gently to the rest of the family, including other pets,
on the first day.
Show your puppy its toilet area, and help them get used to it. Settle your puppy into their crate or indoor kennel by making it
as cosy as possible. It’s been a big day so expect a few first night nerves.
Try and arrange for a trip to the vet as soon as possible. Don’t forget to take some treats along, so the vet can earn some
brownie points with your pup! Check that your puppy has had its first vaccinations, it is important that it completes its first set
of vaccinations as soon as possible so it is able to enjoy the garden and meeting new dogs in the park. This is important for
early training and socialisation.
Why not have a puppy party? Celebrate your new arrival by inviting friends, neighbours and family around to meet the puppy.
It’s important for it to learn to be sociable. The more people your puppy meets, the better. Make sure there are treats and toys
close at hand, and keep the sessions short as it will tire easily. Don’t overwhelm your puppy, introduce it to a few people at
a time!
Although it looks small and helpless, your pup is eager to learn, so start some basic lessons, work on teaching your puppy
its name.
Get your puppy used to wearing its collar in frequent short bursts (if it’s going to wear one as an adult).
If you haven’t done so already, get an ID tag made for its collar, and discuss microchipping your puppy with your vet. If next
week is the week you bring your puppy home...
If your puppy is coming home next week then it’s time to get prepared. You’ll need to:
Start puppy-proofing your home and garden, moving breakables out of harm’s way, putting up stair gates and fencing off your
prize petunias.
Visit the shops for everything it needs; a crate, bedding, food, bowls and toys. Make sure you’re registered with a vet you trust.
Set the House Rules for what it can and can’t do, and what the family should do around the puppy.
Choose a name for your puppy, if you haven’t already done so.
Try to arrange to visit your puppy at the breeder’s to get some of its scent on a cloth. Then you can get any other pets used to
its smell, and you can rub it around your home so your puppy feels comfortable quickly when it moves in.
Read our article, ‘The Big Day’, to prepare for collecting your puppy and making it as stress-free as possible for both of you.
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Week Nine
Starting school
Young puppies make eager pupils, so as soon as your new arrival is settled in, it’s time to start training. It’s a myth that puppies
must be six months or older before they can be properly trained - the younger they are, the easier it is to teach them and the
faster they learn!
If you intend to use one as your puppy gets older, try a collar for size. Use a light material, such as nylon, initially so your puppy
accepts the sensation of having something around its neck. If your puppy is a small breed, a cat collar works well to begin with.
Put it on your puppy, and then distract them with some basic training, or a game. It will be having so much fun, it will forget it
is wearing it.
Week 9 would be a good week to introduce your puppy to the clicker (if you intend to use one).
Start with the ‘Sit’ and ‘Down’ commands this week. Try to give your puppy lots of confidence and reward its efforts with praise
and affection.
Teaching your puppy to accept all-over handling should be started too, as a regular rewarding feature of its life, and an
introduction to grooming.
If this is your puppy’s first week at home with you...
Introduce your puppy gently to the rest of the family, including other pets, on the first day.
Show your puppy its toilet area, and help it get used to it.
Settle it into its crate or indoor kennel by making it as cosy as possible. It’s been a big day so expect a few first night nerves.
Try and arrange for a trip the vet as soon as possible To arrange for your puppy to begin it’s vaccination course and its flea and
worming regime. Don’t forget to take some treats along, so the vet can earn some brownie points with your pup!
Why not have a puppy party? Celebrate your new arrival by inviting friends, neighbours and family around to meet your puppy.
It’s important for them to learn to be sociable. The more people they meet, the better. Make sure there are treats and toys close
at hand, and keep the sessions short as your puppy will tire easily.
Although it looks small and helpless, your pup is eager to learn, so start some basic lessons, work on teaching your puppy
its name.
Get your puppy used to wearing its collar in frequent short bursts (if it’s going to wear one as an adult).
If you haven’t done so already, get an ID tag made for its collar, and discuss microchipping your puppy with your vet.
Week Ten
Social skills
Continue with the training! As well as ‘Sit’ and ‘Down’, work on the “Come” command while your puppy is still eager to follow
you around the house.
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Introduce your puppy to its lead. Over many short sessions, practice walking forwards. When your puppy walks level with you,
without surging ahead or lagging behind, say “Heel” so it associates walking well with this command word.
Take your puppy out for a few short car-rides to give it a chance to see some of the world and also to get it used to car travel.
Introduce it to as many new sights, sounds and experiences as possible as part of its socialisation programme.
If you’re intending to change your puppy’s diet from that provided by the breeder, start doing so now by gradually introducing
some of the new food in place of its old food, slowly increasing the proportion of the new food over five to seven days.
If you haven’t been invited to a puppy party by your vet yet, then ask around at other practices to see if there is one you can
attend - it’s important to top up your pup’s interaction with other young dogs.
Week Eleven
Top of the class
Keep socialising and training - every new experience counts at this young age!
Remember to be calm and confident in all situations - if your puppy is uncertain about how to react to something, they will look
to you for clues. If you look nervous or stressed around them, their fear will be reinforced rather than overcome.
How’s the puppy’s lead-training coming along? It’s not long now before you can take them out, so practice in short,
frequent sessions.
Research good puppy training classes for when your puppy’s vaccinations are effective - you should attend without your dog
initially anyway, to make sure it’s the right choice.
Week Twelve
Preparing for the outside world
Draw up a schedule for all the things you can habituate your pup to in the outside world. Once their vaccinations are effective
(usually by 12 weeks, sometimes sooner), you’ll want to get your puppy out and about as quickly as possible.
If you haven’t already introduced the commands ‘No’, ‘Leave it’ and ‘Stop’ in a calm and reassuring manner to your puppy,
now would be a good time to start.
Keep up with the lead-training and think about getting a halti so that your puppy never learns to pull and can be controlled
gently and easily indoors and later outdoors as well.
Ever wondered how the long arm of the law effects you as a puppy owner? Make sure you understand your legal responsibilities
before you take your puppy out.
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3-6 Months
From three to six months a young dog never stops learning. New discoveries, new
commands, new experiences; these are your puppy’s schooldays. Your puppy will
venture out on the lead for the first time, and discover the big wide world! What you
teach it now will stay with them into adulthood; how to behave, interact, and have fun.
It’s an important period of physical change too. Your puppy’s growing larger every week, and by the end of six months, they
will be well on their way to full size.
In this section you’ll learn how to meet your puppy’s growing needs, how to help it with its studies, and how to be sure it
graduates with honours!
3-4 Months
The great outdoors
At 14 weeks (or occasionally a little earlier) your puppy’s vaccinations have taken effect and he’s ready to venture out into the
big wide world. Fill your pockets with Bakers treats and explore it together. Streets, parks, shopping centres, dog-friendly pubs,
public transport; anywhere dogs are permitted!
Scour the local paper for forthcoming events you can take your puppy to; agricultural shows, village fairs, a local football match
- anywhere you can both meet people and animals, and encounter new experiences.
Check your puppy’s collar - as they grow, it will need adjusting. You should be able to fit two fingers underneath it snugly. If
you haven’t done so already, get an ID tag made for its collar and discuss microchipping with your vet. The microchipping
procedure is quick and painless and requires no anaesthetic. A vet or a vet nurse inserts a tiny chip, about the size of a grain
of rice under the skin between the shoulder blades. Microchipping is the most affective way of tracing a lost pet, all vets and
rescue centres have a microchip reader were they are able to access lots of information regarding the owner. Most rescue
centres will microchip a dog before it goes home.
Your puppy has got used to obeying your commands in the quiet environment of your home. Now it’s time to introduce the
distractions of everyday life. Don’t be too surprised if your puppy forgets its lessons at first, persevere, and remember to keep
it on an extendable lead at all times until you can absolutely trust your puppy to ‘come’ when you call.
With so much excitement in its life, you may even seem quite boring to your pup, so make sure you remain fun and irresistible
to be with! Reward your puppy when it gets things right, play its favourite games, and don’t be predictable.
Taking your puppy to training classes should have started by now too, so you’ll have plenty to keep you both busy! Invite over
some of your puppy’s fellow students from the training class or arrange to meet in the park, so they can continue practising
their canine body language and behaviour.
To make your puppy as gorgeous as possible for the party, why not give it a bath? Its puppy coat may be moulting out
(depending on the breed and the season), and now would also be a good time to teach your puppy that bath times are
great fun!
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4-5 Months
Smile!
At around five months your puppy may start losing its milk teeth, so be prepared for some serious chewing. It’s natural for pups
to chew, so don’t be cross if it destroys your table legs! Just keep a ready supply of acceptable chewables; check out your
local pet shop for a range of safe toys.
As your puppy reaches dental maturity it’s more important than ever to look after its teeth and gums. Make sure you adopt a
regular dental health regime, brushing daily with a canine toothbrush and toothpaste, and checking its mouth carefully for any
signs of decay or disease. Vets often have dental clinics where you can find out how to maintain your dogs teeth and purchase
all the necessary products you may require.
Your puppy’s training class has probably come to an end now - but sign up for another, more advanced class. Dogs love
learning and spending time with their owners, and it will all help to ensure it is a well-mannered dog when fully grown.
Remember to keep your clicker with you at all times to capture any spontaneous behaviour that you can encourage. For
example, if your puppy lifts his paw to rub its face, click and treat. With the clicker you can isolate the behaviour, encourage it,
and then cue it with a command, such as ‘paw’ or ‘bed’ - to show off just how clever your puppy is at such a young age!
Try a few different walks. If you’ve been walking the same route for the last month, your dog (and you) will be very bored.
Exercise should be for the body and mind, so try somewhere new at least once a week.
How’s your puppy’s appetite? If your puppy is proving a fussy feeder here are some helpful hints.
Any signs of problem behaviour? Visit Puppy FAQ’s for expert advice. Bigger dogs can mean bigger problems. Behaviour that
can be deemed cute in a young pup can be a menace in an older, larger dog. If there are any problems you can’t deal with on
your own, seek the help of a reputable trainer or behaviourist. Don’t ignore the issues - they’ll only get worse.
5-6 Months
The great outdoors
Your puppy is fast approaching adolescence - and hormones can do strange things. You may find that training discs help to
show your puppy what’s unacceptable, without ruining your relationship. Shouting, punishing, or just nagging won’t help - it will
just mean you’re a bore to be with!
Remember to take good colour photos of your dog regularly; not just for the photo album, but also to ensure that you always
have a recent picture to hand, just in case it ever goes missing.
Congratulations! Not only have you survived the first six months of your pup’s life, but you’ve made sure that your puppy has
been given the best start possible. You won’t regret all the time and training you’ve invested. You’ve taken the right steps to
ensure your puppy grows into a happy, well-behaved dog, who’ll be a joy to share your life with.
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3-6 Months
5-6 Months
The great outdoors
Your puppy is fast approaching adolescence - and hormones can do strange things. You may find that training discs help to
show your puppy what’s unacceptable, without ruining your relationship. Shouting, punishing, or just nagging won’t help - it will
just mean you’re a bore to be with!
Remember to take good colour photos of your dog regularly; not just for the photo album, but also to ensure that you always
have a recent picture to hand, just in case it ever goes missing.
Congratulations! Not only have you survived the first six months of your pup’s life, but you’ve made sure that your puppy has
been given the best start possible. You won’t regret all the time and training you’ve invested. You’ve taken the right steps to
ensure your puppy grows into a happy, well-behaved dog, who’ll be a joy to share your life with.
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Towards
Adulthood
From 6 to 12 months your puppy begins to look, and act, very much like a mature
dog. But don’t let looks fool you! Your ‘junior dog’ still has a lot of growing up to do.
Physically, and emotionally, it’s just a puppy on the inside.
This is the time when your relationship can really flourish. Your puppy has learnt its do’s and don’ts and is full of energy and
ready to play. Indulge your puppy. Teach them some new tricks, and spend as much time with them as possible. You’ll get as
much out of it as they will!
6-9 Months
Adolescence
Just like teenagers, canine adolescents can be a bit of a handful. From six months onwards your puppy will go through many
of the physical and hormonal changes that human counterparts experience. Your puppy is unlikely to stay out late and run up
your phone bill, but it may well be very confident one day and nervous and unsure the next. It might get moody, even a little
snappy. It’s developing the body of an adult and becoming sexually mature, but inside it’s still got the mind of a pup.
By adolescence, you should have discussed neutering with your vet. Most suggest that neutering should happen just after the
onset of puberty, but opinions vary.
If left unneutered, your junior dog will soon begin to show an interest in the opposite sex. Males may wander off after a bitch
in heat, and bitches will become irresistible to males when in season. Many dogs are killed each year by straying on to roads
following the scent, or are lost, disappearing far out of range. Make sure your dog can be identified (microchip and collar
tag); and seriously consider neutering. It has many health benefits, as well as preventing unwanted pregnancies and difficult
behaviour.
Some behaviour problems can arise during this confusing time for your dog. Males in particular might start mounting things
- usually to get attention. Puppies love human attention, and will repeat anything that seems to them to be rewarding. Don’t
make a big deal of it. Just walk away and ignore him or distract him and remove the object of his desire.
Don’t make the mistake of switching your puppy onto adult dog food too early. Even though it may look like a fully mature dog
by nine months, it’s still got plenty of growing to do. Your puppy needs the special balance of proteins, fats, minerals, vitamins
and carbohydrates that only a formulated puppy food, such as Bakers Complete Puppy/Junior can provide.
9-12 Months
Transition to adulthood
At what age your puppy becomes an adult dog depends on its size and breed. As a general rule, the larger the breed, the more
growing up time it needs. The very largest breeds don’t reach full maturity until 24 months. Visit our Puppy Maturity Table to
learn when your puppy comes of age.
As he reaches maturity, it’s time to transition him onto an adult dog food, with a formula prepared to meet his changing needs.
Don’t switch his diet overnight. To avoid an upset tum, gradually introduce the adult recipe over a period of five to ten days.
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