What are the Typical Stages of Puppy Behavior?
Although each dog is a unique individual, just as each human is a unique individual, most dogs experience a typical stage of puppy behavior at least every few months as they grow from puppy hood into adulthood. A typical stage of puppy behavior relates to the social lessons the puppy learns from his or her mother and siblings at a very young age. Moreover, a breeder who allows the puppies to interact with family members can help puppies behave better towards adults and children. The neonatal period for puppies is between birth and three weeks of age. The puppy’s eyes do not open until it is about three weeks old. Between four and seven weeks, the puppy has already learned from its mother that broken eye contact means the other dog is the leader. This is a crucial and typical stage of puppy behavior. The mother dog uses different tones of voice such as whimpering and growling sounds to mean different things that let the puppy know when to be gentle and when to be quiet.
