A Complete Guide to Puppy Growth Stages
Bringing a new pup home is such an exciting experience, but there’s no shame in finding it daunting, too. From their first steps to fierce independence, every stage of their growth presents unique milestones and challenges.
Understanding the developmental stages of a puppy will help you provide the right care, nurture positive behaviours, and ensure your puppy grows up healthy, happy, and well-adjusted.
In this blog, we’ll explain each of the 7 key phases of puppy development, abnormalities to be on the lookout for, and how Sydney Animal Hospitals can support you on your new puppy owner journey.
Download our free new puppy checklist for trusted veterinary advice on when to book vaccinations, desexing, and in-clinic puppy health check-ups.
Development Stages of a Puppy: An Overview
Puppies grow rapidly, especially in the first few months. Their physical, emotional, and social development occurs in stages, each with key puppy development milestones such as opening their eyes, first steps, teething, and reaching sexual maturity.
Keep reading for a detailed explanation of each stage, or skip ahead to the one you are most interested in by selecting a period below:
7 Stages of Puppy Development: In Detail
1. Neonatal Period (0-2 weeks)
During the first two weeks of life, puppies are entirely dependent on their mother for warmth, nutrition, and protection.
Their eyes and ears are closed, so they rely on smell, touch, taste, suckling, and grasping. They can’t support their full body weight yet, but their front legs are strong enough to crawl and wiggle. Puppies are mostly quiet, occasionally making soft squeaks.
Care tips: Keep puppies warm and monitor feeding. Handle gently if necessary — minimal interference is ideal.
2. Transitional Period (2-4 weeks)
The transitional stage marks the start of sensory awareness and early motor development. Puppies become more responsive to their surroundings and begin interacting with siblings (if they have any).
With their eyes and ears now open, they start sitting up, standing and exploring their environment. Sharp little baby teeth will begin to emerge, and they take their first wobbly steps – they can even wag their tails!
Care tips: Encourage gentle exploration and introduce soft sounds and textures to stimulate their senses. You can start to slowly wean them off their mother’s milk and onto solid food.
3. Socialisation Period (4-12 weeks)
The socialisation period is one of the most important. Exposure to people, other animals, and varied environments sets the foundation for a well-adjusted adult dog.
They start to learn bite inhibition (i.e., how to bite gently through play) and begin to recognise human and dog social cues. They also become more confident around new sights, sounds, and experiences, which can help prevent fear or aggression later in life.
Care tips: Consider enrolling them in
puppy preschool to learn many of the social skills they will retain for the rest of their lives.
4. Juvenile Period (3-6 months)
During the pre-adolescent period, puppies continue to grow rapidly and begin testing boundaries.
Teething stops, they become fully house-trained, and social skills are reinforced through regular interactions with people and other dogs. Their physical coordination gets better, which leads to stronger independence and curiosity. However, this can sometimes lead to stubborn pet behaviours.
Care tips: Maintain positive reinforcement and continue socialisation with controlled exposure to new people and pets.
5. Adolescent Period (6-12 months)
As puppies reach sexual maturity, their hormones change, and this can make them more challenging to control and train.
Puberty means that heat cycles begin in females and males start marking their territory. Puppies often become more independent and adventurous during this time, which can sometimes lead to increased risk-taking.
Care tips: Supervise interactions to prevent unsafe behaviours. Keep up puppy training and structured routines, and discuss
dog desexing options with your vet.
6. Emotional Maturity Period (12-18 months)
Puppies reach adulthood and begin to show fully developed emotional and social behaviours.
Adulthood often starts early for smaller breeds, at around 12 months. Larger breeds won’t reach maturity until at least 18 months of age. Generally, mature adult dogs are much calmer and more self-controlled than they are during the adolescent phase.
Care tips: Transition your pup from puppy food to adult dog food. Continue to train them to be well-behaved and social.
7. The Fear Periods (8-16 weeks & 6-14 months)
The fear periods are two stages when puppies become extremely sensitive to new experiences.
They may suddenly react with anxiety to things they were previously fine with. Signs include shaking, hiding, backing away, barking or growling.
Care tips: Approach these reactions gently and reassuringly. Avoid pushing your puppy into new or stressful situations during this time.
Normal vs Abnormal Puppy Development Stages
The development stages of a puppy can be a little different for everyone, but it’s important to be able to identify when things aren’t progressing as they should.
Normal signs include steady weight gain, learning bite inhibition and social cues, and responding positively to training, people and other animals around them.
Abnormal signs can include a failure to meet the usual puppy developmental milestones mentioned above, a persistent lack of energy, poor appetite, or extreme anxiety or aggression.
If your pup is behaving oddly, book them in for a veterinary appointment to address the issue ASAP.
Get Puppy Growth and Development Support at Sydney Animal Hospitals
Regular vet visits are a must during the critical 7 stages of puppy growth.
Puppies should have their first check-up at around 6–8 weeks of age, then return every few weeks until about 16 weeks for puppy vaccinations.
We’ll also help you track their weight with our puppy growth calculator and monitor milestone visits at 6 months and 1 year to ensure healthy growth and development.
Book your puppy's first health check today at your nearest Sydney Animal Hospitals clinic.
FAQs
How Do I Know if My Puppy Is Developing Normally?
Compare your puppy’s milestones against expected ranges, and consult a vet if growth, socialisation, or behaviour seems off-track.
When Do Puppies Stop Biting and Teething?
Teething usually starts around 3–4 weeks and ends around 6 months. Biting behaviour diminishes as puppies learn bite inhibition, especially with consistent training and chew toys.
At What Age Should I Start Socialising My Puppy?
Start socialisation around 4 weeks old, with the prime window between 4–14 weeks. Gentle exposure to people, dogs, and new environments is key to confidence and lifelong behaviour.
How Often Should I Feed My Puppy at Different Stages?
Feed young puppies 3–4 small meals daily, gradually reducing to 2 meals as they approach adolescence. Always provide a balanced diet appropriate for age, breed, and growth rate.
When Should My Puppy Get Vaccinated?
In Australia, puppies typically begin vaccinations around 6–8 weeks. Booster shots follow every 3–4 weeks until about 16 weeks.
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