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Stages of Puppy Development
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The 7 Stages of Puppy Development
In order to understand why your puppy doesn't listen to you at times, you need to understand each stage of development a puppy goes through as it matures. Let's take a look at the different stages, but before we do, keep in mind that these stages are generalizations - each dog will progress at its own pace.
Stage 1: The Transitional Stage
2-3 Weeks
The Transitional stage generally lasts from age two to three weeks, and it's during this time that your puppy's eyes will open, and he'll slowly start to respond to light and movement and sounds around him. He'll become a little more mobile during this period, trying to get his feet underneath him and crawling around in the box (or wherever home is). He'll start to recognize mom and his littermates, and any objects you might place in the box.
Stage 2: The Almost Ready To Meet The World Stage
3-4 Weeks
The Almost ready to meet the world stage lasts from 3 to about 4 weeks, and your puppy undergoes rapid sensory development during this time. Fully alert to his environment, he'll begin to recognize you and other family members. It's best to avoid loud noises or sudden changes during this period - negative events can have a serious impact on his personality and development right now. Puppies learn how to be a dog during this time, so it's essential that they stay with mom and littermates.
Stage 3: The Overlap Stage
4-7 Weeks
From 3-4 weeks, your puppy begins the most critical social development period of his life - he learns social interaction with his littermates, learns how to play and learns bite inhibition. He'll also learn discipline at this point - Mom will begin weaning the pups around this time, and will start teaching them basic manners, including accepting her as the leader of the pack. You can begin to introduce food to the pups starting around the 4th week - transition gradually as Mom weans them.
Continue handling the pups daily, but don't separate them from either Mom or litter mates for more than about 10 minutes per day. Puppies that are removed from the nest too early frequently are nervous, more prone to barking and biting and have a more difficult time with socialization and training. Puppies need to be left with Mom and siblings until at least 7 weeks of age - and preferably a little longer - for optimum social development.
Experts say that the best time in a puppy's life to learn social skills is between 3 and 16 weeks of age - that's the window of opportunity you have to make sure your puppy grows up to be a well-adjusted dog. It's extremely important to leave your puppy with Mom and his littermates during as much of this period as possible. Don't discipline for play fighting, housebreaking mistakes or mouthing - that's all normal behavior for a puppy at this stage.
Stage 4: The "I'm Afraid of Everything" Stage
8 Weeks to 3 Months
The "I'm Afraid of Everything" Stage lasts from about 8 weeks to 3 months, and is characterized by rapid learning as well as a "fearful period" that usually pops up at around 8 to 10 weeks. Not all dogs experience this, but most do, and they'll appear terrified over things that they took in stride before. This is not a good time to engage in harsh discipline (not that you ever should anyway!), loud voices or traumatic events.
At this time your puppy's bladder and bowels are starting to come under much better control, and he's capable of sleeping through the night (At last, you can get some rest!). You can begin teaching simple commands like come, sit, stay, down, etc. Leash training can begin. It's important not to isolate your puppy from human contact at this time, as he'll continue to learn behaviors and manners that will affect him in later years.
When You Bring Your New Shih Tzu Home
JoAnn White
Training a Shih Tzu can be both an amusing and a frustrating experience. “Bad dog” generally elicits much tail wagging, many kisses, and lots of “Who, me?” looks of injured innocence. “How could you possibly be angry when I’m so charming?” seems to be the general approach. While all of these antics make the Shih Tzu a delightful and unique companion, you have to steel yourself to avoid succumbing to your pet’s charms. Most breeders know of a home in which the situation escalated until the owner had a chubby, less-than-completely-housebroken dog that roused him at 5 a.m. and had kissed and charmed its way out of being groomed so often that it was a smelly, matted mess. This isn’t fair to you or your dog, so be firm when necessary. Rest assured, your Shih Tzu will love you just as much if you teach it to be well behaved.
How do I get my puppy to stop barking when I leave him, especially at night?
While a young puppy is often distressed when he no longer has the company of his littermates, one of the first things your dog must learn is that he cannot receive attention upon demand. Going in and saying “quiet” or petting him when he barks is rewarding him for being noisy, so you must steel yourself not to react, or to provide only a mild correction from out of sight to interrupt the barking, such as shaking a few coins in a soda can. NEVER reward the dog by letting him out when he barks or cries; wait until he is quiet to release him. To alleviate anxieties, which aggravate the barking, begin with short departures, and gradually lengthen the amount of time that you are away.
Why is crate training recommended?
The crate should not be a place of punishment, but a sanctuary where your dog can retreat to rest and be secure. Provide toys and treats to make the crate a pleasant place. It helps to put the crate where people are during the day, or in the bedroom at night. This way the dog will be safe but not lonely. A radio or television can help to keep the dog quiet when you are out. Play with your puppy and take him out to eliminate before you confine him to his crate, and do not leave him there for such a long time that he has no choice but to eliminate in the crate. If you will be out for extended periods, you may want to puppy-proof a small room or use an exercise pen to reinforce your dog’s natural desire to keep his bed clean. Crate training is also useful when you need to board your dog or keep it safe while traveling.
How do I housebreak my dog?
Shih Tzu are often considered difficult to housebreak. The most critical thing is to avoid giving your puppy opportunities to have accidents inside, and to praise him profusely whenever he eliminates where you want him to, be it on newspaper or “piddle pads” in his puppy-proofed area or outside. This means that your puppy should be constantly supervised inside the house until he has not eliminated indoors for at least four to eight weeks. You must also go outside with him, so that you can praise him when he eliminates outdoors. Watch for signals, such as sniffing and circling, and be sure to take him out every few hours, especially when he first wakes up, immediately after eating and before and after playtime. Suddenly, the light will dawn! A puppy has a very short attention span, so punishing him after the fact is useless and may instead teach your dog not to eliminate in your presence. You can gradually extend the time between outings as the puppy has greater control over his bladder. Some Shih Tzu owners teach their dogs to eliminate on paper indoors as well as outside all their lives, so they don’t need to walk them in bad weather or rush home to take them out. You may want to associate a command such as “hurry up” or “go potty” with the act of elimination; this is useful later when you want the puppy to eliminate quickly in an unfamiliar place. If you are housebreaking an older dog, you may want to use piddle pants or (for males) a belly band with a sanitary napkin inside when the dog is inside, being sure to remove it and take the dog outside on a regular basis. After a few accidents, the dog will decide to go outside rather than be wet and uncomfortable. A classic book on housetraining is Shirlee Kalstone’s How to Housebreak Your Dog in Seven Days.
How can I train my Shih Tzu to have its feet groomed (or just about anything else)?
Hold the dog’s foot for five seconds, and then give it a tiny treat and lots of praise. Do this again for a little longer, again finishing with a treat. Gradually increase the time the dog must allow whatever behavior is desired, and decrease the frequency of the reward. Training Shih Tzu often entails tricking them into thinking that you are doing something for them, rather than vice-versa. If they think they are manipulating you to give them a reward, they will eagerly perform the behavior. For this approach to be effective, you have to ask your Shih Tzu to do just a bit at a time in a gradual manner—especially if he already objects to the project at hand. Handle and brush him regularly, and re-ward him for compliance. While you should not stop when your puppy is misbehaving, do not force things to the point where he becomes overly stressed. Instead, pause briefly to murmur reassuring words, then continue a bit, reward, and take a break.
Do “time outs” help discipline Shih Tzu?
Giving your dog a “time out”—separating it from you as a negative response to its behavior—works really well for this breed, because Shih Tzu crave human companion-ship. Yelling at or physically punishing a Shih Tzu usually just makes it more stubborn. Instead, get your Shih Tzu’s attention by holding it by the scruff of the neck or the moustache and saying firmly, “No bite!” “No growl!” or whatever is appropriate. Follow this immediately with closing the dog out of the room so that it is separated from you (and from other dogs, if there are any). Pretty soon just the spoken correction will be sufficient, and you will have a much happier and more loving dog.
What about children and my puppy?
Shih Tzu puppies are small. Children should sit on the floor to play with the puppy. When walking in its vicinity they should do the “puppy shuffle,” sliding their feet across the floor to avoid accidentally stepping on or kicking the puppy, which loves being underfoot! Also, children should be cautioned to keep their fingers away from the puppy’s eyes, which are easily injured, to avoid sudden movements or loud noises, and to let the puppy rest when it is tired.
What should I feed my puppy?
Initially, you should use the food recommended by your breeder to avoid stomach upsets. If you change foods later, do so gradually. Do not leave food down all day. Small biscuits and bits of raw vegetables, chicken, or hot dogs are favored treats. Pigs’ ears and rawhide are NOT recommended. They can make your ShihTzu sick or pose a choking hazard.
What about traveling with my Shih Tzu?
Most Shih Tzu love to travel, but you should crate or otherwise restrain your dog so that it will not be injured in case of an accident or a sudden stop. NEVER leave your dog unattended in a parked car; it could be stolen. On a warm day the temperature can rise to fatal levels in just moments, and short-faced breeds are particularly susceptible to heat stroke.
How do I socialize my puppy?
From the beginning, try to expose your puppy to a variety of sights, sounds, smells, and situations. As soon as he has had all of his shots, take him out into the wider world. If a new stimulus creates fearful behavior, do not reward the fear by giving treats or cuddles; you are then reinforcing fearfulness. Instead, build up to whatever frightens the dog gradually, giving rewards only when the dog is being non-fearful.
How do I keep my puppy from chewing and other destructive behaviors?
Play with your Shih Tzu so it can work off its excess energy and provide plenty of toys, rotating them frequently so they remain interesting. Provide your puppy with a “puppy-proofed” area (perhaps behind a baby gate) that is safe for him to explore, and do not allow him unsupervised opportunities to get into mischief. It is much easier to reinforce desirable behavior than to break bad habits.
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