Your puppy's behavioural development
The key stages, without the stress
Every puppy moves at his own pace: these age markers are tendencies, not a calendar to tick off.
Un chiot qui arrive avec des bases sociales saines.
- With his mother and his brothers and sisters, he's already learning to measure his bite and to settle himself.
- Your choice of breeder counts for a lot: a calm mother and puppies handled gently start with a head start.
- Nothing to do on your side yet: you mostly reap what happened there.
Associer le monde à des émotions positives, pendant qu'il n'a pas encore de vraies peurs.
- Get him out from day one: don't wait until the end of his booster shots to show him the world.
- Let him discover a variety of sounds, surfaces, people and dogs, always at his own pace, never by forcing him.
- Start small: two or three people, a few noises, then build it up gradually.
Move on when: Il aborde la nouveauté avec curiosité plus qu'avec crainte.
Un cadre clair et prévisible où il sait ce qu'on attend de lui.
- He's growing in confidence and testing the limits: that's normal, guide him without making a drama of it.
- Set up a gentle routine (meals, walks, play, quiet time) to give him his bearings.
- Slip in very short training sessions, 1 to 2 minutes, several times a day, through play.
Traverser la crise d'ado sans abîmer la relation.
- The recall may slip: put the long line back on and work on it calmly, without losing your temper.
- Increase both physical AND mental exercise: this is when it needs to ramp up.
- Keep exactly the same rules as before, neither harsher nor more lax.
Move on when: Il revient au rappel et redescend en excitation de lui-même.
Un compagnon posé, qui continue d'apprendre toute sa vie.
- His emotions steady: the rollercoaster of adolescence eases off.
- Keep taking him out, keep him thinking and keep varying his encounters: you never really stop.
Why his socialisation window changes everything
Between 3 weeks and 3-4 months, your puppy is a real sponge: his brain takes in new things with very little fear, and whatever he meets calmly at this stage becomes “normal” for life (Scott & Fuller 1965; AVSAB 2008). Good news: this window doesn't slam shut like a door, it closes on a gentle slope. A puppy who's under-exposed early will have a harder time later, but nothing is ever a lost cause: it simply takes more time and method (McEvoy et al. 2022).
In concrete terms: a puppy who has already come across a hundred situations will handle the 101st on his own. The one who's grown up in a bubble panics at the slightest new thing.
Your day-to-day bearings
Nothing extraordinary: it's these small habits, repeated, that build a calm dog.
0 / 6Every puppy is different
Ten puppies raised the same way will give ten different personalities, and so much the better. A reserved puppy isn't a “failed” puppy: shyness is a character trait, not an illness. And breed doesn't decide everything: it explains only around 9% of the behavioural differences between two dogs (Morrill et al. 2022). You're not raising a label, you're guiding the individual in front of you. Small breeds often mature earlier, giant ones later: it's not a race, just the pace of your dog.
Your job, or a pro's?
What you handle very well yourself
- Introducing him to the world gently, below his comfort threshold.
- Setting up a routine, playing, teaching him short tricks with the marker word.
- Redirecting nibbling onto a toy and praising his good choices.
What deserves a pro's eye
- Repeated growling at visitors, even in a little puppy “who makes everyone laugh”.
- A blind panic that won't pass, or aggression that's taking hold.
- Marked guarding of the food bowl, toys or bed.
Calling on a trainer or a behaviourist isn't an admission of failure: it's giving your puppy the right person at the right time.
- Scott & Fuller — Genetics and the Social Behavior of the Dog (1965)
- AVSAB — Position Statement on Puppy Socialization (2008)
- AVSAB — Humane Dog Training Position Statement (2021)
- McEvoy et al. — Review of puppy socialisation and behavioural development (2022)
- Morrill et al. — Ancestry-inclusive dog genomics (Science) (2022)
To carry on gently
Frequently asked questions
At what age can you teach your dog tricks?
From the moment he arrives, around 2 months: a puppy loves to learn. The secret is very short sessions (1 to 2 minutes), several times a day, through play. You guide the movement with a treat, you mark the moment with a ‘yes!’ and you reward. Tricks are educational play, never a chore.
At what age can you take your dog to training classes?
Training begins at home from 2 months, gently. A puppy school or club can be added once the first vaccinations are done, in a controlled setting, but it's an add-on: real socialisation happens outside, in real life, not shut away in a hall.
Why does my puppy bark at other dogs?
Most of the time it's excitement or a touch of fear, not aggression. The lead often has a lot to do with it: tethered, his only choice is to put up with it or to charge in. Switch to a long, loose lead, keep your distance so he stays calm, and reward the moment he looks away. Never punish: that would only reinforce the fear.
At what age should you start training a puppy?
It all starts the moment he arrives, but not with rules: for the first few days, let him explore his home. After 2 to 4 days, once he's settled, you can bring in the first words (his name, ‘sit’) while having fun. A gentle routine from the start beats a list of don'ts.
Up to what age can you socialise a puppy?
The most effective window runs until around 3-4 months, and that's when you should go for it. But it closes on a gentle slope: socialisation carries on for life. A dog adopted when older is never a lost cause, it just takes more patience.
My puppy nibbles a lot, is that normal?
Yes, completely: his teeth are coming through and he explores the world with his mouth. It's a stage in his development, not a deep-seated problem. When he grips too hard during play, give a sharp ‘ouch!’ and stop for a few seconds, then offer a chew toy. Never any physical punishment.
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