This Puppy Timeline will give you a month by month breakdown of what to expect in the first year with your puppy. Of course, your puppy will be a unique individual with their own needs, likes and dislikes. How quickly your pup grows physically and matures emotionally will depend on their size and breed too. Whatever their breed, expect the first year of the puppy timeline to include lots of fun and a little bit of a chaos!

Puppy Timeline- Month 1

Amazingly, puppies are born deaf and blind. In the first 4 weeks of their life they will learn to see, hear, walk & bark. At this age, pups will sleep for most of the time and should spend all their time with mum. Towards the end of the first month, puppy’s first teeth will appear and they will begin to play and interact with their siblings. 

Month 2

Between 4 and 8 weeks, puppies will be weaned from mother’s milk to solid food. They will begin to avoid peeing and pooping in their sleep area. During this stage, pups should remain with their mum, but future owners can begin regularly visiting as they are now developing emotional bonds with humans. The socialisation period has now begun and good breeders will be introducing the pups to novel objects, noises and other stimuli they will likely encounter in their adult lives. Puppies can move to their forever homes from 8 weeks at the earliest. 

Month 3

Time to bring your puppy home- yay! You’ll want to puppy proof your home before you bring your new puppy home. Decide where they will sleep and how you will manage their day to day care for the first few months. Toilet training can start as soon as your pup comes home. They can’t hold their bladder or bowel for long, so make sure someone is there to let them outside and be rewarded for going in the right place roughly every hour. Between 8-12 weeks your pup is learning much about the world and exposing them to many different dogs, people, noises and other stimuli is critical for their confidence as adult dogs. You should also get them used to grooming and handling, the car, the vets and being alone for short periods of time. Until your pup has been fully vaccinated you’ll want to carry them around in a puppy bag or sling whilst outside. Many behavioural problems seen in adult dogs develop in part due to under-socialisation at this age. 

Month 4

Time for the fun to really begin! Between 12 and 16 weeks your pup is gaining physical coordination and confidence. Your pup is going through rapid physical growth and whilst they may be full of beans, it’s important not to over-do the exercise, particularly running and jumping. At this stage in the puppy timeline, bones and joints are not yet fully fused. They are curious about the world and desperate to explore everything and anything! Now is a great time to start working on a ‘drop it/leave it’ cue. The critical socialisation window closes between 16-18 weeks, depending on your pups breed. This is also the prime time for your pup to learn bite inhibition. Remember that your pup has no concept of what is or isn’t an appropriate chew toy. Chair legs, shoes and the tv remote are all fair game as far as they’re concerned! Redirect them to appropriate chews and if you aren’t available to supervise, make sure they cannot access items they’re not allowed to chew on. Both under and over-stimulation can lead to excess bitey-ness too. Keep a record of your pups daily activity and increase/decrease sleep and other activities as necessary.

Puppy Timeline- Month 5

Between 16 to 20 weeks, your puppy will be getting more independent and confident in the outside world. They will pick up new skills with reward based training very quickly. Sessions should be short and sweet – like their attention span! Don’t expect your pup to be able to move away from distractions like other dogs when called yet. Keep them on a long lead around distractions unless in a secure environment where they are allowed to play. Your puppy will be losing their puppy teeth now, so be sure to provide appropriate things to chew on. Cold or frozen chew toys can be soothing for sore gums. Whilst the socialisation window has closed, it’s still important to expose your puppy to new experiences throughout the rest of their first year. Pair new places, people and noises with tasty treats and play to make it a positive experience.

Month 6

Small breeds are nearly fully grown physically now. Medium breeds are roughly ¾ of their adult size and large breeds are roughly ½ their adult size now. Toilet training should be complete by this point. Teething usually peaks between weeks 24 and 28 so expect lots of chewing and general unsettled behaviour as they may still be experiencing sore gums. They will soon be heading into adolescence where boundaries may be tested. Training you thought was well established seems to go out the window! Keep rewarding the behaviour you want to see more of. Keep a tub of tasty treats in every room to reinforce good behaviour whenever it occurs and ALWAYS bring treats on walks. 

Month 7

Welcome to the teenage rebellion! You may be feeling tested by your pups behaviour at this point. Stick with the positive reinforcement based training and use management solutions whenever you need. Utilise baby gates, crates and leads to prevent your pup bolting out the front door, jumping up at house guests and getting into the bin if you can’t supervise them. You may also notice your pup gaining interest in the opposite sex. They may begin humping people, toys or furniture. Humping is a normal, natural dog behaviour that may occur for a number of reasons that aren’t sexual. If you have a female, they still need physical and mental stimulation during her first seasons but it’s not fair to take them to dog parks or busy off-lead areas during this time.

Month 8

Adolescence will be in full swing now for larger breeds and nearly finished for smaller breeds. Keep working on key training like recall, loose lead walking and wait/stay with low distractions & high value rewards. Stay patient and calm with your pup- this phase will pass! Things like digging, chewing, shredding and dissecting are natural dog behaviours that need an appropriate outlet. Time to embrace the wonderful world of canine enrichment! Boost your pups confidence and problem solving skills through toys and objects they’re allowed to destroy, like cardboard boxes and other forms of cleaned out recycling. Your pup’s individual likes, dislikes and personality will really begin to shine through at this age. These will be based on the experiences they had in their early weeks and months and their genetic predisposition.

Puppy Timeline- Month 9

Adolescence may be starting to pass for small breeds. Medium and large breeds will have a bit longer to get through! Your pup will need more physical and mental stimulation now they are older. Introduce them to new training tricks and games and vary up the rewards to keep motivation high. Keep walking routes and locations varied to keep things interesting and always let your pup sniff for as long as they need to. They understand the world through their nose. In fact, that nose is so powerful that as a general rule, if you can hear them sniffing, they can’t hear you calling! Different environments will have different distraction levels so it may be worth keeping your pup on a long line until your recall is solid around. This is especially important around other dogs, people and livestock. 

Month 10 

Your puppy may be coming towards the end of adolescence and their wild teenage antics should start to settle down. For others, the teenage phase has only just begun! Remember that even once your puppy is fully grown, they shouldn’t be left for more than 4-6 hours daily. Dogs are social creatures, after all. Arrange for a dog walker to get them out for some fun and a toilet break if you’re out all day. Be sure to attend to your pup’s breed specific needs too. Gundog breeds like to retrieve things, Terriers like to hunt out little critters, hounds like to hunt and so on. 

Month 11

As your puppy begins to approach their first birthday, it’s time for their first annual check-up at the vet’s. They will advise you on the most suitable adult food for your dog and how to transition them from the puppy food they have been having. Do your own research too and have a look at All About Dog Food to compare foods. It’s worth bearing in mind that dog food brands tend to list excessive feeding amounts on their packaging. You’ll want to feed the lower end of their suggested amount. You should continue with positive grooming routines as well as reward based training when teaching new behaviours. Earlier training should be getting more reliable now too. Don’t be tempted to fade out rewards too soon though!

Month 12

Congratulations to you for surviving the first year and Happy 1st Birthday to your pooch! You’ve made it through what is arguably the hardest part of having a dog. By 12 months your pup has the physical coordination, strength and is sufficiently grown to start agility and other dog sports. Research what’s on in your area if that’s something you’re interested in. At this stage in the puppy timeline, they will still need plenty of sleep, ideally 14+ hours in every 24 hour period. Continue positive reinforcement training sessions regularly. Reward all and any behaviour your wish to see more of. Reinforcement really does drive behaviour! Ensure their walking equipment is well fitted for your individual puppy- a harness and long lead are ideal. 

What next?

• Looking for help with your dog? Contact us to arrange in person or online training.
• Read more blog posts here.
• Perfect Recall: Teaching your dog to come back when called every time. Our guide is free to download when you join our email list- sign up here.   
• Book in your free 15 min discovery call to discuss your training struggles with Laura.