“When is a puppy fully grown?”

That is probably not a question that is foremost in your thoughts when you bring a new puppy into your life. That precious little face, those huge soulful eyes, and that cute wiggle in his walk are what come to mind when thinking about your new puppy. But eventually, as your puppy gets older and probably somewhat destructive, you may find yourself wishing that he would grow out of some of those youthful traits and begin acting more like an adult. By the time he’s chewed your third pair of designer shoes you’ll probably begin to wonder…

“When will my puppy be fully grown?”

Although there are some similarities between early development stages of canine babies and human babies, the development process is much quicker for dogs.

Newborn puppies go through many changes during their first three weeks . They open their eyes, start to walk, and begin to act like a little dog. During this early stage they are not aware of much of the world beyond “mom” and their siblings.

Sometime around the third or fourth week, your puppy’s senses of sight, smell, and hearing develop rapidly. Soon, he will discover that there is more to his world than just his canine family. His relationship with his human family will begin to take shape. This is a very important stage in the development of your puppy’s personality and future behavior. Take care to avoid stressful or traumatic experiences as they may have an adverse impact on how your dog will behave as an adult.

Your puppy will begin learning proper pack “etiquette” during the fifth through seventh weeks. If he begins to bite too hard or play too rough, his canine “mom” will correct him. These early lessons allow him to develop some of the social skills he will put to use as he interacts with humans and other dogs.

For the first three months of his life your puppy will experience many new things. Whenever possible, try to make these learning experiences positive. In doing so you are much more likely to avoid behavioral problems as he enters adulthood.

After about three months your puppy enters his “toddler” stage of development. He gains more independence and explores his world as he sees fit, not at the prompting of his mother or his human family. Shoes, furniture, books, and just about anything within reach will fascinate him. He will also learn what they taste like when he begins teething. This is a good time to begin very basic obedience training and establish yourself as pack leader.

Your puppy reaches adolescence at around six to eight months, on his way to adulthood. Although the transition from adolescent to adult varies, depending upon the breed (or mix of breeds), you can be pretty sure that he has reached adulthood by the time his second birthday rolls around.

That’s when a puppy is fully grown.

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“When is a puppy fully grown?”

That is probably not a question that is foremost in your thoughts when you bring a new puppy into your life. That precious little face, those huge soulful eyes, and that cute wiggle in his walk are what come to mind when thinking about your new puppy. But eventually, as your puppy gets older and probably somewhat destructive, you may find yourself wishing that he would grow out of some of those youthful traits and begin acting more like an adult. By the time he’s chewed your third pair of designer shoes you’ll probably begin to wonder…

“When will this puppy be fully grown?”

Although there are some similarities between early development stages of puppies and human babies, the process is considerably quicker for canines.

Newborn puppies go through many changes during their first three weeks . They open their eyes, start to walk, and begin to act like a little dog. During this early stage they are not aware of much of the world beyond “mom” and their siblings.

Somewhere between the third and fourth week, your puppy’s senses of sight, smell, and hearing rapidly develop. All of a sudden he’ll discover that there is more to his world than just his canine family. His relationship with his new human family begins to take shape. This is a critical time for the development of your puppy’s personality and behavioral traits. Take care to avoid stressful or traumatic experiences as they may significantly influence how your dog will behave as an adult.

Your puppy will begin learning proper pack “etiquette” during the fifth through seventh weeks. If he begins to bite inappropriately or play too rough, his mother will correct him. These early lessons provide some of the social skills he will need as he interacts with humans and other dogs.

For the first three months of his life your puppy will experience many new things. Whenever possible, try to make these learning experiences positive. In doing so you are much more likely to avoid behavioral problems as he enters adulthood.

After about three months your puppy enters his “toddler” stage of development. He gains more independence and explores his world as he sees fit, not at the prompting of his mother or his human family. Shoes, furniture, books, and just about anything within reach will fascinate him. He will also learn what they taste like when he begins teething. This is a good time to begin very basic obedience training and establish yourself as pack leader.

Your puppy will reach adolescence at around six to eight months, well on his way toward adulthood. Although the transition from adolescent to adult varies, depending upon the breed (or mix of breeds), you can be pretty sure that he has reached adulthood by the time his second birthday rolls around.

That’s when your puppy is fully grown.

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A puppy can be a great joy to a household. While kisses and cuddles are the high points, I think it’s safe to say that cleaning up after a puppy can be considered one of the lowest points. During these formative years for your puppy, you’ll probably want to start the potty training lesson as soon as you deem your puppy ready.

Probably the most helpful tip to ease both your pup’s stress and your own is to develop a routine early on in your pup’s life. You can start by accustoming your puppy to a sleep/eat/potty routine. Try feeding your puppy around the same time every day, allowing for frequent trips outside to potty. He will soon adjust his body to the routine.

A good way to save your sanity is to admit right off the bat that your puppy will have accidents. You can help ease these by keeping some newspaper in a dedicated spot so that your pup can at least familiarize himself with going in one area if he can’t make it outside. This works particularly well if you don’t have a doggy door and your puppy relies on you to let him out.

The sooner you get to know your puppy’s “eat/potty” routine, the easier potty-training will become. A good rule to go by is to estimate that your pup will be ready for a trip outside around 15 – 20 minutes after he has been fed/watered. If you can, try to have your puppy outside at this time so he will familiarize himself with the proper “potty surroundings.”

Be sure that you separate “potty time” from “play time.” Puppies love to explore. It’s natural and should be encouraged, but only when it’s the appropriate time. Nothing is more frustrating than to be up at 2 am with your little guy running around the yard for twenty minutes, only to potty as soon as you get back inside.

This period in your puppy’s life is a great one to start administering praise and discipline techniques. Many people prefer “good boy/girl” and “no,” which can be still be used when your dog is older. Although puppies need a lot of repetition, routine, and firmness, remember that your puppy will soon grow up, so enjoy his puppyhood while you can!

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Housebreaking is the most indispensable thing your puppy must learn. Common sense should tell you why. Do you want your house to stay spic and span? Handle your puppy’s housebreaking well. Aside from the maintenance of your household hygiene, trained dogs are happy dogs. As creatures of habit, it’s in their nature to keep schedules as pack animals. Here is how you should housebreak your puppy:

Ideal Housebreaking Age

When your puppy reaches the age of 8 to 12 weeks old, it’s high time to begin housebreaking. Remember the saying that old dogs can’t learn new tricks? It is true so why take chances?

Training Your Puppy Using A Crate

Dog trainers suggest using a crate in housebreaking your puppy. A crate is like a cage, with see-through bars and a locking door. Its size should accommodate well the dogs size for it to move around in. It should be used like a dog’s bedroom. It is advised to not confine your puppy in his crate for more than two hours at a time.

Crate training is used for training because dogs generally will not soil their sleeping area. Puppy’s at the age of 3 months old will have to eliminate every 3 hours, therefore, you should take your puppy outside more often. If you leave the puppy in the crate longer than that, he is sure to have an accident.

Rountines Are Important For Your Puppy

When it is time to take your dog out doors to eliminate be sure to use one door only. This way he will use that door to let you know he needs to go outside.

Taking the puppy out at the same time everyday will help your dog to get into a routine. This will help him to learn to hold it in until you are available.

Look For Clues

In order to accomplish this goal, you must pay attention to the signs that your dog is giving you when he needs to go out. He may scratch on the door, starting at the door, circling in an area or he may be constantly sniffing. That is your clue to let him out.

Patience is a Big Virtue

Like any training endeavor, housebreaking requires a lot of patience. If you definitely despise cleaning your dog’s waste off your Persian carpets on an hourly basis and having your whole house smell like a public bathroom, you want the housebreaking to be successful in a wink of an eye, if not sooner.

Using Your Common Sense

Common Sense will help you and your dog while housebreaking. Stick to a routine, do not give him water before bed, to not ignore the clues.

In order to succeed in housebreaking your puppy patience and consistency is of vital importance. If for some reason you are not able to stick to the routine and your puppy has an accident don’t blame him just get back into that routine as soon as possible. It will take a lot of time and commitment on your part but don’t give up.

Stay Consistent!

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Call it what you will — potty training, house training or house breaking — potty training a puppy is one thing that most new dog owners don’t look forward to. This is probably because they’re not sure where to start. After all, each person you ask will probably give you different advice on how to potty train your new dog.

Don’t despair. I’ve got six tips that you can use to make the house training process a lot easier on you and your new puppy.

Tip #1: Feed Your Puppy At The Same Times Each Day

A lot of dog owners prefer free feeding to set feeding times. Free feeding means leaving a bowl of food out all day so your dog can eat whenever he gets hungry. This can work well with older dogs, but when you’re house training a new puppy or dog it’s much better to feed him a specific times, following a set schedule.

Most dogs need to go potty after eating. By having a set schedule, you can control when your dog eats and know when he will need to go potty. You’ll have fewer accidents if you follow this important tip.

Tip #2: Help Your Puppy Succeed By Following A Potty Schedule

Following a feeding schedule will help you get started with this. You should take your new puppy out after every meal, and also a few more times each day. If possible, try to make these extra potty trips at the same time each day.

By following a potty break schedule, you’ll remember to get your new puppy outside during the day. Puppies thrive on schedules because they give them a real sense of security. When they don’t know what to expect from day to day, puppies become anxious. This anxiety can easily lead to digestive problems – and that makes the whole house training process much harder.

Tip #3: Choose A “Potty Time” Command

Pick a command word that you are comfortable using — no matter where you are or who you’re with. Here are a few common commands: “potty” “go potty” “go peepee” and “tinkle.”

Once you choose a command, start saying it every time you want your new dog to go potty. In the beginning, don’t say it unless you are standing right where you want him to go. As he grows, you can open the door and give the command. He’ll run outside all on his own and go potty right where you want him to.

Tip #4: When Your Dog Has An Accident, Don’t Scold Or Yell At Him

You have to be realistic. Every new puppy will have accidents – some more than others. When it happens, it’s important to remain calm. You shouldn’t yell at him and under no circumstance should you rub his nose in it. This is an “old-school” technique that we now know does NOT work. It just confuses your puppy.

Making your dog feel that going potty is bad isn’t going to help. Your dog can’t help himself – when he’s got to go, he’s got to go! What you need to teach him instead, is that good things happen when he goes potty in the right place, which leads us to the next tip

Tip #5: Always Praise and Reward Your Puppy When He’s Successful

It’s just as important to reward your puppy when he goes potty correctly as it is when he does a “sit” any other command.

It’s a good habit to combine sincere praise with some kind of reward. Rewards can be showing him love and affection, giving him a tasty treat, or spending a few minutes playing with him. Whatever you choose, it’s vital that your puppy is rewarded immediately so he remembers that going potty means getting a reward.

To start, be sure to praise him verbally while he’s actually going potty. Use a friendly, happy voice and say “Good boy! Good potty!” As soon as he’s finished, immediately give him the reward. You can toss his favorite ball for a game of fetch, or if you’re on a walk, bounce it and let him catch it. You could also give him a treat or belly rub.

Again, be sure to reward him immediately. Praise combined with affection, treats or play will make your puppy happy – and he’ll soon associate going potty at the right time and place with happiness and joy.

Tip #6: Crate Training Your Puppy Means Less Accidents

Crate training is a topic all on it’s own, but here is why you’d be smart to consider it when house breaking your puppy

When you crate train your puppy, you’re able to kennel him when you can’t watch him yourself. Dogs are den animals, and they don’t like to soil their dens. This means your puppy will “naturally” wait until you’ve taken him out of his crate before he goes potty.

There are two important things to remember: First, never leave him in his crate for too long. Second, always take him out to go potty as soon as you let him out of his crate. Most of the time, your puppy will already have to go potty. With your help, he’ll be going go potty exactly where you want him to go!

Your new puppy is going to love you unconditionally. In return, you should do your best to train him properly so he’s always a joy to be around. Potty training a puppy is a very important step in raising a dog that’s happy, healthy, and easy to love.

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