Milestones in a Puppy’s Development

If you’ve found an orphan puppy, you won’t know exactly how old he is.

But you need to make an educated guess so you can determine the kind of care he’ll need. A two-day old puppy needs a completely different of care than a three week old. Once you’ve figured out his age, you’ll know if you need to stimulate him to potty or start housebreaking him.

Please remember that this chart is only general guide. Every puppy matures at a different rate. Larger breed dogs tend to mature earlier than small dogs.

Newborn through Day 7	Is blind and deaf Can smell well enough to find mother Sleeps 90% of the time and eats the other 10% Room should be 85° Fed 6 to 8 times a day Can’t go to the bathroom on his own. He requires external stimulation of private parts to help him eliminate. Needs only minimal handling
Newborn	Body temperature is 94°F Umbilical cord still attached
Day 2	Body temperature between 95° and 97° F
Day 3	Umbilical cord falls off
Day 5	Begins to crawl around
Day 7	Puppy crawling more easily Should be cuddled only a few minutes a day
Days 7 to 14	Room should be kept at 80° to 85°F Eyes and ears open Stands wobbly
Day 14	Stands up and crawls around Eyes focusing
Days 14 to 17	Begins walking wobbly
Days 14 to 21	Starts to explore his surroundings Milk teeth (baby incisors or front teeth) emerge Touching objects with his paws
Days 17 to 21	Poops and pees without assistance Interacts with littermates Tail wags
Day 21	Critical Socialization Period-need for human socialization and introduction to other species begins Begins to explore his surroundings Body temperature reaches 98° to 100° Weaning begins for large sized puppies Really walking Playing with siblings (biting on ears, tails and paws)
Days 21 to 28	Lapping formula from a bowl Eye color changes Starts to groom himself Feed 4 times a day
Day 28	Room should be no cooler than 75° F Small sized puppies begins to wean Have full set of baby teeth Eating soft food First vaccinations for orphans Playing with littermates
5 weeks	Should receive gentle human handling
4 to 5 weeks	Housetraining begins
5 to 7 weeks	Forms relationships with people Moves around the room freely Play mounting Eats four times a day Actively eating dry food
Week 6	Greets littermates with nose and tail sniffing Eats three times a day
Day 45	Should have 28 puppy teeth
8 to 9 weeks	Puppies can be spayed or neutered when they reach 2 pounds Dry food three times a day
8 to 10 weeks	Puppies with mothers are fully weaned Puppy can be rehomed
8 to 11 weeks	Fear imprint period – traumatic events will likely cause fear for life
Week 12	Chasing things
Week 14	Adolescence begins
2 to 5 months	Permanent front teeth emerge
4 to 5 months	Permanent first premolars emerge
Month 5	Permanent canines (fangs) emerge
5 to 6 months	Males reach sexual maturity First permanent molars appear
5 to 18 months	Females have their first heat
Month 6	Permanent second premolars emerge
6 to 7 months	Permanent second and third molars appear
6 to 14 months	Males lift leg to pee
Month 7	Cutting permanent teeth
36 months	Large breeds considered mature