What if you could understand what’s going on in your puppy’s brain – week by week?
In this episode, I’m breaking down puppy milestones so you know exactly what to expect at every stage of your pup’s first year. We’ll walk through puppy milestones by week, explore what’s happening developmentally inside that little fuzzy head, and talk about how you can best support them during their most sensitive stages – including the puppy critical socialization period.
I’ll help you understand puppy development like never before – because when you know better, you do better. And knowing these stages? It’s a total game-changer for your relationship.
Here’s what we cover in this episode:
- What really happens during the puppy critical socialization period – and why missing it can have long-term effects.
- The truth about those early weeks: what puppy milestones matter most in shaping a confident, resilient adult dog.
- Why asking your breeder about puppy development practices isn’t overkill – it’s essential.
- When is the best time to start training and socializing your puppy? (Hint: it’s earlier than you think!)
- What surprises you can expect during adolescent stages, and how knowing puppy milestones by week helps you stay sane through it all.
Whether you’re in the newborn snuggle stage or the teenage chaos phase, this episode will give you the tools – and the mindset – to navigate puppy development with more clarity, compassion, and confidence.
What’s one piece of advice about puppy development that you’ve ditched or reconsidered? Head over to Instagram @mannersformutts and DM me your story or tag me in your post.
Resources mentioned in this episode:
Connect with Staci Lemke:
EPISODE TRANSCRIPT:
[00:00:00] Staci Lemke: Hello everybody and welcome back to The Well-Mannered Mutt podcast. The podcast that helps you navigate life with a puppy without all the overwhelm. Today, I am walking you through your puppies entire first year of life, phase by phase. But we’re not just talking about milestones, we’re talking about what’s actually going on inside that growing little body and brain, and maybe more importantly.
[00:00:27] Staci Lemke: We’re going to explore how you can show up for your puppy at each stage. Not as a perfect trainer, but as a guide, a support system, and a safe place. Welcome to the Well-Mannered Mut podcast. I’m Staci Lemke, certified professional dog trainer, registered veterinary technician, and proud owner of Manners for Mutts dog training.
[00:00:49] Staci Lemke: With over 20 years of experience, I’ve helped countless dog owners just like you, build stronger, happier relationships with their furry friends. From private lessons to online courses, I’m here to help make life with your dog easier and more rewarding. I believe in training that is kind. Fun and scientifically proven positive reinforcement is at the core of everything I do because it’s the most effective way to teach your dog while strengthening your bond.
[00:01:18] Staci Lemke: Whether you’re tackling basic training, solving behavior challenges, or just looking for tips to keep your pup thriving. You are in the right place. So let’s dive into today’s episode and take the first step toward having the well-mannered mutt you’ve always dreamed of. So let’s start at the very beginning.
[00:01:37] Staci Lemke: The neonatal period, which is birth to two weeks of age. Picture this tiny squirmy little puppies huddled together against their mom. They’re blind, deaf, and entirely dependent on her and on the environment the humans create around them. At this stage, puppies don’t do much besides nurse sleep and snuggle, and yet their brains are already forming the very first impressions of what it means to be safe.
[00:02:08] Staci Lemke: If you are a breeder or a foster, your role is quite powerful just by keeping the environment warm. Clean and calm. You are supporting vital development. You might gently pick up each puppy for a few seconds each day, not to play, but to give them tiny doses of stimulation that help their nervous systems grow strong.
[00:02:30] Staci Lemke: What you don’t do here is just as important. No loud music, no rough handling, no rushing. This phase, you let nature take the lead and support mom so that she can care for her babies. If you are the future puppy parent, this is the time to start asking questions long before your puppy is old enough to come home.
[00:02:52] Staci Lemke: Now, it might feel too early to worry about how a breeder handles a litter of tiny blind squirmy newborns, but honestly, this stage matters more than most people think. Because long before your puppy learns, sit, stay, or walking politely on the leash, before they even open their eyes, they’re already being shaped by their environment.
[00:03:12] Staci Lemke: Tiny stressors, gentle human touch, warmth and care, or the lack of it all, start to wire your puppies nervous system, their ability to handle new experiences later in life. That foundation starts here, so don’t be afraid to ask the breeder or rescue questions like. How do you support early development in the litter?
[00:03:34] Staci Lemke: How much time do the puppy spend with their mom and siblings? How do you introduce handling and human contact? Do you use early neurological stimulation? And let me just briefly explain what ENS is for those of you who haven’t already heard it before. Early neurological stimulation or ENS is a series of gentle handling exercises done with puppies between the days three and 16.
[00:04:00] Staci Lemke: It was originally developed by the US military to improve the performance of working dogs, but today, many breeders use it to help puppies grow into more confident, resilient adult dogs. The exercises include brief mild challenges like holding the puppy in different positions, touching their paws with a cotton swab, or placing them on a cool surface for a few seconds.
[00:04:22] Staci Lemke: It might not look like much, but it gently stimulates their nervous system at a time when it’s rapidly developing. The idea is to build a puppy’s tolerance for mild stress, which helps them handle new or unexpected situations later in life with more confidence and calm. Puppies who go through ENS often grow up to be better at problem solving, less reactive to stress, and quicker to recover from surprises like loud noises, new places, or sudden changes.
[00:04:51] Staci Lemke: When you ask your breeder questions, you’re not being picky. You’re being thoughtful. A good breeder will welcome those questions and have confident informed answers. They may tell you how they gently touch each puppy every day, expose them to soft sounds, or monitor their weight and temperature closely.
[00:05:08] Staci Lemke: They might describe how they give the mother a peaceful, cozy space to raise her litter or how they start laying the groundwork for confident curious pups from day one. Those details tell you a lot about how your future dog will experience the world. And if someone brushes off your questions or says, well, we just let the mom do her thing, they’re too young to worry about.
[00:05:29] Staci Lemke: That’s a red flag because puppies don’t magically become social or resilient at eight weeks. It starts here, choosing the right breed. Or rescue Foster means choosing someone who understands that even newborn puppies are learning. They’re not just raising dogs, they are raising your future family member.
[00:05:48] Staci Lemke: The next phase is called the transitional period, and now things start changing fast. The puppy’s eyes open, their ears begin to function, and they wobble onto their feet, like drunken toddlers. They’re starting to respond to sights and sounds. It’s adorable. And a bit fragile. This is when they start noticing the world and how the world responds to them.
[00:06:10] Staci Lemke: Maybe you add in new textures, soft blankets, crinkly, mats, even gentle music playing in the background. You’re not trying to challenge them. You are inviting them to notice, and here’s the important part. You let the puppies set the pace. You don’t plop them in the middle of a noisy room or pass them around like party favors.
[00:06:29] Staci Lemke: You let them choose to engage or retreat. They’re learning not just about their bodies, but about safety, curiosity, and trust. Why is this important? Because we’re not just raising puppies, we’re shaping the way they see the world. When we introduce gentle experiences during these early weeks, we’re helping puppies learn what it feels like to be safe and curious at the same time, that balance is the foundation of a confident, emotionally stable adult dog.
[00:06:58] Staci Lemke: You set up safe, thoughtful environments and invite them to explore. If they want to investigate a new sound or a strange texture, great. If they decide to retreat and observe from the sidelines, that’s fine too. What they’re learning isn’t just about their bodies or the surface under their paws. They’re learning whether the world is safe, whether people listen, whether curiosity is rewarded or punished.
[00:07:22] Staci Lemke: Whether they can trust that when something feels too big, they’ll have the choice to step back. And that’s a lesson that sticks a puppy who learns early on, that they have agency, that their body is theirs, that people are kind, that the world is interesting, but not scary, is far more likely to grow into a dog who takes new things in stride.
[00:07:43] Staci Lemke: So when you hear a breeder say, we let the puppies set the pace, lean in. That’s someone who understands that good socialization isn’t just about checking boxes, it’s about building a relationship of trust right from the start. So you just got a new puppy, you’re excited to take them on their first adventures and start socializing.
[00:08:04] Staci Lemke: But maybe you’ve heard some conflicting information about vaccinations and you’re not sure what’s correct. It’s a common misconception that you have to wait until your puppy is fully vaccinated to start socializing. Unfortunately, that’s just not true. If you’d like to learn more about how to safely socialize your puppy before vaccines are finished without risking your puppy’s health, then check out my online course, but my puppy is not fully vaccinated.
[00:08:32] Staci Lemke: Head over to manners for mutts.com/socialization to learn more. From the ages of four to seven weeks, we are forming the foundation for good socialization. This is the golden age of litter mate learning. Puppies are tumbling over each other, growling in tiny, ridiculous voices, and figuring things out like, oops, I bit too hard.
[00:08:58] Staci Lemke: Or maybe I should listen when my litter mate growls at me. This play isn’t just cute, it’s essential. It’s how puppies learn dog language. When mom steps in to correct or redirect, she’s not being mean. She’s teaching boundaries. At this stage, you want puppies to experience the world through safe novelty, maybe a new surface in their pen, or a visit from a new, quiet adult dog.
[00:09:22] Staci Lemke: A kind gentle human with a tasty treat. The mistake people often make. Doing too much, too fast Thinking socialization means showing them everything, but at this stage, how they experience things matters far more than what they experience. One calm visit with a toddler is better than five chaotic ones.
[00:09:44] Staci Lemke: One Gentle brushstroke is better than a rushed bath. Between the ages of eight and 12 weeks. This is your socialization sweet spot. This is often when your puppy comes home, everything is new. You are their world now, and they’re taking in everything. The dishwasher, the doorbell, the way you move your voice, their brain is wide open to forming associations, and that’s good news.
[00:10:09] Staci Lemke: But the challenge, it works both ways. One scary moment can also make a lasting impression. So this is the phase where your job is to be a gentle tour guide. You don’t need to do it all at once. You just need to help your puppy build a mental library of, that was fun and that wasn’t so bad. So maybe you carry them through the farmer’s market on a quiet morning.
[00:10:31] Staci Lemke: Just taking it all in the smells. The sounds, the breeze. Let them watch kids play from a distance while safely tucked into your arms or at your feet. No pressure to interact, just observation. Maybe you can sit in the car with the engine running and feed them little bits of cheese while the world hums quietly outside the windows, or you invite a friend over, just one who sits on the floor treats in hand, and lets the puppy make the first move.
[00:10:58] Staci Lemke: These moments may seem small, but this is what good socialization looks like, gentle, positive, and always at the puppy’s pace. You’re not trying to expose them to everything. You’re helping them form calm, happy associations with the everyday life that they’re going to grow into. And one of the best ways to do that is to enroll your puppy in a well run positive reinforcement puppy class.
[00:11:23] Staci Lemke: Yes, even before your puppy has completed all their vaccines, and that surprises a lot of new puppy parents. But the truth is, the critical socialization window closes around 12 to 14 weeks, and waiting until your puppy is fully vaccinated often means missing that window entirely. And veterinary behaviorists agree when classes are run by qualified trainers in clean environments with puppies who’ve had at least one round of vaccines in a health check, the benefits far outweigh the risks.
[00:11:56] Staci Lemke: These classes are carefully designed to give puppies safe exposure to other dogs, unfamiliar people, and novel experiences, all while learning to feel calm and confident. I know in my puppy classes, I accept puppies as young as eight weeks of age, as long as they are going through their vaccine series and we have done a fecal on them to make sure that they do not have any internal parasites.
[00:12:20] Staci Lemke: From 12 to 16 weeks of age, you’re building confidence, but your puppy may also go through a fear period. Just when you think you’ve got a handle on things, your puppy stares and tear at the broom or freezes when they hear a motorcycle. That’s a fear period, and it’s normal. The brain is doing a little risk assessment and the world suddenly seems a bit more intimidating.
[00:12:41] Staci Lemke: During this stage, you become your puppy’s emotional anchor. You don’t say, ah, you’re fine, and force them to push through it. You say, oh, that was weird, huh? And calmly move away. You pull out the cheese, you turn the scary thing into a treat machine. What you don’t do is make them face things head on thinking.
[00:13:00] Staci Lemke: It’ll teach them to get over it. Fear doesn’t work like that. A puppy who’s overwhelmed doesn’t magically learn to be brave. They learn to shut down or to panic or to defend themselves, and those responses can stick. Bravery doesn’t come from being thrown into the deep end. It grows best in safe soil. In calm, well-managed experiences where your puppy is allowed to choose to approach or hang back, to sniff from a distance or to come closer when they’re ready.
[00:13:30] Staci Lemke: So when your puppy flinches at the vacuum, or hesitates before stepping on a metal grate, don’t push them forward and call it confidence. Stop. Soften your voice. Sit beside them. Let them observe, offer a treat, or a gentle game with a toy. Maybe they’ll take one step today and five tomorrow. That’s how trust grows and that’s how fear fades.
[00:13:52] Staci Lemke: That’s how confidence takes root. Not through force, but through safety and your puppy learns. They get to decide when something feels okay, that the world isn’t full of surprises they can’t handle, and that you’ve got their back. From four to six months, we have teething and testing. Teething is no joke.
[00:14:11] Staci Lemke: At four months, puppies begin to lose baby teeth and get in their adult teeth. Your sweet puppy suddenly wants to chew everything, including your hands hang in there. By six or seven months, they have a full set of adult chompers. They’re also gaining confidence and independence. Which means they’re more interested in the environment and less in you.
[00:14:32] Staci Lemke: It’s tempting to think they’re being stubborn, but really they’re just overwhelmed with sensations, curiosity, and the urge to explore. So what do you do? You keep things simple. You offer frozen carrots, puppy safe chews, and short training sessions with lots of rewards. You supervise more, not less, and you stay consistent.
[00:14:51] Staci Lemke: Even when they test the rules, what you avoid is labeling them as bad or dominant. They’re just growing up and like all teenagers, they need guidance, not punishment. From six to nine months, adolescence begins. Now we’re entering the land of big feelings. Hormones are rising. Your once sociable pup might start barking at other dogs recall becomes spotty.
[00:15:16] Staci Lemke: They suddenly seem to have so much energy and very little impulse control. It’s easy to get frustrated, but the best thing that you can do is zoom out and look at the big picture. This is all developmentally normal. Between the ages of six and 18 months, your puppy’s brain is undergoing a massive remodeling project.
[00:15:36] Staci Lemke: Think of it like a full renovation. Walls are being knocked down, wires being rerouted, and while the foundation is still there, everything on top is shifting fast. So let’s talk a little bit about what’s actually going on in that teenage brain. The brain’s emotional center called the amygdala is an overdrive.
[00:15:55] Staci Lemke: Your teenage puppy is feeling things more intensely than they did as a baby. A leaf blowing across the yard might be terrifying. The neighbor’s trash can suddenly a monster. Emotions like fear, excitement, and frustration hit hard during this phase. That’s why you might notice your previously chill puppy barking more, spooking more easily, or acting overly dramatic.
[00:16:19] Staci Lemke: The thinking part of the brain, the prefrontal cortex is still under construction. This is the part responsible for decision making, impulse control, and assessing consequences. In adolescents, it’s still maturing, which means puppies struggle with self-control and aren’t great at thinking things through.
[00:16:37] Staci Lemke: They know how to sit or come when called, but in the moment, excitement or curiosity often wins out. Hormonal changes are happening just like in human teens. Puberty introduces a surge of hormones that can affect mood, energy, and social behavior. Your puppy may suddenly be more bold or more anxious. They may challenge boundaries they previously respected.
[00:17:01] Staci Lemke: This is normal and temporary, but it’s also the time when many puppy parents start to feel like they’ve lost their sweet little puppy. So if your adolescent puppy is suddenly ignoring cues, bouncing off the walls, or acting suspicious of things they’ve seen a hundred times before, you are not alone.
[00:17:19] Staci Lemke: Their brain is literally being rewired. The good news with patience structure and lots of gentle reinforcement, they’ll come out the other side a more balanced, confident adult. Right now, they need structure, routine, and frequent reminders of what earns them. Praise. So you focus on calm behavior. You practice leash walking and low distraction areas.
[00:17:42] Staci Lemke: You give them sniffy walks, enrichment puzzles, and plenty of quiet downtime. And when things go sideways, you take a breath. You say, we are still learning. And you keep going from nine months to a year, you’re almost there. Physically. Your puppy might look like a full grown dog, but emotionally, they’re still figuring it out.
[00:18:02] Staci Lemke: Some dogs get more cautious or territorial during this stage. Others push boundaries even harder. Trying one last time to see what works. This is when your consistency really pays off. If you’ve been reinforcing calm, rewarding, good choices and avoiding punishment based training, you’ll start to see maturity settle in.
[00:18:22] Staci Lemke: Your job here is to stay the course. Keep up the training, the boundaries and the bonding help your puppy practice being the dog You want them to be in the world because they’re almost there. What you don’t do is expect perfection. You’re still shaping a young, impressionable brain. Keep supporting, keep guiding.
[00:18:41] Staci Lemke: Keep celebrating the wins. The first year with a puppy is a whirlwind. There will be moments when you wonder if you’re doing it right. Let me tell you, you are. The very fact that you’re listening to this podcast means that you care enough to learn, adjust, and grow alongside your pup. Remember, your puppy isn’t just learning how to live in your world.
[00:19:03] Staci Lemke: They’re learning how to live in theirs too. So if this episode helped you see your puppies first year in a new light, share it with a friend and leave a review. It helps other puppy parents find the show. And if you’re ready for more support, head to manners for mutts.com for courses, resources, and all the help you need.
[00:19:23] Staci Lemke: Thank you for joining me today and taking the time to help your dog become a more well-mannered mutt. If you’ve got questions about today’s episode or an idea for a topic you’d love to hear about, let’s connect. You can find me on Facebook and Instagram @MannersForMutts. Also, be sure to visit mannersformutts.com for links, resources, and more.
[00:19:45] Staci Lemke: If this episode helped you and your pup, I’d be thrilled if you left a review on Apple Podcasts. Your feedback helps me create even more content to support you and your furry friend. Talk to you next time.
