Stages of Development in Poodles

Stage 1: Transition

• The transition stage begins the day the puppy is born. In this stage, the puppy opens its eyes and slowly begins responding to sound and light stimuli. This stage lasts for two to three weeks. During this period, the puppy is dependent on its mother for comfort and food. Towards the end of the third week, the puppy becomes mobile. It also learns to recognize toys given to it. Introducing a chew toy at this stage is a good idea.

Stage 2: Fast Progress

• This is a significant period of development for a poodle puppy. The pup rapidly develops its senses during this period. The stage starts from the third week and it lasts for three to four weeks. During this time, the poodle puppy learns who its family members are and gets used to the environment it lives in. Any kind of sudden change, such as a loud noise or a negative impact, may affect the puppy's personality during this period. Also, in this stage the puppy learns some very important survival skills from its mother. It is important for it to stay with the mother for this purpose. It picks up its mother's habits and if she is a well trained dog, the puppy will develop some good habits.

Stage 3: Social Development

• This is a period of social development and an extremely important stage of development. It lasts for four to seven weeks. The poodle puppy learns social skills such as interaction, biting and barking along with the fellow litter mates. This is the right age to start discipline training. Aggression has to be curbed at this point. The mother starts weaning the puppies during this period. As a result, the puppy will search for alternate sources of comfort. The biggest comfort it gets is out of biting whatever comes in sight. This kind of biting will continue until the time of teething. Do not discipline the puppies for housebreaking or play fighting, as it is a natural behavior during this stage. You can carry the pups for a short period of time. They will get used to human interaction this way. Since the puppies are being weaned off, you can start them on soft solids. Change of diet may cause hypoglycemia in the puppy, so be aware of the signs and symptoms. If you plan to sell the puppies, start looking for prospective buyers at the end of the seventh week.

Stage 4: Learning and Behaving

• This stage lasts from eight weeks to three months. This is the best time for the puppy and owner to develop a relationship. This is a period of great change for the puppy. It will appear a bit scared because it is in a new environment interacting with new people. Select high quality food to feed the puppy, but do not switch food suddenly as it could result in hypoglycemia. Poodle puppies are fast learners and anything you teach them during this stage will be grasped promptly. Begin teaching the puppy simple commands, such as come, sit and stay. Allow the puppy to get accustomed to loud noises by switching on the television or radio. The puppy's bowel movements and bladder are under better control. This is the right time to housetrain the puppy. By the time the puppy is 13 weeks old, it learns to sleep through the night.

Stage 5: The Final Stage

• This the longest stage in a puppy's development cycle. It lasts for four months to one year. During this stage, the puppy grows rapidly. It gains height and weight significantly. This is the best time for housebreaking. The puppy also shows more independence during this stage. By the age of 1, the female poodle is ready for breeding, but it is better to wait until the age of 2. A male poodle is ready for breeding by 9 months of age.