08/02/2026
A puppy behaviors chart I actually like! Read this, take a deep breath, dig deep for patience and remember they are just babies in this big world of ours.
๐ถ ๐ง๐ต๐ฒ ๐ฅ๐ฒ๐ฎ๐น๐ถ๐๐ ๐ผ๐ณ ๐๐ฎ๐๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐ฎ ๐ฃ๐๐ฝ๐ฝ๐
Every single day I see posts likeโฆ
โ โMy 10-week-old puppy wonโt stop biting.โ
โ โMy 12-week-old puppy still isnโt toilet trained.โ
โ โMy puppy barks all the time.โ
โ โMy puppy keeps digging holes.โ
โ โMy puppy wonโt settle.โ
โ โMy puppy follows me everywhere.โ
โ โMy puppy chews everything.โ
โ โMy puppy wonโt listen.โ
And I often find myself wonderingโฆ
๐ค ๐ณ๐ ๐ ๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐ข ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐ข๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ข ๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐?
Somehow, weโve started expecting babies to behave like fully trained adult dogs.
The reality?
A puppy ๐๐ ๐โ๐ก ๐๐๐ฃ๐๐๐ ๐ฆ๐๐ข ๐ โ๐๐๐ ๐ก๐๐๐๏ผ
โ ๏ธ ๐๐ก๐๐ฒโ๐ซ๐ ๐ก๐๐ฏ๐ข๐ง๐ ๐ ๐ก๐๐ซ๐ ๐ญ๐ข๐ฆ๐ ๐ง๐๐ฏ๐ข๐ ๐๐ญ๐ข๐ง๐ ๐ ๐ฐ๐จ๐ซ๐ฅ๐ ๐ญ๐ก๐๐ฒโ๐ฏ๐ ๐จ๐ง๐ฅ๐ฒ ๐ฃ๐ฎ๐ฌ๐ญ ๐๐ง๐ญ๐๐ซ๐๐.
๐ผ 8-10 weeks
Your puppy has just left everything theyโve ever known.
๐ซคTheir mother.
๐ซคTheir littermates.
๐ซคTheir familiar environment.
Theyโre now living with complete strangers.
What is normal?
โฝ Crying at night
โฝ Following you everywhere
โฝ Mouthing and biting
โฝ Toileting indoors
โฝ Sleeping 18-20 hours a day
โฝ Exploring everything with their mouth
โฝ Short attention span
โฝ Easily becoming overtired
โฝ Feeling overwhelmed by new experiences
ใฝ๏ธ What they need now :
โข Predictable routine
โข Plenty of sleep
โข Gentle socialisation
โข Toilet trips every 30-60 minutes when awake
โข Safe chew toys
โข Patience
Not punishment.
๐ฆท 10-16 weeks
This is where many owners think something has gone wrongโฆ
It hasnโt. ๐
Your puppy is simply becoming ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐
๐๐๐.
You may see
โ Harder biting during play
โ Zoomies
โ Barking
โ Jumping up
โ Digging
โ Chewing furniture
โ Picking everything up outside
โ Stealing socks
โ Short bursts of โforgettingโ everything theyโve learned
โ
Their brain is developing rapidly.
Impulse control?
โก๏ธ Almost non-existent.
Focus on teaching :
โ
Bite inhibition
โ
Appropriate chewing
โ
Recall games
โ
Calmness
โ
Sleep
โ
Positive exposure to the world
Not expecting perfection.
๐ฆท Around 4-6 months
Teething begins. ๐ฆ
Imagine having sore gums for weeksโฆ
๐ซค Now imagine people telling you to stop chewing. Chewing helps with dental pain in puppies.
Normal behaviours
โ Increased chewing
โ Mouthing
โ Frustration
โ Difficulty settling
โ Reduced concentration
โ More interest in the environment than you
Offer lots of appropriate chews โฃ๏ธ
Manage the environment โฃ๏ธ
Donโt expect perfect obedience from a puppy whose mouth is uncomfortable โฃ๏ธ
๐ 5-6 months
Your puppy starts becoming more independent.
This is healthy.๐ค
It doesnโt mean they โdonโt respect you.โ
You may notice โคต๏ธ
โ Selective hearing
โ More interest in smells
โ Pulling on lead
โ Testing boundaries
โ Increased confidence
โ Excitement around people and dogs
โ
This is the perfect time to continue rewarding behaviours you want.
โ๏ธ Not adding punishment because theyโre becoming adolescents.
๐ข Around 6-8 months
Welcome to adolescence. ๐ซฃ
Many owners sayโฆ
โMy puppy was perfectโฆ then suddenly everything changed!โ
Yes.
โ ๏ธBecause their brain is changing.โ ๏ธ
โฟHormones begin influencing behaviour.
โฟLearning becomes less consistent.
โฟEmotions become bigger.
You might see โคต๏ธ
โ Reduced recall
โ More barking
โ More excitement
โ Frustration
โ Fear of things they previously ignored
โ Increased independence
โ More energy
โ Bigger emotional reactions
This is incredibly common.
๐บIt doesnโt mean training has failed.
๐บIt means training needs to continue.๐บ
Soโฆ ๐๐ค๐ฌ ๐๐ค ๐ฌ๐ ๐๐๐ฉ ๐ฉ๐๐ง๐ค๐ช๐๐ ๐ฅ๐ช๐ฅ๐ฅ๐ฎ๐๐ค๐ค๐?
โ
Manage the environment instead of expecting perfect choices.
โ
Reward the behaviours you want to see.
โ
Prevent rehearsal of unwanted behaviours where possible.
โ
Ensure plenty of quality sleep.
โ
Meet their physical, emotional and mental needs.
โ
Keep training sessions short and enjoyable.
โ
Be consistent.
โ
Remember that development isnโt linear.
Some days theyโll amaze you.
The next day theyโll appear to have forgotten everything.
Thatโs completely normal.
The biggest mistake?
๐ค Expecting maturity before the brain is mature enough to deliver it.
๐ปA puppy doesnโt know your house rules.
๐ปThey donโt understand furniture, shoes, gardens, electrical cables or expensive rugs.
๐ปThey have to be taught.
๐งกKindly.
๐งกPatiently.
๐งกConsistently.
โค๏ธ Before bringing home a puppy, donโt askโฆ
โHow quickly can I train them?โ
Ask insteadโฆ
โAm I prepared to guide a baby through months of learning, mistakes, development and change?โ
Because puppyhood isnโt about creating the perfect dog overnight.
Itโs about building the foundations for the dog youโll live with for the next 10-15 years.
And rememberโฆ
โ ๏ธ The behaviours that frustrate us most during puppyhood are completely normal developmental behaviours.
The goal isnโt to stop a puppy from being a puppy.
๐ The goal is to help them grow into a resilient, confident, emotionally healthy adult dog.
