Before weaning, the puppies'mother plays an active part in their physical and behavioral development-much more so than the father and so plays a decisive role in their stability and eventual integration into their new social environment.
Although we will not study all of the developmental stages of the puppy here, especially since they occur at significantly different times in different breeds (small breeds develop faster), it should be noted that many errors and disappointments can easily be avoided simply by knowing which periods are favorable for training or susceptible to aversion.
A puppy's nerve development is incomplete at birth. Puppies are born blind, deaf, with a very limited sense of smell, and with a nervous system mostly lacking in myelin, which means that nerves are incapable of rapid conduction of nerve impulses. Knowledge of motor, psychological and sensory development is useful for early diagnosis of certain abnormalities, and also for directing the puppy's development along lines related to the use to which it will eventually be put. For example, it is possible to detect deafness in breeds prone to it (Dalmatians, Argentinian Mastiffs, dogs with merle coats or having a bare patch) as early as the fourth week.
During the first two weeks, it is usually sufficient to verify that the bitch's maternal instincts have kicked in (particularly with regard to cleaning the puppies, which is essential to their defecation and urination reflexes) and to observe nursing, taking care to place the weaker or subordinate puppies at the posterior teats, which have richer milk. The owner may sometimes need to make sure that the puppies'nails are not scratching the teats, which may cause the mother to refuse to nurse.
Behaviorists generally divide the maturation period of puppies into four successive stages.
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