Husky Puppy Development 101
At Birth 0-2
When a Husky is firstborn, he can’t really do much more than wriggling around, make cute noises, drink milk, and nap – what a life ey!
He relies on his mother to keep him warm, and even help him to relieve himself as the body is so focused on growth and development.
The mother has to gently lick the pup’s stomach to allow bowel movements to occur.
If your Husky is due to have a litter of puppies, make sure to enjoy these first two weeks, they’re the easiest!
Eyes and Ears 2 weeks
From around two weeks your Husky puppy’s eyes and ears will be opening, he’ll be able to see and hear what’s going on around him.
He’ll likely start trying to stand up, but will topple over pretty often – don’t worry though; he doesn’t have far to fall with such short legs!
You can’t really tell that they’re huskies at this age, they look more like sausages with Husky markings.
Walking Around 3 weeks
At three weeks your pooch will start walking around and exploring his surroundings.
For this reason, it’s essential to have them, and their mother in a whelping box.
Whelping boxes are boxed in pens with a step that allows the mother to have a nest that she can step in and out of while keeping the pups safe and sound.
Individual Personality 4 weeks
Now that your puppy is a little steadier on his legs, you’ll start to see his unique personality coming through.
Is he the quiet, shy one, or the rambunctious fella that’s always trying to escape or climb on his mother?
It’s great seeing their personalities develop, and if you happen to be looking for a pup with a specific personality that will fit your lifestyle – it’s worth asking the breeder for a breakdown on each puppy character!
Meet and Greet 5 weeks
Starting from five weeks, your puppy needs stimuli to help him grow into a brave, curious, and friendly Husky.
Having visitors over to play with the pups at this age is encouraged!
The main socialization stage continues until three months of age, and new owners shouldn’t underestimate the importance of a well-socialized puppy.
Huskies are prone to aggression later on if not well socialized; this is because they get nervous in new situations and try to overcompensate by acting all tough! Silly pooches.
Potty Training Time 7 weeks
From seven weeks you can start potty training your Husky pup.
You need to follow a very strict schedule of feeding and letting them out in order to start training at this age.
Your pup’s bladder and bowels are pretty easy to time at this age, and as a rule of thumb – they’ll need to relieve themselves ten to fifteen minutes after eating and drinking.
The same timeline is true after playing, but if they’ve woken up from a nap, they will need to relieve themselves immediately.
Toddler Time 3-6 months
At around twelve weeks old, your pup starts getting into his toddler phase, he wants to touch everything – with his teeth, everything is a game, and he loves getting into trouble.
This stage lasts a little while, and requires patient and consistent training – especially as the Husky is so intelligent!
Obedience Training 4 months
At around four months old, your Husky puppy should have had all the necessary vaccinations needed to be able to socialize with other dogs and attend a puppy training class.
An important rite of passage for all pooches, a weekly obedience training class isn’t something to be scoffed at, or skipped; it’s an excellent tool for the dog owner to socialize and train their Husky to become a well-behaved member of doggie society.
Teething 5 months
Anywhere from three to six months, your Husky puppy will begin losing their baby teeth and have their adult teeth come through.
Providing them with chew toys to help relieve their discomfort is a great idea, and if your pooch has been well trained to know that only toys are for chewing – will save your furniture from desperate attempts to relieve pain.
Teenager 6-18 months
At this stage, your puppy has come to realize that he’s part of a pack, but it’s also this time that he tries to push the boundaries and figure out his place in the pack.
It’s important that he sees you as Alpha, and that doesn’t waver – so consistency of rules and acceptable behavior is incredibly important.
If your pooch begins to think that he’s alpha, you’ll open the door to all sorts of behavioral issues.
Fear Period 10 months
There is this funny period that pretty much all dogs go through, and the Husky is no exception!
At some point, as your puppy is transitioning from puppyhood to maturity – he’ll get scared of the silliest of things.
It could be a plastic bag, the phone ringing, or a cow mooing – seriously, it’s weird.
But telling off Fido isn’t the way to get through this, instead, reassure him, and be patient; letting him know that you – the Alpha of his pack – are completely comfortable with the offending item!
Full Height 12 months
At around one year of age, your Husky will have finished most of his growing, meaning that at this time – he’ll likely be at, or very close to his final height.
From birth to twelve months it’s vital to focus on nutrition so that in this rapid growth period, your dog has all of the tools needed for his body to build a big healthy body!
Adulthood 18 – 24 months
Just because your Husky has stopped growing upwards – it doesn’t mean he has finished growing, and in fact, up until around 18 months or two years of age, your Husky is still filling out.
Protein is incredibly important at this time, as is calcium to make sure that his bones are strong enough to support the growth of the body.
Mental Maturity 2 years
A Husky is one of the goofiest dog breeds out there, and if you’re considering a Husky puppy; the chances are that you’ve seen the countless videos of Huskies acting the fool on YouTube!
Officially, they reach mental maturity at approximately two years of age, but don’t be fooled – your Husky is never going to grow up really!
Bottom Line
An incredible breed that not only looks impressive but has the toughness and durability to rival any breed.
With a vivacious attitude towards life, the Husky is a joy to own and spend time with.
He’s always looking for the next playtime, but as he enjoys family time so much; he’ll happily lie at your feet for hours if it means that he’ll get to spend time with you.
If you have room in your heart, your home, and a lot of energy, do yourself a favor and choose the Husky as your four-legged friend!
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