Pitbull Puppy Development Stages
And honestly, nobody told me that pitbull puppies are gonna develop at such a rate that your head’s gonna spin. We’re talking about a puppy that fits in your palm at week three becoming a 40 pound bulldozer by month six. So let me unpackage that by what’s actually occurring at each stage, ’cause I wish someone had written this out for me before I brought home my first pit.
Weeks One and Two
The first two weeks are pretty much just a waiting game, where you do nothing but observe. Newborn pitbull puppies are deaf, blind, and entirely helpless. Ears have not opened, eyes have not opened, baby remains closed and you have this teeny tiny thing in the palm of your hand. 90% of their time is spent sleeping, the other 10% eating.
If you’re breeding or fostering a healthy litter, your job is to supply that mom with ample nourishment, keep the area around the puppies warm (about 85-90F for the first week), and weigh every. single. puppy. daily. I can’t emphasize this enough-by weighing each pup every day you will see if someone isn’t gaining weight and catch any issues early. Do NOT handle the puppies too much-this should only be quick health evaluations and weigh ins, you do not handle them during this time or they cannot grow to bond with you and stay warm.
Weeks Three and Four
Weeks three and four are when the fun begins and the total chaos begins. Eyes will open roughly day 10-14, ears develop functioning around week three and your previously static potatoes begin to wobble around on milk drunk legs trying to learn how their skeletons work. This is the beginning of the socialization period, and here’s where I will defend my position to anyone who argues: early socialization is MORE important for pitbulls than almost any other breed, not because they are inherently dangerous, but because they are strong and will face restrictions on their lives no matter what.
A properly socialized pit gets to live a normal life. An un-socialized pit becomes a statistic, because either they have behavioral issues or because the breed is otherwise discriminated against. Gentle handling.
Different textures under their paws. Gentle noises. This is nothing to overwhelm them, it’s building neural pathways to tell them “this is a good thing.”
Weeks Five Through Eight
Weeks five through eight are the chaos weeks, people, real chaos.
- Teeth come in
- Eat solid food (mushy at first, more solid as they can handle it)
- Play fighting with littermates (crucial because by the time a puppy is separated from the litter less than 8 weeks, they haven’t had the chance to learn that being too rough ends playtime, their siblings teach them)
Worry about fear periods hit you?
It can happen any time from weeks 8-11 (it’s individual dependent), and in it, your renegade puppy who was taking tentative steps next to the chair now needs to be introduced to things like stairs, and floors of different textures. Don’t coddle, don’t force, just play normal. Persist with socializing, playing.
They’ve got to learn bite inhibition from their littermates; if you separate a puppy so early that they miss that part, they won’t be able to learn it anywhere else, you cannot replicate having another puppy teach it.
Eight to Twelve Weeks
Eight to twelve weeks is when you brought them home. Eight to twelve weeks is when a lot of mistakes happen.
Wait, wait, wait, I know this dog, I love this dog. It will be the same dog, and if you don’t wait those 8 weeks, you’ll lose all the fun you’ve had building your relationship with the dog. The strength of their bite is astounding.
You are underprepared coming in expecting a little needle-tooth to coexist with you peacefully. You’ve had this cute little dog, now you have a terrier-sized maniac with twice the jaw strength. Redirection and yelping are king here.
Follow through can be exhausting you have no idea, trust me. On your first dog, I know I didn’t. From the moment they can walk, potty training should start.
You need to be removed from their crate at 2 hour intervals, after every potty break and nap, after every form of play. You’re in this for the long haul. You want to drag out the potty training?
Do nothing. Your decade of life with this dog will be far more relaxing if they are crate trained and reliably potty trained by 4-6 months. If you are in an apartment as I was, begin a consistent routine and location immediately because it will be so much easier for them to learn when they always have to go at the same place every time, just like us.
Six to Twelve Months
Six to twelve months is preteen. Here’s that honesty part. Your adorable little dog now has the physique of an adult and the concerns of a three-year-old.
They know their commands. They will choose not to follow them, just because. Ever.
Your training has to double down, even if everything you think they’re capable of doing you now have a dog that is big enough to kill you with the push of a button. Include the fearful period that may occur between week 14-20. Again no coddling.
Don’t go out of your way to inundate them with new. Walking, high-impact play (but NOT jumping for 12-18 months). Reinforce and keep up socialization, obedience training, and physical activity.
Ignore the demand barking and the “what if I run off” thoughts because if they aren’t stimulated they’d love to bolt their backyard in a blizzard. In this period, they are fully capable of running your house, they just won’t hear you. That’s what the training is for.
If he hasn’t been spayed/neutered in this period, it probably should occur in this period, but speak with your veterinarian. There’s very recent evidence suggesting double wait until the growth plates finish closing befo