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Puppy Development

Your puppy's development is extremely important. You and I must do every we can to give your puppy the best start. The
following text is information collected from breeders and textbooks to present to you theory of various stages of puppy
development and actions that were taken by me the breeder and actions that you the owner must take in day to day life to
maximize your new arrival's ultimate development.

Puppy has 4 different periods of evolution.

Newborn Period (0-14 days)
Transitional Period (14-21days)
Socialization Period (3wks to 12 wks) (Is Divided into 2 stages)
Youthful Period ( 12 wks to 1 yr)

                                      The Newborn Period

Coton owners are surprised to find that puppies are born blind and deaf and are completely
dependent on their mother's care to nurse them, help them maintain body's temperature, help
in urination and defecation.

Puppy has developed tactile and olfactive reflexes to help it locate the nipple for feeding. During
this period their primary concern is to search for milk and heat and to avoid any cold or pain. The
puppy's job at this early stage in life is to feed 7 or 8 times a day, sleeping the rest of the time
which occupies approximately 85% of the 24 hour day.   The mother will stimulate the puppy's
small belly with her tongue to help the puppy urinate and defecate.

The breeder must handle the puppies on a daily basis during this crucial period to help in the
manipulation of the puppies to help their brains mature faster. While weighting them daily, it is
a good time to turn them around to help stimulate their balance........ By Caressing and contact
will stimulate their tactile receptivity, thus helping the puppies have better muscular coordination
and a better response to new simulations.

The Transition Period

The eyelids will open between the 10th and 16th day, thus beginning the transition period. Light
is kept low during this time. Vision is functional at 16 or 17th day. Transition Period goes from
the 14th through the 21st day. Vision replaces the tactile and olfactive reflexes that helped the
puppy to locate the nipple. Consequently, the tactile and olfactive reflexes gradually will
disappear.

Puppy's first tooth appears close to the 25th day. Puppy will develop a tendency to put things in
it mouth. Will also start biting its sibling and/or your fingers.

Coordination is not perfect yet and it will move awkward. The mother will still innate elimination
until the end of the transition period. The puppy will start to defecate and urinate without the
help of mom, but will not know where to do it..inside or outside the nest.

It will be awake much longer...up to 35 % of the 24 hours. Vision is functional but the puppy is
unable to appreciate differences in heights and distances. Our little white ball will start to
explore his surroundings. It is thus necessary to be very careful because they can fall down
from stair, chair, table, etc.... The breeder must stimulate him with objects that will be especially
used during the socialization period.

The Socialization Period

This period is VERY VERY important in your puppy's development. The future of your Coton
companion is largely influenced during this period. Socialization Period is divided into 2 parts.
3 to 6 weeks   and 7 to 12 weeks. What that is not learned during this period will be more
difficult to acquire in the future.

From 3 to 6 weeks: The beginning of this period is marked by the opening of the auditory
canal which will stimulate an extraordinary increase in social behaviors. Our fury white ball will
be attracted by everything that moves and hears. Now is a good time to establish friendly ties
with it sibling and with other species, such as humans, cats, etc... This early adaptation will help
to avoid many problems later on.

With the mother help until we have kept the nest clean and free of any obstacles for our babies.
Now, the cleanliness of the nest is our responsibility.

Our young Coton will want to play and explore different objects in his new environment. It is now
necessary to provide him with a maximum of experiments to stimulate him. Now is the time for
the breeder to really get involved to socialize the puppy. The breeder must help the puppy to
acquire his load of experiments.

Nest is modified and divided into two areas:

Adventure playground (Covered with paper )
Sleep Area (Must be clean at all times and covered with fabric)

Puppy will learn as early as 4 or 5 weeks the different textures that will help him to identify the
site where her must relieve and thus begins his education with housebreaking.
With the mother help until we have kept the nest clean and free of any obstacles for our babies.
Now, the cleanliness of the nest is our responsibility.

Inside the playground, along with the outside playground receives toys which different toys of
different colors, noises, texture, size. In this space, it is necessary to provide the puppies with
all kinds of things ( tunnels, carpets, plush toys.

The rest of the area can be a small kennel, (resembles a burrow). Days later you can replace it
with a small bed. When the babies are comfortable with the small bed..replace it again with a
small kennel again (different shape ). Again different bed form again in a couple of days. Factor
here being when the puppies are at ease in environment x, it is necessary to increase their
luggage of experiments and change their environment again.   Increase their areas to different
parts of the house.. This will help to make it easy for them to adapt to all kinds of situations in
the future.

Along with the physical modifications in their environment, we must now provide the puppies
with a different sound environment. Classical music, daily house noise, songs, closing doors,
vacuum cleaners, phone ringing, door bell, water running, etc...   In order to help in this area of
experiment, I have recorded different sounds that the puppies listen to daily. All of these sounds
will help to stimulate and will be assets to our little Coton baby for it future life.

At 5 & 6 weeks Old, the puppy will require more space to play. it is necessary to take the
Coton puppy outside to play in the garden ( not public, your home garden only ). The puppy will
smell all his new environment and will learn how to go potty outside. Our little Coton baby will
be very lively and will need to communicate with sounds and body language with its siblings. It
is now time for him to try out aural signals.. by barking, growls, groans with a variety of sounds,
each talking to its litter mates. It will also now learns to physically communicate with it tail
movement, position of its ears and body language (movement ). Our puppy will develop it's own
body language at this time. It is a crucial period where our Coton puppy will test his attitude to
learn if its' temperament is of dominance or submissive.

At 6 & 7 weeks Old the breeder can take puppies out to public places in protective carry
bag. The bag allows the puppy to travel safely in public places without the puppy touching the
ground. Little walks at this time will provide different sounds and olfactory experimentation. It is
during this socialization period that our puppy must start to meet a lot of different people.

At 7 to 12 Weeks Old, our Coton puppy will start to find other species less attractive; it will
become more distrustful. After 12 weeks old, the friendly contact with NEW species is very
difficult. That is why it is extremely important to CONTINUE socialization during these 5 weeks
and at the same time to begin very light obedience training concepts.

It is also during this time our puppy will leave for it new forever family. The new family must take
ownership and responsibility to continue the socialization at home and to make many
experiments of many things.

The new family can make future appt's. for outing in public places with puppy. New family can
schedule appointments for nail trims, grooming, visit to Veterinary ( visit only, not a scheduled
Dr. visit). Schedule at least 3 outing per week. Now is the best time to teach housebreaking.
He must also learn the difference between a toy and what not to chew on.

It is during this period the Coton puppy should acquire it first concepts for obedience.

Puppy must learn :

NAME first... When it's name is called, it must understand that you want it to stop, look
and listen that you are talking to him.
NO.. it means do not do that again.
Good Dog... you can do that again.
Come - Down - Sit , important command

The Youthful Period

Youthful period starts at 12 weeks and goes to 1 year of age. Our baby Coton has to acquire
lasting behaviors which will supplement it adult life. At 12 weeks old begins the phase of
avoidance. They can withdraw from something that is undesirable, so they must learn other
behaviors such as obedience as dictated by it's human family.
They must learn: