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Milestones

Week 1 Birth

-Have dark fur, rounded heads and are unable to regulate their own body temperature
-Blind with closed eyes, deaf with small ears, and a “pugged” nose with little if any sense of smell but a good sense of taste and touch
-Limited to a slow crawl, mainly with front legs but have a good sense of balance
-Are limited to sucking and licking; can whine and yelp
-Will feed four or five times a day for periods of three to five minutes
Average females gain 2.6 lbs and males 3.3 lbs per week for the next 14 weeks

Week 2

-Eyes open and are blue at 11-15 days but their eyesight is not fully developed and pups cannot perceive forms until weeks later
-Milk incisors present at 15 days; can eat small pieces of regurgitated meat
-Begin to stand and walk; vocalizations include growls, whimpering and squeaks, first high-pitched attempts at howling
Weight: 3.5 lbs

Week 3

-Can see
-Begin appearing outside of the den and playing near the entrance
-Ears begin to raise around 27 days and hearing improves significantly
-Around 31 days the ears are erect but with tips still flopping
-Canines and premolar teeth present
-Speech is limited but beginning to develop. (Can mimic sounds but not know meaning)

Week 4 (1 month)

-Growth of adult hair around nose and eyes.
-Disproportionately large feet and head.
-Short, high-pitched howls are gaining strength.
-Mother may go off for hours on end to hunt.
-Dominance and play fighting begin.
-Pups can say simple words to signify hunger, anger, emotion. They do not form sentences. Have some concept of their own name and a few words parents say such as "no, yes, hungry, bad." Often pups have trouble forming words, may pronounce things wrong or use the wrong word to describe something.

Week 5

-Gradual process of weaning begins.
-Can follow adults up to a mile away from the den.

Week 6 Feb

-Can follow adults short distances
-Pups can say short phrases that are rather simple in nature. Begin asking simple questions. Know their name and the names of others. Beginning to grasp the concept of right and wrong and when they are doing each.

Week 7

-Start practicing hunting

Week 8 (Two Months)

-Adults abandon den and move pups to a rendezvous site.
-Weaning complete, pups feed on food provided by adults.
-Adult guard hair becomes apparent on body
-Pups can say full sentences, though still simple. Pups will ask more sophisticated questions and know basic vocabulary. Know right from wrong.

Week 12 (Three Months Old)

-Speech improves significantly, but still struggle with certain words.
-Personalities become more defined.
-Eyes gradually change from blue to their adult color.
Weight: 22-30 lbs

Week 16 Mar 1 (Four Months Old)

-Pups begin to follow adults on hunting trips for a short while and return to the den by themselves.
-Milk teeth have been replaced by adult teeth.
-Pups will gain approximately 1.3 lbs. per week over the next three months
Weight: 28-70 lbs


Month 5

-Pups begin to accompany adults on hunts.
-Attitudes/Personalities become more defined.
-Pups begin to act out in accordance to their own opinions.(rebellious phase).

Month 6
-At 6 months pups weigh up to 70lbs. Nearly full grown in stature.


Month 7

-Pups begin to travel with pack
-Begin actively hunting alone
-Female pups will gain approximately .07 lbs. per week and male pups will gain approximately .4 lbs. per week


Month 8

-

1 Year

-Epiphyseal cartilage closes off signaling the end of skeletal growth
-Pups status in the pack may start to take shape with pups displaying either more dominant or submissive behaviors
Weight: 60-100 lbs

20 Months
-Breeding Age for Males

22 Months
-Breeding age for Females

2 Years
-Hormonal changes signal sexual maturity
Weight: 60-100+ lbs