Your Puppy: 15 Weeks Old

Mental and Physical Development

Learning Authority Your puppy will begin to challenge your authority at this age, and it is important that you establish yourself as the authority figure.

Biting is one of the most common ways your puppy will try to establish their dominance -- and challenge yours. It is very important not to allow your puppy to bite, even while playing.

Aggressive games such as tug-of-war are never recommended for puppies, especially during this time. Instead, you should focus on games that stimulate your puppy's mind. Fetch emphasizes the "appear when called" command, playing hide-and-seek with a toy teaches your puppy to use their sense of smell and agility games, such as retrieving a ball from your hand, are great for expending energy. Be sure to praise your puppy when they do well.

Nutrition and Growth Puppies have growth spurts and achieve physical maturity at different times depending on their breed and size. For most puppies, growth and necessary caloric intake start to slow down by the time they reach 15 weeks of age.

However, many puppies have voracious appetites even though they no longer need as much food, and many pet owners unknowingly overfeed their puppy. Overfeeding a growing puppy can lead to musculoskeletal disorders, particularly in large breed dogs.

At this age, it is important to keep a close eye on your puppy's weight. When your puppy sees the veterinarian for checkups and vaccinations, ask your vet to check your puppy's weight and growth.

Health and Veterinary Care: Kennel Cough Kennel cough, the common term for infectious bronchitis in dogs, is usually contracted in a kennel or other enclosed space shared with infected animals. Infected dogs exhale bacteria when they breathe, cough or bark, and other dogs can then inhale the bacteria. The most commonly exhibited symptom of kennel cough is a dry, hacking cough that does not produce phlegm in an otherwise healthy-seeming dog. Much like a human cold, kennel cough is rarely a serious problem. However, in rare instances, it may progress to pneumonia in dogs with pre-existing conditions or dogs that are unusually sensitive to the disease.

Although most cases of kennel cough are mild enough to resolve themselves, you should consult your vet if your dog is showing symptoms. The vaccinations your puppy received at eight weeks should protect them against most of the agents that cause kennel cough. Many boarding facilities require the vaccine.

Training: Children and Puppies Playing Together

Fifteen weeks is a great time to start teaching your puppy and children how to play together. Kids and puppies typically get along great, as long as some ground rules have been set.

Puppies like to nip when they are excited and children naturally play rough with puppies, but these two tendencies are a recipe for disaster. Don't allow your children to chase or scream at your puppy, or pull on your puppy's ears or tail. If your puppy associates kids with unpleasant experiences, they may become defensive and nippy. Children should always use toys to play with puppies and they should never use their hands, as it could lead your puppy to think of kids' hands as chew toys.

If the puppy becomes overexcited during play or begins to nip, the puppy needs a time-out. The child should tell the puppy "No," take away the toys and ignore the puppy for at least 10 minutes. If the puppy is persistent, they should be separated from the child until they calm down.