# Bucco — Week-by-Week First Year Tracker A developmental atlas from week 12 (where we are now) through week 52. For each week: what's happening in his brain and body, expected weight band, calories, training goals, socialization checkpoints, vet milestones, and what to watch for. **Reference dates** (Bucco DOB: February 18, 2026) - Week 12 starts: May 11, 2026 (today's reference) - Week 16: June 8, 2026 (final puppy boosters scheduled June 11) - Week 20: July 6, 2026 - Week 26 (6 months): August 17, 2026 - Week 39 (9 months): November 16, 2026 - Week 52 (12 months): February 15, 2027 **How to read the weight bands.** Border Collies vary widely. The chart below uses literature-derived growth curves for medium-line BCs (35-50 lb adult). Working-line dogs tend to run lean and finish at the lower end. Use the band as a *check*, not a target — body condition score (BCS) is the real metric. **How to read the calorie targets.** Calculated from the RER formula: > RER = 70 × (kg^0.75); puppy multiplier ×3 under 4 months, ×2 from 4-12 months, ×1.6 over 12 months These are *starting points*. Adjust by body condition every 2 weeks. --- ## PHASE 1 — Primary Socialization Wraps Up (Weeks 12-16) ### Week 12 (May 11-17, 2026) — WHERE WE ARE NOW **Body** - Expected weight: 12-18 lb (5.4-8.2 kg) - Daily calories: ~745-1015 kcal (4 meals) - Heart rate elevated, panting still inefficient — heat sensitivity high **Brain** - *Tail end of primary socialization window.* The visual cortex is finalizing its template for "what is a social partner." What he meets and likes now sticks; what he doesn't meet may become "scary forever." - REM sleep ~30% of total sleep (vs. ~10-12% in adult dogs). Memory consolidation is happening overnight. - Myelination of cortical association areas still in progress. Impulse control is *physiologically* not available — the wiring isn't there yet. **Training goals (the 30-day three)** 1. **Crate Games** — 5 min/day. Door opens = stay. Release word = freedom. Build duration in 1-2 sec increments. 2. **Reinforcement Zone (RZ)** — Pick a side. Feed *into the zone*, never reach to him. 3. **Restrained recall** — Nina holds, Scott runs and calls, Nina releases, party at the finish line. Plus: name recognition, IYC (It's Yer Choice) closed-fist, cooperative care pairing. **Socialization checkpoints (aim for 5+ new positive exposures this week)** - New surface (gravel? metal grate? wobble cushion?) - New sound at meal time (vacuum at distance, then closer) - New person (different age/silhouette than yesterday) - Car ride that *doesn't* end at the vet - Five minutes of crate-decompression in a new environment (carry in, blanket down, feed kibble) **Vet / health** - 12-week shots done May 11 - Lyme done May 11 - Heartgard chewable started May 11 - **Set reminder: Schedule June 11 booster appointment** **Watchouts** - *Tail end of First Fear Period (8-11 weeks).* Anything scary now imprints harder than usual. Soft hands, more space, more food. If he startles, do NOT comfort and coo — that reinforces the worry. Stay calm, create distance, feed when he reorients. - Don't leash-correct. Don't say "no." Both undermine the trust you're building. - Cats: Bucco MUST be leashed when Kiki and Rainier are loose. Every successful stalk rehearsal makes the next one likelier. **Why this week matters** The puppy you meet in adolescence is built from these weeks. Errors compound; wins compound harder. --- ### Week 13 (May 18-24, 2026) **Body** - Expected weight: 14-21 lb (6.4-9.5 kg). Should be gaining ~2 lb/week now. - Calories: ~870-1085 kcal (still 4 meals) - Teething starting in earnest — adult teeth begin to push baby teeth. Expect chewing, drool, mild fussiness. **Brain** - Socialization window narrows. Anything novel must be *positive or neutral*; bad exposures stick. - Sleep needs still 18-20 hours. **Training goals** - Crate Games duration to ~10 sec with door open - Add Hand Target (nose-to-palm) — high reinforcement rate, 20+/min - Begin food bowl gameplay for resource-guarding *prevention* (walk by, drop better food in, walk away) **Socialization** - First exposure to busy parking lot (carried, treats while he watches from a distance) - Pair the doorbell with cheese — 5 reps a day - Sound desensitization: thunder, fireworks, sirens at LOW volume during meals **Vet** - Confirm June 11 appointment is scheduled **Watchouts** - Teething nips. Provide frozen washcloth, cold Kong, raw carrot. Redirect mouthing to a tug toy. Never say "ouch!" loud — many BCs interpret as squeal of prey. --- ### Week 14 (May 25-31, 2026) **Body** - Expected weight: 15-23 lb (6.8-10.5 kg) - Calories: ~935-1170 kcal - Coordination noticeably improving — running, jumping, but joints still very vulnerable. **Brain** - *Socialization window officially closing.* By end of this week he's locking in his worldview. - Brain weight ~70-80% of adult. The structure exists; the wiring continues. **Training goals** - Crate Games — door opening/closing without release. Duration to 20+ seconds. - Begin Sit / Down position discrimination — *no luring after rep 3-5*. Verbal cues only. - First "settle on mat" intro — 2 seconds, food rains down on the mat. **Socialization** - Vet visit dry run (drive to vet, sit in parking lot, eat treats, leave). Build positive emotional association *before* the June 11 needle visit. - Find a sound or surface from your 100-thing checklist he hasn't met. **Watchouts** - **No stairs, no jumping off furniture.** Growth plates are wide open. A bad landing this month = orthopedic problem at year 3. - No forced exercise. Free play yes; leash hikes no. --- ### Week 15 (June 1-7, 2026) **Body** - Expected weight: 17-25 lb (7.7-11.4 kg) - Calories: ~1020-1235 kcal - Adult premolars/molars emerging. Heavy chew need. **Brain** - Last week of primary socialization (give or take). Cram in everything you can — within reason, never overwhelm. **Training goals** - Reinforcement Zone in motion: 2-3 steps, feed in zone. Foundation of loose-leash walking. - Hand target across the room — moving target. - Default sit at thresholds (doors, crate openings) — capture and reinforce, never command yet. **Socialization** - Visit a friend's clean, fully vaccinated adult dog — short, structured interaction - New environment: outdoor café patio at off-peak hours, on a mat at your feet **Vet** - Confirm 16-week appointment (June 11) — what's included? Likely DHPP final + rabies. Ask about leptospirosis and bordetella based on Pittsburgh exposure. **Watchouts** - Resource guarding prevention is now: trade up. If he has something, swap it for something better, then give the original back. Never just take. --- ### Week 16 (June 8-14, 2026) — KEY MILESTONE **Body** - Expected weight: 18-27 lb (8.2-12.3 kg) - Calories: ~1085-1300 kcal - **June 11: 16-week vet visit — final puppy boosters + likely rabies.** **Brain** - Primary socialization window closes around now (some research extends it to 14-16 weeks, but 16 is the conservative end). After this, *new* fears form much more easily than they did before. **Training goals** - Crate Games: door fully open for 10+ seconds, no release until cue - IYC progression: open palm with food on the ground, hand stays nearby. He must back off. - Recall: still restrained recall only. Don't test "Bucco come!" without restraint yet. **Socialization** - The June 11 vet visit IS your training session. Treat-feed through the door, on the scale, on the table, during the exam. The vet should be the second-most-reinforcing place in his life. - After: 2-week countdown to full immunity begins. **Vet** - 16-week shots (after appointment) - Monthly Heartgard (next dose due ~June 11) - Discuss spay/neuter timing — push for 12-18 months minimum (see chapter on spay/neuter in warnings) **Watchouts** - Vaccine reactions: lethargy, mild swelling at injection site, low-grade fever for 24 hr is normal. *Hives, facial swelling, vomiting, collapse = ER now.* - The 24-48 hr post-vaccine: keep it quiet. Cuddle, sleep, calm food. No training sessions; no big social outings. --- ## PHASE 2 — Engagement & Generalization (Weeks 17-20) ### Week 17 (June 15-21, 2026) **Body** - Expected weight: 19-28 lb (8.6-12.7 kg) - Calories: ~1100-1340 kcal - *Transitioning to puppy multiplier ×2* by week 18 — you'll start to see the calorie target stop climbing. **Brain** - Post-vaccine recovery week. Likely sleepier than usual the first 48 hr. - Working memory expanding — he can now hold a 2-step task ("sit, then watch me"). **Training goals** - Begin Tug as Training Currency. Two rules: only when offered, releases on cue. - Hand target with movement: 3-4 steps following a target. - Capture "look at me" anywhere he offers eye contact unprompted. This becomes the default attention behavior. **Socialization** - Still 1 week from full immunity. Continue with known dogs only. - Sound work: turn the volume up 1-2 notches on the desensitization playlist. **Watchouts** - Some puppies show transient regression post-vaccine for 3-5 days (housetraining accidents, less engagement). Normal. Maintain routine, don't pile on training. --- ### Week 18 (June 22-28, 2026) **Body** - Expected weight: 20-30 lb (9.1-13.6 kg) - Calories: shift to ~750-985 kcal (×2 multiplier kicks in around 16-18 weeks; growth slowing) - Recheck body condition — he should be feel-able ribs, visible waist from above. **Brain** - Frontal cortex development accelerates. Impulse control wiring starts to become *physiologically possible* (won't be *reliable* until 12-18 months). **Training goals** - "Drop" / "Out" of tug — never stop the game on the drop; restart immediately as reward. - IYC with toys: keep the toy in your hand, he must offer disengagement before he gets to play. - 4 meals → 3 meals by end of this week. **Socialization** - **Full immunity** (~2 weeks post-final shots, so ~June 25). You can now access pet store floors, structured puppy classes, broader environments. - Find a positive-reinforcement-only puppy class in Pittsburgh. Susan Garrett's DogsThat referral network or KPA-CTP / CPDT-KA certified trainers. - Still NO dog parks. Ever. (See warnings chapter.) **Watchouts** - This is when many owners "graduate" off the careful socialization plan because the dog is "fine." It's not graduation; it's the start of the harder work. Generalization (the same skill in new places) needs deliberate training. --- ### Week 19 (June 29 - July 5, 2026) **Body** - Expected weight: 22-32 lb (10-14.5 kg) - Calories: ~785-1020 kcal (3 meals) **Brain** - Mid-puppy plateau in some BCs. Energy may seem to dip for 3-5 days; this is real, not concerning. **Training goals** - Three-position discrimination (sit/down/stand) at home, no luring. - Find It / scatter feeds — 5 min/day. Builds nose engagement and burns brain. - Settle on mat to 30 sec. **Socialization** - First "field trip" to a quiet outdoor area he can walk on his own paws (not just be carried). - Long-line work begins. 15-30 ft biothane. Recall on the long line in low-distraction outdoor space. **Watchouts** - Loose stool from new food, new water, new environment is common. Persistent diarrhea >48 hr = vet, especially under 6 months. --- ### Week 20 (July 6-12, 2026) **Body** - Expected weight: 23-34 lb (10.5-15.4 kg) - Calories: ~820-1055 kcal **Brain** - Coordination noticeably better. BCs at this age often start showing the eye-stalk-chase predatory pattern more visibly. *This is the signal to start managing it deliberately* (see BC chapter). **Training goals** - Loose-leash walking in driveway/quiet sidewalk — 30 sec stretches in RZ. - Begin Two-Toy game (predecessor to formal retrieve). - Distraction Intensity Index (DII): rate his environments 1-10. Train known behaviors at DII 1-3. **Socialization** - Group class, if you've found one. Otherwise: structured 1:1 with a known calm adult dog. - New environment per week target: at least one. **Vet** - Heartgard monthly (around July 11) **Watchouts** - BCs may show first signs of light/shadow fixation — staring at reflections, headlights on the ceiling, fan shadows. **Interrupt immediately and redirect to a high-engagement game.** Never play with reflections, never use a laser pointer. --- ## PHASE 3 — Distraction Layering & Building Skills (Weeks 21-26) ### Week 21 (July 13-19) **Body** - 25-36 lb (11.3-16.3 kg); ~860-1090 kcal - Adult coat blowing in. Brush daily. **Brain** - BCs entering early juvenile period. Cognitive load capacity is rising fast. **Training goals** - Begin generalizing "sit" / "down" to backyard, then sidewalk. Same cue, new location. - Recall on long line in DII-3 environments. - Add "leave it" using IYC framework — never use "no." --- ### Week 22 (July 20-26) **Body** - 26-38 lb (11.8-17.2 kg); ~895-1125 kcal **Brain** - Object permanence solid. Hide-and-seek games work as enrichment now. **Training goals** - Settle on mat to 1 minute with mild distractions. - Tug with "drop" and "take it" both on cue. - Begin chin rest as cooperative-care skill (medical exam foundation). --- ### Week 23 (July 27 - Aug 2) **Body** - 27-39 lb (12.2-17.7 kg); ~925-1155 kcal **Brain** - Sleep needs dropping toward 16-18 hr/day. He may seem more "on" — this is real, not behavioral. **Training goals** - Loose-leash walking in residential block. Pivot or about-face when he forges. - Distraction layering: ask known cues with a dog visible at 50 ft. Reinforce the response, not the behavior of "ignoring the dog" — that comes from how you feel about dogs, which is built by classical conditioning. --- ### Week 24 (Aug 3-9) **Body** - 28-40 lb (12.7-18.1 kg); ~955-1185 kcal **Brain** - Approaching adolescence. Some BCs start the early hormonal shifts as soon as 5 months. **Training goals** - Capture default offered behaviors (sit when bored, down when relaxed). Reinforce silently — no marker, no fuss; just food appears. --- ### Week 25 (Aug 10-16) **Body** - 29-42 lb (13.2-19 kg); ~985-1215 kcal **Brain** - Recheck the socialization log. Have you hit 100 positive exposures yet? If not, push the easy ones this week. **Training goals** - First recall test in DII-5 environment (quiet park, no other dogs). Long line on, but slack. --- ### Week 26 (Aug 17-23) — 6 MONTHS **Body** - 30-43 lb (13.6-19.5 kg); ~1015-1240 kcal - 6-month vet checkup. Adult teeth fully in by now (final molars erupt around 6-7 months). **Brain** - *Adolescence officially begins around now.* Brace yourself. - The Asher et al. (2020) Royal Society Biology Letters study: "Trainability" scores from owners drop *only* with their own dog at adolescence — not with strangers or new handlers. He WILL "forget" what he knows. This is socially specific, not cognitive. - Prefrontal cortex (impulse control, decision-making) is still under construction. Amygdala (emotion, reactivity) is fully online. This imbalance is why teenagers (human and canine) are like this. **Training goals** - Maintain everything from Phase 1-3 at low rates of reinforcement (~5/min in known contexts). - Hold the line on Crate Games, IYC, RZ. Don't add new things this month — protect what works. **Vet** - 6-month wellness check. **Discuss spay/neuter — strongly advocate for waiting until 12-18 months for growth plate closure and reduced orthopedic/cancer risk.** - Heartgard monthly **Watchouts** - First wave of adolescent regression. He'll suddenly act like he's never heard "sit" before. Don't escalate. Don't get louder. Don't punish. Ride it out with management and high reinforcement. - BC-specific watch: stress vocalization (whining, barking at nothing). Could be hormonal; could be early reactivity. Note frequency, context. --- ## PHASE 4 — Adolescence Begins (Weeks 27-39) ### Week 27 (Aug 24-30) **Body** - 31-44 lb (14-20 kg); ~1040-1265 kcal **Brain** - Estrogen/testosterone rise sharply. Emotional reactivity climbs. **Training goals** - Keep training sessions SHORT (2-3 min). Adolescent BCs frustrate fast. - Premack: use environmental rewards. "Sit before the door opens." "Look at me before we get to sniff that bush." --- ### Week 28-31 (Aug 31 - Sep 27) — The Hormonal Storm **Body** - 31-46 lb plateau through this stretch; ~1040-1290 kcal - 7 months hits in week 30 (mid-September). **Brain** - Trainability dip in full swing. He's not being stubborn — his brain is genuinely different right now. **Training goals** - Maintain. Maintain. Maintain. - One concept per session. - Stop sessions while he still wants more (this was always the rule, but here it's law). **Watchouts** - **Catch tiny early warning signs of**: resource guarding (lip lift, freeze over food), reactivity (lunging on leash), compulsion (light-staring, shadow-staring, flank-licking). All four are *vastly* easier to address in the first 2 weeks than the first 6 months. --- ### Week 32 (Sep 28 - Oct 4) **Body** - 32-46 lb (14.5-20.9 kg); ~1055-1305 kcal - ~7.5 months. Some males show subtle territorial marking. **Brain** - *Second fear period possible* (6-14 months, but typically 8-11 months for medium breeds). Watch for sudden new fears of things he was fine with last week. **Training goals** - Capture confidence. Reinforce approach behaviors, calm exploration. --- ### Week 33-36 (Oct 5 - Nov 1) — 8 Months **Body** - ~33-47 lb through this stretch; ~1075-1330 kcal **Brain** - This is the *peer-reviewed adolescence trough* (Asher et al.). If trainability is going to dip, it dips here. **Training goals** - Don't introduce new skills. Maintain the ones he knows in *easier* environments than he could handle a month ago. - Heavy classical conditioning work: pair scary/exciting things with food at a distance. How he *feels* matters more than what he does. **Watchouts** - **Second Fear Period most likely now.** A confident puppy suddenly stops dead at a manhole cover. A dog he played with last month now scares him. Lasts 2-3 weeks per episode. - Management: more space, less pressure, more food. *Don't* push him through. *Don't* drag him forward. Distance is your friend. --- ### Week 37-39 (Nov 2-22) — 9 Months **Body** - 34-48 lb (15.4-21.8 kg); ~1095-1345 kcal **Brain** - Beginning to come out of the trough. Trainability slowly returns. **Training goals** - Sport intro: pick one. Agility foundations (jump grids, low cavalettis, body awareness — NO jumping until growth plates close), nosework, treibball, disc, scent work. He needs a *job*. - Add long-line recall in DII-7 environments (busier park, dog in distance). --- ## PHASE 5 — Late Adolescence & Settling (Weeks 40-52) ### Week 40-43 (Nov 23 - Dec 20) — 10 Months **Body** - 35-50 lb (15.9-22.7 kg); ~1110-1360 kcal - Growth has slowed dramatically. Final ~10% of adult weight comes on slowly through week 52. **Brain** - Prefrontal cortex maturing. Impulse control becoming *available* (not yet reliable). **Training goals** - First off-leash work in fully enclosed spaces (friend's fenced yard, training facility). Long line still attached. - Begin building duration: 5-min settle, 30-sec sit-stay at distance. --- ### Week 44-47 (Dec 21 - Jan 17) — 11 Months **Body** - 35-52 lb; ~1115-1370 kcal **Brain** - Calmer. The 9-month dog and the 11-month dog often look like different animals. **Training goals** - Generalization push. Take everything he knows and run it in 5 new environments per week. **Vet** - Annual booster + heartworm test typically scheduled around 1 year. --- ### Week 48-52 (Jan 18 - Feb 15) — Approaching 12 Months **Body** - 35-55 lb (15.9-25 kg); transitioning to maintenance calories - *Around now, transition to adult food gradually over 7-10 days.* Calorie multiplier drops to ×1.6 of RER. **Brain** - Brain ~90-95% of adult mature wiring. Personality is locked in (mostly). - Continued myelination of prefrontal cortex through ~18-24 months. **Training goals** - Spay/neuter decision: now is the *earliest* reasonable point for medium herding breed. Most current research supports waiting until 18 months for males, after first heat for females. - First adult sport class if not already enrolled. **Vet** - 1-year wellness - Adult-food transition - Heartworm test --- ## YEAR ONE COMPLETE What you have at 12 months: a dog who has experienced ~50 weeks of intentional reinforcement, knows ~15-25 trained behaviors well, has been positively exposed to >150 environments, and has built a relationship that will hold through the second adolescent dip (12-18 months for medium breeds). The work isn't done. Adolescence runs to ~18-24 months in medium breeds. But the foundation is laid. --- ## QUICK REFERENCE: TYPICAL BC GROWTH CURVE ``` Age Female (lb) Male (lb) Notes 3 mo 8-13 10-15 Currently here 4 mo 12-18 15-22 Multiplier shifts to ×2 5 mo 16-22 19-27 Adolescence may begin 6 mo 18-26 22-30 Adolescence officially 7 mo 21-29 26-34 8 mo 24-32 29-37 Peer-reviewed trainability trough 9 mo 26-34 31-40 Sport intro 10 mo 28-37 33-43 Off-leash work begins 11 mo 29-38 34-45 12 mo 30-40 35-48 Transition to adult food 18 mo 30-45 35-55 Full adult weight ``` *Ranges are wide because BC genetics are wide. Working lines run small and lean; show lines run bigger. Body condition is more important than the number on the scale.*