Puppyhoods

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. The period of early development in dogs characterized by playful behavior and learning social skills
2. A stage in the life of a young dog where it experiences growth, exploration, and training
3. The phase of life for a canine when it is still a puppy, marked by curiosity and bonding with humans and other animals

Etymology: "Puppyhoods" is the plural of "puppyhood," so it refers to several stretches of early life in dogs, or in people. The word is built from "puppy" plus "-hood," and the suffix is the more interesting half of the story. "-hood" began as an independent noun meaning "state, condition, or rank." It descends from an Old English word, "hād," which appears in older compounds such as "childhood" and "manhood." Over time the suffix attached itself to many nouns, so "puppy" plus "-hood" produced a formation that means roughly "the condition of being a puppy." The base word "puppy" came into English from Old French "poupée," a doll or plaything, and the same root gave English "puppet." A puppy, in other words, was once thought of as a little toy. Adding "-hood" to it turns a playful animal name into a stage of life, the same way "childhood" marks the years of being a child.

Synonyms: puppy stages, puppy periods, puppy ages