Typically, the time for puppies to grow into adult dogs is between one and two years of age. But it is not that they awaken one morning on their first birthday and turn into grown dogs! Truly, puppy maturation takes time and varies from dog animal to dog; it will depend on the size, breed as well as socialization among other aspects. From falling asleep in your arms one day to being too big for you to hold them! So when does a puppy stop being a puppy?
Maturity Physique
Puppies can be physically mature before becoming fully grown. Physical maturity is when your puppy attains its adult height which depends heavily on the breed. Generally, at twelve months of age small breeds are full-grown while large breeds take around 1-2 years to complete growth process. Actually if you have ever raised a pup then you know how frustrating this can get because your pet may be physically mature but still has no clue how to maneuver their body.
Maturity Emotional
On the contrary, emotional maturity means acting like a dog rather than behaving like a pup. Every aspect of growing up follows the same trend; emotional development changes with time also. You might not even notice it happening but someday you will wake up and realize that your adorable little puppy has turned into a dog. At this point, emotional maturity corresponds with normalizing hormonal surges in young dogs (pups). As puppies get older and become sexually mature they may act out, rebel or misbehave in general; however by about thirteen or fourteen months old your pup should calm down leaving its true adult personality.
When To Change The Puppy Food To Dog Food
A diet change is another way of knowing whether or not your pet has moved from being a puppy into an adult stage. Since growing pups require more energy during their day puppy food possesses more calories compared to those found in adult dog food. Once your puppy stops growing, you will eventually switch to dog food for adult dogs. Usually, you should make the transition from puppy chow to adult-dog-food formulas at the point when your furry friend no longer gets taller.
Dealing with Adolescent Behavior
Adolescence marks the change from being a puppy to becoming an adult. For dogs this can start any time between six months and one year and finish anywhere between eighteen and twenty-four months old. At this stage, there are considerable changes in hormones and brain reorganisation takes place. These hormonal changes can result in less obedient teenage dogs. Teenagers are high energy and interact more than puppies do; consequently they cannot avoid conflict easily when ‘asked’ to stop doing something or simply calm down. Even in those cases where they used to be ‘obedient’ before, these incidents still happen.
Indicators of Aging
In some instances where the dog was adopted from a shelter, their actual birth date may not be known for certain. Younger dogs tend to be more active and energetic compared with older ones as they age slowly down . However even an older dog sometimes acts like a puppy! To determine its age accurately it is best if physical signs of aging are observed first including teeth examination which is done initially by viewing its mouth; if new pups have shiny white smallish looking teeth then that indicates that they might be under 16 weeks old which makes them older than three months while permanent teeth fill all adults’ mouths by adulthood stage.
To sum up
A number of puppies become dogs when they are one and other dogs take around two years to fully grow. If you’re not sure how old your dog is, ask your veterinarian. Keeping your pup well socialized throughout puppyhood is one way to ensure he will flourish into a well-adjusted adult dog!