Until what age is a dog considered a puppy? Until what age do dogs grow, physiological development At what age do puppies grow rapidly

Buying a dog is a significant event in every family. To ensure that your new pet is properly cared for and fed, you need to know up to what age a dog is considered a puppy. This will help you choose the best food option, exercise program, medication (if necessary).

Animal life is similar to human life. Puppies are no exception. In the first months, they behave by analogy with small children - they play, frolic, sleep and eat a lot. Almost immediately after birth, they begin to adapt to the environment. Puppy age is divided into several periods. Different breeds of dogs have their own individual numbers, upon reaching which they move into the category of adults.

Stages of development of puppies

The first period is considered the most difficult. This is about three weeks after birth. At this age, the puppy has only those reflexes that are associated with the search for a mother to receive milk. Thanks to him, in the wild, animals learn to survive. Body systems - respiratory, cardiovascular, nervous and others - function differently, their rhythm is directed towards growing up. At the neonatal stage, the puppy quickly gains weight, opens his eyes, learns to walk.

The time period of three to four weeks is transitional. During this period, all babies, regardless of breed and other factors, begin to erupt teeth. This leads to the development of interest towards solid foods. Puppies are no longer attached to their mother. They are increasingly moving out of their assigned space, preferring to explore the environment. Owners need to keep a close eye on the kids. Dogs do not yet experience a sense of danger, remaining defenseless against various factors.

The last stage of puppy life is directly related to the socialization of the animal. Its duration is about 80 days. During this period, babies are weaned from their mother. They have survival reflexes. Further, the level of activity increases and a rhythm is formed. Puppies need a lot of attention and play. It is desirable that at this time the partners of the kids were other dogs. It is important to keep in mind that the lack of walks in the fresh air and prolonged loneliness have a bad effect on development.

At 3-4 months, the juvenile stage begins. Dogs are changing their teeth. At this time, the formation of the character and habits characteristic of a particular breed begins. Six months later, the first sexual games are observed. It is time to isolate animals from their peers. Puppy age ends at about seven months, along with a complete replacement of teeth.

As soon as a four-legged pet of unknown origin appears in the house, a lot of questions arise about how it will grow, who it will look like, whether it will become large or remain small. If we are talking about a thoroughbred puppy, then there are no particular difficulties about the future exterior - you can look at his parents or other representatives of the breed. But for any dogs there are certain rules and canons of growth in different age periods. And so, until what age do dogs grow?

In most cases, puppies grow intensively up to 6 months, in representatives of small breeds, growth slows down earlier than in larger ones.

Puppies of large breeds grow and form even after six months of age, although not so quickly. Consider the growth of some breeds:

Pekingese - these small dogs grow on average up to 9 months, males often up to a year.
- their growth continues up to 7-8 months.
- very small and fragile puppies grow up to 8 months, and after a year they grow stronger.
- the growth of puppies stops by 8 months, after that they continue to grow, but only in width.
- the growth of these puppies varies - it can stop at six months or last up to 9 months, while they are intensively gaining weight.
Rottweilers are a powerful and large breed, puppies grow up to 12 months, while the development of the muscular corset occurs up to 2 years of age.
- active growth is observed up to a year, and the dog is completely formed by two years.

But it should be borne in mind that the above data are only average figures, because in addition to the ratio to the breed, there are also a lot of equally important factors that affect the growth and development of the dog:

proper, balanced nutrition;
absence or presence;
conditions for keeping a pet;
hereditary predisposition to diseases.

Stages of development and growth of a dog

A healthy, normally developed puppy should grow in accordance with a certain pattern. The concept of growth includes several stages:

puppy weight changes
body growth;
external changes (exterior);
physiological features.

The concepts of growth and development have different meanings, but if the pet is healthy, then they occur in a timely manner. There are several stages of growth and development of puppies:

The first stage is considered to be the period when the puppy is still in the womb. This period is very important, since it is there that the main qualities of the future dog are laid. And here it is worth choosing a future family member more carefully, based on data about his parents, the reputation of breeders.
The second stage is considered the time when the baby is breastfed, the so-called sucking period, lasting from birth to one and a half months. At this time, the breeder is responsible for the well-being and growth of the babies, and he is also responsible for the little pets. If the puppy is strong and the future owners have experience in feeding monthly puppies, then you can wean him from his mother a little earlier to be completely sure of his proper feeding and further growth.
The third stage is longer, lasting from 1.5 to 6 months. Most often, during this time period, puppies end up with new owners. At this time, the puppy is growing very intensively, he is changing milk teeth. Here, only the owner is responsible for all processes.
The fourth stage - from 16 to 12 months, is quite diverse and proceeds depending on the breed of the puppy. It can be accompanied by active growth, its slowdown or a complete stop.
The fifth stage is no longer the growth of a puppy, but the processes of formation of an adult, albeit young, dog. Its duration is on average 2-2.5 years. Stopping in growth, the animal continues to gain muscle mass.

It is important to have an idea of which measurement data correspond to the norm in a particular period. Of course, there are no exact figures, but there is still a certain trend.

Period from birth to 6 months

From birth to six months, a healthy active puppy should triple in weight, and double at the withers. At this time, dogs grow only in height.

This stage is characterized by the cessation of tubular bone growth. Therefore, it is very important that at this time everything is formed according to the norm. Improper, unbalanced nutrition, serious diseases suffered can adversely affect the development of the bone skeleton, as a result, deformations and obvious violations will appear that will no longer be possible to correct.

In this case, an adult will have the wrong proportions of the body, which will put an end to exhibitions and competitions.

In puppies from the age of six months, the growth of flat bones occurs, that is, the sternum actively develops, the pets grow, but already in width. These processes intensively last about 6 months, and after a year, growth continues, but at a slower pace.

The bone frame of the dog is fully formed by the age of three. Small breeds finish developing much earlier than large ones.

The growth of the pet is influenced by the first mating, after which the growth of the animal stops completely. This is one of the reasons to avoid early so as not to disrupt the development and growth of the dog.

To fix the metric data, it is necessary to measure the dog at certain periods and record all the data. To weigh a puppy, you can use household scales, but if the pet belongs to large breeds - then large trade scales will be needed.

In addition, the following parameters are measured:

girth of the sternum;
height (height at the withers);
the length of the hind and front legs.

To remove them, centimeter tapes, tape measures and rulers are used.

Proper puppy feeding

Nutrition plays an important role in the growth and development of a dog. Ideally, the diet, including the number of feedings, the composition of the diet, based on individual and breed characteristics, should be developed by a cynologist.

On average, a puppy up to 3 months old should eat at least 5-6 times a day. The grown pet is gradually transferred to four meals a day. From 6 months, the number of feedings can be reduced to two, as for an adult dog.

Do not forget that from six months the pet has an intensive set of muscle mass, so the diet must be enriched with proteins,.

Dog owners have a choice - to feed their pet with natural products or ready-made food - dry or wet. Sometimes there is a successful combination of these two types.

If the owner of the puppy chooses to feed dry or wet food, then he must choose a good one. Such products contain all the important micro and macro elements, vitamins, proteins, fats, carbohydrates in sufficient quantities. The balance of the finished feed affects the normal development of the puppy. In addition, most manufacturers, releasing such products, take into account age characteristics and other nuances.

Those owners who have opted for a natural diet should follow the following recommendations:

Exclude from the diet too spicy, fatty, smoked, salty foods.
It is best to buy sea fish, after boiling it. Raw fish and meat can lead to infection with helminthic infestations.
Bones are poorly digested, so it is not advisable to give them to a pet to gnaw.
Sweets and chocolate lead to disturbances in the activity of the cardiovascular system, loss of vision and teeth, so their use is excluded.
You can give low-fat cheese, cottage cheese, boiled meat, raisins, dried fruits, etc.
Food should be at room temperature so as not to disrupt the digestion process.

Careful care and attention to the pet will help him grow and develop normally.

Every owner wants to know what their puppy will look like when they grow up. Many people often measure the size and weight of a pet and worry about whether these indicators correspond to the norms. Is it worth worrying about finding a growth retardation, and whether the puppy can stop growing - this article will be devoted to these issues.

Stages of development and growth of a dog

The duration of the puppy's growing up period can be divided into the following stages:

- the period when the puppy is in the womb. It develops not only physically (the formation of organs and systems takes place, the strength of the constitution, the foundations of health are laid), but also psychologically (it remembers the smell of the mother, the foundations of its character and behavior are formed).
- the period lasts from childbirth until the eyes open (about 10 days). The puppy adapts to the world around him, smells, his body learns to adapt to temperature conditions. This is a period of active growth: puppies become 2 times heavier than at birth. At the same time, it is well possible to distinguish between strong and weak puppies by activity. In order for weaker puppies to develop better, they need help finding their mother's nipple.
Transition- lasts until the moment when the ear canal is fully opened (up to 2 weeks from birth, less often - up to 17 days). During this period, puppies begin to hear, stand on their paws, walk, get out of the box to empty. To protect the puppies from injury, they are transferred to the aviary together with their mother.
adaptive- until reaching the age of one month. At this stage, teeth erupt, puppies begin to be supplemented, gradually weaned from mother's milk. Curiosity makes babies sniff, lick, take everything in their mouths. Games are an important moment in the development of dogs, they begin at this stage, with their help, you can gradually accustom puppies to the owner.
Socio-psychological- lasts up to 3 months. There is an active knowledge of the surrounding world (people, objects, climatic conditions, street noises). The puppy is taught to be nicknamed, walked, taught the concepts of “good” and “bad”, weaned from the mother, this is the period of formation of a positive or negative impression of the environment. The owner needs to spend a lot of time with the dog, walk and train it. For normal development, the animal needs to move a lot, play (alone, with toys, with the owner, other animals). It is very important to protect the psyche of dogs from strong fears during this period, because they remain in memory. This is also the period of changing teeth and the beginning of vaccinations.
- up to 6.5 months. There is a formation of typological features of animal behavior, including sexual behavior, so communication with people, other animals, and the world around cannot be limited. Sexual games that begin at this age contribute to the formation of sexual behavior and determine the ability for normal mating. There may be problems with the command "Come to me!" - noticing this, the owner should walk the dog on a leash. Growth is gradually slowing down.
final- up to 1–1.5 years. Permanent teeth grow, puberty occurs, females begin estrus, males mark their territory. Being among other dogs, the animal will try to take a higher position. The puppy can also try to take a dominant position in relation to the owner, which then will be difficult to change, so the upbringing of the puppy is of great importance.
After that, the puppy becomes an adult, and by about 4 years of age, the full maturity of the animal is observed.

Important! Each stage is important for the formation of a dog, so the owner must provide proper care for the pregnant bitch, and puppies- games, balanced nutrition, physical activity (according to age), training (for any breed), to protect against injuries and diseases.

Intensive growth in dogs is observed up to 6 months of age, then the rate decreases. The further period of development of healthy dogs, which are kept in appropriate conditions, depends on the breed and size. Consider the growth characteristics of small, medium and large dogs.

small breeds

These dog breeds include:

Did you know? The smallest height in the world (18 cm)- Chihuahua Dianco.

Medium breeds

They grow up to about 12 months of age, in the context of breeds it looks like this:

- about 8 months, up to 1.5 years old.
Cocker Spaniel
- up to 8–9 months, then it grows in breadth.
- up to 8-10 months, up to about 15 months gaining muscle mass.
- up to about 9-10 months.
- up to 11 months.
- grows in height up to 1 year, in muscles - up to 1.5–2 years.
- up to 9 months, the end of growth occurs up to 1.5 years.
Cocker Spaniel- up to 8 months in height, fully formed a little over 12 months of age.
- up to 10 months they grow in height, up to 1.5 years the appearance of an adult animal is formed.
- grows up to 1 year, bones and muscle mass gain shape up to 1.5 years.

Did you know? The biggest dog- a blue dog named George, whose length is 213 cm, and weight- 100 kg.

Large (large) breeds

Large breeds grow the longest and take on the appearance of an adult dog up to 3 years. The growth of dogs of large breeds occurs as follows:

How to determine the age of a dog

There are cases when the owner does not know the date of birth and age of his pet, and this indicator is important in terms of the start and frequency of vaccinations, sterilization, castration, training, care and feeding.

In order to approximately determine the age of the animal, there are such ways:

look at the teeth. A young animal aged 1 year has white, clean, healthy teeth, a two-year-old animal has yellow teeth, a 3–5-year-old animal has tartar, a 6-year-old animal has worn fangs, concave incisors, and older than 8 years old has blunt fangs. In older dogs, teeth begin to fall out. Teeth change between the ages of 2 and 6 months.
Examine wool. The older the animal, the harder it is to the touch. With age, the hair begins to turn gray.
Touch and examine the muscles. Flaccid muscles are a sign of an aging animal. The older the dog gets, the less he moves and the more he sleeps.
Look into your eyes. With age, the eyes begin to watery, become dull, the look of young dogs is clear.

Video: how to find out the age of a dog

Dog owners are often mistaken about their pets, and this also applies to their size. In this regard, they begin to look on the forums for an answer to the question of why the dog does not grow, forgetting that this is impossible.

Owners are often confused about the size of puppies:

The puppy has stopped growing and will be a dwarf. This is not so: puppies actively grow up to 6 months, then growth and weight gain is less active and uneven. The indicator can also be affected by illness, lack of physical activity, lack of vitamins.
A small animal cannot protect me.. This is not true: growth and the ability to protect do not depend on each other. The dog handler is able to train any animal to resist attacks on you.

The owners should learn that the puppy cannot grow up, they just do not notice it. If you show a puppy to someone who hasn't seen it in a while, they will definitely notice a change in appearance.

Important! At a certain age, all puppies will grow to the sizes provided by nature, but this process can take up to 3 years.

Even if you regularly take measurements and write down readings, it may turn out that the dog has relaxed his muscles a little, turned around, the ruler has moved, etc.

In order for your dog to be physically developed, it needs to be properly fed and actively walked, and in order to protect you, it must be trained and be a friend to the dog.
Thus, the process of dog growth goes through several stages. It is important that puppies can grow at the withers up to 1.5 years of age, and the larger the breed, the longer the growth will continue. Up to 3 years, the puppy will acquire the exterior of an adult animal.

Do not worry too much about the growth of the pet - everything has its time, and a dog of any height will be able to protect you.

Many people are very fond of dogs. Almost all small children ask to get a dog. When it comes to taking a four-legged pet home, everyone wonders what breed their little friend will be. It is clear that if you need an individual to guard your home, then the Chihuahua breed will not suit you.

Each breed has its own temperament. There are aggressive, flexible, playful. Everything is clear, take a thoroughbred puppy, see what parents or representatives of this breed. But if the puppy was picked up from the street, how tall the dog will be, it will be possible to find out only after a while.

Until what period is an animal considered a puppy?

There are several stages in development:

Learn more about development in each stage

Why the first months you need to carefully monitor nutrition. Suction period for puppies, it is important precisely because it receives all the necessary elements with mother's milk. After a month, the female is not allowed to feed. The time of growing up and a varied diet of feeding begins.

There are no strict norms, tables for the development of quadrupeds. But still there are general norms for individuals of a particular breed. Representatives of large breeds grow a little longer than their small counterparts.

Tubular bones stop developing by six months. During this time, the dog should grow up (withers) twice and gain three times more weight than it was in a month. If for some reason the tubal bones did not have time to form correctly, then the pet will remain with disturbed proportions. And this physiological feature can not be corrected in any way. Such an individual is rejected, i.e., she will never be able to take part in any competitions, exhibitions.

This period is for growth only upwards. Puppies are funny until six months old. They quickly grow paws and ears. Moreover, the ears quickly form into a mature look. At a young age, most dogs are lop-eared.

Outcome. For the first six months of life, the owners strictly monitor nutrition and well-being, all kinds of preventive vaccinations are made. Protect from diseases. The decisive time for the formation of the bone skeleton.

The condition of the young characterized by development in breadth. The flat bones of the chest grow. This process takes six months and then almost three years. At three years old, it's safe to say that your pet is fully formed.

In small representatives, the process of complete formation is completed much faster.

Stops growth, first mating. Knowledgeable experts advise to let the dog grow up first, to enter maturity. Only after that to engage in breeding offspring.

Up to what age do dogs grow? People who are seriously involved in breeding breeds control the growth process not by eye. Make records for:

growth;
weight;
height at the withers;
chest volume;
freezing of limbs.

Recordings are made in the first year every 10 days, then until the age of three it is enough to control once a month.

puppy feeding

Ideally, the diet for each dog is different and should be developed by cynologists. There are several options for what and how to feed.

At the age of three months, he receives food 5-6 times a day. From 3 to 6 try to reduce the feed supply up to four times. From six months to teach to eat twice a day, like an adult.

What to give: natural food or food? The choice of feeding is up to the owner.

When choosing dry food, carefully look at what breeds and age of the animal it is for. Manufacturers note these two points and even smaller nuances. Proper selection will give your pet a balanced proper nutrition and subsequently proportional development.

Muscle mass begins to gain from six months. More protein, vitamin, macro and microelements. Ready-made mixtures make it easier for the owner to find a vitamin.

The main thing to remember when natural feeding:

All food should be non-spicy, low-fat, moderately salty, not too smoky.
Meat and fish must be boiled. Raw from these products, you can become infected with helminthic invasions.
Bones are practically not digested. It is advisable not to give them.
Avoid sweets.
Food should be warm for good absorption and avoiding unpleasant consequences with the gastrointestinal tract.

If you take a puppy from a professional and honest breeder, then you can confidently count on the fact that he sold the dog of the agreed breed and it will not present any surprises to the owner. In this case, one can easily look through the literature and get an accurate calculation of how it should develop depending on age. The question of how old dogs grow is more important for people who have taken home a stray puppy. Also interested in similar problems are the owners of pets, who continue to gain weight, turning into a small "calf", although in the market the sellers promised them that they were selling a lap dog.

When does a dog stop growing?

Almost all puppies actively increase in size up to six months. But here the important factor is the breed of the animal. If Yorkshire Terriers, Dachshunds, and Pekingeses stop growing at about 8-10 months, then large dogs continue to gain muscle mass after a year. German Shepherds or Rottweilers form their body up to two years. Caucasians are such dogs that grow up to 12 months, but the development process does not end there, and for another year they continue to gain mass. Other important conditions that strongly affect growth are nutrition, care, training, and possible complications after childhood infection or surgery.

How fast do dogs grow?

Until six months, your puppy will almost triple in size, and at the withers it will become twice as large. The development of different bones occurs according to different scenarios. The proportions of the body depend on the tubular bones that are formed in the first six months. After that, up to a year, the intensity of growth does not yet fall, there is an active increase in the flat bones of the dog's skeleton. It grows in width (the sternum becomes noticeably larger). Finally, the backbone of the animal acquires adult size at 2.5-3 years, before that your pets can still be considered young. Usually the final growth stops in dogs after the first. Therefore, do not rush with this matter in order to allow the pet to fully form normally.

If you are seriously interested in the question of how many months dogs grow, then we recommend that you get a special notebook and take control measurements of your pet. You can not only measure it with a tape measure (chest girth, height at the withers, etc.), but also weigh the puppy. It never hurts to know how old dogs grow up to. Each breed has its own characteristics, and you will quickly identify possible deviations when suspicions of breeder dishonesty arise.