At What Age Is a Dog Considered an Adult

When Is A Dog Considered An Adult?

Article Publish date July 01, 2016

Some people automatically consider a dog an adult when he turns a year old.  However, this is actually a tricky question.  Many dogs take longer than a year to mature.

For some people, a dog is an "adult" when they become sexually mature.  But this, again, can vary greatly from breed to breed.  Some female dogs may have their first season when they are around six months old.  For female dogs of other breeds, however, it's not unusual for their first season to occur when they are around 18 months old.  Most male dogs are able to sire puppies by the time they are six months old but they are certainly not "adults" in any other sense of the word!

With large breed dogs, such as the sporting breeds (i.e., Golden Retrievers, Labs and others), it's not unusual for people to claim that the dogs stay puppies until they are 2-3 years of age.  It takes that long for the dogs to start behaving like mature adults even though they reach physical maturity earlier.

From a strictly physical standpoint, your dog's bones continue growing long after he is one-year-old.  He may not seem to get much bigger, but his growth plates have not yet closed.  This means that he is prone to some particular injuries and that he requires certain hormones in his body to keep growing.  The growth plates don't close and stop growing until your dog is about 18 months old.  From a physiological position, this is the point at which your dog reaches "adulthood".  This is why you should not take puppies jogging with you or make them do any kind of excessive physical exercise before they are adults.  Any injuries before their growth plates have closed will cause permanent physical damage.

There are many well-intentioned people who advocate that puppies should be spayed and neutered at a very young age.  However, if you spay and neuter puppies before they are fully grown it cuts off the hormones estrogen and testosterone in their bodies.  These hormones are usually associated with sexuality but they are also necessary for proper growth.  Spaying and neutering before maturity can result in increased risk of hip dysplasia and other bone abnormalities because of the lack of these growth hormones at a crucial period in your puppy's life.  That said, there are sometimes other drawbacks to waiting for that spay/neuter until later, so this is definitely a good conversation to have with your vet.

When it comes to choosing a dog food for your puppy or dog based on whether he's an adult, things can become confusing.  Puppies need the right amount of calcium for proper bone development.  However, too much is as bad as too little.  Some respected breeders advocate switching puppies to a good adult dog food when puppies are around four to six months old.  Other breeders, especially breeders of large breed dogs, suggest puppies should be kept on puppy food.  There are special foods for large breed puppies designed to slow their bone development since puppies who grow too fast can develop musculoskeletal problems later in life.  However, by the time your puppy is about a year old he should be able to eat a good adult dog food.  If you're still in doubt about what to feed your puppy based on his age, look for a food that says it's for "All Life Stages."  These foods have been shown to be nutritionally complete for both puppies and adult dogs.

In short, your dog becomes an adult dog in stages.  Mentally, physically, sexually, he matures at different rates.  It takes longer for some breeds than others.  Good training, good food, good vet care, and your loving attention will all help your puppy mature into a terrific adult dog.

~Chip

About the Author: Chip Ingersoll is the founder of Alpha-Dog Pet Center , located in Amherst, Ohio, and has been working with dogs professionally since 2013 .  He offers various programs for obedience training and also for dogs with behavior problems.  He received his Master's Degree in Education (M.Ed.) in 2006 from Trident University, and his Certification as a Professional Dog Trainer from K9-University in 2015.  He is a professional member of the Association of Professional Dog Trainers (APDT) and recently completed an advanced certification as a Canine Behavior Specialist, also through K9-University, in 2016.  In addition to Obedience Training and Behavior Consultations, Chip is also a certified instructor for PetTech's "PetSaver: First-Aid, CPR, & Care" program, in which he provides Pet CPR & First-Aid training to pet parents, first-responder agencies, and pet care professionals.   Visit the Alpha-Dog Pet Center website at http://www.alphadogpets.com/ or find them on Facebook (http://www.facebook.com/AlphaDogPets/).

At What Age Is a Dog Considered an Adult

Source: https://alphadogpets.com/blog/41032/when-is-a-dog-considered-an-adult

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