Dog Ages & Dog Stages

How long each stage lasts

On average, smaller dogs mature faster and live longer than larger breeds; bigger dogs mature later and generally know shorter spans of adulthood and senior citizenship. That said, every dog develops and ages at her own rate. The following is a rough breakdown of the stages of canine life:

• Puppyhood ends between six and 18 months of age.
• Adolescence starts between six and 18 months of age.
• Adulthood starts between 12 months and three years of age.
• The senior years begin between six and 10 years of age.

Keep in mind

Dogs are as individual as people; there's no hard-and-fast rule for what she'll do and when she'll do it. If you treat your dog with the love and respect she deserves, what you can count on in return is devotion, adoration, and a mistake or two along the way as the two of you learn to communicate across the human-canine divide.

Bottom line: Dogs age at different speeds, with large dogs generally maturing more slowly than small dogs. But timing aside, they all go through the same stages: energetic puppyhood,unpredictable adolescence, the relatively smooth ride of adulthood, and the slower, laziersenior years.

Adolescent Dogs

Dogs and humans are very different, but they do have this in common: adolescence is often a rocky period. Like human teens, adolescent dogs explore their world and test their own abilities in ways you won't always like. (What's on the other side of the fence? Can I boss these other dogs? Can I catch that skunk? Who's that cute Collie?)

All this adolescent adventuring can be wearing on owners; most dogs abandoned at sheltersare between eight and 18 months old, at the height of adolescence. This is also a prime time for dogs to be banished to the backyard--a boring and sad place for such social animals.

The good news is, adolescence goes by much more quickly in canines than in people. And if you keep up with the guidelines that got you through puppyhood, as well some new ones just for adolescents, you can keep enjoying your dog and lay the foundation for a happy life together.

What defines the stage

Adolescent dogs aren't so very different from teenage humans, at least in attitude--hyper, inattentive, driven by hormones (if they're not neutered or spayed, anyway), exasperating, but somehow lovable in spite of it all--at least most of the time.

During adolescence, your dog will:

• Become more interested in the big, wild world than she is in you. A dog who once happily bounded up to you when you called may suddenly become deaf to the "come" command.
• Have lots of energy and need a good amount of exercise.
• Become sexually mature. Males may hop fences and take off in search of the ladies, and they may mark in the house to claim their territory. Females will mark to advertise their availability to the guys. Both may become aggressive with other dogs of the same sex.
• Forget commands and have a very short attention span. You may find your pup looking at you like you're speaking Martian when you give her a command that she knew backward and forward last week.
• Possibly become shy or frightened of things she took in stride just a few weeks before. Don't force your dog to confront something that frightens her, but don't coddle (and thereby reward) her fears, either.
• Reach her adult height but be a bit awkward and gangly.
• Lose her cottony puppy coat.

Things to keep in mind

Keep your adolescent dog in a gated-off, puppy-proofed part of the house when someone can't keep an eye on her, because adolescents are often chewing machines. Just make sure she also gets plenty of time to hang out and bond with the family.

A tired dog is a well-behaved dog. Your adolescent probably has energy to burn, so give her plenty of exercise. Just avoid letting her run and jump on hard surfaces, such as concrete--your dog's bones and joints are still developing, and the impact can hurt her.

Keep training sessions short and fun, using treats and toys, and be prepared to go back a few steps to practice things she'd learned before. Your adolescent pup has a very short attention span.

Be calm but consistent about house rules. Your dog is learning from you all the time, whether you want her to or not. Give a command only when you mean it, and (kindly, gently) insist that she obey.

Enroll in another obedience class. The guidance of a good trainer will help you get through adolescence, and so will the support of other people who are in the same boat with their teenage dogs.

Bottom line: As in humans, adolescence is a rocky time in a dog's life; it's also the age when dogs are most likely to be abandoned to shelters. But if you understand the phase and know how to handle it, you'll continue to enjoy your pup and will come out the other side with a great adult dog.

Adult dogs

What defines the stage

You're still the leader and caregiver in his eyes, but your dog may become less of a dependent and more of a companion in yours. And while bonding takes place throughout your relationship, many people report that this is the time when they begin to truly feel closeto their dogs.

Sound corny? Don't be surprised when he's able to gauge your emotions and moods in the same way you are able to read his.

During the adult years, your dog will:

• Settle into his size and personality. His height and weight should level off, as he is fully grown, and his basic temperament will be well established.
• Mellow out. Your dog's constant, urgent need to play will probably dim a little. Don't expect to find him curled up with a good book (unless he's chewing on it), but he may not protest if your fetch session is shortened by a toss or two.
• Continue to mature mentally, although the signs may be more subtle. At this stage, there won't be huge jumps in his development, but it's still important to provide plenty of learning and training opportunities.

Things to keep in mind

While he may not be as obnoxious about asking for it, your dog still thrives on attention from you. Remember:

Exercise--both physical and mental--is a good thing. Even if he graduated number-one in his puppy kindergarten class, obedience courses or one-on-one training sessions keep him mentally sharp and stimulated.

See the vet once a year. A well-balanced diet and plenty of exercise make for a solid foundation, but medical issues can arise at any time during your dog's life. It's a good idea for him to have an annual physical. (The visit may also include necessary vaccinations or boosters, a dental assessment, a heartworm test, or a fecal exam.)

Bottom line: Now that his paws are finally in proportion to the rest of his body, surprises are relatively few. Adult dogs require less supervision than puppies, and if you're looking to adopt, they make excellent candidates. But remember, even though your dog's more independent now, he still needs plenty of exercise and a good deal of attention from you.

Puppies

During puppyhood, your dog will:

• Learn how to get along with other dogs, if he has lots of positive interactions with them. A dog who misses out on these interactions — part of what trainers call socialization — can grow up to be fearful or aggressive around other canines.
• Learn how to be safe and friendly around humans, if he has lots of positive interactions with people of all sorts. Without these interactions — also an important part of puppy socialization — a pup can grow up to be fearful or aggressive with humans. This goes for all breeds.
• Get used to the hustle and bustle of family life. If you expose your pup to dishwashers, vacuum cleaners, other pets, cars — basically all the things he'll be living with as a family dog — he's more likely to take all those things in stride as an adult. Just go slowly when introducing anything new, and make sure it's fun — or, at the very least, not scary — for the pup.
• Have "puppy rushes," or "zoomies." These short, sudden bursts of running, barking, jumping, spinning, and grabbing things with his mouth usually happen a few times a day and last a couple of minutes.
• Get his adult teeth at around three to six months of age. Most puppies will chew anything and everything they can get their jaws on to relieve the discomfort of teething. Ice cubes or special chew toys that you can pop in the freezer will ease the ache and give your pup something safe to gnaw on.
• Possibly eat poop. Dogs of any age can have this gross habit, but it's more common in puppies. Be vigilant about scooping poop!

How long it lasts

All dogs develop at different rates, with small breeds generally developing the most quickly, large breeds more slowly, and giant breeds being the late bloomers. For many dogs, five or six months and younger is considered puppyhood; then your pup enters adolescence.

Things to keep in mind

Puppy-proof before you bring your new friend home. You'll protect both your pup and your belongings.

Don't take a pup away from his canine family before eight weeks of age. His mom and littermates teach him a lot about how to get along with other dogs during this period.

Keep your puppy in the house and around the family. Isolating your puppy will come back to haunt you later, in the shape of fear or aggression. Dogs are very social animals; there's really no such thing as a "good outdoor dog."

Your pup needs vaccinations to protect him from serious, and sometimes fatal, diseases. Most pups get a series of shots that starts sometime between six and eight weeks, and ends at about the twentieth week.

Young pups can't walk around in public places, because they're still vulnerable to catching dog diseases. Ask your vet when your pup will be ready to go out and about, but it will probably be sometime around four to six months.

For a safe, friendly, and confident dog, expose your puppy to everything and anything he'll do or see as an adult. This includes:

• People of all ages, shapes, colors, and sizes
• Other dogs
• Other pets
• Being handled and groomed
• Having people around his food bowl and possessions
• The sights and sounds of the household and neighborhood — dishwashers, vacuum cleaners, lawn mowers, and so on

Introductions to new situations and things should be gradual and pleasant for your pup. You want to build positive associations.

Avoid scaring your pup. Anything that spooks your puppy — particularly around weeks eight through 11, which is considered a fear imprint period — can turn into a lifelong phobia.

You can spay or neuter your pup as young as two to three months. Early spaying cuts a girl dog's risk of several diseases. And early spaying or neutering can prevent problems such as marking and escaping.

You can start training as soon as your pup comes home. Puppies are totally capable of learning. In fact, a puppy kindergarten class is an excellent way to get your pup used to being around different people and dogs. Many classes will let puppies enroll as young as eight to 16 weeks of age.

Don't punish your pup. Yelling and hitting doesn't teach a dog of any age how to behave, but it's especially unfair to be harsh with a young puppy who's still trying to figure things out. By all means, train your pup and be consistent about house rules, but also be gentle.

Don't let your dog do anything as a puppy that you don't want him to do as an adult. If you lavish your tiny pup with affection and pets when he jumps up on you, he won't magically outgrow the habit once he's an 80-pound adult.

Begin teaching your puppy where to eliminate and what to chew right away to prevent bad habits and establish good ones. Start housetraining as soon as you bring your puppyhome. And right from the start, keep him supplied with plenty of chew toys (stuff them with kibble and treats to entice him to chew) so he gets used to gnawing on them, not on your belongings.

Growing puppies need more nutrient-dense food than adults. Check labels to make sure your food is made for puppies or for all life stages.

Avoid letting your puppy run and jump on hard surfaces, such as concrete; it can harm his developing body. Wait until your dog's a year to 18 months old before you enlist him as a jogging partner.

Be prepared for a personality change. An affectionate puppy can turn aloof in adulthood; a pup who played well with others may start giving other dogs attitude. This is one drawback to getting a puppy rather than an adult. With an adult dog, what you see is what you get, whereas a puppy may surprise you.

Bottom line: Raising a puppy is a big commitment. To make sure your pup grows into a dog who's a joy to live with, you need to give him lots of attention, training, and socialization to people and other dogs. Without this care, your pup may develop behavior problems that are hard, or even impossible, to treat.

Senior dogs

What defines the stage

Like people, dogs become set in their ways as they get older. Their ability to deal with change decreases, and they find great security in their known routines. That said, it's also very likely that your dog will settle comfortably into this slower-paced stage of life, in many ways becoming simply a mellower version of her adult self.

During the senior years, your dog will:

Possibly sleep more. This is a normal part of the aging process.

Possibly eat less. It may be that she's becoming more finicky, but there's also a chance that her senses of smell and taste have declined to the point that eating isn't all that fun anymore. Check with your veterinarian to make sure her loss of appetite is not indicative of a more serious health issue.

Be more susceptible to weight gain. Keep her fit and healthy with regular exercise. Your vet can help you determine the appropriate daily amount and the pros and cons of a low-calorie senior diet.

Possibly develop dental problems, which can cause serious health issues and make it difficult for your dog to eat. Try to brush her teeth at least three times a week, and get a professional cleaning from your vet if needed.

Be more susceptible to dehydration (which can be harmful and even fatal). Your older dog should be drinking about the same amount of water she always did. If she's not, make sure her water bowl is in an easy-to-access location, not a trek up or down stairs that are difficult for the elderly or arthritic. Dehydration can lead to--or be a sign of--other health problems, so talk to your vet if you're concerned.

Become more sensitive to changes in the weather. Take extra care to see that she doesn't overheat in warm weather or get too cold in the winter. As her coat thins and circulation weakens, she can become uncomfortably cold much more easily.

Lose some or all of her hearing or sight. As in humans, senses dull as the canine body ages. Cross-train your dog — that is, teach both verbal and visual cues for basic commands so that you can still communicate should one sense diminish completely.

Possibly need help getting in and out of the car or up and down stairs. Stiff, achy joints make senior dogs less nimble. Ramps or just a hand from you can help.

Things to keep in mind

Like humans, the list of potential health problems increases as dogs get older. Regular exercise — both mental and physical — can help stave off many issues, at least for a little while. In the meantime, offer your dog the same amount of attention and love that she's used to receiving (if not more). Knowing she's an important member of the pack is crucial to her sense of well-being. Also remember:

It's not uncommon for separation anxiety to set in, even in dogs who were independent and easygoing in their youth. As hearing and sight wane, your dog will rely on you more and more for information about her surroundings--and she may become panicked in your absence.

Proper nutrition is key. Your senior dog will need fewer calories, less fat, and more fiber as she ages. Many older dogs can continue eating the food they always have--just a little less to compensate for not being as active. See more suggestions for feeding an older dog.

It's a fact of life: your older dog is simply more susceptible to health issues such asarthritis, hypothyroidism, liver and kidney dysfunction, dental problems, and cataracts. Older dogs should see the vet twice a year, or as soon as they exhibit any unusual behavior or sign of pain. Some common red flags: a change in weight, appetite, or water intake;incontinence or increased urination; bad breath and difficulty chewing; lumps that change size or shape; and slow, stiff movement.

Aging affects the brain, too. Canine Cognitive Dysfunction Syndrome (CDS) is akin to Alzheimer's disease in humans. Dogs with CDS may forget their name or obedience skills, begin having accidents in the house, or no longer recognize members of the family (among other symptoms). Talk to your veterinarian if your dog exhibits any of these signs.

Older dogs have less bladder control. Don't punish your dog for accidents; she can't help it. That said, sinking hormone levels can cause incontinence, so also book an appointment with the vet--medication may help.

While the senior stage can and usually does last years, you may have to make difficult decisions about when it's time to say goodbye. Prepare yourself — and your dog — by giving her the best you can during her lifetime and by not prolonging suffering or pain.

Bottom line: In general, senior dogs are calm, gentle, and easy to be around — they make great additions to the family. Your main concerns will probably be medical issues, and a visit to the vet is strongly advised if you notice any change in behavior or if your dog appears uncomfortable or in pain.