Puppyhood:
This is the stage where they learn everything they need to know about life in the big wide world.
Typically, the first 8 weeks of a pups life should be spent with their mum and siblings, ensuring they receive the love and nutrients they need to grow before heading off to their new home.
During puppyhood, they will learn to interact and socialise with humans and other pups, and how to act in their new environment through house training and basic obedience training.
This is also the stage where you should fully vaccinate your puppy, giving them the best protection from nasty viruses so he or she is ready to continue learning and growing into a healthy and happy dog. Before taking your puppy for its first walk, make sure they have had their first and second rounds of vaccinations.
Adulthood:
When a pup has fully matured and grown into an adult dog.
Typically, this stage starts at around 18 months for smaller breeds and anywhere up to 3 years for larger breeds.
By the time they hit adulthood, they will have reached emotional maturity, and that abundance of puppy energy should have levelled out.
The early training put in through the first two stages of their lives will be paying off, and by now, young dogs should be fully house trained and know the positive behaviours you expect from them.
They’ll still have plenty of energy to play and explore the world with you.
What age do dogs stop growing?
| Breed | Growth Period |
| Small breeds (adult weight of up to 10kg) | 8 – 12 months |
| Medium breeds (adult weight of 10 – 22kg) | Around 12 months |
| Large breeds (adult weight of 22 – 45kg) | 10 – 16 months |
| Giant breeds (adult weight of 45 – 90 kg) | 18 – 24 months |
How Long Is A Dog Considered A Puppy? What are the Growth Cycles of Puppyhood?
Who doesn’t love puppies? Experts consider puppyhood, particularly the first three to four months, to be the most important period of a dog’s life.
In that short window, a dog’s experiences shape their views about what’s safe and what’s scary — opinions that can be hard to change later on. That’s why training, socialization, and building good habits are so important for puppies.
Check out the adorable puppy pictures below, and read on to see if you have what it takes to raise a happy, healthy puppy!
Puppyhood is a very important development period for any dog. With that said, make sure you’re ready before you bring a cute puppy home to be a part of your family.
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.
Don’t take a puppy away from their canine family before eight weeks of age. Their mom and litter-mates teach them 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 in the shape of fear or aggression. Dogs are social animals; there’s really no such thing as a “good outdoor dog.”
Your pup needs vaccinations to protect them from serious, and sometimes fatal, diseases. Most puppies get shots that start sometime between six and eight weeks and end at about the twentieth week.
Young pups shouldn’t walk in public places because they’re still vulnerable to 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 they’ll do or see as an adult. These include:
Avoid scaring your pup. Anything that spooks them — particularly around weeks eight through eleven, which is considered a fear imprint period — can turn into a lifelong phobia.
You can spay or neuter your pup at age six to nine months, though you must ask your veterinarian for advice. Spaying and neutering can cut a dog’s risk of several diseases and prevent problems such as marking and escaping.