To what age do dogs grow, physiological development. To what age do dogs of different breeds grow? How long does it take for a puppy to grow?

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

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

Puppies of large breeds grow and develop after six months of age, although not so quickly. Let's look at 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 become much stronger.
• – the growth of puppies stops at 8 months, after which they continue to grow, but only in width.
• – the growth of these puppies varies – it can stop at six months or continue up to 9 months, while they rapidly gain weight.
• Rottweilers are a powerful and large breed, puppies grow up to 12 months, and the development of the muscle corset occurs until 2 years of age.
• – active growth is observed up to a year, and the dog is fully formed by two years.

But it is worth considering 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 influence the growth and development of a dog:

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

Stages of dog development and growth

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

• changes in the puppy's weight;
• body growth;
• external changes (exterior);
• physiological characteristics.

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 this is where the main qualities of the future dog are laid. And here it is worth choosing a future family member more carefully, based on information about his parents and the reputation of the breeders.
• The second stage is considered to be the time when the baby is breastfed, the so-called suckling period, which lasts 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 also bears full responsibility for the small pets. If the puppy is strong and the future owners have experience in feeding one-month-old 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 rapidly, his milk teeth are changing. Here, the owner is solely responsible for all processes.
• The fourth stage - from 16 to 12 months, is quite varied and depends 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. While stopping in growth, the animal continues to gain muscle mass.

It is important to have an idea of ​​what measurement data corresponds to the norm in a given period. Of course, there are no exact figures, but a certain trend can still be observed.

Period from birth to 6 months

From birth to six months, a healthy, active puppy should increase in weight by three times, and grow at the withers by two times. At this time, dogs only grow in height.

This stage is characterized by the cessation of growth of tubular bones. Therefore, it is very important that at this time everything is formed according to the norm. Improper, unbalanced nutrition, serious illnesses can negatively affect the development of the bone frame, resulting in deformations and obvious disorders that cannot be corrected.

In this case, the adult will have incorrect body proportions, which will put an end to exhibitions and participation in competitions.

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

A dog's bone structure is fully formed by the age of three. Small breeds finish developing much earlier than large ones.

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

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

In addition, the following parameters are measured:

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

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

Proper feeding of a puppy

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

On average, a puppy up to 3 months old should eat at least 5-6 times a day. An older pet is gradually transferred to four feedings 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 experiences an intensive gain 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 puppy owner chooses to feed dry or wet food, then he must choose a good one. Such products contain all important micro- and macroelements, vitamins, sufficient amounts of proteins, fats and carbohydrates. The balance of the finished food affects the normal development of the puppy. In addition, most manufacturers, when producing such products, take into account age characteristics and other nuances.

Those owners who prefer natural nutrition should follow the following recommendations:

• Eliminate too spicy, fatty, smoked, and salty foods from your diet.
• It is best to buy sea fish after boiling it first. Raw fish and meat can lead to infection with helminthic infestations.
• Bones are poorly digestible, so it is not advisable to give them to your pet to chew on.
• Sweets and chocolate lead to disturbances in the functioning of the cardiovascular system, loss of vision and teeth, so their consumption 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.

Caring care and attentive attitude towards your pet will help it grow and develop normally.

The question of how old dogs grow is not as simple as many people think. Of course, every owner can name the approximate time when his pet stopped growing rapidly. However, the completion of the intensive growth phase, which is characteristic of puppies in the first 6 months, does not at all mean the completion of physiological development as such. Many bones and organ systems continue to develop without the owner noticing. The cessation of growth in different breeds occurs at different times and, as a rule, takes from two to three years.

As mentioned earlier, we cannot accurately determine the age at which a dog’s body stops developing. The onset of sexual maturity cannot be a reliable criterion for the simple reason that in many animals sexual development is completed before physiological development. Therefore, these two aspects of animal development should under no circumstances be confused.

Another important feature of dogs growing up is that they develop most actively during the first few months. Subsequently, their maturation becomes invisible to us, although in some breeds, such as the Rottweiler, the body continues to improve for as long as two years.

You should also take into account the fact that for each dog breed, growing up comes at its own time. The greatest difference is found between miniature and large breeds, since decorative dogs mature one and a half, or even two times faster than their large relatives.

Features of the development of different breeds

In the table below we will look at the main dog breeds and track how long it takes each of them to finally form.

Table. Growing up different breeds of dogs

What affects a dog's growth?

In addition to the breed, the rate of development of a dog is also influenced by external factors that the pet owner can take control of. Treating the dog’s body as a verified mechanism that improves independently and does not require participation is very dangerous. Sometimes dogs that did not receive proper care in their youth grow up underdeveloped (physiologically) and have many health problems in the future.

Among the factors independent of the pet owner, one can identify heredity, which is sometimes unfavorable and negatively affects the dog’s health, preventing it from developing fully. Among the factors affecting the rate of growth and development of a dog, we note the following:

• food quality;
• the presence or absence of physical exercise and training;
• nuances of content.

Nutrition

Feeding puppies is a very responsible task, since any mistake can lead to long-lasting consequences. To begin with, all puppies, regardless of their breed, consume their mother's milk for the first few weeks of their lives, which gives them enough strength to open their eyes and begin to move.

If newborn puppies do not have access to their mother and are fed artificial formula, this may affect their growth rate. However, when using high-quality substitutes for bitch milk, such sad results can be avoided. The same cannot be said about goat or cow milk, which is not a worthy equivalent.

The frequency of feeding also plays an important role. The older the puppy gets, the less often he needs to be fed, and vice versa. Most one-month-old puppies eat every 3-4 hours, while adults eat only twice a day. Therefore, over the course of a year, the owner must gradually reduce the number of servings so as not to harm the puppy or leave him hungry.

It is dangerous to immediately start feeding your puppy ready-made dry food, since the baby’s stomach simply will not have time to adapt to such solid food after milk. Dry food is introduced only from 2-3 months. Until this point, the puppy’s diet should include natural foods such as:

• cottage cheese;
• kefir;
• serum;
• cereals (served as porridge with milk);
• boiled vegetables (as a component of porridge);
• meat (beef, chicken or turkey).

In the first months of development, the main attention is given to dairy and fermented milk products. As the puppy grows up, meat gradually replaces milk, occupying at least 40% of the total amount of food.

You can read more about how to feed a puppy in a separate article on our portal.

Training

You can start training puppies as early as two months of age, but you should remember that at this age the baby is close in its level of development to a five-year-old child. Therefore, you should under no circumstances require him to carry out “adult” complex commands. With such actions you will only injure your pet and cause him stress and overwork.

Training will help the puppy not only better master his body by performing tasks, but also establish trusting contact with the owner if the person communicates with the puppy correctly. You can start training puppies with such simple commands as:

• "Stand!";
• "To me!".

Some dog breeders at this age already teach their pets the command “Ugh!”, however, this command, unlike all those mentioned, is accompanied by negative reinforcement and therefore can cause negative emotions in the puppy. That’s why most trainers prefer to leave the command “Fu!” at a later time, when the puppy has grown up and can adequately cope with frustration.

However, one way or another, the owner will have to tell the puppy “No” one day, and it’s better to happen sooner than later. Teaching a dog boundaries is not a pleasant experience and requires a lot of patience, but it is easier to train a very young puppy than an adult dog with established behavior patterns. How to encourage a dog to obey its owner without becoming aggressive is discussed below.

In this section, we will not dwell on the generally accepted rules like “don’t leave puppies in a draft,” and will touch on the topic of health. In order for puppies to grow into viable and strong dogs, they will need immunity, which can be protected by:

• routine examinations at the veterinarian;
• vaccination.

Deworming

Important! Please note that when choosing an anthelmintic for young animals, you should choose drugs marked “For puppies”.

Vaccination

Puppies can have their first vaccination at six weeks of age, but it is rare that this procedure is done that early. For the most part, breeders take this step to minimize the likelihood of puppies becoming infected with parvovirus enteritis in the nursery.

The further list of vaccinations includes the following vaccinations:

1. Comprehensive vaccination against parvovirus enteritis, parainfluenza and infectious laryngotracheitis and hepatitis. Puppies are vaccinated at 7-8 weeks of age.
2. Complex vaccination (from the same manufacturer) aimed at combating the same diseases, while introducing an anti-rabies component.
3. Additional comprehensive vaccination given to 16-week-old puppies if their immunity has not yet developed.

When choosing vaccines, veterinarians mainly rely on the following brands:

• "Eurikan";
• "Nobivak";
• "Rabizin"

All of these vaccines are suitable for both puppies and adults.

By the way! It is believed that after the first sexual intercourse, the dog’s body stops developing. In this regard, many owners refuse early matings and wait 2-3 years to cross physiologically mature partners.

Video - How to vaccinate a puppy?

Puppy Development Stages

Before growing up, each puppy goes through five stages of development, during which the animal experiences several states:

• embryo;
• suckling baby;
• puppy;
• young animals;
• young individual.

Embryo

As an embryo, the puppy is still in its mother's womb and has no direct contact with the outside world. During this period, it is very important to take care of the health of the pregnant bitch, who is growing a new organism. Not only the further well-being of the puppies, but also their survival will depend on the quality of her feeding and maintenance in general. It is believed that already as an embryo, the puppy develops certain eating habits (based on the mother’s diet) and begins to experience certain emotions.

Suckling puppy

Immediately after birth, the puppy should be breastfed, which lasts from several weeks to one and a half months (depending on the circumstances and breed). In most cases, suckling puppies are under the control of the breeder, who monitors their growth and development. Caring for a newborn puppy falls on the owner’s shoulders in two cases:

• if the bitch he has has whelped;
• if he accidentally found the cubs on the street and decided to help them.

If you buy a puppy from a breeder, then he prefers to sell the baby only when this suckling period ends and the pet gets stronger. This saves you from many of the medical hassles that the breeder takes on.

Puppy

Young animals

Characterizing this stage, we can draw a parallel with the period of a person’s growing up, called adolescence. Simply put, a puppy from 6 months to a year is a teenager, and therefore is very fond of various pranks and may seem stubborn and intractable. However, if you continue raising and training your pet, started at the previous stage, all these nuances can be avoided.

By six months, many puppies slow down their growth, and representatives of some pocket breeds even complete their development.

Juvenile

By the age of one year, almost all dogs are considered sexually mature and, hypothetically, can already participate in mating. In appearance, the “youth” looks like all other adult dogs. However, final maturation (if we talk about large breeds) occurs no earlier than two years, due to the animal’s continued increase in muscle mass. That is why most breeders are in no hurry to crossbreed newly matured individuals and wait about another year so that the bitch can bear viable offspring without health consequences.

Peculiarities of puppies growing up

Each puppy, regardless of breed, grows up according to several similar principles. There are two main periods, which are accompanied by their own developmental characteristics - before six months and after.

Puppies up to six months

Newborn puppies grow the most actively, since by six months they need to increase in weight three times (compared to their parameters at birth), and also double in height. Up to six months, puppies grow exclusively in height (if they are not overfed).

The main danger that awaits the puppy at this stage is incorrectly formed tubular bones. This type of bone continues to grow for several months after the puppy is born, so it is important for the owner to ensure that they develop properly. You can help your animal’s body with a balanced diet that contains the following microelements:

• calcium;
• phosphorus;
• magnesium.

In some cases, veterinarians may prescribe vitamin supplements containing the above elements. However, it is not recommended to give your puppy any supplements without appropriate indications.

Puppies older than six months

Six months after birth, the puppies' chest bone begins to enlarge due to the active growth of flat bones, as a result of which the pet becomes visually wider. Such changes occur at a rapid pace until the age of one, and then slow down significantly.

However, despite all the invisibility of subsequent development, the animal will need at least three years for all its bones to be fully formed. As already mentioned, this is important to take into account for those owners who want their pets to take part in mating.

How to control a puppy's growth?

If you want to make sure that your pet is developing in the right direction, you should regularly take him to the veterinarian to monitor his puppy's condition. You can also take measurements of your dog yourself. In order to analyze the dynamics of your baby’s development, you will need to know the following parameters:

• weight indicators;
• sternum girth;
• height (at the withers);
• height of hind and fore limbs.

In order to measure your pet's weight, you will need household or commercial scales (depending on the breed) and a tape measure.

Important! Before the puppy is six months old, veterinarians recommend taking measurements every week and a half.

4 hours have passed since birth. The kitten will turn in the desired direction. A small dog's strongest sense will be touch. The puppy may crawl towards its mother. They will both calm down next to each other.

7 days. The little dog still needs his mother's help and protection. She sleeps almost all the time, the remaining time she eats. The mother constantly licks the baby, encouraging it to produce urine and feces. In the wild, she eats these secretions so as not to detect the location of the offspring.

3 weeks: Standing firmly on his feet, the dog can now move around. In the fifth week, baby teeth begin to appear. The first bites begin. Babies do not yet know how to intelligently distribute their force, so they can bite quite hard.

4 weeks: The dog can already leave the cubs unattended. They will not stray far from their place. Recognize strangers.

6 weeks: Reflexes develop quickly, walking turns into running and jumping. The puppy becomes familiar with the objects around it. They begin to wean him off his mother's milk.

2 months: the nervous system has strengthened, so the dog can be transferred to new owners. She will easily get used to it at this age. 8 weeks - time for the first vaccination.

18-19 weeks: Training progresses very quickly. Right now it is necessary to teach the puppy to listen to commands and behave calmly. And in the future he will grow up to be a happy and confident dog. Often in the tenth week of his life there comes a time of phobias, when the animal is easily frightened. When meeting others, with a huge number of visual stimuli, noises, smells, places, people, teach yourself to behave calmly.

4-6 months: Permanent teeth are actively growing. At 4 months the second wave of fears will begin. It may be associated, for example, with a change of environment. Disobedience is often noted at this time.

6-9 months: Puberty. The beginning of an active life. At this time, she learns not to bite her owners in the game, and to perform simple tricks.

1 year The animal looks like an adult. But you need to continue to educate her, accustom her to calm behavior, then you will be confident in the future that her actions will be predictable.

andy, 3 years, 6 months ago

Buying a dog is a significant event in every family. To provide your new pet with proper care and nutrition, you need to know the age at which a dog is considered a puppy. This will help you choose the best food option, exercise program, and medications (if necessary).

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

Puppy Development Stages

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 the mother to receive milk. Thanks to him, animals learn to survive in the wild. The body's systems - respiratory, cardiovascular, nervous and others - function differently, their rhythm is directed towards maturation. At the neonatal stage, the puppy quickly gains weight, opens its eyes, and learns to walk.

The period of three to four weeks is transitional. During this period, all babies, regardless of breed and other factors, begin to teethe. This leads to the development of interest in solid foods. Puppies cease to be attached to their mother. They are increasingly leaving their designated area, preferring to explore the environment. Owners need to closely monitor their babies. Dogs do not yet experience a sense of danger, remaining defenseless against various factors.

The last stage of a puppy's life is directly related to the socialization of the animal. Its duration is about 80 days. During this period, babies are separated from their mother. They develop survival reflexes. Next, the level of activity increases and a rhythm is formed. Puppies need a lot of attention and play. It is advisable that the babies' partners be other dogs at this time. It is important to keep in mind that lack of outdoor exercise and prolonged loneliness have a negative impact on development.

At 3-4 months the juvenile stage begins. Dogs undergo a change of teeth. At this time, the formation of character and habits characteristic of a particular breed begins. Six months later, the first sexual games are observed. The time has come to isolate animals from their peers. Puppyhood ends at approximately seven months, with complete replacement of teeth.

When a puppy comes home, many owners have questions about what size and weight it will reach. Some people are interested in the age at which dogs grow - that is, when the active growth period ends and muscle mass finishes forming. For most breeds, there are several standards that can be used to guide you when answering these questions.

It is not at all necessary to control the height and weight of a four-legged pet if it is purchased from a reliable breeder. Having received a puppy of a certain breed, you can check what an adult dog will be like by looking at the parents, and become familiar with the stages of growth by reading the relevant literature.

Answers to questions about the puppy's development are of much greater interest to owners of animals received for free or even picked up on the street. Although it is quite difficult to answer exactly to what age mongrel dogs grow and, moreover, what they will look like in a few months or years. These answers are no less important for owners who see that their pet’s growth rate does not quite meet their expectations.

To monitor the development of a puppy, and then a young dog, it is recommended to periodically weigh it using ordinary scales and measure using a tape measure or centimeter. Until the puppy is 2 months old, measurements are performed once every 5 days, up to six months - every ten days, then - monthly. The height of the dog at the withers in a standing position, the circumference of the pastern (carpal joint) and chest are measured. Elbow height measurements may also be taken.

Puppy growth stages

The rate of development of a dog at the initial stage of its life is subject to certain patterns that are not related to the breed. Moreover, the beginning of growth is usually considered to be the period when the puppy is still an embryo, being in the mother’s womb. At this time, the formation of the animal’s body occurs, which is why it should only be taken from a responsible breeder who monitors the health of pregnant females.

The second stage is the life span from the birth of the puppy to 1.5 months. This period is called suckling and is the same for all breeds. This period is the same and lasts up to six months. During this time, the dog develops molars, its height at the withers approximately doubles, and its weight triples. Up to 6 months, puppies’ ears also grow, and by the end of the period they acquire the same shape as those of an adult dog.

Growth of young animals

In the period from 6 to 12 months, the dog is no longer called a puppy, but a young animal. It continues to grow - although not always until the end of the term. Most small breeds complete their size increase by eight or nine months; large dogs take up to a year to grow. It is also not difficult to find out to what age dogs of medium breeds (spaniels, bulldogs, basset dogs, huskies and chow-chows) grow. They usually stop growing by 9 or 10 months.

During these six months, the sternum develops most noticeably in all breeds. However, growth is no longer as intense as at the previous stage. But the exterior changes noticeably - by the age of one year the pet looks almost the same as it will be throughout its life.

Development of a young dog

The next stage, when the pet can be called a young dog, continues for most breeds until 16 months of age. In small breeds it ends earlier - even before a year. The period can be characterized by an active increase in body weight or size, and a complete cessation of development. Much depends on the following factors:

• from health in the early stages - active puppies grow faster and can mature earlier than their sisters and brothers from the same litter;
• the quality of the dog’s nutrition - a responsible attitude to the pet’s diet will allow it to develop longer and become larger - although not by much;
• from the sex of the animal. Females tend to be smaller in size and weight.

Size difference between male and female

The last stage of development is considered to be a period from one year to 2–3 years. At this time, small pets stop growing long ago, but large dogs can gain muscle mass. So the answer to the question of how many years do dogs grow to become fully grown depends on the breed. The smaller the dog, the earlier it matures. But even a representative of the largest breed - for example, a Newfoundland or St. Bernard - can well be considered an adult by the age of three.

Specific breeds

Looking in more detail at what age small breed dogs grow, it is worth noting the following facts:

• the growth of Chihuahuas and Yorkshire terriers ends by 8 months, after which only mass increases occur;
• A toy terrier can mature even faster – by six months. From this time on, neither their height nor their weight changes;
• Pugs change in size differently - some young dogs of this breed may stop growing at 6-7 months, others continue to develop until nine;
• The growth of a female Pekingese ends by 8–9 months, a male by a year;
• Dachshunds grow in length until they are eight months old, after which they only increase in width.

Dogs as large and muscular as the Rottweiler grow to their normal size by 12 months, and their muscles can increase until they are 2 years old. Shepherd dogs, St. Bernards and Labrador retrievers grow faster up to a year, and at the final stage - almost imperceptibly. They can be called fully formed by 2.5–3 years.