From pup to pensioner, your dog experiences several significant changes at every stage of its life. Understanding what these changes mean for your dog goes a long way in helping nurture them into happy and healthy adulthood.
Discover when your puppy will gain independence, its sensory experience at each stage of life, and the best way to offer enrichment to dogs of all ages.
Newborn Puppies Depend Entirely on Their Mothers
Due to dogs’ short gestation periods, a newborn puppy is helpless and relies wholly on its mother for support and nurturing. At this time, the puppy cannot see and hear and does not yet possess any teeth.
During this time, the puppy will require four main things: food, sleep, warmth, and grooming. A newborn pup can sleep up to 22 hours a day. While it lacks the necessary tools to feed itself, a newborn can instinctively find and suckle its mother for milk.
The mother will not only groom the pups to keep them clean, but this behavior also helps stimulate them to pee and poop. When the newborn approaches two weeks old, they will start to open their eyes and become aware of the world around them. Their sense of hearing and taste also develops, and 28 small teeth begin to form.
Puppies Need Playtime and Socialization
As a dog enters the “puppy” phase of its life, the fun can begin. At this stage, they can walk, communicate, and engage in play. While your puppy will have an abundance of energy, they are not yet ready to play outside, so avoid dog parks during this time. Instead, they require a nurturing environment surrounded by their siblings and plenty of enrichment.
At three weeks old, a puppy can wean off its mother’s milk and begin to eat solid food. Now is the right time to start potty training, too. Your puppy will develop its unique personality through playtime between four and six weeks old. This involves running, jumping, fighting, biting, and barking.
Between eight and 18 weeks is the time when your puppy will require their first veterinary vaccinations. Ensuring your dog receives these shots is necessary to keep them safe as they begin to play outside and engage with other dogs. At this stage of life, puppies tire out quickly, so short, and frequent walks provide the best exercise.
As your dog evolves from puppy to youngster, their baby teeth will disappear and be replaced by a complete set of 42 adult teeth. This is a great time to start engaging in dental care; brushing your dog’s teeth helps to keep them healthy and prevent dental disease.
By venturing out into the real world, your dog starts to expand its understanding of life. Playing with their siblings early in life can help build your dog’s social skills. Still, if they struggle to behave appropriately around other dogs (or people), you can engage in training classes to aid their progress.
Adolescent Dogs Test Boundaries
A dog will reach full maturity between the ages of six and 18 months; these “teen” years possess many similar qualities to that of a teenage child. While different breeds do vary in temperament, all dogs at this stage of life will have a tremendous amount of energy that they won’t know how to channel.
Rebelling is common, as is disobedience. Several owners give up on a dog during this stage of life as they become “too hard” to deal with. Still, this doesn’t need to be the case with adequate training. Ensure the recall command is firmly established before your dog engages in outdoor off-lead play. This ensures their safety and the safety of others around them.
At this stage, you may also want to consider neutering your pup. Without this operation, females will start experiencing heat cycles and attracting unwanted attention from male dogs. In contrast, male dogs will become so determined to find a mate that they may run off and get lost.
There are many myths about spaying and neutering. Talk to your vet who can explain your options and help you make the right choice.
Adult Dogs Have Fleshed Out Personalities
At two years of age, your dog is around 24 years old in human years. They are fully developed physically and mentally and can settle into a day-to-day routine.
Playtime is still crucial at this stage, maybe even now more than ever. For puppies, everything is new, and the world around them is a source of excitement and enrichment. But for more mature dogs, they can quickly become bored or feel that they are “stuck in a rut.”
This is a great time to teach them new tricks and introduce them to different experiences that can bring some enrichment into their life. By now, your dog will be an integral part of your family, and their schedule will be in tune with your own.
Senior Dogs Will Become Less Active
Aging is part of the circle of life, so your dog will begin its senior years at some point. At this age, you can still engage and interact with your dog meaningfully, but it’s essential to understand that their needs differ from when they were a pup.
Ensure you provide food suited to this stage of life. Your dog is not as active as they once were, so their nutritional needs are lower. If you continue to feed them the same foods you always have, they will be at risk of canine obesity and all of the associated health risks.
Moderate exercise is a great way to prolong your dog’s health and keep them active; ask your vet to help you compile an age-appropriate program. Check-in with your vet regularly to keep up to date with vaccinations, oral health, and any health issues that arise.
Most importantly, spend time with your dog. They may no longer want to join you on an hour-long hike, but they’ll happily take a gentle stroll through the local park. Knowing they’re loved and cared for can help your dog ease into old age.
