Growing up fast!

 

So, when does your cute, fluffy and mischievous puppy transit into his next life cycle of becoming a ‘Junior’ dog?

 

The answer is never black and white. Some people will say when the puppy reaches sexual maturity (around 6-9 months of age) this is also the time that should be looking at neutering/castrating your dog; others will decide upon the level of alertness, gait and physical stature and some will simply decide upon the dog reaching 12 months of age as a benchmark for their pup becoming a Junior.

 

In our experience all of these thought processes have their merit in some way or another but we generally class a dog as a junior when all the previously mentioned apply.

 

Generally speaking a dog’s bone structural support will be fully formed around the age of 12 -15 months. This will give you, the owner, a good idea of the dog’s final height, length and general demeanours but ignore the next 8 -12 months at your peril!This is the period that a dog will develop his adult muscular proportion and in some cases this can mean that the dog literally doubles in weight, strength and general physicality. This is important to remember if you are considering one of the larger more powerful breeds like the Rottweiler, Mastiff or German Shepherd dog for example. This is the time where your pack leadership skills will be tested, remember try not to get frustrated, stay chilled but always in charge. After all, YOU are the leader, your dog is the FOLLOWER……….

 

It is not just the physical size of your dog that will change dramatically during the junior phase of his life; He will also develop his mental capacity and with this the need to learn new things with virtually constant mental stimulation from the owner a daily requirement. Remember he will need not just to be not physically challenged and drained but mentally as well.

 

By utilising your dog’s nose, eyes and ears in play or training activities you will see right before you, his development into a happy, stable and balanced animal – a must for all dog owners if you are to avoid problems into the next phase of his life – adulthood!

 

For advice on any junior dog issue that you may have, why not contact us and we will be happy to help out with a chat or even a visit to assist you along.

 

Good Luck, your halfway there!