How Long is a Dog a Puppy?

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Puppy age is considered particularly important because it is of great importance for the later life of the dog.

The time is considered the embossing phase. To a large extent, the dog’s future behavior depends on what the dog learned and experienced during its puppyhood.

Us humans need to know how long these phases last.

Up to what age are dogs considered puppies?

In general, it can be said that a dog is considered a puppy until it is 18 weeks old.

A dog is therefore called a puppy, from birth to the end of the imprinting phase and socialization phase towards the end of the fourth month of life.

Like a human life, a dog’s life is divided into different phases.

The time after birth

After birth, the so-called neonatal phase begins.

The little puppies are born with downy fur and are completely helpless. The eyes and ears are closed and the sense of smell is very weak.

Dog babies cannot regulate their body temperature themselves and are therefore always looking for the warmth of their mother and siblings. It is also the bitch who cleans the puppy during this time and makes sure that the little one defecates and urinates.

The little one’s head is constantly bobbing back and forth. These movements help locate the teats. While the little one sucks milk, he makes smacking noises. In addition to a soft squeak, this is the only form of communication in this phase of life.

The first steps in the transition phase, after two weeks

After about two weeks, the transition phase begins.

The puppy opens its eyes and begins to perceive and respond to sounds.

Cuddling is no longer necessary. From the second week, puppies can regulate their body temperature themselves.

The coordination of the muscles improves significantly and feces and urine are passed independently.

During this time, puppies love to explore the world outside of the whelping box and often need to be recaptured.

This is also the ideal time to start toilet training. Small boxes with a natural surface or regular small tours in the garden help.

Now the little one begins to bark slightly for the first time and slowly the milk teeth break through the jaw.

Embossing and bite resistance, from the fourth week

From the fourth week of life, one speaks of the imprinting phase.

The puppy now clearly perceives its environment and also its mother and siblings.

The little dogs now begin to play and romp around. The play of the siblings is particularly important for the future personality of the little one, especially so that biting inhibition can develop.

Bite inhibition is the dog’s ability to control its bite force. Anyone who bites too hard must expect corresponding resistance. If he doesn’t learn this, this can lead to big problems later, because the animal bites uncontrollably in the game.

Dogs that grow up isolated during this time later have problems with their peers and usually also behavioral problems that are difficult to work through.

That is why puppies are not separated from their mother before eight weeks and handed over to you as the dog owner.

The dog learns quickly in the socialization phase, 12th to 14th week

The next phase is called the socialization phase. It extends to around the 12th or 14th week. This time demands a lot of patience from the breeder or the new dog owner.

What the dog learns during this time forms the basis for its future behavior. The puppy is now particularly receptive and learns very quickly.

The young dog should now get to know as much as possible and get used to many different situations and noises. This can be household appliances, a visit to the vet, or even cars, people, and other animals.

These experiences later make it easier for dogs and humans to live together. If the dog is neglected in this phase or is already being treated like an adult dog, this can hardly be made up for with later training.

However, the dog must have appropriate rest periods from time to time.

It then takes until about the 16th week for the dog to be called a young dog.

From the 16th to 18th week a puppy is considered a young dog

Not all dogs are the same, however, and some develop slower than others.

Small breeds in particular are usually clearly ahead of the large breeds in their development. Thus, no exact day can be set to release the dog from puppyhood.

From the 18th week of life at the latest, a puppy is considered a young dog.

Make intensive use of the dog’s first few weeks to form a close bond with your puppy and teach him as much as possible for his future life.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is a 6-month-old dog still a puppy?

Sometimes the physical development, more precisely the change of teeth, which takes place from the fourth month of life, is also referred to as an indication of the end of the puppy period. Nevertheless, the following applies: the puppy is a young dog at the latest when it reaches the 18th week of life.

Is a 2-year-old dog an adult?

Physical Maturity: Dogs are physically mature at around 1 year old, but large breeds can still grow up to 2 years of age.

What must a puppy be able to do at 18 weeks?

By the age of 18 to 20 weeks, your young dog should have learned that using teeth when dealing with human skin and clothing is taboo. The most effective way to teach your puppy something is to reward him for desirable behavior.

At what age is a dog an adult?

Reaching adulthood, i.e. the end of the growth phase varies in dogs depending on their size. Small to medium-sized breeds are fully grown by the age of one year, while medium to large dog breeds is fully grown by 1 year to 18 months.

How long is the puppy age?

Puppy time ends in dogs between the 16th and 18th week of life. The exact end of puppyhood depends on the breed as well as individual differences.

How long do I have to give puppy food?

Don’t feed an adult dog food until your dog is an adult — by 12 months for most dog breeds, but perhaps as late as 18 to 24 months for large and giant breeds.

What can a 10-week-old puppy eat?

When the puppy is between 10 weeks and 5 months old, you are giving it 3 meals a day. After the 5th/6th month you give him 2 meals a day. The most important thing is that you always feed your pup at around the same time; his inner clock will get used to this rhythm.

Can a puppy feed adult food?

It is very important that you also give the puppy food and not adult food, as is unfortunately recommended over and over again. Puppies have a particularly high calcium requirement, which is not adequately covered by adult food.