# How long is a dog still considered a puppy?



## FlamingoFan (May 8, 2009)

Our Stella is 10 months old....I still consider her to be a puppy. We recently boarded her and when I told the owner of the kennel that she eats puppy food she looked at me kind of funny.

Is our girl all grown up and should be eating adult food now???


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## Nargle (Oct 1, 2007)

You dog is probably old enough to eat adult food. People usually switch between 6 months to a year.

Basil is one and a half years, and I still consider him a puppy. He's not an adult until 2. He may be fully grown and on adult food (Actually he's on TotW, which is all life stages) but he's still definitely got the maturity of a teenager. Just like I may have been fully grown at 15, but I was definitely not an adult, lol!


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## Inga (Jun 16, 2007)

I feed my dogs an all life stages food and never give puppy food. That said, I still considered my 13 year old a puppy.  I have a hard time thinking of my dogs as old. They are eternally young in my heart. ha ha


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## Nargle (Oct 1, 2007)

Inga said:


> I feed my dogs an all life stages food and never give puppy food. That said, I still considered my 13 year old a puppy.  I have a hard time thinking of my dogs as old. They are eternally young in my heart. ha ha


My boyfriend's family used to own a collie mix that was put down at 15, and I called her "puppy" until the very last day  They'd always look at me like I was crazy and say, "Are you sure you know what a puppy is!?"

She was such a sweetheart.


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## ooby1kanooby (Aug 11, 2009)

We gave our dog adult dog food as soons as we got her. The guess of her age was 7 months but I don't know the tecnical age that a dog is considered an adult. I always thought of a year as leaving the puppy stage but they surely aren't fully grown-up.


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## TooneyDogs (Aug 6, 2007)

You can switch at anytime to adult. Puppy food has extra calories for growth and most people will change over when they notice a metabolism change ie; the puppy can't seem to handle the extra calories anymore....a little hyper, not sleeping as well and/or perhaps a little too much weight.


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## tigress (Feb 6, 2008)

Hrm, my vet usually recomends what age to switch depending on size of dog. I believe he recomends smaller dogs be switched over sooner and larger dogs switched over later.

I think I've heard as for attitude they stay puppy like til about 2 years old. Course this depends on the breed (I keep hearing goldens are 3 year puppies and Huskies never grow up, heh).


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## FlamingoFan (May 8, 2009)

TooneyDogs said:


> You can switch at anytime to adult. Puppy food has extra calories for growth and most people will change over when they notice a metabolism change ie; the puppy can't seem to handle the extra calories anymore....a little hyper, not sleeping as well and/or perhaps a little too much weight.


Ohhhh....she is *alot* hyper.....I never even really thought to ask the vet what to switch her to...not sure what the foster mom before us fed her. As soon as this bag is done....I'll switch her to an adult.

And...our 13.5 year old lab Sadie....who we sadly had to say goodbye to in April....we always referred to as a "puppy". My husband would walk through the door and say out loud, "Where's my puppy?" and she would rocket towards him as fast as her old limbs would allow.



tigress said:


> Hrm, my vet usually recomends what age to switch depending on size of dog. I believe he recomends smaller dogs be switched over sooner and larger dogs switched over later.
> 
> I think I've heard as for attitude they stay puppy like til about 2 years old. Course this depends on the breed (I keep hearing goldens are 3 year puppies and Huskies never grow up, heh).


She's a 10 month old...20lb schnoodle with a ton of energy. I figured her to be a puppy just because of the activity level and the fact that although she's very bright....she's still in training mode.


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## sparkle (Mar 3, 2009)

If I where to speculate and assign a time (and based on having raised/observed complete litters interact with adults) I would think it would be when the dog lost all of the baby teeth and in addition has had it's green card revoked.

My definition of a green card is when the other dogs that once allowed a pup to jump on them and invade most spaces no longer do so. 
Otherwise a dog like many humans can always act like a pup. ;')


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## Spicy1_VV (Jun 1, 2007)

I consider them a puppy up to 1yr old, though there is some growing maturing after this. For some breeds it takes longer then others. 

As for the the food issue, I have some grown dogs, seniors that still eat puppy food or an equivalent performance food.


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## emily445455 (Apr 8, 2008)

Awww dogs are always little puppy-wuppies  I've heard under 2 is still puppy, then over 2 is dog....but I think it depends on the dog.

I feed my dogs puppy food until they are a year old


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