When Do Dogs Grow out of the Puppy Stage?

The time it takes for a dog to grow out of the puppy stage depends on many factors, including breed and size, nutritional status, exercise habits and more. Although there's no exact date when your baby officially reaches adulthood, using these factors helps you get a sense of things.

  1. Breed and Size

    • Dogs reach adulthood anywhere between 12 and 18 months of age. Generally, the smaller the dog, the quicker the growth rate. An 8-pound bichon may mature in less than a year, while a 120-pound mastiff may take up to two years. In addition, dogs often need additional time beyond that to reach their ideal adult weight. Female dogs are thought to mature more quickly than males -- the old "girls grow up faster than boys" concept.

    Nutrition and Exercise

    • Puppies need extra nutrition to support growth. If a dog doesn't get proper nutrition, it can affect his growth rate and size. Exercise also matters. Although puppies like to be active and should have access to exercise, save heavy impact exercise until they are a little more grown up and their bones have grown and hardened more. This usually occurs between 9 months to 14 months old, but your vet should be able to advise on that.

    The Teenage Years

    • Like humans, dogs go through adolescence, the transition between childhood and adulthood. This period can occur anywhere between seven months and a year, depending on the dog. Signs your puppy is turning into a teenager include refusal to listen or obey, backsliding into puppy behavior like mouthing and chewing, jumping and having housebreaking accidents. Although these behaviors may be frustrating, they also are signs that your dog is getting closer to growing out of the puppy stage.

    Other Ways to Tell Your Puppy's Growing Up

    • Besides using rough time estimates and watching for signs of adolescence, there are other tricks you can use to monitor your baby's growth. One method is to watch his paws. A pup's paws are disproportionately large, especially in big breeds. Over time, his paws become more in scale to the rest of his body. Another thing to watch for is growth spurts, which continue until he is full grown. Signs of a growth spurt include increased sleep and hunger.