The life Cycle of A dog is very different from the life cycle of humans. No matter what duration we are there with our dogs, it is never long enough.
If dog owners are granted one wish that they want to get fulfilled, it will always be that ‘THEIR DOG LIVES AS LONG AS THEM’.
However, pet parents should provide our fur babies with appropriate care and lots of love. This will help them lead healthier as well as happier life. This can be facilitated simply understanding the life cycle of our dog.
In addition to providing a healthy life for your dog, you will also be able to enjoy every stage of their life cycle properly knowing and understanding it.
A dog mainly has four stages in his life cycle which are:-
- Puppy stage
- Adolescent stage
- Adulthood or the adult stage
- The senior stage
Let us get to know some facts and points at each stage of a dog’s life cycle.
Life Cycle Of A Dog
1. The puppy stage
If anyone asks a dog owner about the most difficult time they had while being with their dog, the most common answer in each dog parent’s mouth will be at the puppy stage.
The duration of the puppy stage is from birth to six to eight months of age.
A puppy needs to stay with his mother till at least eight weeks after birth. This is because the puppy then gets access to proper nursing and all the required nutrition.
The puppy stage has some very important rules that pet parents should keep in mind. These rules are
A. Get complete vaccination of your puppy.
B. Do not socialize your puppy with other dogs or take him out till he gets properly vaccinated.
C. Train your puppy according to your home. Make sure you make use of positive teaching and reinforcement methods.
D. Never leave your puppy alone as they are still new to this world. Make sure you accompany your puppy where ever they go so they get used to being around you and other family members.
2. The adolescent stage
The adolescent stage of a dog’s life cycle begins between the age of 6 months to 18 months.
Similar to human beings, this is the stage in which your dog starts developing various hormones in his body. If not taken into consideration or provided with proper care, your dog may start developing signs of aggression and moodiness.
It is very common for a dog to behave unpleasantly or unexpectedly while he or she is going through the adolescent stage of its life.
For additional information, the adolescent stage may continue up to 25 months or even 36 months, depending upon different breeds of dog.
3. Adulthood or the adult stage
The adolescent stage of a dog’s life begins between 24 months and 36 months, depending on the different breeds of dogs.
Adulthood is the stage of a dog’s life in which they are easy to manage. Hence, their owners are also relieved. Their owners now do not have to deal with their puppy tantrums and their adolescent behavior. The Hard work that was put into training their puppy will now pay off.
Adulthood is that stage of a dog’s life at which he attains maturity.
4. The Senior Stage or the Old age
Watching our dogs grow old is one of the saddest parts of our life. However, we feel great that we tried our best to provide our dogs with the best life possible.
Talking about the senior stage is the old age stage for dogs, it begins at 7 years to 10 years of age.
It is very common for dogs to become calm and less energetic during their old age. Their muzzle starts turning grey and they may start developing various joint pains along with dental problems.
Just as the puppy stage was a tough stage for us, the senior stage is not easy for our dogs. They do not have much time left (tears in my eyes) thus we should not restrict ourselves from providing them with our love and care, as they require it the most then.
Just for additional information, our dogs can sense death. They unconditionally love us. Hence, they start distancing from us as their time is near so that it is less difficult for us to let them go.
It is such a great quality of dogs for thinking so much about their human beings but we all know that ‘ it is never easy, no matter what the condition is.
Conclusion
Just like us human beings, dogs also go through different stages in their life cycle. Each stage has its challenges and benefits. Fortunately, we can manage some of those challenges.
Thus, understanding every stage and then acting accordingly will help dog owners in getting a better understanding of their dogs. This will help them in keeping their dogs healthy at each stage of life.
Also, a proper understanding of the pros and cons of different stages of the life cycle of a dog will help the dog owner in overcoming the problems and thus cherish every stage of their dog’s life cycle.
I hope you loved this blog. In case, your dog is still going through the puppy stage, you may refer to the blog How to Train A Puppy. It will surely help you in coping with puppy stage challenges.
