Keeping It Pawsome

Inform. Empower. Enrich.

Dog Facts: Bigger Dogs Mature Later

Dog Facts: Bigger Dogs Mature Later

The generally accepted rule for dog maturity has always been: under 1 year old is a puppy, anything older is an adult dog. But recent research has found this isn’t quite true.

Smaller dogs reach maturity faster than large dogs, with some larger dog breeds taking nearly twice as long to reach full maturity.

A recent survey of 1,000 puppy owners in the United States by Purina found that very few were aware of these differences. Most noticeably, a whopping 92% of large breed owners didn’t realize their dogs might need to be fed puppy food for up to two years.

In case you’re among the more than 50% who aren’t aware how breed and size affect maturity (we didn’t know!), here’s when you can expect your fur baby to reach full adulthood.

Dogs Less than 30 Pounds

Toy and small breed dogs that weight less than 30 pounds can reach full maturity any time between 9 and 12 months of age. Check with your vet but you’ll probably want to switch your teeny Affenpinscher over to adult food before she reaches a year old!


New puppy on the way? Check out our ultimate new puppy checklist!


Dogs Between 30 and 80 Pounds

Medium breed dogs come the closest to the traditional viewpoint that 1 year is the transition from puppy to adult, but even then, some medium breeds can take up to 16 months to mature.


Does your dog behave? It not, you’ll want to read about the 9 mistakes dog trainers say you’re making.


Dogs More Than 80 Pounds

Large dogs and giant breeds that typically weight more than 80 pounds can take up to a full 2 years to reach maturity. Pet parents of these oversized puppies will want to keep them on puppy food for longer.


Are big dogs good family pets? Find out which big dog breeds made it into our list of the top 15 best dogs for a family.


How useful was this post?

Click on a star to rate it!

Average rating 4.7 / 5. Vote count: 3

No votes so far! Be the first to rate this post.

Related Posts

The Top 10 Things Veterinarians Wish You Wouldn’t Do

The Top 10 Things Veterinarians Wish You Wouldn’t Do

Tick-Borne Diseases in Dogs and Cats to Watch Out For

Tick-Borne Diseases in Dogs and Cats to Watch Out For

Never Miss Another Feeding: WOpet Boost Automatic Feeder Review

Never Miss Another Feeding: WOpet Boost Automatic Feeder Review

How to Help a Scared Rescue Dog Feel at Home

How to Help a Scared Rescue Dog Feel at Home

Discover Your Dog’s DNA

embark

Discover Your Cat’s DNA

24/7 Online Veterinarian.