Is an 8 month old dog still a puppy
8 Month Old Puppy Training Potty, Crate, Leash, Obedience
Dogs are one of the most common pet animals that you see in every house. Dogs, because they are loyal, cute, and fun to play with.
They provide endless entertainment and act Well when trained. In todays article, we will discuss the training process of an 8-month-old puppy.
Can an 8 month old puppy be trained?
Dogs are considered one of the best companions of a man. They are very loyal and a great company. In addition to that, they will provide the owner with Endless Entertainment, and help to lower the stress levels.
Dogs are considered one of the most ideal pet animals because they can be trained easily and become well-mannered.
Generally, people tend to train dogs from an early age so that they can learn about the environment and their surroundings easily.
In addition to that, they will be able to catch your commands and make proper implementations of those in the future.
Tips to train a 8-month-old puppy:
Generally, dogs who are below 8 months of age are considered puppies. During this age, they learn a lot of things and develop a new type of behavior. It is an ideal time to train your puppy when it is 8 months old. They can easily get familiar with your commands and can focus on something positive.
It is important to pet a dog from an early age because during this age they start to develop new behaviors and gain maturity.
Generally, a dog that is below 8 months old age is considered a puppy. The puppies are very curious and excited to learn about the environment around them.
They can even start to jump so that they can get a better look at things that are not within their reach.
However, it is important to train a puppy so that it can become well-mannered and disciplined. At this age, they can be much more focused and easily catch the commands. Below are some tips to train an 8 month old puppy:
Walking consistency:
One of the common tips that you need to apply when training your dog is to decide which side your dog will walk on consistently.
The general rule of thumb to walk your dog is to keep it on the left side, but you can keep it on the right side as well.
Let your dog choose which side it will take during a walk and make sure it is consistently on the same side. If you can manage to teach your dog The Walking procedure, you need to know that youre doing good.
Acceptable behavior:
You need to teach your dog acceptable behavior which must include not biting someone or jumping straight on someone. You need to teach your dog that this type of behavior is a part of a bad manner.
Reward-based training:
You must allocate a reward or treat for your dog each time it responds to your command.
This will encourage your dog to be more focused on your commands and instructions. Always have to keep a positive attitude to accept the best response from your dog.
Keep patience:
Patience is the key to training your dog. Sometimes your dog may not respond to your instructions at all. But you should not lose your patience.
You need to be focused and keep trying so that your dog can understand the instructions given by you. So, you can try communicating with the dog differently so that it can understand how to respond to you.
How long does it take to train an 8 month old puppy?
Dogs are considered one of the most companions and pets that human tends to have. They are quite playful, curious, and entertaining animals that can be a companion.
If proper training is provided, it is possible to train a dog and make it disciplined. Generally, people tend to train the dog from 7 to 9 months of their age because during that age they have most of the behavioral development.
In addition to that, they have their utmost focus and attention on the commands and instructions. They are called as a puppy from the age of 7 to 9 months old. Generally, the maturity or completion of training of a dog depends on the effort you can give.
It may take two months to train your dog and make it disciplined. On the other hand, it may even take a couple of months to train your dog if you are unable to communicate with your dog or unable to make him understand your commands.
So, you have to be patient and keep trying to train the dog so that it can understand what you are trying to explain and follow the commands accordingly.
But it should not take no more than 3-4 months for your dog to get trained to make it understand. You need to maintain consistency to train your puppy.
Potty training for 8 month old puppy:
Potty training is an essential part of training your dog. It is considered a part of socializing your dog. If your dog is potty trained, it will know where to do its business and will not bother anyone else for that.
In addition to that, it will not cause any disturbance to the people around it. Generally, you need to start potty training your 8-month-old puppy from an early age because during this age they have proper attention and focus on the commands.
Below is a brief discussion on how to potty train your dog:
Select a spot:
Select a spot for your dog and make the dog familiar with it. As a result, it will understand where to go when it is urgent for the dog.
Take the dog out frequently:
You can also take your dog out to potty frequently so that it can understand the concept and come to the place when needed. This will help the dog to socialize and understand the environment well.
Reward after potty:
Dogs love to get rewarded. So, if you can manage to reward it once it understands your command, it will try to follow it accordingly.
Crate training for 8 month old puppy:
Dogs are considered one of the most common bit animals that are seen in every house. They are liked by the people for their playful behavior and loyalty to the owner.
In addition to that, the dogs can be trained to be well-mannered and disciplined. It is very easy and effective to crate train a dog to become well-mannered. Below is a brief discussion on crate training for 8 months old puppy:
Make it comfortable:
You need to make your dog feel comfortable inside the crate so that it can adjust to live inside of it.
Provide them toys:
Provide them with toys inside the crate to become familiar and comfortable with the environment inside the crate.
Give them treats:
You can give them treats to your dog whenever they can understand your commands and instruction. As a result, it will be easier for them to understand the concept of living inside the crate.
Obedience training for 8 month old puppy:
Your dog needs to be obedient and disciplined in front of everyone. This will improve the character and behavioral development of your dog and help to make it socialize.
So, you need to start training your dog in obedience training from an early age.
There are some techniques that you can use to make your dog obedient. Below is a brief discussion on how to make your dog obedient:
Stay focused and consistent:
You need to be focused and consistent when trying to make your puppy obedient because sometimes they may not be able to understand your instructions.
Start with basics:
Start with basic commands so that it can be easy for the dog to understand what are you trying to explain. As a result, it will also be easier for the dog to respond and move on to the complicated commands.
Try using the expression:
You can try using expressions to make sure your dog can communicate with you. You can pat your dog whenever it understands your command. This will also help the dog with a clear understanding of obedience.
Leash training for 8 month old puppy:
Sometimes, your dog needs to be leash trained. Usually, the dog does not like to wear a leash. But it needs to be leash trained to make sure it becomes disciplined.
In addition to that, whenever you go out and walk your dog, having your dog attached to the leash is a must to prevent any type of inconvenience.
Below is a brief discussion on how you can leash train your dog to make it more obedient and disciplined:
Take a step and stop:
The first thing you need to make your dog understand is to start and stop walking by using the leash on your hand.
Give them treats:
Take a handful of treats and give them to them whenever they perform the task accordingly.
Choose a side when holding the leash:
Do not switch sides repeatedly, this will make the dogs confused and uncomfortable while walking and they will not be able to learn it the walking.
Final Thoughts
The dogs below the age of 7 to 9 months are considered puppies. During this age, they develop many characteristics and qualities. That is why you need to start training your puppies at an early age so that they can be disciplined and well-mannered. This will also help them to become socialized.
At what age is a dog no longer a puppy?
Ask any dog parent, and theyll tell you that puppies grow into adulthood in the blink of an eye. And, while this is true, a dogs transition to adulthood is not so straightforward. Understanding your furry babys growth process is important because it helps you meet their needs. The key to providing the ideal lifestyle and diet for your dog and help them develop into a healthy pet is to know their maturity level.
And even though certain breeds might exhibit puppy behavior well into adulthood, there is still a point when your furry friend is technically no longer a puppy.
When is a dog no longer a puppy?
Each stage in your dogs life is important to their overall growth and requires different care from you. Much like humans, a dogs development breaks down into several stages:
- Sexual maturity
- Physical maturity
- Emotional maturity
As if that werent enough of a curveball, you should also know that some of these stages are different depending on your dogs breed and individual needs. The great news is that as your dog grows, youll get to know them better than anyone else. This will make it easy for you to understand where they are in terms of development and help them every step of the way.
Sexual maturity
By 6 months old, most dogs are able to reproduce. This is known as sexual maturity. While your 6-month-old pooch is physically and emotionally still a pup, this is the time to have your dog spayed or neutered if youd like to avoid unwanted pregnancies. Yes pup parenthood just got real!
But reproduction isnt the only issue here. If you want to prevent behaviors such as roaming or marking, then 6 months of age is the best time to fix your pup. At this point, their sex organs are fully developed and can undergo sterilization.
Physical maturity
Physical maturity is more of a gray area, because it depends on your dogs breed and size. Its also independent of behavioral maturity. So, at this point, you may find that your dog is fully grown but still behaves like a pup. They also still need a high number of calories and a lot of daily exercise to stay happy. Welcome to the teenage years!
If your puppy reminds you of yourself as an adolescent, then you should know this can be a challenging time. Just be patient and consistent. With clear boundaries and expectations, your furry friend will soon grow into a mature adult.
Here are the general guidelines for your dogs physical maturity, based on their breed and expected weight:
- Small breeds up to 30 pounds mature between 10 and 12 months of age.
- Medium breeds up to 80 pounds reach maturity between 12 and 16 months.
- Large breeds that weigh over 80 pounds may not reach maturity until theyre 2 years old.
Emotional maturity
Once your pup reaches emotional maturity, theyre a full-fledged dog. This stage in their life is very clear and youll quickly notice the difference. Your pooch will stop acting like a puppy or teen. By their second year, your dog will be much more focused and settled down.
Just like with humans, this is a point in your poochs life when hormones even out. They listen and respond better and even understand social cues that went over their head before. At this point, you can say that your puppy is now a dog.
Signs your puppy is aging
Your puppy is losing baby teeth. According to theVeterinary Centers of America, puppies get their baby, or deciduous, teeth between three and six weeks of age. By 12 weeks, these teeth will start falling out to make room for their adult teeth. Many owners panic when they find teeth on the floor or a bit of blood on a chew toy, but theres no need to worry! This is all normal, as is your puppy even swallowing her deciduous teeth. It sounds scary but poses no danger for your precious pup.
Your puppy is long their puppy coat. A dogs puppy coat is the fluffy, soft, and short fur that most young dogs have. This coat falls out and is replaced with a longer, coarser adult coat between six and 12 months of age. Depending on your dogs breed and activity level, they may require more frequent brushing or trips to the groomer.
Adult dog needs
Because development is a gradual process, your dogs needs change as they transition from puppy to a dog. Since raising a puppy takes time, its best to introduce change as needed:
Adult dog food: The switch to adult dog food should happen at physical maturity. This milestone is different, depending on your dogs breed and weight. Once your pup has physically grown into an adult dog, their dietary needs change and you should adjust accordingly.
Medical care: Starting at 6 weeks, puppies need shots until theyre approximately 16 weeks old. Going forward, healthy dogs should see the vet once a year.
Exercise: While puppies are furry energy balls, adult dogs exercise needs change depending on their size, breed, and sex. While many small breeds get enough exercise just from walking around the house, larger dogs require at least 30 minutes of daily exercise. As your dog grows, itll be easy for you to know how much exercise to provide depending on their personal needs.
As you can see, raising a dog is much like raising a child. Although you wont get any talk back or sassiness, a dogs maturity process is still important. From puppy to adulthood, your dogs needs will change and you should adjust accordingly. Keeping all aspects of their growth in mind is essential to developing a healthy relationship that continues to blossom with time.
Want to know more? You can take a look at our guide on how long do puppies sleep, which plays a major role in their development.
