Older Pups & Adult Dogs for Sale
From time to time, we occasionally have some tween pups or adult dogs for sale on our farm. These pups are special and we’ve done lots of the hard work for you already. Adopting an adult dog has its pros and cons. Potty training, leash training or basic commands are usually complete at this stage of the dogs life. The con is that you may have missed the “cute” stage of his life where he toddles around the floor begging for attention.
Our available adult dogs or older pups are only available for a couple of reasons. It just means that we’ve either retired one of our dogs from our breeding program and are looking for a loving home for them or maybe due to unforseen circumstances, a pup was promised and things didn’t work out. Either way, we want the very best home for ALL our dogs and puppies, no matter the age.
When Is a Dog Considered an Adult?
That’s a tough question. It generally depends on the breed of the dog. Large breeds tend to mature more slowly while smaller breeds are quick to mature. Just reaching a physical maturity doesn’t necessarily mean that your dog will just wake up and magically be a mature adult dog though.
Physical maturity is harder to determine, since it depends on your dog’s breed and its size. Now is when you may find that your dog is fully grown but still behaves like a puppy. They also still need high caloric food and tons of exercise to stay healthy & happy. Here’s some additional signs your puppy is no longer a puppy.
Here are the traditional guidelines for your dog’s physical maturity, based on breed size and expected weights:
- Small breeds up to 30 pounds mature between 10 and 12 months of age. (Mini Goldendoodles, Toy Poodles or Tiny Bernedoodles)
- Medium breeds up to 80 pounds reach maturity between 12 and 16 months. (Golden Retrievers, Mini Bernedoodles, Akitas)
- Large breeds that weigh over 80 pounds may not reach maturity until they’re 2 years old. (Bernese Mountain Dogs)
So now you can understand, it totally depends on the breed & size of the breed, in order to determine when a dog is not a puppy anymore.
Adopting An Older Dog
Sometimes people don’t want to fuss with the “puppy stage” and skip right into the “tween” age of puppyhood. Maybe you don’t want to deal with potty training, chewing up your shoes or all that puppy socialization that’s needed. Adopting an older dog can be a blessing, in many cases, for lots of people. Sometimes we have adult dogs for adoption just because we felt that puppy needed more personal attention or socialization skills before we allowed it to go to a new home. It’s crucial to socialize an adult dog and we begin that process from the day they’re born.
When Is a Dog Not a Puppy Anymore
Most people get all gushy and silly over the adorable puppy looking so cute. Face it, puppies are the cutest things EVER! Everyone wants a puppy that will romp around the house, bark that sweet little bark and play endlessly. What about when a dog isn’t a puppy anymore? Just because they’re not that little fluff-ball anymore, doesn’t mean they don’t want all your love and attention. They still love to play! In fact, they can play catch now. They still bark. But now they let you know someone is at the door. And, now they’re even more valuable, they seem to understand your emotions. When you feel tired, they lay by your feet. When you’re sick, they lay by your bed. And when you’re emotionally hurt, they put their head in your lap. When is a dog not a puppy anymore? It just means you now have a best friend who understands you.
We Have Adult Dogs for Adoption
Like I said before, we sometimes have tween pups or adult dogs for sale. We always encourage people to decide the age of puppy or dog they are wanting, depending on their lifestyle. A very active family who is always on the run to sports, work, school or activities may not have the time to devote to a small puppy. On the otherhand, a tween or adult dog can jump into the car without a worry of potty accidents or feeding schedule. Older folks typically want to avoid the puppy phase and leap right into a pup that is “ready to go”. Going for walks or runs in the park are fun instead of halfway through, you end up lugging the puppy all the way home because his little legs are tuckered out.
Senior Dog Stages
Our dog becomes our very best friend, our confidant, our other half. We tell them all our troubles of the day, when we’ve been hurt by someone dear, or we’re upset and angry. As the years pass, our adult dogs, hit yet another milestone. They will now go through the senior dog stages of life.
- Thinning and greying fur
- Reduced activity or exercise and mobility
- Weight changes, may gain or lose weight
- At risk of extreme temperatures whether hot or cold
- Hearing loss and/or vision
- Changes in behavior
Just like humans, they go through the many phases of life which affects them physically as well as mentally. It’s hard on them not to do what they used to. Walking the trail used to be a breeze and now its just too much. They don’t like staying outside playing in the snow for hours, going potty outside is long enough now. Their fur isn’t full and silky anymore, but thin and greying. What a blessing to have our adult dogs with us till a ripe, old age.
Additional Care for Our Older Dogs
One big step you’ll take when your puppy hits adulthood is a change in food.
Puppy kibble is made just for puppies, containing more fats and protein than adult kibble, to feed their developing brain and growing body. Puppy kibble also has higher calories and different nutrients, which helps with your pups brain and vision development.
If you continue feeding your puppy kibble past the recommended weight and age, your puppy could be at risk for obesity due to the higher calorie content and protein in puppy food. Puppy’s need the additonal proteins and calories to keep up with their growing bodies and unending energy. As puppy’s grow into adulthood, they don’t need the additional calories since they aren’t quite as active as that little fur-ball you brought home at 8-10 weeks.
You’ll feed your puppy more frequently each day than you will an adult dog. Knowing how long to feed puppy food doesn’t have to be scientific. Young puppies will be fed up to 4 times a day; 3-6 month old pups will be fed around 3 times a day; 6-12 month old pups will be fed approximately twice per day. When you transition into feeding adult dog food, you have to change more than just the type of food he eats. Portion sizes and the number of times puppy’s eat will also change
Adult dogs have kibble specifically made to maintain your dog’s health for most of the active years. Since obesity is a major concern and causes additional problems with your dog’s health, knowing when to switch to adult dog food is very important. Referring to the general guidelines is the best approach to know when to make the big switch.
If you’re ready to check out our available “tween” or adult dogs, we may be able to help you!
Simply fill out our Adult Dogs for Sale/Puppy Application and we’ll take a look to see what we have available.