When does puppyhood end?

Julie's Ele is so cute. She reminds my of my little girl, Ciana. Which got me wondering. Ciana is 16 months old now, but you'd swear she was 5 months by the way she bounces around the place. She still does the bouncy jumps and bucks around like a little colt. Then there's my other dog, who I'm starting to call my "old man". He's only 5, but he has Degenerative Joint Disease, so I don't blame him.

Anyway, when did you feel like your puppy had finally grown up and you stopped calling him/her puppy? I feel like Ciana is going to be a puppy forever.

I usually consider mine young adults at a year and fully mature at 2-3 years. The day the puppy breath leaves is a sad day for me.

My black lab is 5, and I still call her "puppy" sometimes. Once a dog is 2, (or with some large breeds, 3) puppy stage is OVER! Your Malinios is handsome.

Little Lucy is turning 2 in May. To me she's not going to really be a puppy after that.
It's gone by so fast!

Ele's flattered now ! I don't think my dog's puppyhood will ever end they will perpetually be puppies!

in reality, it depends on the breed. alot of large breeds dont "mature" untill 2-3 yrs old (shepards and danes come to mind)

but mentally, your only as old as you feel.

My dog will be 5 soon and he seems extremely old sometimes. He acts like an old man who would rather lay in bed all day. But lately he's been acting like a puppy. Constantly wanting to play, Jumping around the house, and he just has that energy like a puppy. Then he goes back to being the old man again. LOL

i was just a baby when i got my Cody so pretty much since i was speaking i called him a "dog" as opposed to a "puppy". However, Milo is 13 months, and will probably remain a puppy in my eyes for at least five years.

My pups are my puppies for life ........just slower and older ...... like my own babies !!!

Ranger is 4, and I dont think he'll ever grow up! LOL He'll always be my Pup.

i think all dogs are still puppies at heart. i refer to a lot of dogs as puppies, no matter how old they are. It's more conotative than denotative to me.

Ruckus is not even a year old and he is very mature! however i dont think shelties are mature until 3 years of age.

What a gorgeous dog!

Once Duke stopped looking like this

http://www.chazhound.com/pictures/showphoto.php?photo=9691&cat=500&ppuser=11453

and looked like how he does in my avator(sp?) pic which was about 9 months or so then he wasnt a puppy anymore. Oh and when he came into complete full on cattledog attitude/personality and when I realized he wasn't a puppy anymore. Note he is only just over a year now and theres no puppy left to him.

Duke used to look like that! LOL

It's so hard to believe that this (below) puppy came home with me many months ago. Still when we go on walks she's pouncing on stuff and picking up Sycamore tree pods and pine cones.



All those collie pictures are really tempting me. Someday maybe I'll be lucky enough to find a smoothie.

RabbitsAreBetter, I love that merle colored puppy in your avatar. Sheltie?