So… Now your pup is turning 1!! 🐕🐾

Happy Birthday to your pup! Celebrating your puppy’s first birthday!! You made it through all the stages of puppy hood. Let’s Paw-ty!

A puppy is officially considered an adult dog between the ages of 1 – 2 years depending on the breed and that is once their bones have fully developed. Of course, they will continue to be as playful and energetic.

Smaller breeds finish growing at a year, while larger breeds will get slightly bigger over the next few months until they’ve reached their final height and size. Once your pup is fully grown, you will know just how big or small your pup will be so you can buy them all their essential dog supplies needed in the correct sizes for collars, crates, beds, etc.

Daily Exercise

It is still very important for you to maintain your schedule of training, socialization, and daily exercise. Hopefully by now, your dog knows how to walk on a leash without pulling. Make sure you are using the correct tools and sizes. We recommend Lupine Leashes & Collars. They are guaranteed for life. You will need a 6 feet lightweight leash, and a plain flat comfortable collar. You should be able to fit 2-4 fingers between the collar and the dog’s neck. It should be snug enough that it can’t be slipped over their head. A well-fitted harness can be a wonderful tool for many dogs. Harnesses should only be worn when your dog is on a leash. We recommend PETSAFE Easy Walk No-Pull Dog Harness – The Ultimate Harness to Help Stop Pulling. A convenient Training Pouch for an easy training sessions or walks. Give a small reward for good behavior.

Grooming

By now they have shed their puppy coat and their adult coat has come in. From here on out you can expect regular shedding especially in the Spring and Fall. To help keep the dog fur to a minimum, there’s a few handy tools we recommend. Tropiclean Shampoo, Pin Brush, Slicker Brush, Furminator, Miller Forge Large Dog Clipper, for fast trims and a Nail Grinder for more extensive grooming, Waterpik PPR-252 Pet Wand and Pro Shower, Flying Pig High Velocity Dog Pet Grooming Dryer  W/Heater and Zymox Ear Cleaner. Now is a good time to begin regular dental care, which can include regular Brushing &/or a Tropiclean Dental Water Additive. We also use Whimzees Dental Treats. It’s important to keep their adult teeth & gums healthy.

Big Dog Toys for Mental Stimulation and Relaxing

Your pup is still learning and curious, so give them many choices for toys. Interactive Dog Toys are a good choice. The Kong Wobbler is great for mental stimulation and the Starmark Treat Dispensing Bob-A-Lot. We recommend some puzzles, DR CATCH Dog Puzzle, PETSTA Enrichment Puzzle and Training Toy, Outward Hound Squirrel Puzzle. Toys that can challenge them are highly recommended. Snuffle Feeding Mat not only challenges them but keeps them busy. Lick Mats will keep them busy. Also, Kong Extreme Dog Toys can be stuffed with treats, peanut butter (as long as it does not contain xylitol which is very toxic) BUDDY BUDDER is 100% Natural Dog Peanut Butter and can also freeze it for hours of fun! They enjoy the Banana Peanut Butter and Pumpkin Peanut Butter flavors too. Also, can freeze yogurt too. Bully Sticks and Antlers are great for chewing. As with any toy/bones remember to supervise and inspect regularly. We also recommend Bow Wow Buddy. Which tightly secures bully sticks to prevent choking on the end of the bully stick. Your pup now has a better attention span than he did when he was younger. This means he can learn more complicated behaviors and training besides the basic commands he learned as a young puppy. The dog world offers all kinds of fun competitions for you and your dog to participate in. This is a good time to get into dog sports such as obedience, agility, tracking and rally. Your dog doesn’t have to be a purebred to be eligible. Flyball, dock diving and tracking, can be loads of fun too. Once your dog is 1 year old, he’s got the maturity and attention span to take on these sports.

Diet & Nutrition

Puppy diets are calorie and nutrient rich to support their rapid growth that puppies need when they are small, but as they mature their growth needs change. Adult diets are lower in calories and contain different vitamins and minerals to support their adulthood. Some even contain long term nutrients for joint health. If you are happy with their quality of their current puppy food, then you can purchase their adult formula. I would recommend keeping the flavor and formula similar. If feeding a chicken based formula then continue with chicken. We recommend Fromm Large Breed Adult Gold. If you're not happy with their current puppy food then that’s ok try a different brand. When transitioning from puppy food to adult food you should transition gradually over a week period. During this transition, gradually incorporate more and more of the new food by mixing it with your puppies current diet each day. Transitioning too quickly can cause stomach upset with loose stools or diarrhea. If you have transitioned gradually and your dog is still experiencing stomach upset, it is best to consult with your veterinarian. It may be necessary to choose a different diet. Please keep in mind it is recommended to change their food every 4 months or so. By switching between high quality dog foods, you’re giving your dog a wider variety of essential nutrients to keep them healthy. Other benefits of switching your dog’s food often is avoiding allergic reactions. If you have a finicky eater, you can try adding some freeze-dried food like Grandma Lucy Artisan. They LOVE it. Mix it with warm water and let it sit for approx. 5 minutes. The smell alone will entice them to eat. We also recommended adding additional supplements now that your pup is an adult. With dry kibble it loses a lot of its nutrition (Vitamins, Minerals, Etc.) during the processing process. Therefore, we need to add some back into their diet. We recommend Nupro All-Natural Supplement, and for large breeds we recommend Nupro All-Natural Joint Support Supplement. We also recommend Dogzymes Digestive Enhancer Daily Probiotic and for omega health Salmon Oil Supplement. For occasional loose stools we recommend Weruva Pumpkin Patch Up and Grandma lucy's Simple Remedy Freeze-Dried Chicken and Rice Meal Replacement instead of making your own bland diet. It's a simple meal replacement for a bland diet. that saves you time. Stops nausea, vomiting, upset stomach and diarrhea. Just add water to the limited ingredient mix of the white rice and freeze-dried chicken and mix.

Dog Bed

Now that your puppy is an adult, he or she will need a nice and comfy dog bed. We like the Calming Dog Bed-Anxiety Donut Dog Cuddler Bed. Also, the Furhaven Soft & Comfy Orthopedic Dog Bed w/Removable Washable Cover.

Flea & Tick Prevention

For your Yard we take a more natural approach. We believe in limiting exposure to chemicals/pesticides. So, we use Diatomaceous Earth to kill & repel fleas, ticks and most other bugs. Food Grade only! Its natural and safe around children & animals. Can even be applied to your dog for fleas & ticks. Just don't inhale some. Its powder based. Another great natural product for your yard is Wondercide. It's a flea and tick yard treatment and preventative. This pest-repellent spray is powered by natural essential oils and is safe around cats, dogs and people of all ages. It even works great on mosquitos which can carry Heartworm disease. The Wondercide - Flea, Tick & Mosquito Spray for Dogs, Cats, and Home is another natural product that breaks the flea life cycle by eliminating eggs, larvae, and adults. It kills fleas throughout the house on carpet, furniture, bedding, and flooring. Holistic vet approved. It's so important to use a product that repels. Prevent the bite from even occurring. Some dogs can be allergic to the saliva from a flea bite. Flea dermatitis is so very uncomfortable. I have had luck with Wondercide - Flea & Tick Dog Spot On.  It's powered by plants and proven to work, these effective spot-ons repel fleas, ticks, and even mosquitoes. I also use 0BUG! ZONE Flea & Tick Barrier Tags. It works on frequency and makes your fur baby seem invisible to them. It attaches to their collar and best of all it uses no harmful chemicals and is odor-free. But just a heads up, I don't find it works as well on young puppies or small breeds.

If your pooch already has fleas, then you will need a product that kills. It's always recommended to use a product that repels, but we need to get those nasty blood suckers off your pooch. A repellent won't cut it. You will need a product that kills and repels as well. I do prefer more natural products, but sometimes a little extra is needed depending on your summer activities and the area you live in. Then I recommend using K9 ADdvantix II it works on contact. 

Luxury Items

A luxury Item to have is a vacuum that does a dynamite job with dog hair. Your new puppy will shed his puppy coat for his adult coat. But for most breeds with their adult coat comes constantly shedding. Expect more in the Fall & Spring. The best Robot vacuum for pet hair is the iROBOT ROOMBA i7 + Wi-Fi Connected Robot Vacuum with Automatic Dirt Disposal (7550).  We also like the BISSELL ProHeat 2X Revolution Pet Pro Plus 3588F, Upright Deep Cleaner. It has a turbo strength motor with powerful suction and does a marvelous job.