Posted by Did you just purchase a Goldendoodle puppy from a breeder or adopt from a rescue? If the answer to the question is yes, you have to know that there are a lot of things that you need to take note about the growth and development of your new friend.
Talking about the growth and the development of a Goldendoodle puppy, there are three growth stages seen in this breed, including:
- Puppy stage
- Adult stage
- Senior stage
This post will especially uncover about the first stage, the growth and the development of a Goldendoodle puppy, which is the puppy stage. It will include some growth week by week pictures. From this stage until the puppy becomes an adult, it keeps growing and changing.
Stage 1: Birth to 3 weeks
The first three weeks of the Goldendoodle puppies is known as the first stage of their development. Just like any other puppies, Goldendoodle puppies are born blind, deaf, and have no teeth. These three weeks are important stages in their development. During this period of time, the needs of these puppies, such as food and sleep, can be fulfilled with ease. Everything is mostly done by their mother.
Similar to humans, the growth of Goldendoodle puppies mostly takes place when they sleep. If you want your puppy to grow well, it will be needed for you to allow it to sleep. At the end of this stage, the puppy will know a little bit of their surroundings. They will start barking, crawling, and interacting with the other ones.
Stage 2: 3 weeks to 7 weeks
The stage 2, which is 3 weeks to 7 weeks, is very important to the social development of the Goldendoodle puppies. Not only that, this stage is also important to their social development. At this stage, they will grow rapidly. They begin to interact more with the others, including their mother, and so on. When interacting with their mother, they will be taught with a few basic manners and start the weaning process. At the same time, they will find out the way to play with their mates and what they will tolerate. One of the things that they will learn is the method to bite strongly. Besides, they will also find out which one is fine for playing.
Stage 3: 7 weeks to 12 weeks
When they are 7 weeks of age, the Goldendoodle puppies are usually able to part away with their mother and go to new homes. At this stage, they may show some signs of fear. For them, everything is scary. There is nothing to worry as it is actually normal.
Stage 4: 3 months to 4 months
This stage is when the Goldendoodles will start to become independent. Do not be surprised if they start to challenge or even ignore you. During this stage, they will also start teething around with their very painful gums. Please give them chewing toys unless you want your items to be chewed by them.
Stage 5: 4 months to 10 months
During this time, the Goldendoodles will learn the way to adapt to different social situations and to find out the behavior that is approved and the one that is not.
Stage 6: 10 months to 1 year
10 months to 1 year is the stage where Goldendoodles, the small ones, will reach their full size. It is stated that they will usually reach maturity around 8 to 12 months of age. As for the large ones, they will keep growing and may not reach their full size until they are 18 months to 2 years old.
Stage 7: 1 year to older
Goldendoodle puppy will be fully developed and sexually mature between 1 and 2 years of age. It will no longer grow. However, it is possible for its size to grow a little bit. At this stage, you are suggested to make the puppy start exercising. The kinds of exercises that you can try include jogging, agility training, and hiking. As its bones are now fully developed, the chance of it having joint or stress injuries is low.
When the Goldendoodle puppy is 1 year old, its food can be changed from the puppy food to adult one. To help decrease any GI signs from switching food, it is better to use the food from the same brand. When switching the food, do it slowly to avoid an upset stomach. Here is the good schedule for switching diets:
- 3/4th old food and 1/4th new food for 2 to 3 days
- ½ old food and ½ new food for 2 to 3 days
- 1/4th old food and 3/4th new food for 2 to 3 days
- 100% new food
If you want to know the difference of the changes of a Goldendoodle puppy check out the following Goldendoodle growth pictures below:
The name of the Goldendoodle in the picture is ace. This one is owned by an artist, writer, golfer, and CLIfster named Candace Jensen. Here are the explanations about the time lapse photo collage:
- The first picture from the left is the picture of a 10 weeks old Ace. When it was 12 weeks old, it weighed 14 lbs.
- The second picture from the left is the picture of a 16 weeks old Ace. When it was 16 weeks old, it weighed 24 lbs.
- The third picture from the left is the picture of a 24 weeks old Ace. When it was 24 weeks old, it weighed 36.8 lbs.
- The fourth picture from the left is the picture of a 32 weeks old Ace. When it was 32 weeks old, it weighed 46.2 lbs.
- The fifth picture from the left is the picture of a 40 weeks old Ace. When it was 40 weeks old, it weighed 52.4 lbs.
- The last picture from the left is the picture of a year old Ace.
It should be easy for you to find the difference between each of them. The growth of Ace can be seen really well even from the pictures.
