Intro
What a difference a year makes! Remember when he was a helpless newborn? Now he’s helping himself to whatever he wants.
He’s grown into a young adult, but he’s still not a true grown-up. He still likes to see what he can get away with, but he’s managing to temper it with some good sense—at least once in a while. And he’s still acting goofy enough to make you laugh at least once a day. Hey, he’s a dog. Goofy is part of his charm!
Physical Development
If he’s a small or medium breed, he’s reached his full height, and even large breeds are as good as there. But larger breeds are still gawky; they may take another year or more to beef up and fill out. He’s still not quite as fast or as strong as he will be eventually, but he’s very close.
His adult coat is now in. It’s not quite as soft as his baby coat, but the extent of the difference depends on the breed. If he’s a long-haired breed, the coat may still be kind of ratty, because it grows in at different rates on different parts of him. Be patient; it’s going to be lovely. His adult color should be visible. A few of the "blue" breeds, which start off black and gray with age, may not be completely gray yet, but they should be started.
Some late bloomers, if still intact (that is, not spayed or neutered), may still have immature testicles or may not yet have come into estrus. Because estrus can come on at any time, keep a close eye on your female puppy.
Socialization
Your pup is sorting himself out. He’s becoming more set in his place in the world. If he’s still timid, you need to continue your socialization efforts. Even if he’s sure of himself, you want to monitor him around people and other dogs, making sure he’s not turning into a nuisance or bully.
Behaviors
He’s turned into a sweet dog. He doesn’t fight, he doesn’t challenge you. It may look like smooth sailing from here on. Not so fast. He has one more maturity milestone to conquer: the age of social maturity.
Social maturity, which occurs somewhere around 20 months of age, is distinct from sexual maturity. It’s the age at which dogs get serious about their place in the pack. Whereas he may have once licked at your older male’s mouth in a puppy-appeasement behavior, and he may have moved aside when your other dog went for his bone, he may not be so quick to step aside now. He may instead decide to stand up for his bone, and suddenly, fights are breaking out. A few lifted lips, mumbled growls, and even noisy skirmishes are normal. In fact, dog behaviorists advise letting dogs partake in these early warning signals to one another, rather than force them to coexist until the fight to end all fights breaks out without warning. But if the fights escalate, or if one dog picks on the other incessantly, you may need to enlist the help of a canine behaviorist.
He may also decide he doesn’t need to do what you tell him. This isn’t adolescent misbehavior; this is a challenge to your authority. But the truth is that most dogs are content to let you be the leader. There are a few with delusions of leadership, and if yours happens to be one, this is the time he’ll probably show his colors. This is not the time to follow the outdated advice to throw him on his back and dominate him; that’s the recipe for getting yourself chewed up, or making him distrust you. Instead, you need to assert your leadership by having him mind your commands, and by making him work for his rewards, even your praise and petting. Positive consistent training, not force, is the key here. In serious cases you may need the help of a certified animal behaviorist.
Most dog owners, especially owners of single dogs, will pass through the stage of social maturity oblivious of the changes happening within their dog. That’s because most dogs are fine with their role in the social hierarchy. Owners may notice, however, that their dog is suddenly the dog park jerk, and it may be that these dogs need to stop going to the dog park for awhile unless they can learn to play nice.
Care and Experiences
You may finally be able to take down some of those baby gates you’ve been stepping over for the past year. But the longer you can keep your dog proofing in place, the less you have to worry about. He’s still not above chewing the arm off your antique chair, stealing the chicken out of the sink, or squeezing through that weak spot in the fence. You can make the concept of learned helplessness work for you by never allowing him to experience success in his mischievous endeavors. Pretty soon he’ll quit trying, even if he could easily accomplish the challenge. It’s still better to be safe than sorry.
You can gradually increase his exercise, taking him for short jogs. For most larger dogs, you should wait until he’s about 18 months before really pushing him. Remember a happy dog, and a good dog, is a tired dog, both physically and mentally.
Training
He should know the basics and have been through an obedience class by now. If not, what are you waiting for?
Remember to keep on giving him new challenges. Silly tricks, advanced obedience classes and exercises, even activities like tracking, weight pulling, and agility, will have your dog jumping with joy, and dogs that partake in these cooperative activities tend to be more willing to mind you in other areas of life. Plus, you may find you’re having just as much fun!
Play
He’s still a kid at heart, so don’t think he’s beyond playing. One of the reasons we love dogs is that they maintain that sense of playfulness for years, sometimes through life! One theory of dog domestication supposes that dogs are cases of arrested wolf development, so that they retain several physical and behavior attributes that wolf pups have, but that are usually lost in adult wolves. Although adult wolves play, adult dogs are notorious for their love of the game—any game. Don’t let yours down.
Balls, flying disks, stuffed animals—by now your dog has his own taste in toys. It’s worthwhile trying something new. Pay special attention to the interactive toys, which can entertain him for hours when he has to be alone. You may even want to try some home agility equipment, but don’t expect him to play on it without you. In fact, no matter what the toy, there’s one toy that trumps all others: you. So what are you waiting for? Your dog is waiting. Go play!
