Last Updated on January 25, 2022 by Marco
As cute as they are, puppies are a handful. You may find yourself wondering, when does a Husky stop being a puppy?
Read on to find out.
Husky Age Range
Huskies have a lifespan of 12 to 14 years if cared for properly.
Husky: Puppy
Newborn To Two Weeks Old
From birth to the age of one year, dogs are considered puppies.
Newborn pups spend most of the time sleeping, nestled up with their mother and littermates for warmth and comfort.
Puppies are born with their excellent sense of smell already developed. They cannot see, however, and their ears are folded. But by the time they are two weeks old, their eyes and ears are open.
Learn more about: How Many Puppies Does A Husky Have The First Time?
Two To Four Months Old
During puppyhood, dogs go through rapid physical and mental growth. Between the ages of two to four months, puppies will start showing true dog behavior in the form of barking, growling, biting, and wagging their tails.
During the first three months of their life, a puppy will gradually stop being so dependent on their mother, play-fight with their siblings, and start to explore the outside world. As their strength and coordination grow, puppies will enjoy games of chase, wrestling, dominance, and tug-of-war.
Ideally, puppies will be socialized with people when they are eight to 12 weeks of age.
Given that most people bring their pups home from the breeder at the age of eight weeks, it is the ideal time to take them out and about, and expose them to lots of different people, places, and animals. This is so that they do not become fearful or aggressive in these situations.
The American Kennel Club says that a pup should have met 100 people by the time they are 12 weeks of age.
Husky: One Year Old
By this age, your Husky will be fully grown in terms of height.
A fully grown female Husky will be 20 to 22 inches tall (at the shoulder); her male counterpart will measure 21 to 23.5 inches.
It will take another six months for them to ‘fill out’, and attain their adult weight. Females will weigh 35 to 50 pounds; males will weigh 45 to 60 pounds.
By this age, your Husky will be very strong physically; hopefully, you have already commenced leash training and/or walking in a harness by his stage so that going for a daily walk or jog is pleasurable for you both.
Husky: Adult
Your Husky will be mentally mature anywhere from 12 to 36 months old.
Mentally mature dogs are more focused, more obedient, and less erratic.
The larger the dog, the longer this can take (as a general rule of thumb.)
Adult dogs are aware of the pack order in their household and look to you for leadership. They know that you are the ‘top dog’, and they will obey you if they consider you to be a worthy pack leader.
Research has shown that dogs are far better at understanding us than we understand them. The same research postulates that dogs prefer human company over that of other dogs, and that their main goal in life (other than eating food, that is!) is to understand you and what you ask of them.
So bear that in mind when your dog reaches adulthood. They want to work with you. So meet them halfway by giving them clear communication about what is and is not acceptable behavior.
To that end, confident, firm, and consistent handling and training are essential with any dog, and Huskies are no exception.
Husky: Senior
By the time your Husky reaches 7 years of age, they will be considered a senior dog.
Senior dogs slow down a great deal physically, and they will not have the energy or exercise needs they once did.
You will notice that your senior dog sleeps a great deal during the day too. Do not worry, this is normal.
The Maturing Husky
Puppies are hard work. They chew on everything, cry in the night, and sometimes go to the toilet where they shouldn’t.
As cute as they are, it is also helpful to know that there is an end in sight to all of this fluffy mayhem.
After all, if puppies carried on like that for the term of their lifespan, you would probably want to take them back to the breeder from whom you got them!
Thankfully, your Husky will start to calm down by the time they are 12 months old.
And you can start to train them to be calm from 6 months onwards.
Having said that, when we say calm, we mean it as a relative term. Huskies are high-energy dogs that will always be vigorous exercise and lots of mental stimulation to keep them happy.
The difference between a pup and an adult dog, with regard to behaving in a calm manner, is that the older dog has the maturity to learn how to act in this manner.
And never forget that the best thing you can give your dog (other than food, water, and shelter) is your time and firm yet kind attention. If you do that, you will have a loyal friend for life.
In Conclusion: When Does A Husky Stop Being A Puppy?
A Husky (or any other dog, for that matter), ceases to be considered a ‘puppy’ once they turn 12 months old.
By this stage, they will have done all of their growth in terms of height.
It will take a further six months for them to ‘fill out’, weight-wise.
It can take up to two years for your dog to mature mentally. You can help them with this by socializing them early on, commencing obedience training, and by offering them plenty of vigorous physical stimulation (exercise), and mental stimulation (toys and games, etc.)
And take heart. The crazy puppy phase will not last forever! Just enjoy the crazy cuteness while you can.
By the time your Husky is all grown up, he or she will be physically and mentally ready to work alongside you to achieve your goals, whether they be obedience-oriented, or sports-focused goals.
Read more about: When Do Female Huskies Stop Growing?
