Your 6 month old puppy
At 6 months old, your puppy is considered to be an adolescent. Be prepared for some teenage behaviour!
Things to do this month:
Spay or castrate
As your puppy hits puberty, they may become sexually interested in other dogs and start marking, straying or humping. Ask your vet about having your dog spayed or castrated to prevent unwanted pregnancies. Ask your vet for advice about when this should be done. Your puppy needs to be emotionally, socially and mentally mature before being neutered.
Dog training
You may have graduated from puppy school, but you’ll need to keep up with the training. Consider follow on classes. If you start to experience problem behaviour in your dog, it’s a good idea to seek professional help from a properly qualified dog trainer or behaviourist.
Common questions you may ask this month
How much exercise does a 6 month old puppy need?
An energetic 6 month old puppy will benefit from a good half an hour’s walk a couple of times a day. Mental stimulation is particularly important in young dogs, so make time every day for training, playing, sniffing and learning. Dogs love having the space to run around and have a good sniff – this is part of their natural behaviour. Take your dog to different places to give them a change to experience new smells. Check it is safe for them to be let off the lead, or use a long lead if you are still perfecting your recall.
How much will my puppy grow after 6 months?
At around 6 months, your puppy’s growth rate will start to slow down. If your dog is a large breed they will continue to grow, up until the age of two. A smaller breed may be close to their adult size by this age.
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Testimonials
What Clients say
about Puppy School
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“Lilly was very friendly and engaging throughout the course. She was also always happy to answer any questions we had at the end of the classes. Our Bonbon absolutely loved Lilly! ”— Molly
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“We attended puppy school with our American bully puppy coco, we had already had a terrible experience with another school who made us feel tidally uncomfortable and unwelcome with our puppy. Puppy school Hollywood could not have been more different, Sarah was a fantastic tutor and a real supporter of Coco, encouraging us when the muzzle made exercises that bit more tricky and thinking up modifications so Coco was never left out. We were introduced to the class and the explanation of why Coco was wearing a muzzle was done in a way that we didn’t feel in any way uncomfortable and the other puppy parents were reassured. Thank you so much for giving our very restricted puppy the opportunity to be ‘normal’, I can’t articulate what an impact it had.”— Frances
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“Rocket and I enjoyed every class and Cat was extremely knowledgeable and helpful. It was fab watching her interact with each dog, and be able to show owners what was possible, no matter what temperament of dog. Fantastic to watch and great tips given as we went along trying the new skills. ”— Andrea
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“I can’t imagine a tutor better than Kelly. She was so reassuring and helpful, and skilled in getting us through the exercises. Her fondness for the dogs and enthusiasm was obvious.”— Emma
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“Alice was absolutely lovely and helped us with some issues that weren't covered in the syllabus, she was so knowledgeable about everything puppy behaviours and she taught the class well. The venue was great, there was plenty of space for each puppy and for exercises without it being too big and scary. Nelly loved attending puppy school and we learnt so much about dog training and behaviour.”— Mandy