Knowing what life stage your dog is in is very important, since each vital phase involves a series of different cares and needs. If we know them clear, we will be able to provide our life partner much better and guarantee that they grow up healthier both physically and emotionally. Meeting these specific needs involves providing them nutritionally with what they need to be able to live a healthy and happy life at every moment of their lives. To do this, we will have to be attentive to physical and emotional changes to better identify the vital phase in which our best friend is.
A puppy is in a vital moment of constant growth, it needs high quality food with specific characteristics to support it in this process, since it has different needs from those of an adult dog, such as, for example, it must have a higher calorie intake than an adult dog. In addition, he is also in a key learning phase that will impact the rest of his life. Therefore, all the work and time invested in creating a bond and giving him a good education in this phase will help us have a good relationship with our dog for the rest of his life.
Adolescence is an intermediate phase between puppy and adult, where the dog will continue to grow physically and will be at a key learning point. It is that moment when our furry friend starts to be curious about the world, and their sexuality starts to awaken, so the energy levels may be higher and show more “rebellious” behaviors. At this time, the dog will want to test the limits, so it will be very important to constantly work on education and bonding. On a nutritional level, the animal continues to grow, so it will continue to require an adequate caloric intake and top-quality ingredients.
The adult phase will be the longest in the life of our furry pal, and as in the previous phases, it is also important to identify what their needs are. Each dog is a world, and we must guide ourselves in giving them a high-quality food, taking into account the ingredients that make them feel better. At this stage it will have reached its final size and sexual maturity. When our dog is an adult, the bond we will have with him will be stronger, but we must not forget to continue working on it day by day.
Yet, how do I know what phase my dog is in?
Each dog is different and being able to identify exactly what phase they are in is no exact science. There are legends and myths that say that a dog year is equivalent to seven human years, however, there is nothing further than reality, since the result obtained after applying it does not fully adjust to the real maturational stages that the dog goes through. We must also consider other factors that determine the maturity of each animal, such as, for example, depending on the size, the dog will take more or less time to be considered an adult. Each breed has its life cycle, and although we can generalize, we must observe our dog and consult with the veterinarian so that he can accompany us in his maturation process.
The importance of knowing what phase our furry friend is in is key to being able to optimally attend their needs. It has nothing to do with what our puppy, adolescent or adult dog will need. At Gosbi we make our food only with 100% natural, high-quality ingredients. We know that natural foods are healthier, safer, and tastier and are the best option if we want to offer a healthy life for our dogs. For this reason, we do not use any product that does not contribute nutritionally to the animal, and none of our foods include transgenics or chemical ingredients in their composition.
During the puppy stage it is very important to provide all the protein and fat that our puppy will need to become a healthy and strong adult. At Gosbi we have the Exclusive Puppy range, with premium natural ingredients adapted to the nutritional needs of your furry friend. When they are teens, the need for calcium decreases, but protein and fat levels are maintained. For this, we have the Exclusive Junior range, ideal for medium and large teen dogs. Finally, adult dogs have different needs, since the caloric intake decreases. However, as in the previous phases of growth, a quality, healthy and natural diet will contribute to a better state of health of our best friend. In the Exclusive range there are different varieties based on chicken, lamb, or fish meat, with rice as the only cereal and with the integrated provital formula.
Mini dogs (up to 5 kilos)
Mini dogs are the ones that grow up earlier. When they are between 10 and 12 months we can already consider them adults. For them, the use of Gosbi Exclusive Puppy mini is recommended up to 10 months, and we will directly transition to the Exclusive Adult range without going through the Junior range, since they will not have the caloric need that a larger dog may have.
Small dogs (up to 10 kilos)
Small dogs will be given Puppy mini up to 12 months, after which they will go directly to the Adult range. The Puppy range has an optimal supply of calcium for the proper growth of our dog, and as with the mini dogs, there is no need to give Junior to dogs with these characteristics.
Medium dogs (from 10 to 25 kilos)
From 14 months they have already developed, and we will consider them adults. Until then, Puppy medium will be given and from 4 months you can make the transition to the Junior range. The uniqueness of this range is that it does not have as much calcium as Puppy, but on the other hand it has more protein and fat needed in medium and large sized dogs. Both Puppy medium and Junior can be given (let yourself be advised by your veterinarian) up to 14 months, then the transition to adult will be made.
Large Dogs (from 25 to 50 kilos)
Larger sized dogs will grow and develop up to 16 months. Before that, we recommend feeding Puppy medium up to 5 months, and thereafter up to 16 months, feeding Junior before transitioning to an adult diet.
Giant dogs (over 50 kilos)
The giant dogs are the ones that grow the slowest, and they do not reach the adult phase until they are 24 months old. For them, we have the Puppy maxi range, recommended up to 8 months, and later Junior will be given up to 24 months, since the dog will already be fully developed to be able to feed with the adult range.
We must bear in mind that the moment of making the transitions has to be gradual, since a sudden change could make our best friend feel bad. This is because dogs have a limited bacterial flora, and direct dietary changes do not usually suit them. For this reason, we recommend a few days to mix the different foods and gradually make the complete change.
Food is closely linked to the health of our dog, but we must be clear about its needs at each moment of its life to adapt well to each moment. At Gosbi, we have the ideal food for each of these phases. Discover them!