4 signs that your puppy is no longer a puppy.

This shop is part of a social shopper marketing insight campaign with Pollinate Media Group® and Purina One, but all my opinions are my own. #pmedia #ONEDifference http://my-disclosur.es/OBsstV

Maverick, the first night we got him.  October 2013.

Maverick now, all grown up. July 2014.

I've been going through this weird nostalgic puppy dog stage lately.  Believe me, it's as wacky to me as it is to anyone else.  It blows my mind that I care at all about a dog, let alone that I sit and reminisce about the good old days when he was just a young pup.  But he was so little and cute and adorable!  And now, by golly!  He's all grown up!  How could he have ever been so little?

The craziest thing about your dog growing up on you is that you don't notice at all when it is happening.  You think he's still a puppy and then one day you just realize.  Nope.  He's not a puppy anymore.  He's a big boy.  And it kind of breaks your heart in a weird "this-animal-is-no-longer-small-anymore" kind of way.  Even without the photos to prove it, there are a few things that have been going on for old Mavvy that prove no doubt about it that this dog is growing up.

1.  He's got the concentration/ focus skills of a mad man.  Which basically means that he will fetch a ball all day long.  It has been so fun to teach him to play fetch, but it's also kind of sad.  When he was a puppy he could never focus long enough to bring the ball back, would get distracted by everything in sight, or would just want to wrestle around instead of go get the ball.  Now, though, he will bring that tennis ball back to me for literally hours.  Certainly his total determination is a sign that this guy is growing up on us. 

Just look at him lusting after that ball.  Such focus.

2.  He's no longer eating puppy food.  The first week of June we took Maverick off of his puppy food and participated in the 28 day Challenge with Purina One.  The goal was to see and monitor how Maverick responded over that time to his new dog food.  Well, it didn't take long to realize that Maverick was more than ready to be off the puppy food and he absolutely loves the Purina One SmartBlend.  The kind we got is a chicken and rice formula and the first night he had it, Maverick ate the entire bowl in one sitting- something he never does.  He also fattened up just a little bit since he has been eating the food which makes me happy because I always worry he's too skinny.  (You can participate in your own 28 day challenge with Purina One- use this coupon for $3 off your bag of dog food!)

3.  He's totally social.  When Maverick was just a little guy he would run away from other dogs or always be intimidated by them.  Now he LOVES other dogs. He totally thinks he's a big dog and so he'll play with any dog, any size, and half of the time ends up getting his trash kicked, but he doesn't care.  It's kind of adorable to watch him make friends with all the other dogs.

 Meeting a new dog.  Traditional butt sniffing.

4.  He got fixed.  With his manhood no longer in place, this dog is officially grown up.  We can let him chase the female dogs to his heart's delight with no worry about mini Mavericks springing up behind our backs.  Still, though, something about getting Maverick fixed made it seem much more official to me that he was now a big boy dog.

Maverick the night of his little operation.  He wasn't feeling so hot.

Yep.  He's officially a grown up.  All ready to be a doggie big brother now?

You can learn more about participating in the Purina One 28 Day Challenge here:

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