puppys

[lola chow]

hi me again
could anyone tell me at what age do the pups stop growing and also what age do they have there first season ,i am wanting to buy a canny collar but want to wait ubtil she has grown thanks again

[Auddymay]

What is a canny collar?

[summer_rose03]

Large breeds are usually almost done growing around 9 months old or so, then they might fill out a bit till 12 months. As far as first heat, 6 months or older?

[vicster605]

LOL Auddymay thats what I was thinkin' As far as heat goes my two were around 8-9 mos., both of them

[jacqui]

Chyna went into her first heat at 5 months

[WildThings]

A canny collar is a head harness like the Halti, etc. (Had to look it up, I was curious too )

[lola chow]

my friend has lent me one and they work a treat seem to be kinder than a halti as the fasten behind the head no more pulling excellent

[sengeoz]

My experience with Chows (nearly 40 years including time showing & breeding) is that they get the majority of their growth between 9-11 months, but they do continue to grow very slightly more til they are about 18 months. They actually don't physically finish maturing til they are about 3-4 years of age.

Depending on the lines your girl comes from, she could come in season at 6 months, 8 months, 10 months, 12 months... that is genetic.

[IliamnasQuest]

My girls have all reached full heighth by a year of age, but tend to fill out. Khana has especially shown this - at four years old, she is much broader and mature-looking than she was even just a year ago. My other girls never got quite so stout .. *L* ..

And while your girl may not go into heat until 8-12 months of age, you should start watching her at five months or so. Any signs that she's going into heat means that she needs to be kept isolated from any intact males or you will end up with an "oops" litter with an immature girl (which is a bad thing). Khana comes into heat religiously every six months or so and it's not much fun overall. Right now I have Khana and Tazer (GSD bitch) both in heat so things are really interesting. Time to schedule some spays!

Melanie and the gang in Alaska

[Judy Fox]

Milly and Mabel both had their first heats at about 8 months, if I remember rightly. Milly first then before she had finished, Mabel clicked in. Then they had a great interest in smelling each other's knickers!!
Growth carried on until they were turned 12 months then they started to fill out and then they put the energy into filling their brains with all they needed to learn everything they could about us and the household and what was in it for them!