Your Puppy: 10 Months Old

Mental and Physical Development

Mental Stimulation Puppies are in full-blown adolescence at 10 months old. Your puppy is likely extra hyper at this age, so you'll need to stimulate them both physically and mentally to tire them out. Obedience training is an excellent form of stimulation because it not only makes your puppy work, but it also makes them think.

Try working with your puppy on tricks such as stay and roll over, or games such as hide and seek using treats. Also teach your puppy to sit before you throw a ball for fetch, so they're thinking as well as getting physical. Or call them away for a moment while they're playing with other dogs, and then send them back to play again.

Anything that both mentally and physically stimulates your puppy will tire them out. For mental stimulation on a daily basis, do two 15-minute sessions a day with your puppy.

Fiber and Nutrition Fiber is an important nutrient for maturing puppies. It is needed to stimulate bowel movements, prevent constipation and diarrhea, keep the intestines healthy and regulate nutrient absorption from the intestines.

Depending on the size and breed of your puppy, you may have already begun the switch to adult dog food by the time your puppy is 10 months old. High-quality dog and puppy foods contain the necessary daily requirement of fiber, which can help to prevent diarrhea during the switch to adult dog food.

If your puppy is experiencing diarrhea or constipation, you may need to switch to a high-fiber diet. However, before you add more fiber to your puppy's diet, have your puppy examined for parasitic infections to rule out any digestive problems.

You should consult your veterinarian before making any changes to your puppy's diet.

Health and Veterinary Care: Infections

Although puppies at 10 months of age have a maturing immune system, they are still susceptible to infections. The most common types of infections for older puppies include ear infections, skin infections and parasitic infections.

Ear infections happen frequently in puppies. Many puppies develop ear infections because of ear mites, allergies, high ear-wax production or if foreign materials become lodged in their ears.

Puppies can also develop skin infections that are associated with allergies or parasites. A flea bite can cause an allergic reaction and can become severe in some puppies. The bites themselves can also become infected. A type of mite called demodex can cause skin infections if the puppy's immune system is weak.

Untreated intestinal parasites such as roundworms, hookworms or whipworms may weaken a puppy's immune system over time, leaving them more vulnerable to infections of the skin and digestive system. It is important to take the proper preventive measures against these parasites.

Training: Tricks

At 10 months old, puppies can begin to learn fun tricks such as rolling over, shaking hands and playing dead. It is important that your puppy knows the basic commands such as sit, stay and come before you begin to expand the training to include tricks.

A 10-month-old puppy may not pick up on a new command as easily as they did at a younger age, but with repetition and positive feedback they will learn new tricks over time. Training sessions for tricks should last no more than 10 to 15 minutes, and they should be performed at least three times a day.

If your puppy is clicker-trained, you can use the clicker to help them learn new tricks. You may also want to stick with a reward system using treats and verbal or physical praise. Once your puppy has learned a new trick, practice the trick at least once a day afterward so it is not forgotten.