When did your collie 'turn the corner'

[drharps]

The thread on how much exercise got me to thinking: when did your BC turn the corner from puppydom to adult? I know some breeds are late maturers (e.g. Swissies) and have heard from most people it's around 2 years when they go from puppy energy and disobedience to more measured and level adulthood. When did you see that change? 

[Smalahundur]

Depends what you mean by 'turning the corner'. I don't look at it it as one corner. There is a maturing proces with several milestones up at about three, four years. I think after that age you could call the dog fully matured, of course it keeps on gathering experience after that.

[Mandy1961]

In our case, Harry who is nearly 5 months old, the following has improved and "turned a corner".

He does settle down in the day on his own now and knows when he needs a sleep.

still jumps up and bites but not as much.

Barking more, still chewing things but again not as much as before.

Very active in the day and still has his manic moments, but sleeps on and off from 8 pm and happily goes in his crate to sleep.

He knows more words than he lets on.

Has learned that not all dogs and people want to stop and say hello.

And finally is not following me around quite as much.

Great fun.

 

[CptJack]

Yeah, I don't want you mean exactly.

It's not like some hard and fast 'you have arrived' thing.  They gain experiences, gain confidence, grow into themselves and their lives, relationship builds, reliability builds, and they keep maturing.  For a long, long time, possibly forever.

I'd say Molly stopped became a reliable, trustworthy, *emotionally* mature,  very good dog with whom I had a very good relationship and mutual understanding with about 3-4. 

 

Attention span, off switch, good house behavior, physical coordination, off leash reliability (that never left), focus  and desire to learn and work with me?  7 weeks old

[Rush Fan]

Mancer is 1 yr 8 months now, and I've noticed two fairly sudden maturation changes in her. I think she was right around 1 year at the first one. She just suddenly seemed less puppyish and more adult-like. Then about a month ago I noticed that she was suddenly becoming more readily responsive and obedient to my commands (and she has started marking occasionally, which she had never done before). But she had also gradually matured substantially from around 3-4 months old up until the first starkly noticeable change at @ 1 year old. The first few months she was a little hellion, but now she is an absolute sweetheart.

[alligande]

My older dog started becoming a grown up around 2, but it would be questionable if you would call him mature at 9, my younger dog who is 2 1/2 was more grown up as a puppy! as he has got older he has got more goofy and silly but has always been a very sensible and mature dog, house trained by 12 weeks and always had a recall.

 

[drharps]

Yeah, I don't mean to imply that it's a light switch, but with every dog I've had there have been those moments where I notice that she seems  to have passed that puppy stage and is more calm and mature. It's usually a couple of events where I notice she isn't fighting herself anymore or pushing boundaries to see what she can get away with. With past dogs it was usually between 2 and 3. As was mentioned, I saw one big change when she was around 10 months, but I can tell she still has some of the puppy impulsiveness and energy. 

[Maralynn]

My oldest dog? About 6 y/o. My middle dog? About 10 w/o. My 15 m/o dog? Probably when she broke her leg at 10 m/o. But she still goes back and forth a bit

[GentleLake]

Yeah, like others I have to ask what corner(s)? At very close to 13 on of mine's recently turned a corner into a bit of an old dog. Maybe. I'm not entirely sure yet. I think it's more of a curve than a corner. But definitely only one of many.