Many Wyoming families welcomed a new member to their family around the holidays and may be wondering when those sweet, cute, frustrating, obnoxious little critters will be an adult.

Lucky for you, we're going to shed some light on the situation. The puppy aging process is really quick and come to find out, dogs are a lot like kids and mature at different ages.

You probably won't be surprised to find out that in Wyoming the top dog breeds are working dogs. Ranching, herding, hunting and protection are some of the jobs these dogs will secure when they're old enough. According to pupbox.com you don't want to rush that puppy into full-time work.

As the owner of that working puppy, you want to make sure the dog is properly trained and ready to take on his or her new position. Research at Dogtime.com shows that dogs range from 6-18 months as small dogs (lap dogs, miniatures, poodles, terriers...etc) start to mature much earlier than your larger breeds (like ranching, herding, hunting, and dogs built for protection).

Determining that time, may be a little bit difficult, so we've found the information you'll need to look for as your dog begins to get a little bit older and grows out of the puppy stage.

Check the signs your puppy is growing up from Pupbox.com

  1. They start calming down - puppies, like toddlers, are active and full of energy
  2. The baby teeth start falling out - just like kids, when they start aging, the baby teeth come out.
  3. They're not eating as much - not going through as many growth spurts calls for less energy inducing food
  4. Not as destructive - Not all of the chewing will stop, but you'll see quite the decline
  5. Puppy fur will make way for Adult coat - you'll notice lots of shedding
  6. Starts getting 'romantic' with other dogs - just like a teenager, the pup will become curious about doggy relations.
  7. The growing comes to an end - more than likely you'll have an idea of what size your dog is going to be (assuming you know the breed) and you'll be able to tell when they're at their growth peak.
  8. Follow these puppy age milestones and you'll be able to figure out when your dog is ready to roll.

If you're ready for an awwwwwwwwweeee moment, watch this video of puppy growth stages from Animal Facts on YouTube.

Wyoming's Favorite Dog Breeds

LOOK: Here are the pets banned in each state

Because the regulation of exotic animals is left to states, some organizations, including The Humane Society of the United States, advocate for federal, standardized legislation that would ban owning large cats, bears, primates, and large poisonous snakes as pets.

Read on to see which pets are banned in your home state, as well as across the nation.

More From AM 1400 The Cowboy