Understanding puppy weight estimates
Menu
If you`re looking at that cute little furball and wondering just how big he`s going to get, you`re in good company.
Video: Curly and Blanca
Almost every puppy owner asks themselves this question - sometimes before they pick out their new pup, more often afterwards!
Video: New chihuahua puppy update!
The thing is, no one can give you any guarantees about how tall your pup will be as an adult, or how much he will weigh.... but you do get some clues!
If you`ve brought home a purebred puppy then you`ve got a general idea of the breed`s adult size.
After all a tiny baby Yorkie isn`t going to end up the size of the neighbors Lab :)
But if Fido is a mixed breed puppy, then the element of `surprise!` is going to be much greater.
Every single puppy is unique, and within the same breed (even within the same litter) there can be a noticeable difference in size between siblings.
Don`t assume the pup who is the smallest at 6 or 8 weeks, is going to be the smallest as an adult.
The size of a very young puppy is not an accurate indicator of adult height/weight!
Genetics obviously play the biggest role in determining the adult size of any pup, but health and diet also have an effect.
How Breed Affects Puppy Growth
Dogs come in a wider variety of sizes and appearances than any other animal on our planet!
Of course this huge difference in size (think Great Dane and Chihuahua!), means that there is no `one-size-fits-all` calculation for estimating a puppy`s adult weight.
But, there are some general guidelines that can help.
The most rapid puppy growth & development takes place between birth and 6 months of age.
But tiny and toy breeds develop at a faster rate and reach maturity much earlier than the large or giant breeds.
Period of most rapid growth in puppies...
Teacup and tiny breeds - Birth - 11 weeks
Small to medium breeds - Birth - 16 weeks
Large to Giant breeds - Birth - 5 months
Theearlier, rapid growth usually starts to slow down considerably onceyour puppy reaches 65% of his adult height (between 4 and 6 months ofage in medium to large breed pups).
In addition, studies done in the UK indicate that you can expect a small or medium breed puppy to reach 99% of it`s adult weight somewhere between 9 and 10 months of age.
Large or giant breed puppies take longer to mature, and don`t reach this stage until they`re at least 12 - 18 months old.
Puppies from breeds at the top end of this scale (Great Danes, Mastiffs, Rottweilers etc.), are unlikely to really be `finished growing` until they`re 2 (or even 3) years old.
A pup reaches his full height before he reaches his full weight.
Sometimes owners can be impatient with the slow puppy growth rate oftheir large or giant breed pup, and want to `speed up` his weight gain.
They just can`t wait to get their pup to the `big and brawny` stage!
But beware, this is absolutely the wrong thing to do andoverfeeding may actually cause a puppy to never reach his fullpotential. Remember, patience is a virtue!
For an even better understanding of puppy weight estimates, take a look at the puppy growth chart for small/toy or large/giant breed puppies on my Puppy Weight Chart page.
Related pages............
When are dogs full grown?
7 Stages of puppy development
Puppy weight chart
How much exercise does a puppy need: tips on how to keep your pet healthy
The stages of puppy growth
Puppy feeding guidelines
Switching to adult food from puppy food
Adorable yorkie puppy photos
All about puppy kibble
How much to feed your dog
How to puppy proof your home: important tips on what you need to do
Owning extra large breed dogs
Puppy teeth information & help