Understanding Puppy Weight Estimates

Wondering how big your new puppy is going to get? Calculating puppy weight estimates is not an exact science but you can learn how to estimate your little one's adult weight here.

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If you're looking at that cute little furball and wondering just how big he's going to get, you're in good company. Just about every puppy owner asks themselves this very same question - sometimes before they pick out their new pup, more often afterwards!

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. 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 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. But, don't assume the pup who is the smallest at 6 or 8 weeks, is going to be the smallest as an adult. Size at this age is not an accurate indicator of adult height/weight!

If your new furball is a mixed breed puppy, then the element of 'surprise!' is so much greater. A pup who has two purebred parents (just different breeds) will likely fall somewhere between the maximum and minimum weight for both breeds.

A puppy who's parent/s are mixed breeds themselves is pretty much a lottery in terms of the genes he's carrying for all sorts of traits, including size.

But don't despair, there are calculations and methods you can use that will give you an idea of just how big (or not!) your puppy may be when he's fully grown. There are no guarantees of course, but sometimes a 'guesstimate' is the best you can get.

Puppy Growth Rates - Breed Variations

Dogs can vary tremendously in terms of size and appearance, even though they are all the same species.

In fact they 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' answer or method of calculation that will answer the question "how much will my puppy weigh?"

But, there are some general guidelines for reaching puppy weight estimates, and figuring out just how tall/heavy your little furball will be when he's all grown up.

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

The earlier, rapid growth usually starts to slow down considerably once your puppy reaches 65% of his adult height (between 4 and 6 months of age 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 dog reaches it's full height before it reaches it's full weight. For example, at 4 months old most dogs will only have reached about 30% of their adult weight, but 60% of their adult height, and at 6 months, 75% of their full height.This disparity is largely responsible for what I call the 'puppy uglies'!

This is that adolescent type stage, where your pup may look out of proportion and clumsy - it is especially noticeable in large to giant breeds and seems to last forever.

I have one big male Rottweiler who looked like a 'bobble-head' for pretty much the whole of his second year of life! He had a huge frame, massive head, and was on the top end of the height scale for a Rottie, but he was fairly 'slender'.... hence the bobble-head effect.

This pup actually didn't 'grow into' his bone structure until he was two and a half years old.

Now he weighs around 135lbs and is a big, muscular (lap) dog - not fat or overweight though thanks to his bone structure.

I've not seen quite such a slow puppy growth rate in any of my other Rottweilers, so this is a bit of an extreme example, but shows you what I mean.

How Big Will My Puppy Get?

There are different methods of calculating puppy weight estimates, but none of them can really be considered 'accurate'. They will give you a rough idea of how big your puppy is going to be, but that's all.

Here are a few of the type of puppy weight estimates often used to calculate puppy growth.....

• On average, a puppy should double it's birth weight by one week old. Followed by a consistent 5% - 10% daily increase.


• From the age of 6 weeks onwards, a small breed pup may gain around 5oz per week, a large breed pup around 2.5lbs


• For medium to large breed puppies, you can get an idea of their adult weight by doubling his weight at 14 weeks and then adding another half of his 14 week figure (eg. your puppy weighs 15lbs at 14 weeks, so... 15+15=30 +7.5= total adult weight 37.5lbs)


• Again for medium to large breeds, at 6 months old, your puppy may weigh around two-thirds of his adult weight. Giant breeds are more likely to be just about half of their adult weight at this age.


• You can get puppy weight estimates for tiny and toy breeds, by doublling the weight of your pup at 6 weeks, and then doubling it again to get an idea of his weight at maturity.

So, you can why getting accurate puppy weight estimates is a bit 'hit and miss', there are so many variables! But any of the above calculations will get you in the 'ball park'.

If you're the proud owner of a mixed-breed dog (or one who you were told was purebred, but you don't have papers and are beginning to have doubts about), there are some simple dog dna testing kits that you can buy online and use at home.

Then all you need to do is send off the sample (a simple cheek-swab with a Q-tip!) to the laboratory and wait for 2 - 3 weeks for the results. You'll get info. on the dominant breeds in your dogs genetic make up and there are specific tests for mixed breeds, pure bred dogs and first-generation designer dogs (aka hybrids).

Although not guaranteed to be 100% accurate, these tests are a MUCH better way of determining your pup's eventual size, and a whole lot of other things that you can't see - including possible hereditary health conditions, dietary and exercise needs, breed-specific traits and instincts and much more.

How Diet Affects Your Puppy's Growth & Development

It's very important to understand the relationship between proper nutrition and your puppy's growth.

Puppy weight estimates are based on a pup being fed appropriately.

Obviously underfeeding will have a negative effect on your puppys' health and development, but many people don't realize just how many problems overfeeding can cause.

Obesity in dogs is on the rise, and this is usually a direct result of feeding a dog too much in general or too much of the wrong food.

Just as with humans, obesity puts your dog at risk of all sorts of health problems, but overfeeding can also cause serious developmental issues particularly in large to giant breed pups.

Lifelong musculoskeletal (muscle, bone and joint) problems can be caused by overfeeding your large breed puppy, by feeding him the wrong type of food, or by adding unnecessary supplements.

The growth of a large breed puppy needs to be carefully controlled, and it's vital that you feed a puppy food that has been specifically formulated for large breed pups. Lower levels of calcium, protein and calories are believed to help prevent 'too rapid' growth of his bones, and avoid the development of bone and joint disease.

If you have a large breed puppy, you don't want to miss reading my Interview with The Great Dane Lady who is an expert in the field of large breed nutrition.

Small breed puppies don't usually suffer from musculo-skeletal conditions the way large breed pups do, but they do have their own very individual needs when it comes to nutrition. They have a fast metabolic rate and tiny tummies, and need a puppy food that contains higher levels of protein and fat, and to be fed more frequently.

Sometimes owners can be impatient with the slow puppy growth rate of their 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 and overfeeding may actually cause a puppy to never reach his full potential. 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.

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