Puppy Weight Estimates... what they mean and how to use themHaving some idea of puppy weight estimates, and a rough idea of how big that adorable little furball is going to be always helps when you're choosing a puppy!
When you're buying a purebred pup, the question 'how big will my puppy get?' isn't quite as difficult to answer as it is if you're bringing home an adorable mixed-breed pup with questionable parentage. When you're trying to figure out how much Fido will weigh when he's all grown up, bear in mind that puppy weight estimates are exactly that estimates. A puppy weight chart is a useful tool, but it isn't a guarantee of anything. Puppy Weight EstimatesDogs can vary tremedously in terms of size and appearance, even though they are all the same species. 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 rate 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...
The earlier, rapid growth ususally 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 11 - 15 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 18 months old or more. 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?
Even if you know the size of both your puppys' parents, there's still no definitive answer to this question, and puppy weight estimates will still only give you an estimate of how much your puppy will weigh as an adult. In general, if you have a purebred puppy you can expect him or her to grow up to be similar in size to the parent of the same sex (ie daughter will be similar in size to dam, son to sire). But obviously all dogs are different, and in a litter you may have a 'big' girl who will end up taller and heavier than one of her brothers, plus the rate of puppy growth often differs from one pup to another. Nature gives no guarantees! It doesn't work this way with mixed breed pups, although a small breed/large breed mating will often result in puppies that are mid-way between the size of the parent dogs. 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 ways often used to calculate puppy growth.....
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'.
Correct feeding and puppy growth ratePuppy 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 musculoskeletal conditions the way large breed pups do, however they do have their own very individual needs when it comes to nutrition. You can also find out more about feeding tiny and toy breed pups on my Chihuahua Puppy Care page. 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 find out the answer to 'how big will my puppy get'! 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! To find out exactly how many cups of a particular food your puppy needs to stay happy and healthy, simply check the bag to see how many kcal/cup it provides and then use the handy canine calorie calculator below...
Learn more about the growth and development of large breeds such as Rottweilers, and get an idea of large breed puppy weight estimates, by checking out this Rottweiler Puppy Growth Chart 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. Puppy Weight Chart
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