You brought a puppy home, and one of the first questions that came to your mind must be:
“How Big Will My Puppy Get?”
Using our dog size calculator you can find out how big your dog will get once it’s fully grown up, but also understand what factors affect a puppy’s growth.
To use our puppy weight calculator, you’ll need just two simple things: your puppy’s age (days or weeks), and its current weight.
Based on these two parameters, our high-accuracy dog weight calculator will predict a puppy’s adult weight quickly.
It works for all dog breeds and sizes, so let’s get busy:
Watching your puppy grow is an exciting period, but dog owners usually cannot reckon just how big their puppy will grow.
That is why many often ask – How big my puppy will be? This is pretty common in dog owners, especially those who decided to adopt a mixed breed.
The best way to predict puppy size is by the parents of the dog.
Larger-size dogs may not fit in your small home the best, while the large-size dogs tend to eat more, and so on.
Before you get a dog, make sure that you know how big it will get. This way you will be better prepared for life with them. One way to know how big your puppy will get is to use a dog-size calculator.
Yes, you may use that old trick on determining a dog’s zie based on Fido’s paws but that’s not always as effective as the dog size calculator is.
To understand better how big your puppy will get, there are several factors to take into consideration.
Of course, if you choose to get a purebred dog (a purebred puppy), you will know what to expect, but be sure that Mother Nature can always add something unexpected.
When Will My Puppy Stop Growing?
As expected, larger breeds tend to grow slower, and they commonly reach full maturity around two years of age.
That is why you should be extra careful when it comes to training. Make sure that dog’s joints are injury-free.
All in all, the larger the breed, the more months they grow… When it comes to determining the size think if your dog is a toy, small, medium, large, or perhaps giant breed.
Teacup breeds tend to reach their maximum size as early as six months of age, while larger breeds or giant breeds can continue growing for 18 to 24 months.
Factors That Will Influence Puppy’s Growth
Your puppy will grow, and knowing what kind of factors will affect Fido’s growth will help you estimate just how big your dog will become.
1. Gender
Male dogs are always bigger than females, even if the difference might be really small, it is still a difference.
2. Age At Desexing
Responsible dog ownership is all about proper care. This includes spaying or neutering your dog on time and when suggested.
When it comes to these procedures, it is really important to listen to your veterinarian’s advice. It’s crucial not to undergo your dog spaying or neutering when it’s too early.
Early neutering may cancel out chemicals that tell bones to stop growing. Be mindful of this possibility. Always think about your dog’s joint health.
3. Breed
Teacup, small, medium, large, and giant… Dogs come in different sizes and their adult dog weight can usually be predicted due to their initial size. This is something that works best with purebred dogs.
For example, you will never see a giant Chihuahua, or a miniature Great Dane.
Certain dog breeds grow to a certain size, but do not surprise too much if your Labrador Retriever turns out to be a bit larger.
4. Parents
If you deal with responsible dog breeders you are most likely to see the dog’s parents.
This will give you a pretty good idea of how big your puppy will be based on their size.
Do Big Paws Indicate Size?
You may have heard dog lovers or even experts saying – Well, look at those paws! That dog will be a big one!
Does paw size can determine dog size? Although this method is often used, it is fair to say that it’s not as accurate as people wish it to be.
Why? The truth is that the paw size depends on the breed.
Have you ever had an opportunity to approach close to Border Collie?
Collies are considered to be dogs of a larger breed, but their paws are far from being massive, they are more of moderate size.
What about smaller or medium breeds? The same principle applies to small or medium dog breeds.
Take Bulldogs for example, they have robust paws, while their bodies are more robust and muscular. Still, this doesn’t mean that you should throw away this theory.
It just means that you should know that giant paws are usually linked with giant dogs, although there are exceptions.
Puppies’ legs and paws that look too big or bulky, should usually grow to be bigger.
In some cases, this doesn’t have to be the case because unusual protections might occur at any time.
If you want to try to guess naturally how big your dog will be thinking in terms of bone structure.
Can you tell how big a dog is going to be by their paws? You should focus on bone structure. Sometimes a very bony structure might be an indicator of a larger size dog.
Can You Tell If Your Puppy Will Be Big?
When you know the dog’s parents it will be much easier to guess the size.
Dog weight and size estimation are much easier when you how big dogs get. Dogs are commonly separated by their size. This is why everyone separates them into small, medium, and large dog groups.
There are also giant dog breeds like the earlier mentioned Great Dane, and toy-sized dogs such as Toy Poodle.
Not sure if your Fido is a medium-sized dog or a large-size dog? Check the size guidelines below.
Dogs are generally separated into five categories by size.
Do not hold to these guidelines strictly, as dogs of each size category might be smaller/lower or bigger/taller.
Here are the top general size categories of dogs:
- Toy (up to 12 pounds)
- Small (12-25 pounds)
- Medium (25-50 pounds)
- Large (50-100 pounds)
- Giant (over 100 pounds)
Now, that we know how big dogs get based on their size category, let’s see how fast they mature.
1. Toy Breeds
Toy breeds tend to grow faster than larger size dogs. These tiny dogs usually stop growing between 8 to 9 months of age.
2. Small Breeds
Small breeds should stop growing between eight and twelve months. They gain about 5-8 ounces each week.
3. Medium Breeds
Medium breeds should reach their adult weight between 9 and 12 months of age.
If you get a medium-sized dog such as
4. Large Breeds
Large breeds need more time to mature.
These dogs usually need from 12 to 18 months to hit their adult dog weight and height. The fastest growth happens between 0-20 weeks.
5. Giant Breeds
Giant breeds are slow growers. They are highly sensitive while puppies as their bones are taking a slow growth so big careful with those stairs.
Joints are extra sensitive in larger dog breeds. To finish growing large dog breeds need between 12-18 months. Some may need between 2 to 3 years to reach full growth.
Not sure which breed is small and which is medium?
Here are the top three representatives of each category, to help you understand the dog’s appearance better.
- Toy dog breeds: Chihuahua, Maltese, Pekingese
- Small dog breeds: Beagle, Dachshund, Pug
- Medium dog breeds: Basset Hound, Border Collie, Staffordshire Bull Terrier
- Large dog breeds: Bloodhound, Doberman Pinscher, German Shepherd
- Giant dog breeds: Great Dane, Saint Bernard, Newfoundland
How Do I Know If I Have A Small, Medium, Or Large Mixed Breed Puppy?
How can you tell how tall a mixed puppy will get? Some dog breeds are much easier to recognize than others.
If you are not sure which category your dog falls under, you need to look at the dog’s parents.
If you have a mixed breed of purebred parents, such as Goldendoodle, you know that you are getting a mix between a Poodle and a Golden Retriever.
On the other hand, if you have a purebred puppy, you know that parents are purebred as well – thus, you know what to expect.
Since both parents are medium to large-size dogs, you can expect your puppy to turn the same way.
As a general rule, if the parents vary in size, your dog is more likely to stay close to its mother.
Females are usually close to the mother’s height, while males are slightly bigger.
If you have no idea who the parents are, use our calculator to help you determine the dog’s size.
Veterinarians and experienced dog owners of rescued and adopted dogs will tell you to use the ‘teeth method’.
They would tell you that by looking at the dog’s teeth you can tell your dog’s age.
This method is also commonly used to check a dog’s health. To keep a dog’s teeth in order and healthy, use the right food.
Certain foods can help you promote health in your dog and make his teeth stronger.
A useful tip: Learn the difference between milk teeth and adult teeth in dogs.
Does a big puppy mean a big dog? This is not a strict rule, as a bigger puppy does not mean a big size adult dog.
A puppy’s baby milk teeth emerge between 3 and 6 weeks, while adult teeth will start appearing between 12 and 16 weeks.
It is common for dogs of all sizes and breeds to lose their front-row teeth just as they turn three months old. This is something that can help you determine the age of your puppy.
The information listed in these two sections should help when you have enough information.
In other words, they should help when you know the breed. What to do if the situation is the opposite?
How To Determine Dog’s Size If You Don’t Know The Breed?
When you get a mixed breed or you just don’t know the dog’s parents it can be tough to predict how big your dog will get.
You can always consider doing a dog DNA test to see get results on the dog’s genes.
If you are adopting, they might be able to tell you from their experience how big your dog will be.
Still, this is something that is done approximately, so do take it as a 100% accurate fact.
Think About Your Puppy’s Diet
Different factors can influence a dog’s overall growth and nutrition is one of the biggest.
Overnutrition as much as undernutrition can lead to strong complications. In other words, both strongly affect a dog’s growth.
Nutrition is so important that malnutrition can stunt a puppy’s growth and even create different health issues.
Also, diets that are too high in calories, packed with fat, or contain high sodium levels can cause a dog to grow faster.
This is something that is commonly seen in large and giant breed dogs.
If you already have a larger breed or you are thinking about getting one, learn what a bloat is.
Overfeeding can lead to health issues that are linked to weight issues and eventually heart complications.
Just like humans, dogs can suffer from too much weight, so do your best to keep your weight in balance.
Know that a maximal growth rate can cause lifelong musculoskeletal disorders. Avoid food that is packed with sodium as it causes bone deformities.
There is no need to feed your dog calcium supplements unless your veterinarian strictly recommends them.
How Big Will My Puppy Get – Conclusion
Knowing how big your puppy will be can be daunting. After all, the info on the dog’s size can help you tremendously to prepare better.
Being a responsible dog owner is all bout the right preparation.
With that in mind, we hope that this article and dog calculator helps.
If you want to learn more about different dog breeds and find the best breed for you, check this compare dog breeds tool to help you find your perfect pup.
