When do dogs stop growing? How big will your dog get?

Knowing your dog’s size, growth, and lifespan is essential to provide it with the lifestyle it needs. Whether it’s about providing the proper nutrition or sufficient room to live, you ought to know about the body’s needs and development.

So, here in this post, we’ll share information about how you can determine how big your dog can get and when it will stop growing.

How big will your dog get?

The size of your dog depends on its breed. It will most likely grow up to be as big as an average-sized adult dog in its breed. Or their size will depend on the parents.

You can estimate the size of your dog as an adult by analyzing its paws. If its paws appear too big for its body at 16 weeks, it will grow bigger. But if they appear perfect for its body, it’s grown fully. Your dog has developed the right proportions for its adult body.

There’s an accurate way of calculating the size of your dog’s body. Use these formulae:

• Toy Breeds (12 Pounds or less): Weight at six Weeks x 4 = Adult Weight

• Small Breeds (12-25 Pounds): Weight at 8-week puppy development x 4 = Adult Weight

• Medium Breeds (25-50 Pounds): Weight at fourteen weeks + half of the weight at fourteen weeks = Adult Weight

• Large Breeds (50-100 Pounds): Weight at six months x 2 = Adult Weight

• Giant Breeds (100+ Pounds): Weight at six months x 2 = Adult Weight

If your dog is a mixed breed, you might not be able to use this formula. 

In that case, we recommend prioritizing the parents’ size to predict your dog’s potential adult size.

When does a dog stop growing?

The second primary concern you likely have is when your dog will stop growing, i.e., what’s the age at which it turns into an adult?

There’s no definite rule for all dogs. Again, it depends on their breed.

Small dog breeds

Small dog breeds like Chihuahuas, Toy Poodles, and Miniature Pinchers stop growing after a year of birth. They reach their maximum size in 8-12 months and grow into an adult.

Medium-sized breeds

Medium-sized breeds like bulldogs and sheepdogs also reach their maximum adult size in eight-twelve months. But if their diet is not good enough, they might lag.

Large-sized breeds

Large-sized breeds grow fully by the time they are 16 months old. Some dogs may grow past 16 months, depending on their diet, lifestyle, and breed.

Giant-sized dogs

Similar to large-sized dogs, giant-sized dogs also grow to their full by the time they are 16-18 months old. Some dogs may take 20 months or so.

Mixed breed dogs

You can predict the time for mixed breed dogs by taking an average of their parents’ breeds’ average full-growth timespan. If your hybrid pup doesn’t come from pure breeds, consider the actual lifetime of the puppies’ parents or grandparents.

Care for your dog

Your dog’s size and full-growth timespan greatly depend on how you care for your fur pal. Here’s a checklist for ensuring the best care for your dog:

• Regular pet hair removal
• Periodic grooming and nail trimming
• Daily exercise
• Proper nutrition and diet
• Regular visits to the vet
• Communication and relationship development

With these in check, your dog will reach its full growth at the right time and without significant complications. If you fail to meet its needs, its growth may get stunted or slowed, leading to disabilities, disorders, and diseases. For example, if you’re negligent about grooming or pet hair removal, your dog may develop skin diseases, hindering growth.

Final thoughts on how big dogs get

By now, we hope you have the answers you’ve been looking for. Just make sure you care for your fur buddy properly. If you’ve recently adopted it, give yourself time to educate yourself about its needs.

Set up a dedicated space. Invest in the things you’ll need, such as a food tray, water bowl, comfy cushion, hairbrush, shampoo, soap, grooming glove, emergency aid, etc. Doing so will keep you prepared, and you won’t find yourself making any compromises on your dog’s growth and lifestyle.

Arslan Hassan is an electrical engineer passionate about writing, designing, and anything tech-related. His educational background in the technical field has given him the edge to write on many topics.