Puppy Pet Care

We often ask when our puppies will be fully grown in the hopes of estimating when our beloved puppies have reached the summit of their growth ceiling [for lack of a better term]. In general, smaller breeds tend to reach their growth apex after a year while the larger varieties climax after their second year post-birth. It does vary from breed to breed, and from puppy to puppy. Herding dogs and Border Collies actually commence grown-up behavior when they turn two while Catahoulas reach maturity at approximately three years old.

Other indicators breed and size of parents, paw size, loose skin, stopping of height increase and the “double-it formula”. One cannot expect 200-pound poodles from two Standard poodle parents. If you want to have an approximation of the adult size of your puppy, check the parents’ size. The bitch’s size is a better marker than the sires. Bigger paws also indicate a larger height increase and a heavier weight in the future. Possessing loose skin is also a great gauge since this means that the puppy will have more space in the new suit to fill up. It is said that a pup grows up to 75% of its height at 6 months. Lastly, some sources say that the adult weight can be estimated by doubling the weight of the puppy at 14 weeks.

Some pet owners get disillusioned when their puppies exhibit signs of maturing because they wish their puppies could retain the cuddly appearance while losing the fascination for chewing furniture and shoes. As a pet owner, one has to be prepared to accommodate a more spacious facility to romp and exercise in when a puppy is full grown. One also has to make a mental note that not all puppies will exhibit mature behavior even if the growth curve of the puppy maxes out.

Maybe, one is desperately hoping that one’s puppy will finally mature and shed off the excessive energy that is a remnant of the puppy’s childhood exuberance. Perhaps, one merely wants to know when to buy a wardrobe-full of snazzy threads for one’s favorite pet. Whatever your reason is, there are 5 reliable sources.

Your family veterinarian

With questions like “How can I get rid of parasites from my dog?” or “When can I have my bitch spayed?”, the most trusted source of information will be your local vet. If your vet can’t answer the query “When is a puppy full grown?”, I hope you consider switching to a more knowledgeable vet. These professionals have years of training with different kinds of animals. They should be able to give you a definite answer or show you a puppy growth chart.

Printed media

Books and magazines about dogs abound in your local bookstores so picking up a copy or two will probably give you practical tips to know when a puppy is full grown.

Animal breeders

Animal breeders, most likely, have had plenty of previous experiences of raising puppies so they would know when the growth peaks or possible growth patterns.

Your animal shelter counselors

Consult your animal shelter volunteers as they might have a puppy growth chart available in the office or can probably offer pamphlets or useful links in the World Wide Web.

The Internet

A quick Google or Yahoo search will yield successful results of puppy growth charts specific to the breed you own. Print the charts and have a grand time determining whether your puppy is gaining his optimal growth level.

All these sources cannot give you an accurate reading of your pet’s development. The point is, every pet owner should enjoy the puppy’s development as it unfolds before one’s eyes. After all, a human parent’s greatest joy is to see his baby transform into a dignified, mature individual. In a similar manner, pet owners who understand the rambunctious behavior displayed by their puppies will appreciate a certain degree of restraint from their puppies.

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Many new pet owners are thrilled at the thought of knowing their puppy is gaining weight under their supervision. However, ideal feeding amounts can become too much spoiling for overly-doting puppy owners so monitoring the puppy’s health via the puppy weight chart is vital.

What’s a puppy weight chart? The label is a dead give-away—the weight chart has numbers all over and this might prove to be a puzzle to some pet owners. A puppy weight chart gives an estimate of how large the weight of your puppy will be when he turns into an adult using his present weight and age as indicators. Several dog experts and long-time breeders have compiled these figures for the convenience of other pet owners through many years of experiences on raising pups. A puppy weight chart actually varies according to the breed. One has to be careful, though, because not every puppy weighs exactly the same as the puppy weights indicated in the chart, even though the table matches your puppy’s breed. Bear in mind that every puppy follows a different growth pattern.

The first left-hand column normally contains the number of weeks. The topmost cell in this left-hand is the word “Birth” and each cell below indicates what week it is until around 18 months. The first row contains the possible weights of puppies in ounces. To convert pounds to ounces, simply multiply your puppy’s weight to 16 [1 pound=16 ounces]. Search for the number of weeks of your puppy’s existence in the chart and run your finger or ruler along that row. Choose which weight among the given weights at the topmost columns is the nearest to your puppy’s actual weight and run your hand to the cell where the column and row meets. This value should be a pretty good estimate to project how large your pet will be. Caveat: the weights you get to measure during the first few weeks can be pretty erratic and expect the same results until the 8^th week. After this, his weight will stabilize and we can infer more accurate results, which matches more the numbers in the puppy weight chart.

According to Goldendoodles.com, the unofficial formula for predicting the dog’s final weight is to multiply a puppy’s weight at four months twice and add 10 pounds. No scientific studies have proven the effectivity of this particular formula but it’s worth a try.

Barefoot’s Home of Pomeranians suggests that a good rule of thumb for predicting adult weight for toy breeds is to weigh your puppy at 6 weeks and multiply that to three. Otherwise, multiply two with the puppy’s weight at 12 weeks.

A tip for weighing your most treasured pup: hold him in your arms and weigh yourself. Then, weigh yourself again without the dog this time. Subtract the weight without the puppy from the weight with the puppy in your arms. This should give a pretty precise reading of your canine’s weight.

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