Whether you've brought home a new purebred puppy or a mixed breed from a shelter, estimating the weight of your puppy when full grown can help you plan for the future. Tracking a puppy's weight and knowing where they should be week to week is also an excellent way of making sure they are thriving.
How Much Puppies Should Weigh
Your puppy's weight will vary based on their breed, genetics, and age. Large breeds such as Great Danes or Mastiffs will weigh significantly more than small breeds like Chihuahuas or Yorkshire Terriers, even when they're the same age.
Most pet owners bring their puppy home at around 12 weeks old. If you have a 12-week old puppy, here's approximately how much they should weigh on average:
- Toy dogs: 1-3 lbs.
- Small dogs: 6-9 lbs.
- Medium dog breeds: 9-15 lbs.
- Large: 25-29 lbs.
- Giant: 31-40 lbs.
If your puppy's weight is tracking below where they should be, take this as a sign you should consider taking them to a veterinarian to check for health problems affecting their growth. You don't need to panic, but be aware that something may be wrong. Fortunately, most of the time your vet can help you resolve your puppy's development issues with no long-term problems.
Puppies don't grow at a consistent rate week by week, but after the first three weeks, most puppies will add around 5 to 10% of their body weight each day, depending on their breed.
Using a Puppy Weight Chart
A puppy weight table is a general guide to where your puppy's weight should be during the first few weeks and months of their life. You can use the weight chart as a puppy weight calculator by age for predicting a puppy's weight as they grow into an adult.
If you have a mixed-breed dog, estimating their final weight will be harder. You can use a simple calculation by taking the puppy's weight at four months, doubling it and adding 10 pounds to get an approximate idea of their final adult weight. The charts below can help you estimate the final weight for dogs of different sizes.
Puppy Weight Chart Template for Toy Dogs
The chart below gives general information for toy size breeds. Typical toy breeds are Chihuahuas, Maltese, and Toy Poodles.
| # of Weeks | Approximate Weight |
|---|---|
| 8 | 13-39 oz. |
| 12 | 1-3 lbs. |
| 16 | 1-4 lbs. |
| 18 | 1.5-5 lbs. |
| 22 | 2-5 lbs. |
| 26 | 2-5 lbs. |
| 18 months | 2.5 to 7 lbs |
Puppy Weight Chart Template for Small Dogs
The chart below gives general information for small size breeds. This includes dogs like Boston Terriers, Dachshunds, and Shetland Sheepdogs.
| # of Weeks | Approximate Weight |
|---|---|
| 8 | 5-7 lbs. |
| 12 | 6-9 lbs. |
| 16 | 9-12 lbs. |
| 18 | 12-15 lbs. |
| 22 | 13-16 lbs. |
| 26 | 16-18 lbs. |
| 18 months | 17-23 lbs. |
Puppy Weight Chart Template for Medium-Size Dogs
The chart below gives general information for breeds that are medium in size. Examples of medium-size breeds include Border Collies, Corgis, and English Springer Spaniels.
| # of Weeks | Approximate Weight |
|---|---|
| 8 | 5-9 lbs. |
| 12 | 9-15 lbs. |
| 16 | 13-21 lbs. |
| 18 | 15-25 lbs. |
| 22 | 18-30 lbs. |
| 26 | 21-35 lbs. |
| 18 months | 27-46 lbs. |
Puppy Weight Chart Template for Large Dogs
The chart below gives general information for large dog breeds. Some common large dogs are American Pit Bull Terriers, Boxers, and German Shepherds.
| # of Weeks | Approximate Weight |
|---|---|
| 8 | 17-19 lbs. |
| 12 | 25-29 lbs. |
| 16 | 35-40 lbs. |
| 18 | 42-48 lbs. |
| 22 | 49-55 lbs. |
| 26 | 59-67 lbs. |
| 18 months | 70-91 lbs. |
Puppy Weight Chart Template for Giant Breed Dogs
Giant dog breeds take the longest to grow to their full adult weight. Examples of giant dog breeds are Great Danes, Irish Wolfhounds, and St. Bernards.
| # of Weeks | Approximate Weight |
|---|---|
| 8 | 20-26 lbs. |
| 12 | 31-40 lbs. |
| 16 | 45-59 lbs. |
| 18 | 50-65 lbs. |
| 22 | 57-74 lbs. |
| 26 | 70-91 lbs. |
| 18 months | 91-119 lbs. |
Age to Reach Final Adult Dog Weight
Toy and small breeds reach their adult weight much faster than larger dogs. A toy or small dog can be fully grown at one-year-old, whereas a giant breed can take up to three years.
| Breed Size | Age to Reach Final Weight |
| Toy | 12 months |
| Small | 18 months |
| Medium | 18 to 24 months |
| Large | 2 years |
| Giant | 2 to 3 years |
If you're considering a breed, your prospective puppy's weight as an adult should be taken into consideration.
How to Calculate Puppy Height
Calculating the height of your puppy is slightly more complicated than their adult weight. This is because many breeds will achieve their final adult height well before they've reached their final adult weight.
For example, a puppy at 16 weeks can be about two-thirds of their adult height, but only one-third of their final weight. This is why adolescent puppies, regardless of breed, can be tall and lanky until they "fill out" around the time they reach adulthood, which can be from one to two years depending on breed.
Estimating Puppy Height by Breed Size
While this is somewhat harder to do with a mixed breed, unless you have an idea of what breeds are in the mix, you can get a general idea of your puppy's final height based on their breed size grouping.
- Toy and small breeds: Toy and small breed dogs usually are their final adult height within ten to 12 months of age.
- Medium size dogs: Medium size dogs such as Border Collies and spaniels will reach their final height around 15 months old. In general, they will reach 75% of their height at about six months of age.
- Large size dogs: Large dog breeds such as German Shepherd and American Pit Bull Terriers should achieve their final adult height around 18 months of age and 75% of the total around six to seven months of age.
- Giant size dogs: Giant dogs such as Great Danes and St. Bernards will reach their final height around 18 months of age.
How Fast Does a Puppy Grow?
How quickly a puppy grows is based on their breed size and the stage of development the puppy is in. While the amount varies somewhat by breed, a puppy in general will double their weight after their first week and then gain between 5 and 10% of their weight each day during their size group's growth spurt period.
- Toy dogs: A toy dog will have their biggest growth spurt between birth and 11 weeks of age.
- Small to medium size breeds: Small and medium breeds will have the largest growth rate between birth and 16 weeks of age.
- Large or giant: A large or giant breed dog can be expected to have its largest growth rate between birth and five months of age.
Factors Affecting a Puppy's Growth
These percentages and milestones are a guide for the "average" puppy. There are additional factors that can come into play that can affect a puppy's normal growth or their growth rate compared to the "average" dog.
Genetics
Breed issues aside, genetics still play a large role in puppy weight. While the standard rule is to examine the same-sex parent for an idea of the puppy's eventual size, there are exceptions. Some puppies may inherit a "big girl" gene or a "tiny boy" gene from a parent. These genetic variables will result in a larger female dog and a smaller male dog.
Nutrition
Early nutrition can play a huge role in puppy weight despite the breed or genetic influences. Lack of sufficient nutrition in the early weeks of a puppy's life can seriously impact its growth and health, including their weight. Poor quality maternal milk or early weaning can also stunt a puppy's growth.
If you discover your puppy's food is not high-quality, transition to a new food gradually over a one week time span.
Sterilization
Spaying or neutering a puppy can affect their growth rate to a limited degree. This difference may be more pronounced for early spay/neuter which is common in shelters, which can make determining the adult height and weight of an unknown mixed breed slightly harder.
Sex
The numbers provided in puppy weight charts are often based on either an average of male and female average weights, or on the average male dog weight alone. In many breeds, females can be noticeably smaller than males and this should be taken into account when estimating a female dog's future height and weight.
Mixed Breeds
If a mixed breed's parentage is known, you can take an average for the estimated heights and weights for each parent's breed and use that to get an idea of the future adult weight. Realize, though, that genetics can create wide variations in dogs.
When the two parent breeds vary widely in height and weight, a puppy can tend to favor the larger parent or the smaller one, or fall somewhere in the middle. If a puppy's parentage is unknown, DNA testing is available that can help you pinpoint with some accuracy your dog's heritage in order to estimate their future height and weight.
How Big Will My Puppy Get?
Everyone who brings home a new puppy wants to know how large their new friend will be once they're fully grown. Following a puppy weight chart and understanding their typical growth patterns can help you estimate your dog's future height and weight. It's not an exact science, but you can usually estimate within a few pounds and inches just how big your pup will be.
