German Shepherd Growth Chart

A Veterinarian's Perspective

Sequoyah German
Shepherds

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Last updated 11/11/12

German Shepherd Puppy - Height and Weight Growth Chart:

Please try to keep in mind that this is just an approximation of the AVERAGE German Shepherd Pup.  Each dog is different because each environment is different just as each genetic make-up is different.

The healthy newborn German Shepherd pup generally weighs between 1 pound to 1 pound 6 oz at birth.  Most large breed pups are expected to at least double their birth weight at one week of age, then experience a period of consistent daily weight gain of 5-10%.  They ultimately reach about 70 or more times the birth weight at physical maturity (see chart below).

The German Shepherd Dog typically reaches physical adulthood at 18-24 months of age, with some Eastern European bloodlines (DDR) maturing even more slowly.  Some of the DDR dogs don't reach their adult weight until about 36 months of age. I generally say that most female Shepherds will hit full weight between 1.5 to 2 years of age and males hit full weight at 2 - 3 years of age.  One would expect to see the rate of growth slow considerably after about 6 months of age, and slow / minimal weight gain after 12 months of age in the appropriately maintained dog.

German Shepherd Dog Height and Weight Standards  from the F.C.I. standard

Males:

• Height at the wither:  23.62 inches - 25.6 inches

• Weight:  66 pounds - 88 pounds; Midrange = 77 pounds (and HighRange = 100 pounds)

Females:

• Height at the wither:  21.7 inches - 23.6 inches
• Weight:  49 pounds - 71 pounds; Midrange = 60-65 pounds
(and HighRange = 80 pounds)

(Length of torso exceeds height at the withers by 10 to 17%.)

 

 

German Shepherd Growth Chart:

Though these are supposedly the standards, I personally think that these weights are rather high in regards to the 1-4 month olds.  I prefer to keep my pups a little leaner than this chart shows. 

	MALE			FEMALE
Age in Mos		Pound (lb.)	% of Total		Pound (lb.)
1		9.2	12.10		7.2
2		19.9	26.18		16.6
3		31.3	41.18		26.7
4		41.8	55		36.2
5		50.6	66.57		44.0
6		57.4	75.52		50.1
7		62.6	82.36		54.4
8		66.4	87.36		57.5
9		69.4	91.31		59.7
10		72.0	94.73		61.5
11		74.3	97.76		63.1
12		76.0	100		64.2