When is a dog fully grown? (professional guide)

It always goes so fast. You’ve hardly got one puppies in the house fetched, it seems to grow overnight.

There was just one clumsy furballyou already have one adventurous young dog.

The question quickly arises as to when a dog is fully grown.

In a nutshell: When is a dog fully grown?

Small, medium, large, giant breeds of dogs each need 6 to 24 monthsuntil they are fully grown.

But there are many factorswhich determine the growth period.

But usually grow small dog breeds half a year, medium breeds about a year and size until very large breeds 1.5 to 2 years.

What physical changes occur during the growth process in dogs?

In the early months of life, dogs take on a lot Weight to. Your body uses up during this time much energy and therefore needs a special feed.

Especially in the first three to four months of life grow most dogs very fast.

Thereafter slowed down growth is increasing. Especially towards the end of the growth phase it is hardly recognizable that the dog is getting bigger.

At about 5 months, the structure of the skeleton developed in larger dogs.

Small dog breeds are almost at the end of their growth at this age. At the age of 6 to 10 months, they also have their adult weight reached.

Big dogs grow longer. They only reach their final size after 1.5 to 2 years. Only then do they develop the musculature of an adult dog.

Until the proportions of limbs and musculature correct, this takes longer with larger dogs than with smaller dogs.

What Factors Affect a Dog’s Growth?

The growth of a dog is influenced by several factors like that geneticsbut also the race and the Gender influenced.

In the following we will go into more detail and explain the individual factors detailed for you.

genetics and predisposition

Looking at Chihuahuas, Golden Retrievers and Irish Wolfhounds it’s hard to believe that all of these dogs come from the wolf.

However, the different sizes and appearance are compensated by the heritage certainly.

Through purposeful breeding so the size can also be influenced.

How big the dogs of a certain breed should be is determined in the breed standard. Deviations are often tolerated.

As a rule, it can be said that puppies by parentswho at the upper limit are of the permissible size, also tend to be large.

Conversely, the same applies to dogs at the lower limit.

So genetics has it greatest influence on how big a dog can get.

race

How long and how fast a dog grows depends heavily on its breed.

A Pomeranian has usually reached its final size of around 20 cm by the age of nine months.

Whereas a Leonberger should only be fully grown at the age of twelve to 18 months.

Gender

Ordinary are Females smaller than males. However, the size of a dog also depends on the size of the parents.

within a race a male from smaller parents can be smaller than a bitch from larger parents.

movement and stress

One moment the puppy or young dog is still asleep, the next he wants to romp and play.

But you shouldn’t let your dog romp too much. Because the bones are still developing.

One age-appropriate amount of exercise on the other hand, promotes good development of the dog, but does not affect its growth.

Nourishment

With an excessive gift high-energy diet you can make your dog grow faster.

However, this will no influence on its final size have. This is because it is determined by genetic factors.

However, growing too quickly can also lead to skeletal disorders lead and arthrosis favor. This can affect the dog for the rest of its life.

How can I ensure my dog ​​will grow up healthy and develop normally?

When you have a puppy with you, you want it to grow up healthy and happy. This also includes keeping an eye on his growth.

Because by excessive feeding can you harm your dog

Puppies and young dogs don’t get fat, they just grow faster if they get too much energy.

This can lead to serious complications.

So always note that Feeding recommendation for breed and age your fur nose. You should also rely on high-quality food and age-appropriate exercise.

Conclusion

When a dog is fully grown cannot be said in general. This depends heavily on the breed in question.

However, as a rule of thumb, you can expect small dog breeds to reach their final size faster than larger breeds.

This has the biggest impact on your dog’s size genetics.

If you know how big they are parents you can estimate how big your dog will be as an adult.

In order for him to grow at a healthy pace, however, you are asked.

Your job is to healthy levels of feed and exercise Find one that suits your dog’s age and needs.

Otherwise you risk damaging your fur nose in the long term.

Which suits you better, a small, medium-sized, large or very large dog? Tell us in the comments.