German Shepherd Growth Chart

A German Shepherd growth chart is one thing I have been a bit reluctant to add to this website but I have found that some GSD owners are quite interested in this information, so here it is.

And here's the main reason I have been reluctant to add this in the past - because so many people, especially new owners, get so caught up in these numbers that they almost forget everything else about their GSDs growth. It's almost as if, in their zeal to raise their new puppy, that they become obsessed with matching these numbers and eventually become overwhelmed. Especially if their German Shepherd puppy does not match these numbers exactly.

If you don't forget that rule, then you will be just fine. But if you get obsessed with the numbers that you see in the German Shepherd Growth Chart below and think your GSD puppy must match them exactly, then you will probably never be completely happy because I can almost certainly assure you that your German Shepherd Dog puppy will never perfectly match the numbers on this chart.

Why? Because the numbers on this German Shepherd Growth Chart are simply averages. Not absolutes! This is simply a basic tool to give you an idea what to expect as your Alsatian puppy matures. So if you can keep that in mind and not "flip out" if your GSD puppy doesn't match the numbers exactly then I think you'll do fine.

German Shepherd Growth Chart

Ref.: German Shepherd Dog F.C.I. Standard, MO. 166/23.03.1991/D

So how do you use this chart? If you'll look in the top blue row you'll find things such as age (listed here by months and based on the GSDs first year of life only), and weight (both by Kg and Lb and also by male and female). You'll also see a total % heading which shows a figure based on the size proportions of the dog at one year of age.

The blue column on the left is divided into numbers, 1 - 12, which correspond with the GSD puppies age (in months) at that time. So all you have to do is look down the blue column on the left and find your puppies age (in months) and then look to the right of that number, while staying in the same row, to see what the figures are based on whether or not your puppy is a male or female.

And these numbers will give you an approximation of what weight your GSD puppy should be at that particular age in months. Again, don't get upset if your German Shepherd Dog puppy does not match these figures perfectly. But if you do detect what you contend to be a huge difference then please feel free to contact your veterinarian for more advice. A check up to see how your puppy is doing health-wise and to make sure there are no underlying causes making this an issue would be a good idea too.

But, as a GSD owner, it is interesting to know about what to expect as your German Shepherd puppy develops, in terms of weight. Because this is one thing so many new owners especially seem to be surprised by. Some are overwhelmed, some just the opposite - especially when they read the findings on this German Shepherd Growth Chart.

Personally, having been around these dogs almost my whole life, I am still continually amazed by the amount of growth they go through in just their first year. A newly born German Shepherd puppy can easily fit in one or two adult sized hands when they're born (depending on hand size). But by the time they're a year old they often weigh around 80 pounds for a male and about 65 to 70 for a female! If you think about it, that is a phenomenal amount of growth for anything to go through in just one year! Many people just take it for granted but I think it is absolutely amazing. I think it works out to be about 70 times more than the dogs weight when it was first born.

Finally, let me take a moment to remind you of the typical size of a German Shepherd Dog as an adult too because this is so important to keep in mind as we continue to talk about growth and development of this fine animal and further investigate this German Shepherd Growth Chart.

Generally speaking:

Adult German Shepherd Males, as described in the AKC German Shepherd Standard, are 24 to 26 inches tall; female German Shepherds are 22 to 24 inches tall.

It is also interesting to know that, as a breed, German Shepherds do not just stop growing at one year of age. In fact, I personally do not consider my German Shepherds to be adults until the males are between 2 1/2 - 3 years of age and for the females to be over 2 years old. Again, this varies from German Shepherd to German Shepherd but this is a good starting place to keep in mind since German Shepherd development can vary so much from dog to dog.

So, how is your German Shepherd puppy doing growth-wise when compared to the chart above? As I've said before, not all GSD puppies will develop the same way but it can be so interesting to hear how others puppies are doing in comparison to our own.

So if you'd like to share the story of your own German Shepherd pups growth and development, especially in comparison to the facts you've already read in the German Shepherd Growth Chart above, then we'd love to hear it. And I'll bet you that other German Shepherd puppy owners would like to read about your pups story too. Plus, you can share pictures, tips on what you're doing to help your puppy grow (not too fast though), foods you use, etc.

All we ask is that you make your entry at least 100 words (but we'd love to hear more if you're in the mood to share).

Return from German Shepherd Growth Chart to Choosing a German Shepherd Puppy