Joseph Roetheli, PhD
Highlights:
Determining your puppy’s size at adulthood is best guessed by studying their breed.
If you own a mixed-breed, it can be a bit trickier, but there are ways to estimate your dog’s final size.
Supporting your dog’s well-being through adulthood means feeding them well, giving them plenty of exercise, and supporting them with a supplement like Longevity15.
Your cute little puppy takes up only a fraction of your space. They may tuck neatly into the crook of your arm or only need a bed that sits in a corner.
However, just how big your dog will be when fully grown can be surprising if you don’t know your dog’s particular breed. Even if you do know your dog’s breed, there are always outliers. Just because you bought a teacup breed doesn’t mean you won’t end up with a slightly larger dog (maybe more like a coffee mug)!
Determining the final size of your dog is tricky, but there are a few ways you can get a good guess. Veterinarians agree that several methods provide answers about your dog’s adult size. We’ll cover those and also tell you how you can ensure your dog reaches their full size healthfully, and how you can support them into adulthood.
The easiest way to predict how large your dog will be when they reach their full size is if you know their breed. Once you know their breed, you can estimate that they’ll reach the full size that their breed usually does.
For instance, a basset hound is usually between 12 and 15 inches tall and weighs between 40 and 65 pounds. There is a wide variance because, just like humans, all dogs are different and will weigh and grow differently.
Most dogs take between 12 and 18 months to reach their full size, so don’t be surprised if your dog increases in inches and pounds after they’ve hit the one-year mark. Large dogs, in particular, take longer to reach their maximum growth potential than smaller dogs.
You can predict your dog’s final weight by multiplying their weight at several weeks old. For small dogs, multiplying their weight at eight weeks old by three can give you an estimate. So, for a dog that weighs four pounds at eight weeks, a final weight would be estimated at 12 pounds.
Medium and large breeds can use the weight they are at 16 weeks of age, doubled. A dog that weighs 12 pounds at 16 weeks of age is estimated to weigh 24 pounds when fully grown. It’s important to note that these are estimations, and your dog’s final weight will vary, but usually within five pounds.
Veterinarians can use the paw size method to predict a dog’s size at adulthood if they are a mixed breed or the breed is unknown. Paw size isn’t as good an indicator of size at adulthood as the multiplier method, but it can still be useful.
If a dog has large paws, they will likely be a larger dog. Veterinarians look for puppies whose paws look larger than their bodies can accommodate. This usually indicates the dog has more growing to do and that they will be a larger dog overall.
In the canine world, males are usually bigger than females when they are fully grown and maintaining a healthy weight. The gender difference is more pronounced depending on the size of the breed. Larger breeds will show a significant difference between genders, while smaller breeds will usually weigh within one to two pounds of each other, regardless of gender.
Spaying and/or neutering your dog is an important part of pet ownership and helps support your efforts to be a responsible pet owner. However, at least one study showed that spaying or neutering your pet later in life could affect their growth. Most veterinarians will recommend that your dog be spayed or neutered earlier, which can help keep them on the right growth track.
If you have access to your dog’s parents, that can be a good indicator of their final size. If you’ve purchased your dog from a breeder, find out if you can get information about your dog’s parents, such as height and weight.
Just like humans, genetics play a big role in how big your dog will be. Most of the time, puppies won’t be larger than their largest parent.
The puppy months can be exciting, and a little frustrating if you’ve got a particularly energetic breed that likes to chew on your shoes or your cabinetry. Taking your puppy to their veterinarian is common every few months when they are a puppy.
However, just because your dog is now an adult and seeing their veterinarian every year, doesn’t mean you can’t proactively offer additional support. In fact, your dog’s adult years are the best time to support them by protecting their longevity and lifespan.
Puppies basically exercise themselves. Most dog owners remember how their puppies would play until they quite literally passed out in the exact spot where they were just playing a moment ago.
As adults, dogs won’t play as hard, but they still need exercise. Make sure you’re giving them plenty of walks to keep them healthy.
Maintaining a healthy weight can be hard for dogs. On a small dog, even weight gain of one pound can place undue stress on their spines and legs.
When you offer your dogs treats, make sure you are compensating for calories by restricting their kibble. Offering nutritious snacks can be a great way to bond with your dog, provided they don’t have a weight problem.
As a human, you probably rely on a few supplements to support your overall wellness. You might take a multivitamin to ensure you’re getting the nutrients you need. You may even take a supplement that helps support your own longevity. Now, you can give the same to your dog, with Longevity15.
Longevity15 is the first and only supplement for your dog that contains C15:0, an odd-chain, saturated fatty acid that research shows supports longevity in mammals.
C15:0 is associated with:
For adult dogs, this translates into total body support that protects your ability to love your dog longer.
The longest part of your dog’s life is their adult life. Dogs are only puppies for 12 to 18 months. Predicting their size is determined by many factors, and the end result may be within five to 10 pounds of your original estimate.
No matter how big they get, they can always benefit from proper care, and the support of a supplement that can help every cell in their body function as it should. Longevity15 is the cellular-supportive supplement that gives your dog total-body support as they enter adult life.
Sources:
When Does My Puppy Finish Growing? How Long Do Puppies Grow? | American Kennel Club.org
How Big Will My Puppy Get? Different Ways To Estimate Adult Size | Rover.com
Growth standard charts for monitoring bodyweight in dogs of different sizes | PLOS One
Puppy Weight Calculator: How Big Will My Puppy Get? | Pawlicy Advisor
How helping dolphins may just save the world (and you, too) | fatty15.com
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Always feed the right treat size for your dog’s weight category. Always supervise your dog when feeding treats. This product is an adult only dog treat. Always provide ample fresh water for your dog.
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