German Shepherds are one of the healthiest breeds in dogs. They are large and strong.
Because of their size and strength, they are mostly used for military and police services as well as guards.
German Shepherds has so many features that many people nowadays want German Shepherds as pet.
New German Shepherd owners are mostly curious about the growth of German Shepherd, so today we are going to share German Shepherd growth chart.
German Shepherd puppy growth (male & female)
The growth differs in both male and female German Shepherd – the female German shepherd most likely to be a little smaller than the male adult German Shepherd.
Male German Shepherd growth chart
| AGE | WEIGHT (lbs.) | HEIGHT (in.) |
| 1 month | 5.5-9 | 4-6 |
| 2 months | 16-20 | 7-9 |
| 3 months | 22-30 | 9-11 |
| 4 months | 35-40 | 11-14 |
| 5 months | 40-49 | 14-16 |
| 6 months | 49-57 | 16-18 |
| 7 months | 57-62 | 19-20 |
| 8 months | 62-66 | 20-22 |
| 9 months | 64-71 | 21-23 |
| 10 months | 66-73 | 22-24 |
| 11 months | 66-75 | 22-24 |
| 1 years | 71-75 | 22-24 |
| 2 years | 71-84 | 23-25 |
| 3 years | 79-88 | 24-26 |
Female German Shepherd growth chart
| Age | Weight (lbs.) | Height (in.) |
| 1 month | 4.5-8 | 3-6 |
| 2 months | 11-17 | 6-9 |
| 3 months | 17-26 | 8-10 |
| 4 months | 31-35 | 10-12 |
| 5 months | 35-44 | 12-14 |
| 6 months | 44-49 | 15-17 |
| 7 months | 49-53 | 17-19 |
| 8 months | 53-57 | 18-20 |
| 9 months | 55-60 | 19-21 |
| 10 months | 57-62 | 19-21 |
| 11 months | 60-64 | 20-22 |
| 1 years | 60-64 | 20-22 |
| 2 years | 62-66 | 21-22 |
| 3 years | 66-70 | 22-24 |
Adult German Shepherd growth
German Shepherds actually grow in stages and depending on their age. The growth rate starts to slow down as they age.
After 3 years of age German Shepherds stop growing, and for female, it stops at the age of 2. The ideal weight of an adult German Shepherd is 66 to 88 pounds among males and 49 to71 among female German Shepherd.
How to maintain German Shepherd height and weight?
The growth in animals happen naturally and will stop naturally when they reach a certain age but if your pet is showing delayed or slow growth, then your pet might need some extra attention.
Here are some tips for better growth of your German Shepherd:
- Giving them quality food.
- Regular exercise helps maintain the ideal weight and regulate the height.
- Try to avoid the heavy work which might impact the joints.
- Take care of the health issues so that it doesn’t affect the growth of your dog.
- Regular vet checkups.
- If your dog is overweight, do the needful and help your dog to get to the ideal weight by giving them a proper diet.
- And if they are under weight, then also you need to help them gain weight according to the weight chart.
- Their mental health also affects the growth. Make sure you take care of their mental health and stimulate their brain regularly.
Food for better growth
When German Shepherds are in their developing stage, they need nutrition and lots of supplements so that they do not suffer from malnutrition which can affect their growth.
Food is not only important to maintain the height or weight of the dog but it is also important for their overall growth. Good food will ensure they don’t have any stomach problem, skin issues, joint problems, have strong bones and muscles, immune system.
- High protein food like, meat.
- Add high performance food in your dog’s diet.
- Dry kibble is one of the best foods for puppies.
- Natural and raw food like pumpkin, carrot.
- Include supplements like vitamin B, Omega 3, etc.
- Adding plant oil will ensure that your dog is healthy both from inside and outside. Some plant oils are olive oil, coconut oil, sunflower oil.
How long does it take for German Shepherd to grow fully
A German Shepherd is considered fully grown when they reach 18 months. By 18 months, they have reached 98% of their growth.
The rapid growth happens between 3 to 6 months of age after that they continue to grow but it is slowed down.
German Shepherd achieve physical maturity between 18 to 24 months.
What can affect the growth of German Shepherd?
There are many reasons which can affect the growth of German Shepherd:
- Genetic history – If the parents are on the smaller side, there is a high chance of your dog being small.
- Underlying medical illness – Some diseases can hamper the growth of your dog, in that case you must visit a vet.
- Intestinal worms – It can cause diarrhea, poor hair coat.
- Poor diet – Lack of enough nutrition can also affect the growth of German Shepherd.
Conclusion
German Shepherd are large dogs. They can grow really big in only the span of 18 months. They grow fast at the earlier stage and slow down during the end of their growth.
If you notice that your dog is not growing as they are supposed to, look for the cause of the delay and take care of it. But if you see that it is not doing any help, visit the vet immediately.