Outbred puppies and dogs for home and family. Estimated weight of an adult dog, based on the breed and gender of the puppy How to understand if a puppy is healthy

Every owner wants to know what their puppy will look like when they grow up. Many people often measure the size and weight of a pet and worry about whether these indicators correspond to the norms. Is it worth worrying about finding a growth retardation, and whether the puppy can stop growing - this article will be devoted to these issues.

Stages of development and growth of a dog

The duration of the puppy's growing up period can be divided into the following stages:

1. - the period when the puppy is in the womb. It develops not only physically (the formation of organs and systems takes place, the strength of the constitution, the foundations of health are laid), but also psychologically (it remembers the smell of the mother, the foundations of its character and behavior are formed).
   
2. - the period lasts from childbirth until the eyes open (about 10 days). The puppy adapts to the world around him, smells, his body learns to adapt to temperature conditions. This is a period of active growth: puppies become 2 times heavier than at birth. At the same time, it is well possible to distinguish between strong and weak puppies by activity. In order for weaker puppies to develop better, they need help finding their mother's nipple.
   
3. Transition- lasts until the moment when the ear canal is fully opened (up to 2 weeks from birth, less often - up to 17 days). During this period, puppies begin to hear, stand on their paws, walk, get out of the box to empty. To protect the puppies from injury, they are transferred to the aviary together with their mother.
4. adaptive- until reaching the age of one month. At this stage, teeth erupt, puppies begin to be supplemented, gradually weaned from mother's milk. Curiosity makes babies sniff, lick, take everything in their mouths. Games - important point in the development of dogs, they begin at this stage, with their help, you can gradually accustom puppies to the owner.
5. Socio-psychological- lasts up to 3 months. There is an active knowledge of the surrounding world (people, objects, climatic conditions, street noise). The puppy is taught to be nicknamed, walked, taught the concepts of “good” and “bad”, weaned from the mother, this is the period of formation of a positive or negative impression from environment. The owner needs to spend a lot of time with the dog, walk and train it. For normal development, the animal needs to move a lot, play (alone, with toys, with the owner, other animals). It is very important to protect the psyche of dogs from strong fears during this period, because they remain in memory. This is also the period of changing teeth and the beginning of vaccinations.
6. - up to 6.5 months. The formation of typological features of animal behavior, including sexual behavior, is taking place, so communication with people, other animals, and the outside world cannot be limited. Sexual games that begin at this age contribute to the formation of sexual behavior and determine the ability for normal mating. There may be problems with the command "Come to me!" - noticing this, the owner should walk the dog on a leash. Growth is gradually slowing down.
   
7. final- up to 1–1.5 years. Permanent teeth grow in puberty, females begin estrus, males mark their territory. Being among other dogs, the animal will try to take a higher position. The puppy can also try to take a dominant position in relation to the owner, which then will be difficult to change, so the upbringing of the puppy is of great importance.
8. After that, the puppy becomes an adult, and by about 4 years of age, the full maturity of the animal is observed.

Important! Each stage is important for the formation of a dog, so the owner must provide proper care for the pregnant bitch, and puppies- games, balanced diet, physical activity (according to age), training (for any breed), protect against injuries and diseases.

Intensive growth in dogs is observed up to 6 months of age, then the rate decreases. Further development period healthy dogs, which are kept in appropriate conditions, depends on the breed and size. Consider the growth characteristics of small, medium and large dogs.


small breeds

These dog breeds include:




Did you know? Most short stature in the world (18 cm)- Chihuahua Dianco.

Medium breeds

They grow up to about 12 months of age, in the context of breeds it looks like this:

1. - about 8 months, up to 1.5 years old.
   Cocker Spaniel
2. - up to 8–9 months, then it grows in breadth.
3. - up to 8-10 months, up to about 15 months gaining muscle mass.
   
4. - up to about 9-10 months.
   
5. - up to 11 months.
6. - grows in height up to 1 year, in muscles - up to 1.5–2 years.
7. - up to 9 months, the end of growth occurs up to 1.5 years.
8. Cocker Spaniel- up to 8 months in height, fully formed a little over 12 months of age.
9. - up to 10 months they grow in height, up to 1.5 years the appearance of an adult animal is formed.
10. - grows up to 1 year, bones and muscle mass gain shape up to 1.5 years.

Did you know? The biggest dog- a blue dog named George, whose length is 213 cm, and weight- 100 kg.

Large (large) breeds

Large breeds grow the longest and take on the appearance of an adult dog up to 3 years. The growth of dogs of large breeds occurs as follows:




How to determine the age of a dog

There are cases when the owner does not know the date of birth and age of his pet, and this indicator is important in terms of the start and frequency of vaccinations, sterilization, castration, training, care and feeding.

In order to approximately determine the age of the animal, there are such ways:

1. look at the teeth. In a young animal aged 1 year, white, clean, healthy teeth, in a two-year-old - yellow, in a 3–5-year-old - with tartar, in a 6-year-old - worn fangs, concave incisors, over 8 years old - blunt fangs. In older dogs, teeth begin to fall out. Teeth change between the ages of 2 and 6 months.
2. Examine wool. The older the animal, the harder it is to the touch. With age, the coat begins to turn gray.
3. Touch and examine the muscles. Flaccid muscles are a sign of an aging animal. The older the dog gets, the less he moves and the more he sleeps.
4. Look into your eyes. With age, the eyes begin to watery, become dull, the look of young dogs is clear.

Video: how to find out the age of a dog

Dog owners are often mistaken about their pets, and this also applies to their size. In this regard, they begin to look on the forums for an answer to the question of why the dog does not grow, forgetting that this is impossible.

Owners are often confused about the size of puppies:

1. The puppy has stopped growing and will be a dwarf. This is not so: puppies actively grow up to 6 months, then growth and weight gain is less active and uneven. The indicator can also be affected by illness, lack of physical activity, lack of vitamins.
2. Animal small size can't protect me. This is not true: growth and the ability to protect do not depend on each other. The dog handler is able to train any animal to resist attacks on you.

The owners should learn that the puppy cannot grow up, they just do not notice it. If you show a puppy to someone who hasn't seen it in a while, they will definitely notice a change in appearance.

Important! At a certain age, all puppies will grow to the sizes provided by nature, but this process can take up to 3 years.

Even if you regularly take measurements and write down readings, it may turn out that the dog has relaxed his muscles a little, turned around, the ruler has moved, etc.

In order for your dog to be physically developed, it needs to be properly fed and actively walked, and in order to protect you, it must be trained and be a friend to the dog.
Thus, the process of dog growth goes through several stages. It is important that puppies can grow at the withers up to 1.5 years of age, and the larger the breed, the longer the growth will continue. Up to 3 years, the puppy will acquire the exterior of an adult animal.

Do not worry too much about the growth of the pet - everything has its time, and a dog of any height will be able to protect you.

The growth of dogs is largely dependent on their diet and other external influences, it changes with age and differs in dogs. different breeds. Significant variability in body weight (BW) depending on the breed - from 1 kg in a Chihuahua to 80 kg and more in a St. Bernard - the dog is strikingly different from other animal species. The higher the MT adult dog, the proportionally lower the body weight at the time of birth of the animal.

Although differences in body weight between adult dogs of small and large breeds can be expressed by a factor of 100, their BW at birth differs by no more than 6-8 times.

For example: The BW of a newborn Yorkshire Terrier puppy is about 140g, which corresponds to 5% of its mother's BW. Let's compare: BW of a newborn Great Dane puppy is 600-700 g, which is about 1% of BW of its mother. Thus, puppies of large breeds go through a longer period of growth before reaching the BW of an adult dog, in other words, the intensity of the growth rate of dogs is proportional to their BW at maturity. It is important that the dog owner carefully monitors changes in the BW of his pet. To do this, the animal is weighed once a week and the obtained indicators are compared with the growth curve of this breed, which can be provided by a veterinarian. Using this method, it is possible to check whether the growth rate of the dog is too high.

The growth of small breeds of dogs, whose adult body weight is less than 10 kg, mainly occurs in the first 6 months of life; their chips reach half the body weight of adult dogs at about three months of age and are fully grown by 8-10 months. Their growth rates are maximum during the weaning period, when fat deposition begins. In a puppy with such intensive growth, excess caloric content of the diet causes adipocyte proliferation and a predisposition to obesity persists throughout life. Puppies of large breeds. The body weight of which in the adult state exceeds 25 kg continues to grow rapidly after weaning; their daily gains remain large until 8 months of age. Due to these growth habits, dietary errors are much more serious for them than for small breed puppies, which have a feeding period mother's milk is the most critical phase of growth. Dogs large sizes during this period are more susceptible to diseases of the skeleton. Therefore, the owner of the dog must carefully compose the daily ration to prevent the pet from gaining too much weight. This is again helped by regularly weighing the animal and comparing changes in its body weight with the growth curve. It has been proven that excessive energy consumption by a dog increases the risk of developing musculoskeletal diseases, incl. dysplasia hip joint and osteochondrosis.

Large and giant dog breeds have two growth stages:
- The phase of intensive growth, when the skeleton is mainly formed
- The phase of a significant slowdown in growth, during which there is an increase muscle mass

The growth intensity of a puppy of large and very large dogs is maximum in the period from 3 to 5 months of life - at 5 months of age, it reaches half the body weight of an adult dog of its breed. BW of large breed cervix continues to increase until 18-24 months of age, when their BW becomes 80-100 times greater than at birth (for comparison: in small breed dogs during this period, the difference in BW is only 20-30 times).

The puppy's diet during the growth period is mainly determined based on an estimate of its "adult" weight. Comparison of this calculated value with the actual body weight of the animal allows you to determine whether there is a trend of its overfeeding, which is indicated by too high BW during weighing periods. The growth rate of dogs is directly affected by the caloric content of his diet - excess energy intake accelerates the growth process and physical maturation. Stishkom, a large increase in BW with an incomplete process of joint formation increases the risk of musculoskeletal diseases.

When calculating the "adult" BW of a dog, it is necessary to take into account its breed and gender: females usually mature earlier than males. However, sexual dimorphism is more pronounced in dogs of large and very large sizes.

The tables below (Tables 1,2,3 and 4) show the reference parameters characterizing the body weight of adult dogs of several breeds, differing in their size. These data were obtained on the basis of the results of weighing dogs during the exhibition (

When a puppy appears at home, many owners have questions about what size and weight it will reach. Some are interested in how old dogs grow - that is, when the active period of growth ends and muscle mass finishes forming. For most breeds, there are several norms that can guide you in answering these questions.

It is absolutely not necessary to control the height and weight of a four-legged pet if it is purchased from a reliable breeder. Getting a puppy certain breed, you can check what an adult dog will be like by looking at the parents, and get acquainted with the stages of growth by reading the relevant literature.

Answers to questions about the development of the puppy are much more interested in the owners of animals received for free or even picked up on the street. Although it is quite difficult to answer exactly how old mongrel dogs grow and, moreover, how they will look in a few months or years. Equally important are these answers for owners who see that the growth rate of the pet does not quite meet their expectations.

To control the development of a puppy, and then a young dog, it is recommended to periodically weigh it using conventional scales and measure it using a tape measure or centimeter. Until the puppy is 2 months old, measurements are performed every 5 days, up to six months - every decade, and then monthly. The height of the dog at the withers in a standing position, the girth of the metacarpus (carpal joint) and chest are measured. Elbow height measurements can also be taken.

Puppies Growth Stages

The pace of development of the dog initial stage her life is subject to certain patterns that are not related to the breed. Moreover, the beginning of growth is usually considered the period when the puppy is still an embryo, while in the mother's womb. At this time, the formation of the body of the animal takes place, which is why it is worth taking it only from a responsible breeder who monitors the health of pregnant females.

The second stage is the life time from the birth of a puppy to 1.5 months. This period is called sucking and is the same for any breed. This period is the same and lasts up to six months. During this time, the dog's molars appear, the height at the withers approximately doubles, and the weight triples. Up to 6 months, puppies also grow ears, which by the end of the period receive the same shape as in an adult dog.

Young growth

In the period from 6 to 12 months, the dog is no longer called a puppy, but a young animal. It continues to grow - although not always until the very end of the term. Most small breeds complete their growth by eight or nine months, large dogs grow up to a year. It is also easy to find out to what age dogs of medium breeds (spaniels, bulldogs, bassets, huskies and chow chows) grow. Usually their growth stops by 9 or 10 months.

During these six months, in all breeds, the sternum develops most noticeably. However, growth is no longer as intense as in the previous stage. But the exterior changes noticeably - by the age of one year, the pet looks almost the same as it will be throughout its life.

Development of a young dog

The next stage, when a pet can be called a young dog, continues for most breeds until the age of 16 months. In small breeds, it ends earlier - even before the year. The period can be characterized by an active increase in body weight or size, and a complete stop of development. Much depends on the following factors:

• from health in the early stages - active puppies grow faster and may mature earlier than their sisters and brothers from the same litter;
• the quality of the dog's nutrition - a responsible attitude to the pet's diet will allow him to develop longer and become larger - although not by much;
• from the sex of the animal. Females tend to be smaller in size and weight.

The last stage of development is considered to be a period from a year to 2-3 years. At this time, small pets have long stopped growing, but big dogs can gain muscle mass. Thus, the answer to the question of how old dogs grow to become fully adults depends on the breed. How smaller dog the sooner she matures. But even a representative of the largest breed - for example, a Newfoundland or a St. Bernard - may well be considered an adult by the age of three.

Specific breeds

Looking in more detail at what age small breed dogs grow, it is worth noting the following facts:

• Chihuahua and Yorkshire Terrier growth ends by 8 months, then there is only an increase in mass;
• a toy terrier can mature even faster - by six months. Since that time, neither height nor mass has changed in them;
• Pug sizes vary in different ways - some young dogs of this breed may stop growing at 6-7 months, others continue to develop until nine;
• the growth of the female Pekingese ends by 8–9 months, the male - by the year;
• dachshunds grow in length until the age of eight months, after which they increase only in width.

Large and muscular dogs like the Rottweiler grow to their normal size by 12 months, and the muscles can increase up to 2 years. Sheepdogs, St. Bernards and Labrador Retrievers grow faster up to a year, and at the final stage - almost imperceptibly. They can be called fully formed by 2.5–3 years.

When buying clothes for your dog, you should pay attention to the following things:

- If your pet likes to put small objects in its mouth (this applies to some Yorkshire Terriers and Chihuahuas, as well as some other small dogs that have not been trained good manners) choose clothes for him, devoid of ribbons, ropes, buttons, rhinestones, sequins and other decorative elements.

- The material should not contain hooks and loose threads (most often this happens on the sleeves of the product)

- Do not buy clothes for growth. The size chart above will help you choose the right size. Clothes should be according to the dog, so that nothing rubs and the dog does not get confused in it.

First study the composition of the fabric or threads from which the product is made. Avoid toxic materials. Dogs love to put clothes in their mouths.

Products made of rubberized fabric are very convenient; when you come from the street, it will be enough for you to run a rag over the overalls and the dirt will be easily removed.

- It is important how quickly you can put on "clothes". Velcro fasteners will help with this.

The presence of a hood on the product is not a plus, since many dogs do not like them, and just a dangling hood will cause discomfort to the dog. If you need to protect your head, you can use a hat.

- Choose a suit for your pet according to the season. Too warm clothes in summer can cause the animal to overheat and serve rather to improve the aesthetic perception. If you really want to please your pet in the summer, choose T-shirts, vests and polos made from cotton, breathable fabrics. For the winter season, sheepskin coats, coats, papons, jackets and knitted sweaters are suitable.

Long-haired pets (subject to their active lifestyle) should be dressed in winter overalls if the thermometer is frozen below 26 ° C, short-haired pets at air temperatures below -6 ° C, otherwise dog immunity is suppressed.

As soon as a four-legged pet of unknown origin appears in the house, a lot of questions arise about how it will grow, who it will look like, whether it will become large or remain small. If we are talking about a thoroughbred puppy, then there are no particular difficulties about the future exterior - you can look at his parents or other representatives of the breed. But for any dog ​​there are certain rules and canons of growth in different age periods. And so, until what age do dogs grow?

In most cases, puppies grow intensively up to 6 months, in representatives of small breeds, growth slows down earlier than in larger ones.

Puppies of large breeds grow and form even after six months of age, although not so quickly. Consider the growth of some breeds:

• Pekingese - these small dogs grow on average up to 9 months, males often up to a year.
• - their growth continues up to 7-8 months.
• - very small and fragile puppies grow up to 8 months, and after a year they grow stronger.
• - the growth of puppies stops by 8 months, after that they continue to grow, but only in width.
• - the growth of these puppies varies - it can stop at six months or last up to 9 months, while they are intensively gaining weight.
• Rottweilers are a powerful and large breed, puppies grow up to 12 months, while the development of the muscular corset occurs up to 2 years of age.
• - active growth is observed up to a year, and the dog is completely formed by two years.

But it should be borne in mind that the above data are only average figures, because in addition to the ratio to the breed, there are also a lot of equally important factors that affect the growth and development of the dog:

• proper, balanced nutrition;
• absence or presence;
• conditions for keeping a pet;
• hereditary predisposition to diseases.

Stages of development and growth of a dog

A healthy, normally developed puppy should grow in accordance with a certain pattern. The concept of growth includes several stages:

• puppy weight changes
• body growth;
• external changes (exterior);
• physiological features.

The concepts of growth and development are different meaning, but if the pet is healthy, then they occur in a timely manner. There are several stages of growth and development of puppies:

• The first stage is considered to be the period when the puppy is still in the womb. This period is very important, since it is there that the main qualities of the future dog are laid. And here it is worth choosing a future family member more carefully, based on data about his parents, the reputation of breeders.
• The second stage is considered the time when the baby is breastfeeding, the so-called suckling period, lasting from birth to one and a half months. At this time, the breeder is responsible for the well-being and growth of the babies, and he is also responsible for the little pets. If the puppy is strong and the future owners have experience in feeding monthly puppies, then you can wean him from his mother a little earlier to be completely sure of his proper feeding and further growth.
• The third stage is longer, lasting from 1.5 to 6 months. Most often, during this time period, puppies end up with new owners. At this time, the puppy is growing very intensively, he is changing milk teeth. Here, only the owner is responsible for all processes.
• The fourth stage - from 16 to 12 months, is quite diverse and proceeds depending on the breed of the puppy. It can be accompanied by active growth, its slowdown or a complete stop.
• The fifth stage is no longer the growth of a puppy, but the processes of formation of an adult, albeit young, dog. Its duration is on average 2-2.5 years. Stopping in growth, the animal continues to gain muscle mass.

It is important to have an idea of ​​which measurement data correspond to the norm in a particular period. Of course, there are no exact figures, but there is still a certain trend.

Period from birth to 6 months

From birth to six months, a healthy active puppy should triple in weight, and double at the withers. At this time, dogs grow only in height.

This stage is characterized by the cessation of tubular bone growth. Therefore, it is very important that at this time everything is formed according to the norm. Wrong, unbalanced diet, transferred serious illness can negatively affect the development of the bone skeleton, as a result, deformations and obvious violations will appear, which will no longer be possible to correct.

In this case, an adult will have the wrong proportions of the body, which will put an end to exhibitions and competitions.

In puppies from the age of six months, the growth of flat bones occurs, that is, the sternum actively develops, the pets grow, but already in width. These processes intensively last about 6 months, and after a year, growth continues, but at a slower pace.

The bone frame of the dog is fully formed by the age of three. Small breeds finish developing much earlier than large ones.

The growth of the pet is influenced by the first mating, after which the growth of the animal stops completely. This is one of the reasons to avoid early so as not to disrupt the development and growth of the dog.

To fix the metric data, it is necessary to measure the dog at certain periods and record all the data. To weigh a puppy, you can use household scales, but if the pet belongs to large breeds- then large trading scales will be needed.

In addition, the following parameters are measured:

• girth of the sternum;
• height (height at the withers);
• the length of the hind and front legs.

To remove them, centimeter tapes, tape measures and rulers are used.

Proper puppy feeding

Nutrition plays an important role in the growth and development of a dog. Ideally, the diet, including the number of feedings, the composition of the diet, based on individual and breed characteristics, should be developed by a cynologist.

On average, a puppy up to 3 months old should eat at least 5-6 times a day. The grown pet is gradually transferred to four meals a day. From 6 months, the number of feedings can be reduced to two, as for an adult dog.

Do not forget that from six months the pet has an intensive set of muscle mass, so the diet must be enriched with proteins,.

Dog owners have a choice - to feed the pet natural products or ready-made feed - dry or wet. Sometimes there is a successful combination of these two types.

If the owner of the puppy chooses to feed dry or wet food, then he must choose a good one. Such products contain all the important micro and macro elements, vitamins, proteins, fats, carbohydrates in sufficient quantities. The balance of the finished feed affects the normal development of the puppy. In addition, most manufacturers, releasing such products, take into account age features and other nuances.

Those hosts who preferred natural nutrition must adhere to the following guidelines:

• Exclude from the diet too spicy, fatty, smoked, salty foods.
• It is best to buy sea fish, after boiling it. Raw fish and meat can lead to infection with helminthic infestations.
• Bones are poorly digested, so it is not advisable to give them to a pet to gnaw.
• Sweets and chocolate lead to disturbances in activity of cardio-vascular system, loss of vision and teeth, so their use is excluded.
• You can give low-fat cheese, cottage cheese, boiled meat, raisins, dried fruits, etc.
• Food should be at room temperature so as not to disrupt the digestion process.

Careful care and attention to the pet will help him grow and develop normally.