Puppies grow quickly.
Your tiny, fluffy puppy will quickly grow into a larger -- potentially very large -- adult dog. Estimating adult size can help you buy supplies for your dog, estimate the cost of feeding your dog and determine if a particular breed of dog is right for you. It's much easier to estimate your puppy's adult size if the puppy is a purebred or if you know the sizes of the parents. However, you can also estimate the size of mutts and rescued dogs using a variety of clues.
Instructions
1. Consider the size of the puppy's parents. Female dogs will likely end up being about the same height and weight as their mothers, while male dogs are more likely to resemble their fathers. If one parent is substantially larger than the other parent, the puppy may be bigger than the smaller parent but smaller than the larger parent, with females being closer in size to their mothers and males being closer in size to their fathers.
2. Research the average size for your dog's breed. If your puppy is larger than average or larger than its siblings, it may be larger than average for its breed. If your dog is a mixed-breed, it may be between the sizes of the two breeds. Puppies with very large feet and ears relative to their bodies typically grow to be fairly large.
3. Calculate your dog's weight based upon its current weight. Divide its weight in pounds by age in weeks. Then multiply that number by 52. For example, if your dog is 12 pounds and 12 weeks old, divide 12 by 12 to get 1. Then multiple this number by 52. Your puppy will be around 52 pounds at one year. This gives you a rough estimate of your dog's size at one year, when most puppies have completed the majority of their growth. Toy and small dogs complete their growth early in puppyhood, while larger dogs continue growing for several months. Thus small-breed dogs will typically be less than their predicted adult size calculated by this method, while large breed dogs will be slightly larger.
4. Estimate your dog's adult height. Most dogs have reached 75 percent of their adult height by age 6 months.
Related posts
Maltese dogs come in many sizes, but the 4- to 6-lb. range is preferred.The Maltese dog is a popular family pet, known for intelligence, playfulness and fearlessness. Adult Maltese dogs are found...
Estimate the Adult Size of a PuppyBefore you adopt or purchase the doggy of your dreams, it's important to estimate the adult size of a puppy. As important as personality is to matching the right...
Your cute labrador puppy could grow up to be very large.One of the first questions many new dog owners asks is: "How big will my puppy get?" A surprising number of people don't think of...
Labrador retrievers are a fast-growing breed.The family-friendly Labrador retriever is great with children and loves to play. Labs are a fast-growing breed and need proper nutrition to support the...
Picking the Right PuppyPicking the right puppy for your family is important and should be carefully thought out. Your family should be involved in picking out the puppy since you will all be livin...
