How many months do dogs grow, at what age do they become adults. Outbred dog (mongrels and mestizos): character, training Puppy 2 months old how he will grow up mongrel

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. Having received a puppy of a 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 a puppy are much more interested in 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 that it be periodically weighed using conventional scales and measured 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 a dog at the initial stage of its 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 take up to a year to grow. 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.

Size difference between male and female

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 large dogs can gain muscle mass. Thus, the answer to the question of how old dogs grow to become fully adults depends on the breed. The smaller the dog, the earlier it 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.

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 dogs 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 have different meanings, 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 breastfed, the so-called sucking 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. Improper, unbalanced nutrition, serious diseases suffered can adversely affect the development of the bone skeleton, as a result, deformations and obvious violations will appear that 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 trade 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 their pet with natural products or ready-made food - 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 characteristics and other nuances.

Those owners who have opted for a natural diet should follow the following recommendations:

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 the activity of the cardiovascular 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.

How to determine what size a puppy will grow?

The weight of an adult dog of a particular breed is not difficult to find out. Bitches tend to weigh less than males. Most likely, the puppy, when it grows up, will be about the same size as its parents. If you know his parents, then with a high degree of probability you can predict the future size of the puppy.

Finding out what size a puppy of a mongrel dog will grow without seeing its parents is more difficult. Most often, the owners of a purebred dog determine how a puppy will grow up by the paws, chest and head size.

You can also compare the weight and height of a purebred puppy with the same indicators of purebred puppies of his age and draw an analogy, but for this you need to know the exact age of the puppy. However, this method is not always reliable. The weight of a stray puppy may be low due to malnutrition and only return to normal after a long stay with the owner.

The best way is to take the puppy to the veterinarian, he will be able to more accurately predict the weight and height of the puppy in adulthood.

How do you know what kind of dog will grow out of a miniature breed puppy?

Newborn puppies of miniature breeds weigh about 6-8 times less than puppies of large breeds, but in adulthood, a miniature dog will already weigh 100 times less than a large dog. In small breeds, growth occurs much faster and more intensively than in large ones.

A newborn small breed puppy weighs about 5% of its mother's body weight. Such a puppy grows most actively in the first 6 months of life. By about 3 months, the puppy reaches half the body weight of an adult, and by 8-10 months it turns into an adult dog.

The maximum growth rate of a puppy of a small breed is the period of weaning from the mother, then fat begins to be deposited. At this point, it is important not to overfeed the dog, otherwise the tendency to obesity will remain throughout life.

How do you know how a medium breed puppy will grow up?

The growth of medium breed dogs is similar to the growth of miniature breed dogs: puppies reach the body weight of an adult by 9-10 months. From birth to 6 months, the weight of a puppy of medium breed increases by about three times, and at the withers the animal doubles.

What size will a large and giant breed puppy grow?

The growth rates of dogs of large and giant breeds are very different from small and medium breeds. Large puppies continue to grow up to 8 months - their daily weight gain remains very high. The rate of weight gain must be monitored independently, weighing the dog once a week or at the reception in a veterinary clinic. During this period, puppies are very susceptible to diseases of the musculoskeletal system: hip dysplasia, osteochondrosis and others.

The most intensive growth period for dogs whose adult weight exceeds 25 kg is from 3 to 5 months. At 5 months, puppies already reach half the weight of an adult. They continue to grow up to 18-24 months. In dogs of large and giant breeds, sexual dimorphism is more pronounced than in small and medium breeds, that is, females mature earlier than males.

How to feed puppies of small, medium, large and giant breeds?

The portion of food should be measured so that it corresponds to the body weight of an adult dog, and not the current weight of the puppy, but at the age of the puppy. A veterinarian will help determine the estimated weight of an adult dog for a puppy if you find it difficult to do this or did not find the desired breed in the table. It is important not to overfeed the puppy, otherwise the fragile skeleton will not be able to carry too much weight on itself - the risk of dysplasia, skeletal deformities, and intervertebral hernias increases. It is best to regularly weigh puppies of all breeds every week to determine if there is too much weight gain.

Immediately after the birth of a puppy, the most important period begins - the increased growth of the body. This is not only weight gain, but also the general development of all organs. When does this period end?

Until what age do Chihuahuas, Shepherds and other breeds grow? About this and much more in a detailed review below.

It is very important for any dog owner to know the correct rate and duration of growth of the pet, as well as how the proportions change in each individual time period.

Until what age is a dog considered a puppy? Here the main stages of development of dogs:

embryonic(while the embryo is in the womb);
suckling(begins immediately after birth and lasts approximately 30-45 days);
puppies(from one and a half months to six months);
young growth(from six months to a year);
juveniles(from one to two and a half years).

Attention! The most important foundations are laid during the prenatal period and during feeding.

At this time, the greatest acceleration of growth occurs. For example, the weight of an embryo on the fortieth day of the mother can be about a few grams, while a puppy already appears with a weight of 300 g. up to 600g. In total, we have an increase in weight literally hundreds of times.

After birth, in a month, the cub increases its weight by about five to six times.

At this age, the puppy already has all the typical features of its breed, appearance, proportionality of the skull, auricles, coat color, as well as bright constitutional features inherent in the breed.

Males and females also differ in appearance. When the puppy reaches one month, the baby is weaned from mother's milk.

After three months, the growth rate slows down, although it remains at a fairly high level. And upon reaching the age of 6 months, the pet can no longer be considered a puppy, but transferred to the conditional category “young animals”.

Up to what age do dogs grow?

We can say that the tubular bones are finishing their growth, also significantly slows down the development of the sternum by six months. Proper care and proper diet during puppyhood gives an increase in height and body weight by about half.

In the period from six months to a year, the growth rate usually decreases greatly. The weight of the dog increases by about a quarter, and the height at the withers - by one tenth.

So we see that The most rapid growth period for a dog is the first six months, depending on the breed. In large individuals, this period lasts about two to three months longer.

Up to what age do dogs grow? The main growth at the age of 6 to 12 months practically stops. But this does not mean that the development and formation of the exterior ends, it lasts for about another year - one and a half.

Attention! In females, the formation of the exterior is completed after the first whelping. For males - a little later.

The growth of a small puppy is completely uneven. In each period, certain organs and parts of the body grow, for example, only a born puppy has short legs and a rather long body.

At first, the dog grows up, and only after that - in breadth.

The typical proportions of the breed are acquired only towards the end of development. It is often observed that most puppies have disproportionately large ears. This happens because they reach their normal size when the rest of the body is in the process of growing.

Important! Timely provided anthelmintic therapy is extremely important.

The end of growth depending on the breed

How much do dogs grow? Assessing the development and growth rate of the puppy, be sure to take into account the breed and constitution.

Until what age do toy terriers grow? Small breed dogs develop much faster, while large dogs stop growing later.

Let's look at some typical examples.

How old are small breed dogs? They develop rapidly and complete their growth in about six to nine months. Until what age do Yorkies, Chihuahuas, and Toy Terriers grow? and grow up to about eight months, and then only "get stronger". In that terrier (correctly - Russian toy) growth ends earlier - already at 6 months.

How old are large breed dogs? Their development takes longer, up to about eight to ten months. For example, a representative of a wonderful active growth phase ends at nine months.

How old are medium breed dogs? Large pets grow the longest. For example, a puppy finishes its growth only at 12 months and after that it gains muscle mass for about a year.

However, if the diet is not followed, the physical development of the pet can slow down significantly. A proper diet in the first eight months is extremely important, as this is a crucial time in order to raise a healthy and strong dog.

What to feed a puppy for growth?

The most important thing is to compile together with a specialist. Be sure to take into account the characteristics of the breed, size and physiology.

In the period from one and a half months to three, the puppy needs to be fed quite often: about six times a day. Gradually, the number of feedings should be reduced to four, and after two months to three times.

When the puppy reaches six months, he is transferred to two meals a day in the morning and in the evening.

It is worth noting that after six months, puppies are actively gaining muscle mass, so they need a sufficient amount of protein, calcium and vitamins.

So, for 1 kg of weight you need:

nine grams of protein;
two and a half grams of fat;
fourteen grams of sugar and starch;
one and a half grams of fiber;
five hundred milligrams of calcium;
as well as vitamins A, D and E.

What to feed a puppy for growth? There are two types of feeding: natural food and factory feed.

Foods in pet stores at premium levels and above have quite a lot of advantages. For example, they contain all the necessary macro- and microelements, vitamins, and are fully balanced for a certain breed, age and characteristics of the dog.

If the puppy eats natural food, then follow the general recommendations.

Important! Salty, smoked, fatty, spicy foods are prohibited for dogs.

Raw meat is given with caution, as it may be infected with helminths. Flour and sausage products, various sweets should be completely excluded from the diet!

All this is poison for the dog's gastrointestinal tract. Her teeth can deteriorate and her eyes water. Dangerous are small bones that can pierce the esophagus or stomach.

It is extremely important to ensure the dog's need for water. So, for one kilogram of weight it is necessary to give from forty to one hundred milliliters of water.

Properly balanced diet and adequate intake of minerals even influences the development of the dog's skeleton. A tendency to pathology of the skeletal system is more common in, such as,.

So, scientists studied the effect of nutrition on the growth process, two main factors were identified:

overfeeding;
excessive calcium intake.

It follows from this: it is extremely important to maintain a balance of this mineral in food, since an increase in the rate of calcium intake causes abnormalities in cartilage tissues, and a reduced intake increases the risk of developing a weak skeleton and an increase in the frequency of fractures.

Speed and growth rate are the most important indicators of a dog's development. It is highly recommended to get a special notebook and take control measurements of your four-legged friend. This information will be useful to your veterinarian and will make it easier for you to monitor the correct development of the puppy.

Additionally, check out the video on how puppies grow:

The growth of dogs is largely dependent on their diet and other external influences, it changes with age and differs in dogs of 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 BW of an 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 birth weight 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.

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 slivers reach half the body weight of adult dogs at about three months of age and are fully grown by 8-10 months of age. 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. Because of these growth habits, dietary errors are much more serious for them than for small breed puppies, in which the breastfeeding period is the most critical growth phase. Large dogs during this period are more susceptible to skeletal diseases. Therefore, the owner of the dog must carefully compose the daily diet to prevent the pet from gaining too much weight. This is again helped by regularly weighing the animal and comparing changes in 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. hip dysplasia 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 significant growth retardation, during which there is an increase in 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 tendency for him to overfeed, 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 body weight 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 the breed and sex: females usually mature earlier than males. However, sexual dimorphism is more pronounced in large and very large dogs.

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 (