To what age do dogs of different breeds grow? To what age do dogs grow, physiological development To what age do large dogs grow

Dogs, like humans, go through periods of infancy, adolescence, adulthood and old age. Just like in humans, dogs' growth ends during adolescence. To what age do dogs grow, because it is different for each breed? The growth of a dog depends on the breed, feeding, and caring for the dog. Large breeds take longer to grow than others. Then come the medium-sized breeds and the small breeds of dogs grow the fastest.

Growth rating of different breeds

Large

How old do large breed dogs grow, which take longer than others?

Large breeds include Rottweiler, Samoyed, Boxer, Collie, Doberman, Lercher, Hound, Pointer, Bullmastiff, Great Dane and Irish Wolfhound - on average they reach their maximum flowering and growth at 2 years. The highest growth was recorded for the Great Dane. He measured 109 centimeters at the withers.

Average

Medium breeds of dogs reach the peak of their growth at 1 - 1.5 years, these are: Fox Terrier, Bedlington Terrier, Cairn Terrier, Soft Coated Wheaten Terrier, Yorkshire Terrier, Orange Spitz, Golden Retrievers, Spaniel, Setters, Dalmatian, Afghan Hound, Labrador and shepherd dogs.

Small

And finally, the smallest breeds that can grow up by 6 months are mongrels, dachshunds, poodles, Staffordshire bull terriers, Shiba Inu, Chihuahuas, toy terriers, and Pekingese. According to the Guinness Book of Records, the Chihuahua Dianko was recognized as the smallest dog in the world; its height was only 18 centimeters, with a weight of 758 grams.

As soon as a four-legged pet of unknown origin appears in a house, a lot of questions arise about how it will grow up, who it will look like, whether it will become big or remain small. If we are talking about purebred 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 various age periods. So, to what age do dogs grow?

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

Puppies of large breeds grow and develop after six months of age, although not so quickly. Let's look at 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 become much stronger.
– the growth of puppies stops at 8 months, after which they continue to grow, but only in width.
– the growth of these puppies varies – it can stop at six months or continue up to 9 months, while they rapidly gain weight.
Rottweilers are a powerful and large breed, puppies grow up to 12 months, and the development of the muscular corset occurs until 2 years of age.
– active growth is observed up to a year, and the dog is fully formed by two years.

But it is worth considering that the above data are only average figures, because in addition to the ratio to the breed, there is also a mass of no less important factors, affecting the growth and development of the dog:

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

Stages of dog development and growth

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

changes in the puppy's weight;
body growth;
external changes (exterior);
physiological characteristics.

The concepts of growth and development have 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 this is where the main qualities of the future dog are laid. And here it is worth choosing a future family member more carefully, based on information about his parents and the reputation of the breeders.
The second stage is considered to be 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 also bears full responsibility for the small pets. If the puppy is strong and the future owners have experience in feeding one-month-old 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 rapidly, his milk teeth are changing. Here, the owner is solely responsible for all processes.
The fourth stage - from 16 to 12 months, is quite varied and depends 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. While stopping in growth, the animal continues to gain muscle mass.

It is important to have an idea of what measurement data corresponds to the norm in a given period. Of course, there are no exact figures, but a certain trend can still be observed.

Period from birth to 6 months

From birth to six months, a healthy, active puppy should increase in weight by three times, and grow at the withers by two times. At this time, dogs only grow in height.

This stage is characterized by the cessation of growth of tubular bones. Therefore, it is very important that at this time everything is formed according to the norm. Improper, unbalanced nutrition, transferred serious illnesses can negatively affect the development of the bone frame, resulting in deformations and obvious violations that cannot be corrected.

In this case, the adult will have incorrect body proportions, which will put an end to exhibitions and participation in competitions.

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

A dog's bone structure is fully formed by the age of three. Small breeds finish developing much earlier than large ones.

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

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

In addition, the following parameters are measured:

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

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

Proper feeding of a puppy

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

On average, a puppy up to 3 months old should eat at least 5-6 times a day. An older pet is gradually transferred to four feedings 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 experiences an intensive gain of muscle mass, so the diet must be enriched with proteins.

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

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

Those owners who prefer natural nutrition should follow the following recommendations:

Eliminate too spicy, fatty, smoked, and salty foods from your diet.
It is best to buy sea fish after boiling it first. Raw fish and meat can lead to infection with helminthic infestations.
Bones are poorly digestible, so it is not advisable to give them to your pet to chew on.
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.

Caring care and attentive attitude towards your pet will help it grow and develop normally.

Many new dog breeders are interested in what age their pets grow to. At some point, it may seem to inexperienced owners that the animal’s rapid growth has suddenly stopped, and their beloved dog will forever remain a dwarf. Also, owners are overly concerned big ears pets that look disproportionate to the skull. In fact, all fears are in vain. In the first months of life, the puppy grows quickly, then the formation of its skeleton slows down, but continues anyway. The ears of some breeds of dogs grow faster than the main parts of the body, which is why pets up to a certain age look lop-eared.

In general, representatives various breeds develop differently. Differences in development are especially noticeable between small and large dogs.

Small breeds

Small dogs develop quickly and are fully grown by the age of six months.

Nature has determined that these four-legged animals are formed earlier than their larger counterparts:

The Toy Terrier grows the fastest - some individuals reach maximum growth at 4 months. Their height according to the standard is 20–28 cm. It is curious that individuals less than 18 cm, as a rule, do not bear offspring.
The Yorkshire Terrier reaches full growth by 6 months, after which it takes another 1–2 months for body weight to form. Most often they grow up to 22 cm.
Chihuahuas grow actively until they are 7 months old. The height of a dog usually varies between 18–25 cm.
The Pekingese takes up to 9–12 months to develop. The height of representatives of this breed ranges from 15–25 cm.
The dachshund takes up to 8 months to develop, then only gains weight. Height standards: 14–28 cm.

Medium breeds

Representatives of medium breeds take longer to develop than small dogs

In puppies of medium-sized dogs, bone formation takes longer.

Husky grows up to a year and reaches 60 cm.
A pit bull grows to 35–60 cm by 9 months. This breed attaches great importance to the proportionality of the pet’s weight and height: a tall pit bull should be heavier.
Chow chow develops up to 11 months. Growth indicators can be 46–56 cm depending on the sex of the animal: females are lower than the cables.
The French Bulldog and Basset Hound mature at 8–10 months. At the withers, these animals should reach 35–40 cm.
The retriever grows up to a year and can reach a height of 61 cm.

Large breeds

Large breed puppies continue to develop after six months of age

Large breed pets take the longest to grow. Yes, puppy German Shepherd It grows for up to a year and gains mass the following year. For other large breeds the indicators are different.

The Labrador Retriever matures up to 1.5 years, reaching 62 cm.
Irish Wolfhound - 2 years old, has a height of 71–90 cm.
The Great Dane grows for 1.5 years, the minimum threshold for males of this breed is 80 cm, for females - 72 cm, upper limit does not exist.
Alabai takes up to a year to form. Their the average size at the withers - 70 cm, but there are individuals that grow up to 90 cm.

It remains to add that a dog’s growth often depends on feeding, physical activity. Diseases suffered in childhood are also of great importance. There is no need to worry especially about the dog’s growth, especially if you are not going to show it at exhibitions. The other qualities of this animal are much more valuable: love and devotion to the owner, the ability to be trained, the ability to protect the owner and members of his family.

When a puppy comes home, many owners have questions about what size and weight it will reach. Some people are interested in the age at which dogs grow - that is, when the active growth period ends and muscle mass finishes forming. For most breeds, there are several standards that can be used to guide you when answering these questions.

It is not at all 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 kind it will be adult dog, looking at the parents, and become familiar with the stages of growth by reading the relevant literature.

Answers to questions about the puppy's development are of much greater interest to owners of animals received for free or even picked up on the street. Although it is quite difficult to answer exactly to what age mongrel dogs grow and, moreover, what they will look like in a few months or years. These answers are no less important for owners who see that their pet’s growth rate does not quite meet their expectations.

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

Puppy growth stages

The rate 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 to be the period when the puppy is still an embryo, being in the mother’s womb. At this time, the formation of the animal’s body occurs, which is why it should only be taken from a responsible breeder who monitors the health of pregnant females.

The second stage is the life span from the birth of the puppy to 1.5 months. This period is called suckling and is the same for all breeds. This period is the same and lasts up to six months. During this time, the dog develops molars, its height at the withers approximately doubles, and its weight triples. Up to 6 months, puppies’ ears also grow, and by the end of the period they acquire the same shape as those of an adult dog.

Growth of young animals

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 end of the term. Most small breeds complete their size increase by eight or nine months, large dogs grow up to a year. It is also not difficult to find out to what age dogs of medium breeds (spaniels, bulldogs, basset dogs, huskies and chow-chows) grow. They usually stop growing by 9 or 10 months.

During these six months, the sternum develops most noticeably in all breeds. However, growth is no longer as intense as at 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 the pet can be called a young dog, continues for most breeds until 16 months of age. In small breeds it ends earlier - even before a year. The period can be characterized by an active increase in body weight or size, and a complete cessation of development. Much depends on the following factors:

from health in the early stages - active puppies grow faster and can 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 it 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 one year to 2–3 years. At this time, small pets have long stopped growing, but big dogs can gain muscle mass. So, the answer to the question of how old do dogs grow to become fully grown depends on the breed. How smaller dog, the sooner she grows up. But even the representative herself large breed- for example, a Newfoundland or 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 growth and Yorkshire Terriers ends by 8 months, then only weight gain occurs;
A toy terrier can mature even faster – by six months. From this time on, neither their height nor their weight changes;
Pugs change in size differently - some young dogs of this breed may stop growing at 6-7 months, others continue to develop until nine;
The growth of a female Pekingese ends by 8–9 months, a male by a year;
Dachshunds grow in length until they are eight months old, after which they only increase in width.

Dogs as large and muscular as the Rottweiler grow to their normal size by 12 months, and their muscles can increase until they are 2 years old. Shepherd dogs, 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.

Compared to humans, animals grow and mature much faster.

4 hours have passed since birth. The kitten will turn in the desired direction. The most strong feeling A small dog will have a sense of touch. The puppy may crawl towards its mother. They will both calm down next to each other.

7 days. The little dog still needs his mother's help and protection. She sleeps almost all the time, the remaining time she eats. The mother constantly licks the baby, encouraging it to produce urine and feces. IN wildlife she eats these secretions so as not to detect the location of the offspring.

3 weeks: Standing firmly on his feet, the dog can now move around. In the fifth week, baby teeth begin to appear. The first bites begin. Babies do not yet know how to intelligently distribute their force, so they can bite quite hard.

4 weeks: The dog can already leave the cubs unattended. They will not stray far from their place. Recognize strangers.

6 weeks: Reflexes develop quickly, walking turns into running and jumping. The puppy becomes familiar with the objects around it. They begin to wean him off his mother's milk.

2 months: nervous system strengthened, so the dog can be transferred to new owners. She will easily get used to it at this age. 8 weeks - time for the first vaccination.

18-19 weeks: Training progresses very quickly. Right now it is necessary to teach the puppy to listen to commands and behave calmly. And in the future he will grow up to be a happy and confident dog. Often in the tenth week of his life there comes a time of phobias, when the animal is easily frightened. When meeting others, with a huge number of visual stimuli, noises, smells, places, people, teach yourself to behave calmly.

4-6 months: Actively growing permanent teeth. At 4 months the second wave of fears will begin. It may be associated, for example, with a change of environment. Disobedience is often noted at this time.

6-9 months: Puberty. The beginning of an active life. At this time, she learns not to bite her owners in the game, and to perform simple tricks.

1 year The animal looks like an adult. But you need to continue to educate her, accustom her to calm behavior, then you will be confident in the future that her actions will be predictable.

andy, 3 years, 6 months ago