when do german shepherd stop growing

When Do German Shepherd Stop Growing? We Also Didn’t Know!

6 min read

Congratulations! You now have the German Shepherd friend you have always wanted to have in that small, cozy and warm department. Oh! Now, you are wondering When Do German Shepherd Stop Growing, right!

Well, if you are still jumping from an article to another, trying to find an article that gives you an in-depth, clear and helpful answer to the ‘When Do German Shepherd Stop Growing’ question, welcome on board; You’re diffidently in the right place!

Before we answer that, let me first introduce the German Shepherd dog breeds to you, the second most popular dog breed, that comes after the Labrador Retriever in 2018 according to the American Kannel Club (AKC). The expert in breed, health and training information for all different kind of dogs.

A German Shepherd ready to introduce himself! Credit: Giphy

About the German Shepherd Dog Breeds.

German Shepherd dog is a breed of medium to a large-sized dog that originally originated in Germany. They are very hard working dog breed that has been used for herding sheep back then. Since that time, German Shepherd dogs are known for their hardworking and obedience ability.

Not just that, but they are also known for their loyalty, courageousness, friendly attitude and smartness. You can also know how amazingly great they are with kids in this article.

The German Shepherd standers height is 24-26 inches (60-65 cm) for males, 22-24 inches (55-60 cm) for females. As for their wights, the average weight for males is 65-90 pounds (29-40 kg), but for females can be 50-70 pounds (22-31 kg).

Now, How Big Do They Grow?

After showing you the standers weight and height for the German Shepherd dog, and the differences in numbers between both males and females, we should mention that German Shepherd dogs usually live for 7-10 or 13 years.

So, let’s figure out the different stages of awesomeness for a German Shepherd; to know how big do German Shepherd grow and When Do German Shepherd Stop Growing.

German Shepherd saying hi to those how came to know when do German shepherd stop growing
Hi to you, too. Mr.German Shepherd – Credit: Giphy

Knowing what exactly is the stage that your German Shepherd in; is one of the most important things to do, because knowing how old are they will make it easier for you to know how they should look like, what are their needs and when you should worry or call a vet for your German Shepherd. Therefore, here’s the stages that your German Shepherd go through:

Neonatal Stage

Neonatal Stage stands for the first two weeks of the German Shepherd dog’s life. At this age, puppies are most likely to spend 90% of their time sleeping; yes, just like a newborn kid.

Puppies during this time begin, gradually, to open their eyes and ears, stretch their hands, legs and back. In addition to that, they are expected to reach 65 to 90 grams each day.

Transitional Stage

The transnational stage is from the Neonatal stage and the Socialization stage, though it is short and indistinct, it is very important to your pup’s health. It is when your puppy starts to open his eyes and look to the environment around him, so everything around them starts to be part of his life.

Socialization Stage

This phase of your German Shepherd pup is when they start to socialize, explore the world and other creatures. It is when your puppy is 3 weeks old and it lasts to about 3 months of age. They start learning more about themselves, they begin to eat soft foods and their ears begin to stand upright.

In addition to that, you start noticing changes in their weight and height; As for males weight they can be 14.2 kg (31.3 pounds) and 23-27 cm (9-11 inches) tall by this age, on the other hand, females can be 12.1 kg (26.7 pounds) and from 20-25 cm (8-10 inches) tall.

Juvenile Stage

This period of your German Shepherd pup’s might spans from 3 to 6 months. It when your German Shepherd becomes more independent. Your German Shepherd will look like a grown-up dog but still behaves like a puppy.

German Shepherd puppy in that age will weight 26.1 kg (57.4 pounds), and reach 41-46 cm (16-18 inches) tall if they are males, and 22.7 kg (50.1 pounds), 37-42 cm (15-17 inches) tall if they are females.

Adolescent Stage

Yes, it is exactly what you already guessed. This is the teenage stage that human kids go through, so you know what you expect from it; uncontrollable hormones changes, mood swings, a lot of fighting with male dogs and A LOT of chasing female dogs, so if you already have teenagers at your home, too; good luck!

Excited German Shepherd, still growing, haven't reached the not growing anymore age yet!
Yes, That’s Exactly what I am talking about Mr.German Shepherd! – Credit: Giphy

In that period, from 6 to 16 months, your male dog weight will be, in the 12’s month, about 34.5 kg (76 pounds), 57- 64 cm (22-25 Inches) tall, and your female German Shepherd will reach the 29.1 kg (64.2 pounds) and 51-57 cm (20-22 inches) tall.

In the 16’s month, they will not face any huge milestone in their growth dimensions. They will, however, continue growing till they reach the adult stage.

Adult Stage

Hooray! You can relax now. For the next 16 months to 36 months; Your German Shepherd now is a calm, respectful, easy to handle and well behaved.

Hello, Gentle German Shepherd! – Credit Giphy

Yes, you can see slightly different changes in the weight and height, but still, it won’t make any huge difference in the overall dimensions of your German Shepherd.

So, When Do German Shepherd Stop Growing?

We can say that according to the German Shepherd dogs growth chart by weight and age, can reach their final huge changes in his weight and height dimensions in their 12’s month, however though, other German Shepherd dogs can reach slightly different numbers than this chart.

Therefore, contacting a trusted vet is always the best thing you can ever do to your pet if you found that your German Shepherd is not changing according to this chart.

What if my German Shepherd Weight Is Different?

Well, if your dog showed a huge different weight results, so your dog is either overweight or underweight, therefore you should start paying more attention to his diet, ask his vet if there are any supplements you should provide your dog with and ask him if there is anything you are doing unintentionally wrong.

Dogs are like our babies; they want to eat unhealthy food all the time, they get attracted to bad diet, they hate rules and love playing. Therefore, you should treat them like one; cut treats if they ate too much, pay attention to the food they eat and its amount, how much they need not how much they want to eat, and last but not least, if you doubted that there is something wrong with your German Shepherd ask a vet he will tell you what you need to know and do.

Now, after knowing when do German Shepherd stop growing, did you find that the numbers in the chart match with your dog’s growth chart? If so, Why don’t you tell us more about your German Shepherd friend, and how was your experience with their growing up adventures.

Ghada Harhash

Whenever the time of talking about ANYTHING comes, I find myself talking about my two dogs Leo and Blacky. It is a struggle that every dog owner understands. So, if we are talking about success, my dogs succeded in learning new tricks, if we are talking about failure, my dogs failed to make me hate them, if we are talking about love, my dogs are the pure form of true love, last but not least, if we are talking about kids, guess what! I have two. So, yes, it is all about my dogs. Therefore, you will find me here today, and every day, talking about, with and for dogs. It is my favorite subject, and since you are here, I believe it is yours, too. But, if you are interested in reading about other topics such as relationships, travel tips and tricks, and more. You can check my twitter account @ghaadaah_ where you get to know me, and I get to know you better.

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