Know Your Puppy Growth Rate

October 15, 2008 by Richard Cross

There aren’t many things in the world much cuter than a new puppy, but it is incredible how quickly they grow up and become adult dogs. If you aren’t prepared before you know it you have a fully grown dog around the house, so it’s important to know at least an estimate of puppy growth rate so you can be ready!

Puppy Growth Rate Is Breed Dependant

It goes without saying that some breeds grow up faster than others. Smaller breeds tend to grow up faster and become adults after around one to one and a half years. This can vary with individual breed though. The bigger dogs aren’t fully matured for around 2 years in some cases, and can continue to grow throughout their growth.

How Can I Tell When A Puppy Is Fully Grown?

There is no exact time when a puppy officially becomes an adult, just like there is no real time when you can say a human child becomes an adult (emotionally and physically anyway). Every puppy is different.

You should start switching from puppy to adult dog food at around the one year mark for smaller dogs. For bigger dogs you can wait a bit longer to make sure it is still getting the nutrition it needs for the quick growth it is experiencing.

When you first get a puppy, knowing your puppy growth rate is not something that most owners think about. With bigger dogs especially though you need to be able to gauge at least approximately how fast a big the dog will get so you can plan to have your home ready and suitable in time.

Some things you should consider before getting a puppy include:

How fast will the puppy grow up and how big will it get? Don’t make the mistake of getting a cute and small puppy without realising that it is a large dog when fully grown and your house isn’t big enough.
Can I provide the exercise the puppy needs while it is growing up?
Will I be able to give the puppy the love and attention required?