Up to what age are puppies growing?

GROWTH IN PUPPIES

Approximate reading time:  6 minutes

Having a puppy in the family fills us with love, joy and fun. And one of the most exciting aspects of living with a puppy is watching them grow day by day. From birth, totally vulnerable and dependent on their mother, puppies undergo a lot of changes as part of their natural development. They change their teeth, learn boundaries and ways of communicating with their litter and reach sexual maturity. But the most visible and obvious transformation is the growth of their body. 

Both small and large breeds arrive in the world weighing less than 1 kilo, and little by little, their tissues develop until they reach physical maturity, at which point growth will come to a complete halt. The growth curve of these animals goes from faster to slower. That is to say, in the first weeks of life, growth is much faster, and as time goes by, it slows down until it stops completely, at which point the dog reaches adulthood. But up to what age do puppies really grow?

Table of contents

1-  How do I know when my puppy will stop growing?

• Studying the growth curve

• Big or small dog?

• Visit the vet

• Look at his paws

• Other indicators

2- Why do I need to know how big my dog will grow?

How do I know when my puppy will stop growing?

Whether out of curiosity or for practical reasons, such as buying a bed, carrier or collar, we need to know how big our puppy will get and, above all, when they will stop growing. The length of the physical development stage, in which the animal grows in height and length and gains weight, can vary from puppy to puppy. Even so, there are ways of knowing how long your pet will continue to grow. If you want to know when your puppy will stop growing, consider these tips.

• Studying the growth curve

Because a puppy's growth rate begins to slow as they near the end of their development, you can anticipate this time by recording their weight and dimensions on a regular basis. To measure your puppy's height, you should calculate the distance from the ground to the withers, which is the highest part of the shoulder blades. To do this, place your puppy side on next to a wall, using a treat if they find it difficult to stand still, and using a ruler or level placed perpendicular to the wall, make a mark. You can then measure the distance from the mark to the ground with a tape measure. On the other hand, you can find out your puppy`s weight by standing on the scales with him in your arms and calculating the difference with your own weight.

At first, you will notice that every time you measure and weigh them there is a big difference, but progressively, the growth will stop being so pronounced. This way you will know when your puppy's development is coming to an end. This growth monitoring can also be done by taking your dog to the vet.

• Big or small dog?

Small breed dogs grow for less time. This is because there is not so much difference between their birth weight and the weight they will reach in adulthood. However, the bigger a dog is, the longer they will take to grow, because until they reach their final size, they will have to develop by forming new tissues. If you don't know your dog's breed or if it is a mixed breed, you can look at their parents, if possible. Their adult size may give you a clue as to what size your puppy will grow to and where they are in their development, although this is not always the case. Sometimes during conception there is a mixing of dna that results in a dog that is larger or smaller than their parents.

• Visit the vet

A visit to the vet can clear up any doubts about how long your puppy will grow. By means of an x-ray, the professional will detect how closed his growth plates are. When a dog is nearing adulthood and full physical development, his bones become more compact. With this test, the vet will be able to tell you if they have a lot or a little left to grow.

• Look at his paws

Your puppy's paws can give you many clues as to how long they have left to grow. If you notice that your puppy has large paws, even a little disproportionate to their body, then they are definitely an animal who will be large in adulthood. As we have explained before, large dogs take much longer to develop, and some parts of their body grow faster than others, creating this disproportion that is so adorable. It is also often noticeable in the size of the ears.

• Other indicators

During their infancy, puppies undergo many changes, not only in terms of growth.

Keep in mind that they change their teeth from about 3 months to a year, replacing their milk teeth with adult teeth. Observing the development of your puppy's teeth can help you to get a general idea of their level of growth. However, these indicators should not be taken at face value, as each part of a dog's development has its own set of rules and there are many things that can influence this.

Why do I need to know how long my dog will grow?

Beyond the curiosity that you naturally feel towards everything that surrounds your dog's life, knowing when your pet will stop growing is very important. A puppy does not have the same needs as an adult dog. Their diet, training and exercise requirements, among other things, are very different. That is why it is vital that you know when your furry one has left its infancy and has become an adult dog. This way, you can adapt their care to their new needs. In the same way, while your puppy is still growing, you should offer him a specific diet that will help his development, moderate exercise (as his bones are still forming) and, in short, specific care adapted to their age. That is why it is so useful to know the age your dog will grow to.