Saturday, March 16, 2024
HomeExclusiveHow Big Do German Shepherds Get

How Big Do German Shepherds Get

How Big Do Male German Shepherds Get

Do German Shepherds and Golden Retrievers Really Get Along That Well?

Male GSDs are typically larger, more muscular and have a very masculine shape to their head and look to their faces. At up to 90 lbs, they can weigh up to 20 lbs more than a female GSD!

Thats a lot of weight difference considering that they only tend to be a couple of inches taller, usually topping out at around 26 inches tall.

What Is The Size Of A Full

An adult male German Shepherd is typically 24 to 26 inches tall, while adult female German Shepherds are 22 to 24 inches tall, according to the American Kennel Club German Shepherd Standard.

The estimated full-size varies significantly between sexes. In terms of weight, an adult male German Shepherd weighs anywhere from 75 to 90 pounds. A female German Shepherd weighs notably less at 55 to 70 pounds.

Please keep in mind that these numbers are only estimates to give you an idea of how much bigger a German Shepherd puppy may get. Some dogs will be both smaller and larger than these weight ranges when fully grown due to a variety of genetic and environmental factors.

How Big Do Black German Shepherds Get

They are a large-sized dog that grows up to the same size or even bigger than regular German Shepherds.

The adult male Black German Shepherd has a height between 24 to 26 inches . The females are smaller with a size ranging from 22 to 24 inches .

The male ones have an average weight between 65 to 90 pounds while the female is on the lighter side, weighing 50 to 75 pounds .

Young Black German Shepherds mature and reach their full-grown size between 18 months to 2 years of age.

Don’t Miss: Who Would Win In A Fight German Shepherd Or Pitbull

How Much Do German Shepherds Grow After Six Months

German Shepherds tend to be at around 70% of their adult size and weight at six months, which means they dont have much more growing to do.

At this age, they are reaching the end of their rapid growth period, and you will notice their growth slows down significantly after this milestone.

If you are considering adding a larger breed dog to your family, its good to have an understanding of how big they could potentially get. With German Shepherd size, there is quite a bit of variation depending on the type you have and what they were initially bred for. All this information can help you to anticipate their adult size, and our calculator can get you the rest of the way there.

How Big Do German Shepherds Get Height

How

GSD are medium to large sized dog breed. Like with most animals, their height and weight differ according to their gender. They were originally bred as working dogs, specifically as herding dogs. However, fate did its thing, and now GSD mostly works for the police, military, and the show business.

No wonder German Shepherd dogs are huge. After all, they were initially bred to guard and protect.

Think of bodyguards, what features pop into your mind when you think about them? Theyre tall and strong, right? The same things go to German Shepherd dogs. They were bred as the four-legged version of bodyguards, so their body size really matters. All of the heights mentioned are those of adult German Shepherd Dogs.

Read Also: When Do German Shepherds Ears Stand Up

German Shepherd Sizing And Physical Characteristics

The German Shepherd is considered a large breed. According to the American Kennel Club, GSDs should be 22 to 26 inches tall and weigh 50 to 90 pounds when fully grown . Theyre larger and heavier than the common Labrador Retriever which, when fully grown, are 21.5 to 24.5 inches tall and weigh 55 to 80 pounds.

While dogs dont all grow at the same rate, the table below describes heightand weight milestones by age that is typical of the breed.

Age
66 70 22 24

Note: The height is measured from the pads of their foot to theirwithers while standing.

The German Shepherd is a breed that has been maintained through very specific standards. Based on these standards, meeting a specific length-to-height ratio is more important than meeting the typical height and weight milestones. Generally, GSDs are expected to have a length-to-height ratio of 10:8.5 where length is measured from the chest to the base of the tail and height is measured from the withers to the pad of the foot.

Giant German Shepherd Size And Weight: How Big Do Giant German Shepherds Get When Fully Grown

The classic German Shepherd alone is already considered as a large dog breed that could reach a height of 26 inches and a weight of 90 pounds! Now, you could just imagine how big a Giant German Shepherd can grow?

Here are the specifications for the weight and size of the Giant German Shepherd breeds, King Shepherd and Shiloh Shepherd:

Also Check: German Shepherd Chihuahua Mix

What If My German Shepherd Is Not The Correct Weight

While your dogs height doesnt necessarily reflect his health, his weight surely does. Some German Shepherds have a more active metabolism than others, but thats no excuse not to try and get your dog closer to the correct weight.

If your German Shepherd is not the correct weight, you should adjust his diet and exercise to bring him close to his ages GSD growth chart weight. You should lean more heavily on the diet adjustment for a dog younger than six months and exercise adjustment for an older one.

If your dog is younger than 18 months and is overweight compared to the growth chart, two factors could contribute to this mismatch. These factors are mutually exclusive, and usually, only one is true. The first is that your GSDs genes or heritage make him likely to grow bigger and weigh more.

The second is that he needs better consumption to energy-use ratio to come to the ideal weight. But how do you tell if your GSD is overweight because of health or due to his genetic predisposition?

There Should Be A Size Difference Between The Genders

6 Things to Know Before Getting a German Shepherd Dog Or Puppy

As you notice, all of the breed standards call for a size difference between males and females. Males will be noticeably heavier as well as taller than females. Males have denser bones and more muscularity.

In pets and working dogs, where the breed standard for appearance is not nearly as important, there may be smaller size differences between the sexes. Even where size distinction is not so critical in working dogs, sexual dimorphism is still usually dramatic.

Don’t Miss: Who Would Win In A Fight German Shepherd Or Pitbull

Do Sable German Shepherds Shed

Sable German Shepherds shed continuously and more during the Spring and Fall when they change their undercoat. They have either a medium or a long coat, both of which are double coats. They have a coarse guard layer and a soft, dense undercoat underneath, which helps to keep them warm.

Due to this, these dogs are not suitable for those with allergies. Brushing your German Shepherd properly always helps in controlling shedding.

Read More:How To Reduce German Shepherd Shedding: 7 Top Tips

The Benefits Of German Shepherds

German Shepherds are incredibly hard-working, agile, and muscular.

Although theyre not really used to herd sheep anymore, theyre still bred in large numbers for their versatile and intelligent behavior.

German Shepherds are trained and used by the military and police to participate in a wide range of operations.

Their shape and size give them an advantage when it comes to working in harsh conditions.

German Shepherds are inherently driven to train and please their owners, which is a huge reason behind their popularity.

German Shepherds popularity makes them easy to come by since theyre bred in large numbers everywhere worldwide.

The downside to German Shepherds is they require training, attention, and a lot of exercise. If youre not looking for a big dog that requires an active lifestyle, you should probably look into other breeds.

Also Check: Best Color Collar For German Shepherd

Dangers Of Stunted Or Accelerated Growth

New dog owners might be concerned about whether their dog is growing too quickly or too slowly, especially when you are comparing your pup to the German Shepherd growth chart. The danger of stunted growth only arises in the case of malnutrition or extreme disease.

If your puppy has not had proper nutrition or is having another affliction, there is a risk that he will not grow properly. Likewise, diet can cause your pup to grow too quickly.

In this case, the growth is not related to their bones, but their weight. Excess weight can harm a puppys growth and cause other health issues.

Sable German Shepherds: A Brief Overview

How Big Do German Shepherds Get?

A Sable German Shepherd, also known as the classic German Shepherd, is a quintessential dog because of the similarity of its DNA with a wolf. They possess the dominant Agouti allele and are true German Shepherds in work ethic and color to the original GSD, Horand von Grafrath.

They may look different from common German Shepherds but carry the same traits and characteristics.

A sable German Shepherds color pattern means that almost all of their hair has a black tip, while the rest may have a different color. Although it is usual for this other color to be tan, there is a wide range of colors that can be seen, including gray, blue, red, and silver.

For a glance at the breed, check out the below table:

Sable German Shepherd
Up to $2000

You May Like: Why Are German Shepherds So Smart

What Are Their Grooming Needs

To reduce the amount of hair that this breed leaves throughout the home, daily brushing is best. The best brush for a German Shepherd is a shedding brush. Bathing is another essential part of grooming, but be cautious not to over-bathe this breed because it can result in oil depletion from the skin, exacerbating skin conditions such as eczema.

Weekly teeth brushing and nail trimming are also essential parts of grooming a German Shepherd.

German Shepherd Height Chart

24 26 / 60 65 cm 22 24 / 55 60 cm

When looking at the German Shepherd height chart, you will get a good idea on how quickly they grow and what you can generally expect as far as their height goes.

Looking at the German Shepherd height chart, you will notice that the puppies double in height between months 1 and 3 and again between months 2 and 4.The first 4 months of your puppys life is when you will see the largest amount of growth.

The height growth rate will slow down by 6 months. While your dog is nowhere near his final size, the amount that he grows each month will gradually reduce, so he will be growly less dramatically, while still growing.

This will help especially with feeding since you will be able to get him on a fixed amount after he has done his largest growth periods. You will notice on the charts that they keep going up until 3 years, taking into account any last bit of growth.

Read Also: Why Does My German Shepherd Whine All The Time

How Many German Shepherds Have Been Adopted On Rescue Me

76,319 Adopted! Scroll to view 91 pets. 76,319 German Shepherd Dogs adopted on Rescue Me! A219965, My name is Raven. I am a female, brown and black German Shepherd Dog mix. The shelter staff think I am » Read more » Meet Naim he is a 5/6 month old Shepard mix!

Given how intelligent the German Shepherd and Golden Retriever are, you can expect this hybrid to be just as intelligent if not more! The parents are the 3rd and 4th smartest dog breeds, respectively. Theyre likely to be very energetic and lively dogs without the intense work ethic of a German Shepherd.

A great place to start would be by starting a breed search on Adopt-a-Pet.com. The search will show you all the available German Shepherd Dogs in your area. There are animal shelters and rescues that focus specifically on finding great homes for German Shepherd Dog puppies.

How Quickly Do Puppies Grow

How can you tell how big a German Shepherd will get?

You may want to get a sense of how quickly your German Shepherd puppy will grow. The following lists give estimates for male and female puppies weight over their first year these are the higher ends of the range.

For a more in-depth correlation between height and weight, it is worth it to read the book: Your German Shepherd Puppy Month by Month, 2nd Edition: Everything You Need to Know at Each State to Ensure Your Cute and Playful Puppy by Liz Palika and Terry Albert.

The exact weight will vary between different breed types and for each individual dog, but the general pattern will remain the sameGerman Shepherd puppies grow explosively over the first few months and then start to slow down between 6 and 8 months old. Stay in touch with your vet about monitoring this growth and adjusting their food accordingly. To go from pounds to kilogram: 1 pound is 0.453592 kilogram.

Recommended Reading: How To Stop Your German Shepherd Puppy From Biting

When Do German Shepherds Stop Growing

Like many large breeds, a German Shepherd dog is not considered fully grown until they are about 18 months old. Female German Shepherds continue to fill out until they are around two years old, while the male German Shepherd growth rate continues until they reach two and a half years of age. Males are larger are require more time to fill out their chest and abdomen.

As you can see by the German Shepherd weight chart, these dogs can continue to grow until they are three years old, but the majority of growth occurs within 24 months. If your GSD is older than 36 months and continues to put on weight, contact your veterinarian to ensure weight gain does not lead to obesity.

Diet: Best Food For German Shepherds

German Shepherd puppies need large breed specific diets.

Many different brands offer large breed recipes for puppies, but a good option is Solid Golds Wolf Cub with real bison and oatmeal.

It is a high-quality food enhanced with probiotics, which are essential in maintaining healthy GI systems.

When your dog has reached full maturity than can be transitioned to an adult dog food.

Be sure to choose a diet that meets your dogs activity level.

If your German Shepherd is more active, you will want to put them on a specially formulated food for working dogs. If your dog is less active, you will want to choose a food lower in fat.

German Shepherds do well with high protein diets since protein helps to develop and maintain muscles mass.

If your dog doesnt require a diet containing grains, a high protein food made by Orijen, Acana, or Taste of the Wild would work best.

Recommended Reading: Who Would Win In A Fight German Shepherd Or Pitbull

When Is A German Shepherd Fully Grown

Female German Shepherds often stop growing at around two years. Males may continue to grow for another six months or so. The exact time that each dog stops growing depends on genetics and their diet. You shouldnt feed a dog extra calories in the hopes that theyll grow faster or larger. This can make them grow too fast, which can mess up their joints and cause other health problems. In fact, hip dysplasia is much more likely in dogs that were improperly fed as puppies.

Instead, we recommend patience.

Dogs may not grow evenly. Many may reach their full height before gaining much of their muscle mass and fat. Others may fatten up for a time and then grow another inch. Dogs are a lot like children in this way. They grow at their own pace.

While these dogs reach sexual maturity before they are fully grown, it is generally not recommended to breed them until they have reached their full size. Otherwise, it can stunt their growth and potentially cause health problems for the mother and the puppies. After all, the mother will be much smaller than shes supposed to be to carry the puppies and deliver them safely.

How To Spot A Black Shepherd

How Big Do German Shepherds Get?

If you ever came face to face with a Black Shepherd, your initial instinct might be to run away since they look like a wolf. Dont fret theres more to love than to fear from this canines majestic features.

The Black German Shepherd has a chiseled face and long muzzle. Perched on their rounded forehead are their semi-pointed and erect ears.

Some German Shepherds aged 16- to 20-weeks old have floppy ears. But once the cartilage hardens, their ear will become stiff and upright.

These dogs have dark almond-shaped eyes which match their black nose.

They have a muscular body with sturdy and thick legs. The Black German Shepherd has a straight back which ends with a bushy tail. Sometimes they tend to have a straighter back than the regular one.

The Black Shepherd has a medium-length double coat a dense and straight outer layer with a soft undercoat.

These dogs may get long hair, which is a bit wavy and fluffy. Usually, they have a longer or straighter coat than the standard German Shepherd.

But no matter the length of their coat, this canine has one primary color, black.

For a German Shepherd to become black, both of his parents must have a recessive gene for a black coat. A more sure way of producing this rare canine is breeding two Black Shepherds.

Don’t Miss: Gsd Teething

German Shepherd Size Predictions By Age

Confident, courageous, and smart, German Shepherds, as their name suggests, were traditionally herders, but they make great general working dogs. They are the preferred breed for police and military dogs, as well as being invaluable in search and rescue and for disability assistance.

These wolf-like canines also make great pets and have consistently ranked second place in the American Kennel Clubs list of most popular breeds, just behind the beloved Labrador Retriever.

However, the German Shepherd size is large and can be quite demanding. Newbie owners who take on these dogs need to be aware of how to properly care for them. Having an idea of their potential adult size can help with this.

As the breed dates back to around 1899, experts have had plenty of time to gather information about them. As such, we know a fair bit about how they grow and have quite precise size details for these dogs across their entire growth-span period.

Yet, its important to remember that these figures are just averages and dont account for every individual dog.

Age
20 24 inches 22 26 inches

*When looking at these measurements, keep in mind that a dogs height is not measured from the top of its head but from its withers. This is the point between their shoulder blades.

RELATED ARTICLES

Most Popular