Determining a Puppy's Size

By Lucy Bushman

The moment has come...you've gotten a new puppy! Getting a puppy is both exciting and nerve wracking. Exciting because it's so much fun to watch them grow. Nerve wracking because of the potty training, teething and training that needs to occur. Yet another mystery that will remain unanswered until the puppy grows is how big will a puppy get? To determine how big your puppy will be, there are several items to consider.

If your puppy is a purebred, what breed is it? If it's a Beagle, for example, your puppy will remain fairly small...topping out at about 15 inches at the withers. However, if your puppy is a Great Dane, you will have a rather large dog on your hands, topping out at about 28 inches or so. Keep in mind, even though you have a purebred puppy, while it's a bit easier to determine how big puppy will get, it's not always a given. For example, if you have the runt of the litter, this puppy may not grow to be as big as the breed standard dictates it should.

If your puppy is a mixed breed or mutt, you'll have to play a guessing game to determine how big your puppy will get. One thing you can do is take a look at the paws. If, as a puppy, the paws seem to be somewhat oversized for it's body, it will most likely be a medium to large sized dog. If the paws seem to be in proportion to the rest of it's body, it will most likely be on the small side.

Another method you can use to answer the question, "how big will puppy get?" for mixed breed dogs is to try and determine the puppy's heritage. If the puppy is a mix between a Labrador Retriever and a Standard Poodle (otherwise known as a Labradoodle) you can imagine that the puppy will grow into a large dog. Conversely, if you puppy is a mix between a Westie and a Yorkie, you can bet that the puppy will grow into a very small dog, weighing 10 pounds tops.

Once you get an idea as to the height of your puppy, another part of the "how big will puppy get" question revolves around weight. Typically the smaller the dog, the less they weigh...unless you have a Bassett Hound. Bassett Hounds are relatively low to the ground, but tend to weigh upwards of 60 pounds. On the flip side, you have Greyhounds. These puppies grow into very tall dogs, yet they too weigh only 60 pounds.

As you can see, there are many variables to consider when trying to figure out how big your puppy will get. To have an idea of the height or weight of your puppy, it's best to do some research beforehand. That way, when you are asked the "how big will puppy get" question, you'll have a fairly educated guess.

Lucy Bushman is an accomplished niche website developer and author. To learn more about how big will a puppy get, please visit Pet Training Now for current articles and discussions.