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German Shepherd puppy growth: milestones and weight estimates

How fast a German Shepherd puppy grows, illustrative weight estimates and the limits of predicting adult size.

Shepherd puppies grow fast. A typical male weighs about 9 to 11 kg at 3 months and 22 to 27 kg at 6 months, reaches adult height at 12 to 14 months, then spends another year filling out through the chest and head. Females finish a little earlier and smaller, and many owners notice a gangly, all-legs stage around 5 to 8 months.

Fast growth is when joints are most vulnerable. Feed a large-breed puppy food, which controls calcium and energy density, and keep your puppy lean rather than round. Limit repetitive jumping, long runs on hard ground and endless stairs until growth plates close at around 12 to 18 months. If the ears are still soft and folded at 7 months, ask your breeder for advice rather than trying fixes you have seen online.

German Shepherd puppy growth in numbers

0.09.61929392m4m6m8m10m12m14m16m18m21m24mkg

Illustrative size-based model for a male German Shepherd, in kg, by age in months

AgeFemaleMale
2 months3 kg3.9 kg
3 months4.8 kg6.2 kg
4 months7 kg9.1 kg
5 months9.4 kg12.5 kg
6 months11.5 kg15 kg
7 months13.5 kg17.5 kg
8 months15.5 kg20 kg
9 months17 kg22 kg
10 months18.5 kg24 kg
12 months21 kg27 kg
14 months23 kg30 kg
16 months24.5 kg32 kg
18 months25.5 kg33 kg
21 months26.5 kg34 kg
24 months27 kg35 kg

This is an editorial model scaled to a typical adult weight, not an observed breed average, a validated growth standard or a healthy-weight range. Do not adjust food to make a puppy follow this line. Discuss actual growth measurements with your vet.

Puppy growth guides for similar-sized breeds