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My husband and I have long dreamed of having a dog and are finally ready for this important step. We immediately decided that we didn’t want any newfangled purebred animals. We'd rather give a home and care to an ordinary shelter mongrel. But in our cramped apartment it would be difficult to keep a large dog, so it was important for us to take a small dog. We greatly puzzled the shelter volunteers with our desire. The fact is that animals usually come to them one by one. And without seeing the parents, it is difficult to say how a mongrel puppy will grow up.
Possible deviations
Any deviation in height and weight before the puppy reaches adulthood, which is usually 1.5 - 2 years, is not considered a disqualifying sign. Of course, experts working at exhibitions may have their own preferences regarding the parameters of dogs of this breed, but in any case, weight will not dramatically affect the assessment of the animal.
Much more important are physical indicators and the presence of deviations in nose pigmentation, color characteristics and other obvious deviations. Experts pay attention to them first of all. If your pet has such deviations, they will be noted in the characteristics.
Many unscrupulous breeders and people ignorant of selection who are engaged in breeding Papillons may carry out matings with violations. In this case, litters with deviations appear. To avoid running into such unscrupulous nurseries, you need to read reviews and attend breed exhibitions.
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Learn more about the main phases of growing up
The weight of German Shepherd puppies may be behind or ahead of the norm at certain periods, but as a result the dog grows to the following parameters:
- A male at the withers is about 65 cm, body length 71-77 cm and weight 30-40 kg;
- The female at the withers is 57-59 cm, body length 61-70 cm and weight 23-33 kg.
The dimensions of the puppy also depend on the gender of the dog.
Below we will look in detail at how the parameters of German Shepherd puppies change by month:
- Up to three months - at the time of birth, the weight of a German Shepherd puppy is 350-550 g. During the first four weeks, he gains about 100 g per day, then over the course of 8 weeks - about 170 g per day. At one month of age, the weight of a German Shepherd puppy is 3-4 kg. During this period, there is no difference between males and females - their sizes are absolutely identical;
- 3 months - six months - the weight of a German Shepherd puppy triples, the limbs become two to three times longer, and the height at the withers doubles. At four months of age, the baby weighs about 15-20 kg, his height at the withers is 46-52 cm, chest circumference is 62-64 cm. The growth chart for a German Shepherd puppy shows that at six months he practically reaches the size of an adult dog;
- Six months to a year - tubular bones stop growing, but flat bones begin to grow. Growth activity decreases - the dog becomes more and more like an adult dog. However, mating should be avoided at this age - it can cause stunting;
- 12 – 18 months – growth practically stops;
- One and a half to three years - muscle mass grows, the dog becomes more and more mature.
Active games will be an excellent start to training.
The above-described stages of formation show how quickly and unevenly the offspring of this breed grow, however, the German Shepherd puppy growth chart suggests that this corresponds to generally accepted standards.
At six months the dog is visually very similar to an adult, but from his habits and insufficient muscle mass it is clear that he is still small. At two years old, he gives an even stronger impression of a mature and grown individual, but even a two-year-old dog cannot yet be considered an adult.
