Cross Breeds - how fast do german shepherd puppies grow?

how fast do german shepherd puppies grow?

Public Comments

German Shepard's do not reach full maturity til about 2 years of age. Depending on the size of the parents of the puppy usually will tell you how large your dog is going to be. These dogs need lots and lots of vitamins, especially calcium. I use to raise German Shepard's, and I used calcium supplement, as they grow at a fast rate, and for them to grow strong bones and teeth, and have ears that stand up like they are suppose to it takes calcium, lack of it or not enough of it can cause problems.
We bought a German shepherd puppy last November. He is 9 months old & already he is at about 90 pounds. They grow rather fast in comparison with other dogs but this is because they get bigger than other dogs. Not that we weighted him every week or month but I think he gained about 10-15 pounds a month in the first few months & it now he tapered off it about less than 5 pounds a month
The real question should be how fast SHOULD gsd puppies grow? The rate of growth in large breed dogs is directly related to the incidence of growing bone diseases. These include panosteitis and hypertrophic osteodystrophy. GSD's are particularly prone to panosteitis. For any dog that is going to end up being over 70lbs at maturity, it is advisable to keep the growth rate slow. That is how the large breed puppy foods have evolved. They contain less protein, calcium, and calories than puppy food, and slightly more than adult food. This allows for a slower growth rate and less chance of these problems. Many people think that if a dog grows fast, that is a good thing. But all it takes is one look at a dog that has panosteitis, and you will disagree. The dog gets so painful that it will actually stop using a limb, or multiple limbs, can run a fever, and may stop eating. This can go on for weeks, and can return several times. If you are getting a gsd, or have one, please talk to your vet about the proper rate of growth for your dog.
AgeWeight Male% ofWeight Female (mo)Kg.lb.TotalKg.lb. 1 4.2 9.212.103.37.2 29.019.926.187.516.6 314.231.341.1812.126.7 419.041.85516.436.2 522.9 50.666.5720.044.0 626.1 57.475.5222.750.1 728.4 62.682.3624.754.4 830.1 66.487.3626.157.5 931.5 69.491.3127.159.7 1032.7 72.094.7327.961.5 1133.7 74.397.7628.663.1 1234.5 76.010029.164.2
They grow so fast. I have one, and when we got here you could hold her in one hand. she's just over one and you wouldn't miss her if she was in the room, she up to my hip and still growing. YIKES