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How big will they get?

July 10th, 2006, 09:22 PM
I'm just wondering how much larger my babies will get-I know that they aren't done growing yet, but does anyone have an opinion for me?

They are lab/rottie mix pups, 8 months old. Fingal is 22 inches at the shoulder and 65 pounds, and Bronwyn is also 22 inches at the shoulder but only 50 pounds. So I know that they are already into the adult range for labs.

At what age will they stop growing? And will they still gain height, or just fill out?

Anyone have any ideas?

July 10th, 2006, 09:35 PM

large dogs will generally gain height until 12 months of age, and then again a tiny little bit during the next 6 months. check for the growth plates on the front legs: when they are closed (flat), growth has ended. the filling out phase can last until 3 years of age, depending on the breed, sex, genetic background, etc (still talking about large dogs here). my 8.5 month-old akita bitch (spayed) is 26" at the withers and about 67-68 lbs, i don't expect her to be much taller as an adult though (maybe 27" if we're lucky) and about 80 lbs at full maturity, she's a small girl, very light-boned. but you never really know until you "get there", LOL!

July 10th, 2006, 09:43 PM
:o I kinda answered my own question a moment ago-I went to double check my measurements, and Fingal is now 23 inches at the shoulder!

Thanks, technodoll! I thought that large breeds didn't stop growing until about 18 months or so. I never know whether to class these guys as "large" or "medium".

We initially thought they would both end up at about 100 pounds, but now I think Bronwyn will be lighter than that as she's very fine boned.

What really got me thinking was that everyone I run into on the street seems to react with horror when I say that they are still puppies and will get bigger :p ! I don't think that they are that big.

July 10th, 2006, 09:44 PM
Yep, it took Boo until about when he was 2 to slowly stop growing. His legs got longer and longer and he still had no chest. You know when they sit and their chest looks all firm and guard dog like? He didn't have that yet, so we were worried... Finally at about 2.5 he got his chest and stopped growing completely..:eek: People still tell us they think he's bigger than the last time they saw him and he's 5.

So my short answer, black adopted doggies never stop growing.:D

Seriously, I think the littler one is at least going to fill out a lot more and the big guy might get a couple inches taller but won't fill out forever. Just my guess... Anything can happen.

July 10th, 2006, 09:51 PM
Just to add to the confusion factor :evil: , their father was large for a rottie, and Fingal's mom was kinda small for a lab. I'm pretty sure that they have the same mother since Bronwyn's build is very similar to Fingal's mom.

We're still assuming both litters were fathered by the rottie they found in the kennel with the 2 females in heat, but that might not be the case, I guess. If one male can jump the fence, why not more than one? (On a side note, the owners of the moms have since had them spayed, having decided that they didn't have it in them to establish and run a kennel. After having my eyes opened on this site, I applaud their decision.)

July 10th, 2006, 11:13 PM
I used to make growth charts on doorframes, walls of my kid and pups, (lab, shepherds, coon hounds) I noted that most the height was attained by 10 months, from there it slowed considerably, most topped out by 12 months with a couple continuing to 14 months, all were less than 1" growth, with most being 1/2 and inch or less after the 10 months of age, Nikki my eskie stopped at 10 months, The giants breeds like newf, danes, wolfhound are the slower growers taking a year and a half to reach full height. Bones growth is also considered finished by 14 months in the greyhound racing industry, and is the age when most pups will begin their maiden races