Extra-large breed puppy weight chart: Labrador, Golden, German Shepherd
This chart shows how puppies of extra-large breeds such as the Golden Retriever, the Labrador and the German Shepherd, dogs that weigh 66–88 lb (30–40 kg) as adults, typically gain weight from 12 weeks to 2 years. It gives the median and the typical range for males and females.
Updated
Weight chart
The line is the median; the bands hold the middle half and the middle 82% of healthy puppies of the group at each age. Males and females have separate panels.
- Median
- Middle half (25th–75th centile)
- Typical range (9th–91st centile)
Our fit of the open Waltham data, not the official WALTHAM chart. See the official WALTHAM puppy growth charts (opens in a new tab).
Puppy weight by age
The same lines as numbers: weekly at 12 weeks, then monthly to 2 years. Pounds with kilograms below.
| Age | 9th | 25th | Median | 75th | 91st |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 12 weeks | 14.06.34 | 16.77.60 | 19.78.94 | 22.810.4 | 26.111.8 |
| 3 months (13 wk) | 16.07.24 | 19.08.60 | 22.110.0 | 25.411.5 | 28.813.1 |
| 4 months (17 wk) | 24.211.0 | 28.012.7 | 32.014.5 | 36.016.3 | 40.118.2 |
| 5 months (22 wk) | 33.515.2 | 38.317.4 | 43.319.6 | 48.221.9 | 53.124.1 |
| 6 months (26 wk) | 40.118.2 | 45.520.6 | 51.023.1 | 56.525.6 | 62.028.1 |
| 7 months (30 wk) | 45.620.7 | 51.323.3 | 57.226.0 | 63.128.6 | 69.031.3 |
| 8 months (35 wk) | 50.723.0 | 56.725.7 | 62.828.5 | 68.931.3 | 75.034.0 |
| 9 months (39 wk) | 53.624.3 | 59.627.0 | 65.729.8 | 71.932.6 | 78.035.4 |
| 10 months (43 wk) | 55.525.2 | 61.527.9 | 67.530.6 | 73.733.4 | 79.836.2 |
| 11 months (48 wk) | 57.025.9 | 62.928.5 | 68.931.3 | 75.034.0 | 81.036.7 |
| 12 months (52 wk) | 57.826.2 | 63.628.9 | 69.531.5 | 75.634.3 | 81.537.0 |
| 14 months (61 wk) | 58.926.7 | 64.629.3 | 70.431.9 | 76.234.6 | 82.137.2 |
| 16 months (70 wk) | 59.827.1 | 65.329.6 | 70.932.2 | 76.634.8 | 82.437.4 |
| 18 months (78 wk) | 60.527.5 | 65.929.9 | 71.432.4 | 77.135.0 | 82.737.5 |
| 20 months (87 wk) | 61.527.9 | 66.830.3 | 72.232.8 | 77.735.3 | 83.337.8 |
| 22 months (96 wk) | 62.728.4 | 67.830.8 | 73.133.2 | 78.635.6 | 84.038.1 |
| 24 months (104 wk) | 63.828.9 | 68.831.2 | 74.033.6 | 79.336.0 | 84.738.4 |
| Age | 9th | 25th | Median | 75th | 91st |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 12 weeks | 13.26.00 | 15.77.10 | 18.18.19 | 20.59.31 | 23.210.5 |
| 3 months (13 wk) | 15.06.80 | 17.67.99 | 20.29.17 | 22.910.4 | 25.811.7 |
| 4 months (17 wk) | 21.99.95 | 25.311.5 | 28.613.0 | 32.014.5 | 35.616.2 |
| 5 months (22 wk) | 30.113.6 | 34.215.5 | 38.217.3 | 42.319.2 | 46.821.2 |
| 6 months (26 wk) | 35.416.0 | 40.018.1 | 44.420.1 | 48.922.2 | 53.824.4 |
| 7 months (30 wk) | 39.517.9 | 44.320.1 | 49.022.2 | 53.824.4 | 59.026.8 |
| 8 months (35 wk) | 43.119.6 | 48.221.8 | 53.024.0 | 57.926.3 | 63.428.7 |
| 9 months (39 wk) | 45.220.5 | 50.322.8 | 55.225.0 | 60.227.3 | 65.729.8 |
| 10 months (43 wk) | 46.821.2 | 51.923.6 | 56.825.8 | 61.828.1 | 67.430.6 |
| 11 months (48 wk) | 48.321.9 | 53.424.2 | 58.326.4 | 63.328.7 | 68.931.2 |
| 12 months (52 wk) | 49.222.3 | 54.324.6 | 59.226.8 | 64.229.1 | 69.731.6 |
| 14 months (61 wk) | 50.723.0 | 55.725.3 | 60.527.4 | 65.429.7 | 70.932.2 |
| 16 months (70 wk) | 51.823.5 | 56.725.7 | 61.427.8 | 66.230.0 | 71.632.5 |
| 18 months (78 wk) | 52.623.8 | 57.526.1 | 62.128.2 | 66.830.3 | 72.232.7 |
| 20 months (87 wk) | 53.524.3 | 58.326.5 | 62.928.5 | 67.630.7 | 72.933.1 |
| 22 months (96 wk) | 54.524.7 | 59.326.9 | 63.828.9 | 68.531.1 | 73.833.5 |
| 24 months (104 wk) | 55.325.1 | 60.127.3 | 64.629.3 | 69.331.4 | 74.633.8 |
How big will my puppy get?
Enter your puppy’s sex, age in weeks and weight. You see which band of this chart the weight falls in and where that band sits at 12 and 24 months.
Result
Male, 17 weeks, 34 lb
Middle half, above the median
Between the median and the 75th centile.
- Typical range at this age
- 24.2–40.1 lb (11.0–18.2 kg)Median 32.0 lb (14.5 kg)
- If your puppy stays in this band
- At 12 months: 69.5–75.6 lb (31.5–34.3 kg)
- At 2 years: 74.0–79.3 lb (33.6–36.0 kg)
A weight outside the typical range is not a diagnosis. Weigh again on the same scale in a few days, and if it stays there or you are unsure, show the weights to your vet. Body condition matters as much as the number: WSAVA body condition chart for dogs (opens in a new tab).
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When do Labs, Goldens and Shepherds stop growing?
The median male of this group reaches three quarters of his two-year weight at about 7 months and 90% at about 9 months; the median female at 7 months and 11 months. Most of the weight comes in the first year.
The line keeps rising slowly until 2 years. A one-year-old Lab or Golden can still add a few pounds without being overweight, and a heavier one-year-old is not always still growing: your vet can tell the difference by checking body condition.
One chart for three popular breeds
Golden Retrievers, Labradors and German Shepherds all have their adult weight in this group, so they share one chart. The study found that the group describes their growth about as well as separate breed charts would; the open data do not name breeds, so a chart for Goldens alone cannot be made from them.
Watch the difference between the sexes: at 6 months the median male weighs 51.0 lb (23.1 kg) and the median female 44.4 lb (20.1 kg). Comparing a female puppy with the male panel makes her look small when she is not.
Breeds in this group
The Waltham study placed the breeds marked “Waltham study” in this size group; we placed the others here from their AKC adult weight. The adult weight is the American Kennel Club’s.
A breed can be in a group whose range does not cover its AKC weight: the study placed breeds by what they weighed in clinic records, which is often more than the breed standard.
Mixed-breed puppies
Choose the chart by the weight you expect your dog to reach as an adult, not by how the puppy looks. This page fits dogs of 66–88 lb (30–40 kg) as adults. The parents’ weights, if you know them, are the best hint; your vet can give an estimate too.
The study did not include mixed breeds. Its authors suggest that the size-group charts may also work for them, but this has not been tested, so treat the bands as a guide.
How to track your puppy’s weight
Weigh on the same scale, at about the same time of day, every week or two while your puppy grows. Veterinarian Caitlin Grant recommends at least every two weeks and ideally every week. Write each weight down with the date and age.
Then compare the line, not one point, with the bands. A puppy that holds its line is growing steadily for its group. If the weight leaves the bands or crosses lines, weigh again in a few days and talk to your vet.
Frequently asked questions
How much should a Golden Retriever puppy weigh at 6 months?
At 6 months (26 weeks) the middle 82% of healthy extra-large males weigh 40.1–62.0 lb (18.2–28.1 kg) and females 35.4–53.8 lb (16.0–24.4 kg); the medians are 51.0 lb (23.1 kg) and 44.4 lb (20.1 kg). The AKC gives adult Goldens 65–75 lb (29.5–34 kg) for males and 55–65 lb (24.9–29.5 kg) for females.
How much should a Labrador puppy weigh at 4 months?
At 4 months (17 weeks) males of this group weigh 24.2–40.1 lb (11.0–18.2 kg) and females 21.9–35.6 lb (9.95–16.2 kg). Adult Labradors weigh 65–80 lb (29.5–36.3 kg) (males) and 55–70 lb (24.9–31.8 kg) (females) by the AKC standard.
How much does a female German Shepherd weigh at 1 year?
At 12 months (52 weeks) extra-large females weigh 49.2–69.7 lb (22.3–31.6 kg) in the middle 82% of the data, with a median of 59.2 lb (26.8 kg). The AKC standard for adult German Shepherd females is 50–70 lb (22.7–31.8 kg).
Sources and method
Data: Salt and colleagues, WALTHAM Petcare Science Institute (PLOS ONE, 2017). Their open data hold weighings of healthy purebred dogs from Banfield clinics in the USA, 1994 to 2013. The fit for this group used 16,997 weighings of 5,262 males and 15,502 weighings of 5,027 females.
Method: the article shows its centiles only as figures, so we fitted the open data again the way the article describes (GAMLSS, males and females apart) and checked the result against its figures; the medians agree within 3%. This is our fit of the open Waltham data, not the official WALTHAM chart.
What this chart does not cover
- Puppies younger than 12 weeks and dogs older than 2 years: the data stop there.
- Purebred dogs from clinics in the USA; mixed breeds were not in the study.
- Dogs weighed before neutering; neutering shifted growth only slightly in the study.
- Giant breeds over 88 lb (40 kg) as adults.
- Body condition: a chart compares weight only. Ask your vet or use the WSAVA chart.
Download the data
The weekly values behind this chart and table, in kilograms, as a CSV file. Free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (opens in a new tab) with a link to this page and to the original article.
How to cite
Pettify. Extra-large breed puppy weight chart: Labrador, Golden, German Shepherd: our fit of the open Waltham growth data (Salt C et al., PLOS ONE 2017, doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0182064). https://pettifyapp.com/breeds/dogs/weight-chart/extra-large-breeds
Sources
- Salt C, Morris PJ, German AJ, Wilson D, Lund EM, Cole TJ, Butterwick RF. PLOS ONE. Growth standard charts for monitoring bodyweight in dogs of different sizes. 2017. doi.org (opens in a new tab) (accessed )
- University of Liverpool Research Data Catalogue. Growth standard charts for monitoring bodyweight in dogs of different sizes: supporting data. 2017. doi.org (opens in a new tab) (accessed )
- WALTHAM Petcare Science Institute. WALTHAM Puppy Growth Charts. waltham.com (opens in a new tab) (accessed )
- American Kennel Club. Dog breeds: breed standards and weights. akc.org (opens in a new tab) (accessed )
- Veterinary Focus (Royal Canin Academy). Puppy growth charts, by Caitlin Grant, DVM, DVSc. academy.royalcanin.com (opens in a new tab) (accessed )
- WSAVA Global Nutrition Committee. Body Condition Score: dog. wsava.org (opens in a new tab) (accessed )