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- Different dog breeds grow at different rates: a small breed puppy might have reached their adult height in one year, while a large or giant breed puppy\u2019s not done yet. <\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Your puppy’s rate of growth will be fastest while they\u2019re very young, before it gradually slows down. <\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Use the Body Condition Score to make sure your puppy is a healthy weight, and weigh your puppy regularly as well \u2013 don\u2019t forget that your vet can help you monitor their progress as they grow, as many vet offices have scales in the reception area where you can weigh your dog.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Being overweight and being underweight both have risks for puppies, but puppies who are overweight are more likely to become obese in adulthood.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Giving your puppy the right amount of food that\u2019s complete and balanced for their size and age will help them stay healthy as they grow, putting on weight at a steady pace as they approach their adult size. <\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
Table of contents<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n
How puppies grow: understanding puppy growth stages
<\/a>Puppy growth charts: average weight by breed size
<\/a>How much should my puppy weigh right now? (By breed size)<\/a>
Visual health check: the Body Condition Score<\/a>
What causes puppies to be underweight or overweight?<\/a>
How diet affects puppy weight & growth<\/a>
How to keep your puppy at a healthy weight<\/a>
How to weigh your puppy at home (and how often)
<\/a>When to be concerned about your puppy\u2019s weight<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\nHow puppies grow: understanding puppy growth stages<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
It\u2019s normal for puppies to grow at different rates at each stage of their growth. Here\u2019s a breakdown of each of these (adorable) growth stages.
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- 0-8 weeks:<\/strong> In the first 2 weeks of their lives, puppies are in the neonatal phase \u2013 they experience rapid growth as they go from a tiny newborn with closed eyes to taking their first steps. By 10 days old, they might have doubled in size. [1]<\/a> Puppies might start taking an interest in solid food as early as 3 weeks. [2]<\/a> They should be weighed every day for the first 4 weeks, to make sure they\u2019re growing strong and healthy. They\u2019ll continue to grow at a fast rate in the first 8 weeks of their lives.
<\/li>\n\n\n\n- 2-6 months: <\/strong>Puppies are usually weaned by 10 weeks, or 2 and half months old, giving them the extra nutrients they need in this stage of development. <\/strong>12 weeks (or 3 months) is a common age for puppies to go to their new home, and people often notice that in their photos from this time period, their puppy is growing very quickly. Small and medium size puppies might reach 50% of their adult weight when they are 4 months old, but large and giant breeds should grow more slowly (they have to get much bigger to reach their full size)! [3]<\/a>
<\/li>\n\n\n\n- 6-12 months: <\/strong>Once puppies have reached 50% of their adult size, their growth slows down somewhat. Small and medium size dogs are likely to reach their full size by 12 months, but large and giant breeds may still be growing. [4]<\/a> Toy breeds might even get as big as they\u2019re going to get by 8 months, though it can take up to 12 months.
<\/li>\n\n\n\n- 12-24 months: <\/strong>During this time period, while many dogs will have reached their full size, large and giant breed puppies might still be growing. For instance, a giant dog like a Great Dane might not have reached their full height at 18 months, and might continue to \u201cfill out\u201d and put on muscle even past the two year mark. However, it\u2019s important not to mistake filling out for excess weight gain \u2013 regularly checking your dog\u2019s Body Condition Score will help.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
Puppy growth charts: average weight by breed size<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
We\u2019ve used data from the Waltham Petcare Science Institute\u2019s helpful puppy growth charts [5]<\/a> to create a simple table you can use to check your puppy\u2019s growth progress over time. This chart shows the average weight of male and female puppies in different size categories at 5 week intervals. Don\u2019t be worried if your puppy doesn\u2019t hit these exact benchmarks \u2013 these measurements are based on the 50th centile for each size of dog, meaning that 50% of puppies in each category will be below the given weight and 50% will be above it. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
This average figure shouldn\u2019t be thought of as a goal weight. If your puppy is bigger or smaller than the 50th centile weight at these ages, you can estimate their predicted growth using Waltham\u2019s detailed charts. What\u2019s most important is that your puppy\u2019s growth continues at a healthy rate \u2013 not too fast, and not unexpectedly slowing down or stopping either.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The rate at which puppies grow depends on lots of factors, but this chart demonstrates the way that for all breed sizes, growth is faster when they\u2019re only a couple of months old. Growth gradually slows down, with smaller breeds reaching their adult size sooner \u2013 as you can see, larger breeds can keep growing for well over a year. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
This chart based on Waltham\u2019s data doesn\u2019t include giant breeds of dog, as their growth patterns are different to small, medium or even large dogs. If you have a giant breed puppy like a Great Dane, the best source of information on how big they should be at certain ages will be your vet. Whatever breed your puppy is, if you have any concerns or questions about their growth, you should chat to your vet as your first port of call.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
![\"Waltham](\"https:\/\/tails.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/Waltham-Petcare-Science-Institutes-puppy-growth-chart-1024x327.png\")
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How much should my puppy weigh right now? (By breed size)<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
As you can see, it\u2019s normal for male dogs to be slightly larger than female dogs, and this rings true at every stage of their development. However, that\u2019s not to say that male puppies will always be bigger. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
There\u2019s also quite a wide range of variation in what size your puppy should be. For instance, using Waltham\u2019s data again [6]<\/a>, at 50 weeks, a puppy who is predicted to grow to 9-15 kg could be as small as 3 kg, as large as 16 kg or anywhere in between. This includes all sizes from the 0.4th centile up to the 99.6th centile. However, bear in mind that if your puppy has always been small for their age, it wouldn\u2019t be normal for them to put on so much weight that they become big for their age, especially if this happens quickly. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
If you have a toy or small breed puppy, they will tend to grow more quickly and reach their predicted adult size of under 6.5 kg within a year. Medium breeds will grow a little bit slower and take longer to reach their full size. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Large and giant breeds will take the longest to reach their adult size. Just take another look at the chart above, and you\u2019ll see that at 60 and 65 weeks old, large breed puppies are likely to be still growing. Bearing this in mind, it\u2019s important not to overfeed them \u2013 just because they\u2019re going to get very big as adults doesn\u2019t mean they have to get there quickly! In fact, it\u2019s much healthier for these puppies to grow at a slow and steady pace. I\u2019ll go into more detail on why later in this article. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Visual health check: the Body Condition Score<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
![\"Body](\"https:\/\/tails.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/Body-condition-scoring.png\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\nThe first step is to check if your puppy is at their ideal weight. A rough guideline to follow is what\u2019s called the \u2018Body Condition Score\u2019. This test shows you where your dog sits on a scale of 1-5, with 1 being very thin, and 5 being obese. However, it\u2019s important to remember this isn\u2019t always as accurate for puppies, since their body composition is a lot different to grown-up dogs. So definitely take it with a pinch of salt if you\u2019re using it for a young dog. Here\u2019s how to use it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
You should take note of the 3 key areas across the tummy, ribs and waist, to give your puppy their score. And if your puppy sits in the ideal weight category, you should see and feel:
<\/p>\n\n\n\n- \n
- An hourglass figure when looking at your puppy from overhead. <\/li>\n\n\n\n
- The tummy tucks up to the groin when viewed from the side. The chest should be lower to the ground. <\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Ribs that are not readily visible but easily felt when applying light pressure. However, if you have a short coated puppy like a whippet, it\u2019s quite normal to be able to see the last rib or two if they are stretching or twisting while they play and run around. <\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
Something that\u2019s important to bear in mind is that roughly 50% of dogs in the UK are overweight, according to a 2024 study from UK Pet Food. [7]<\/a>. With more dogs at a higher than ideal weight, this can lead people to worry that their pets are too thin in comparison, when they\u2019re in fact at a perfect weight. Ideally, dogs should be on the lean side whatever their age, to help them stay healthy throughout their lives.
<\/p>\n\n\n\nPuppies grow rapidly, so it\u2019s a good idea to check in with your vet every 2-4 weeks. They\u2019ll weigh your puppy each time and carry out the body condition score test to help you and your pup stay on the right track.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
What causes puppies to be underweight or overweight?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
There are a few reasons why puppies might not be their ideal weight \u2013 one is just that during rapid growth phases, their calorie needs can change, and their body condition can fluctuate. While they shouldn\u2019t be losing weight as they grow, they might sometimes look skinnier.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Their diet is a major factor: eating the wrong amount, or eating a diet that isn\u2019t correctly balanced for their dietary needs could cause a puppy to be overweight or underweight. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Puppies\u2019 weights will also vary a lot depending on their breed, and in addition to some dogs naturally growing to reach a larger size than others, some breeds are more likely to be overweight or obese. These breeds include Boxers, Rottweilers, German Shepherds and Labradors (a quarter of this last breed have a mutation of the gene pro-opiomelanocortin (POMC) which controls appetite). [8]<\/a> <\/p>\n\n\n\n
There may also be a medical reason behind their weight. Worms and intestinal parasites can cause dogs to be underweight, while some conditions like thyroid or other hormone problems can lead to weight gain, although these aren\u2019t common. Hypothyroidism is much more likely to develop in middle aged dogs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Signs your puppy is under-\/overweight<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
People sometimes think it\u2019s better for a puppy to be a bit \u201cchunky\u201d, but really, puppies should be lean. One key reason for this is that puppies who are overweight have been proven to be more likely to become overweight adults. [9]<\/a> <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Below I\u2019ve put together a quick overview of signs that your puppy might not be at their ideal weight and that their diet may need to be adjusted. If you\u2019re a Tails.com customer, and a vet has confirmed that your puppy is either underweight or overweight, you can update your dog\u2019s profile to let us know \u2013 we\u2019ll change how much food we send you in our next delivery.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
- 2-6 months: <\/strong>Puppies are usually weaned by 10 weeks, or 2 and half months old, giving them the extra nutrients they need in this stage of development. <\/strong>12 weeks (or 3 months) is a common age for puppies to go to their new home, and people often notice that in their photos from this time period, their puppy is growing very quickly. Small and medium size puppies might reach 50% of their adult weight when they are 4 months old, but large and giant breeds should grow more slowly (they have to get much bigger to reach their full size)! [3]<\/a>
- 0-8 weeks:<\/strong> In the first 2 weeks of their lives, puppies are in the neonatal phase \u2013 they experience rapid growth as they go from a tiny newborn with closed eyes to taking their first steps. By 10 days old, they might have doubled in size. [1]<\/a> Puppies might start taking an interest in solid food as early as 3 weeks. [2]<\/a> They should be weighed every day for the first 4 weeks, to make sure they\u2019re growing strong and healthy. They\u2019ll continue to grow at a fast rate in the first 8 weeks of their lives.
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/tails.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/Puppy-blog-2.jpg\")
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