The German Shepherd is a popular breed known for its noble characteristics, athleticism, and size. Its large size, in particular, is one noticeable trait of the breed. For many owners of German Shepherd puppies, having a growth guide to refer to can help them keep track of the most important stages of growth and milestones.
German Shepherds go through 6 specific stages of growth:
- Neonatal: from 0 to 2 weeks old
- Transitional: 2 to 4 weeks
- Socialization: 4 to 8 weeks
- Juvenile: 8 weeks to 6 months
- Adolescent: 6 months to 2 or 3 years
- Adult: 3 years and up
As with all breeds, whether, canine or feline, there is a standard by which growth is measured by and compared to. Because German Shepherds are larger dogs, the rate of growth may vary from dog to dog. They also take longer to grow compared to other breeds. Keep reading below to find out what each phase is, what to expect, and how to handle your puppy as they grow.
German Shepherd Growth Standards
German Shepherds are large dogs known for their high energetic temperament and athletic appearance. These qualities make them an ideal fit for working as service dogs, in the military, the police force, and so much more. Its size alone gives this breed an advantage in performing various duties.
Much like growth standards for humans, the growth standards for German Shepherds are divided amongst males and females. Having a set growth standard is not only important for maintaining the breed, but also for purposes related to the health and wellbeing of each and every German Shepherd dog.
Although it is not expected that every dog reaches the same growth standards, having a set standard makes it easier to gauge where the growth of each maturing puppy should be at every stage of growth. Not only will this ensure that a puppy is growing steadily at a healthy rate, but it will also tell owners what changes to expect as their puppy grows.
As far as height goes, the standard growth for males at full maturity should range anywhere between 24 and 26 inches according to the standards set by the American Kennel Club. For females, the standard growth at full maturity should range between 22 to 24 inches. This standard for height is measured judging by the height of the shoulder blade.
Growth standards for dogs in terms of weight differs slightly from that of humans. While there is no exact weight standard for German shepherds and dogs in general, there is an ideal weight when it comes to the body conditioning of the breed. Weight standards during the early stages of growth are identified, but not necessarily at full maturity. (Source)
German Shepherd Stages Of Growth
In many ways, a new puppy is like a newborn baby. Think about what’s involved in the stages of growth, there is:
- The stage that involves developing motor and social skills
- Rapid growth in the first year
- Even the transition from liquid to solid food
All of these growth milestones are shared between nearly every mammal, but it’s still important to know what to expect from your new Shepherd!
In this case, it’s clear that dogs aren’t much different from maturing newborn babies. While there may be more fur, teeth, and dog-like behaviors involved, stages of growth such as the neonatal, adolescent, and maturing stage are also considered stages of growth for humans and many other animal breeds.
Although maturing humans and puppies share common similarities in terms of growth, there is one major factor that separates the two: the rate of growth. While the average human fully matures between the ages of 15 to 21 years old, the average German Shepherd takes about 16 to 36 months to mature. (Source)
Measuring from a newborn at 0 weeks old to a full adult German shepherd at about 2 to 3 years of age, there are about as many growth stages for German shepherds as there are for humans. There are 6 stages of growth for German Shepherds, with the first one starting from a newborn and the last one ending at full maturity.
Each stage of growth has standards that a maturing German Shepherd puppy should be meeting. With each standard met, there comes a milestone or two as well. These milestones are considered standards themselves and will allow you to determine whether your German shepherd is developing at a steady and healthy rate.
The Neonatal Stage
This is the most delicate stage of growth for newborn German Shepherd puppies, given their lack of senses and development as a whole. The neonatal stage is also referred to as the newborn stage. In addition to this stage being the most delicate stage of growth, it is also when a newborn puppy is most vulnerable.
At 0 weeks old, many of the senses such as sight, sound, and taste have not fully developed. In fact, at this stage of growth, German Shepherd puppies lack sight, sound, and are toothless. They remain at this stage of development for the first 2 to 3 weeks after their birth.
This stage of development is also considered the most important stage of growth because the majority of a puppy’s first few weeks of life involves intensive nursing and plenty of rest. Contrary to popular belief, the sleeping aspect of this stage of growth far outweighs the nursing aspect.
The neonatal stage of growth is where the majority of all growth occurs in German shepherd newborns. For this reason, it’s important for new owners to make sure that:
- The puppies are being fed on a consistent cycle,
- The puppies are maintaining body temperature with the help of the mom or owner. (Source)
- Lastly, that they are getting plenty of sleep!
The Transitional Stage
At the 2-week mark, German Shepherd puppies are considered to be in the transitional stage of growth. During this stage of development, the puppies should already have the ability to hear and see. In addition to this, they should also start developing slight motor skills geared towards their ability to start walking.
During this new exploration of their motor skills, you may also start to see the puppy try to attempt things like:
- Stand up on its own
- Break away from the litter and the mom, to explore their surroundings more
- Exercise better control of their ear movements to help them hear better
At this stage of growth, you might notice the tiny, tiny teeth that are starting to come through the gums of the puppy. These small teeth are considered their “baby teeth” and will gently poke through the gums to help the puppies get milk more easily.
The transitional stage is another stage of growth in which many new developments will take place. In addition to the milestones mentioned above, puppies might also start to have bowel movements all on their own.
If you have a puppy at this stage of growth, you may notice that they are quite wobbly in their movements and walking. This is completely normal and expected, given walking is something learned and developed over the first 3 to 4 weeks of life. Likewise, most puppies will still be on milk during this time due to teething. This stage ends at 4 weeks.
The Socialization Stage
If you were to place yourself in the shoes of a newborn baby, what do you imagine you would see? A much larger human than you, perhaps? You might even be confused as to who that person is. German Shepherd puppies will experience the same milestone of becoming aware of and customizing to their surroundings.
During the socialization stage of growth, puppies will begin to develop their social skills in terms of how they interact with their surroundings, other dogs/puppies, and best of all, humans. These socialization skills will of course be basic, but they will allow the puppy to get used to your presence. (Source)
By this stage of growth, milestones that a German Shepherd puppy should have met include:
- Having control of raising and lowering their ears to hear better. This is considered a crucial milestone, as hearing should be fully developed within the 2 weeks after birth. This development takes place gradually, as the ears will start to open on their own and then puppies should begin moving them appropriately.
- Being able to walk or crawl adequately. The urge to start walking typically happens between the first and second week after birth. You will notice a puppy becoming more familiar with its limbs and starting to move them more frequently.
- The first stages of teething. Those tiny stubs coming from your puppy’s mouth are nothing to be worried about. In fact, those would be considered their first set of teeth.
- Control of their bowel movements. Believe it or not, puppies do not have complete control of their bowels when they are first born. Having a bowel movement is something considered involuntary, but over time, they should have some control over this milestone.
The socialization stage of growth is a crucial one all on its own, as the social skills developed here will carry them into their adult life. During these 4 to 8 weeks, you should make it a priority to encourage the puppy to have interaction with new people and other dogs/puppies.
The Juvenile Stage
The German Shepherd Dog is a breed often used as working and service dogs. For this reason, it’s important to cancel out bad behaviors sooner rather than later. Reinforcing friendly interactions can allow the puppy to become more comfortable with strangers and less suspicious overall. (Source)
The transition into the juvenile stage of growth is one of significance given all of the milestones the puppy has reached between being born and now. Growth is no longer measured by the number of weeks, but rather months. At this point, most of the crucial growth habits developments should have already taken place and fully developed.
Although no new growth developments occur during this stage, much of the previous milestones will have already been met. For example, full motor functioning and fully developed puppy teeth are milestones that should have been met at this point. The only new development that will occur during this stage is getting adult teeth.
During these 3 to 6 months and beyond, you may start to find little bay teeth around the house. This is completely normal and means that the puppy has started making room for its new adult teeth coming in. To make up for all these new developments, it’s encouraged that you enroll your puppy in training or train the puppy on your own. (Source)
The Adolescent Stage
Adolescence is a time of many new developments both mentally and physically. For humans, the stage of adolescence is where a new form of development takes place and that is called puberty. During this time there may be changes in physical appearance, emotional behavior, and most importantly, hormones.
There is not much of a difference when it comes to maturing puppies, as they experience these changes as well. The adolescent stage of growth occurs around the 6-month mark and up to 2 to 3 years. By this time, a puppy is in the latter half of transitioning into a full adult dog.
If you’ve ever heard the saying, “the hormones are flying,” this is exactly the case during the phase of development, hence it sometimes being referred to as the “sexual maturity phase”. This is the stage of life where your puppy will mature sexually and experience a fluctuation of hormones as a result of the changes taking place.
This is typically exhibited by male puppies beginning the tendency to hump everything in sight. Likewise, they will also exhibit more aggressive behaviors in order to mark and guard their territory. With a female puppy, these changes may be exhibited in her uneven temperament. (Source)
Because of the sexual changes that occur during this stage of growth, it’s recommended that you either spay or neuter the puppy if you do not plan on breeding it. This should lessen the habit of humping in males and obviously, cease the menstruation cycle for females.
The Adult Stage
By reaching this stage of growth, a German shepherd is considered a fully mature dog. Because German Shepherds are larger dogs, it takes them about 2 to 3 years to fully mature compared to smaller and standard sized breeds. At the two-year mark, a puppy is considered to be an adult dog, however, there is still a transition that occurs.
Remember, growth is more or less a transition from one phase to the next and not necessarily one gradual transition. Most, if not all, milestones should have been met at this point, but the actual process of growing should still be active at this stage. Any continuous growth will be in terms of height and weight mostly.
The last half of maturation for a German Shepherd puppy will take place anywhere between the 16 months to 3-year mark. Depending on the gender of the dog, this time period can vary. For instance, female German Shepherds are considered mature starting at two years old while male German Shepherds are at three years old.
Once your dog has fully matured, you should have a better idea of his or her:
- Personality
- Temperament
- Behavior when interacting with the environment and other dogs or humans
By this time, a German Shepherd dog should also be eating solid foods, have all of their adult teeth, and a consistent bond with their owner.
Generally speaking, those mentioned above are all milestones that should be met once a German Shepherd puppy reaches this last stage of growth. It is important, however, to understand that not all dogs reach certain milestones equally. While these are standards to measure growth by, all dogs are different.
Behavioral Changes During Growth
In addition to the physical aspects involved in growing, there also lies the behavioral changes that occur during development. These changes are important for owners to note and understand what to expect as their German Shepherd develops. Behavioral changes can affect the overall temperament of the puppy, which is important to monitor. (Source)
Because behavioral changes take place midway into the process of growth and development, any type of change that is considered “out of the norm” should be addressed immediately. Growing up from a newborn puppy to a mature adult involves many behaviors that are learned, regardless of being good or bad.
Likewise, there is also such a thing as an unlearned behavior. These are behaviors that come naturally and are not taught. Examples of unlearned behaviors in dogs include digging, biting, being destructive, and humping. These behaviors can be due to hormonal changes and the occurrence of natural instincts.
During the social, juvenile, and adolescent stages of growth, it’s recommended that you cancel out any bad behaviors and habits as soon as possible. The common saying, “you can’t teach an old dog new tricks,” is one that was not created without reason. By influencing positive behaviors early on, you can prevent bad ones from developing later. (Source)
As mentioned before, the German Shepherd Dog is a breed of dog with a long history of working as a guard dog. Over time, this exposes the breed to exhibiting naturally aggressive behaviors due to genetic factors. Early exposure to friendly interactions with humans and other dogs, can have a positive influence on a puppy’s temperament.
What Size Do German Shepherds Reach When Fully Grown?
Maturity involves more than just height and weight. It involves a certain level of maturity in terms of behavior and temperament as well. In addition to that, not all puppies reach maturity at the same age. When it comes to growth in German Shepherds, one of the most common questions is: How big do German Shepherds get when they reach maturity?
The standard age German Shepherds reach full maturity is around 2 to 3 years for both male and female dogs, and typically the average German Shepherd female measures about 22 to 24 inches in height, while a male should measure between 24 to 26 inches. Although the weight isn’t necessarily set in stone, an adult German Shepherd can weigh anywhere from 50 to 90 pounds at the time of full maturity.
This question is common, as many owners are often unsure of whether or not their German Shepherd has reached full size. Because these are larger dogs, it can be hard to tell if they’ve stopped growing or have more growing to do. There is also the fact that growth rates vary amongst individual German Shepherds and genders.
Growth Delays In German Shepherds
When it comes to things such as growth, height, and weight measurements, there is a standard. However, occasionally, there may be a certain percentage of dogs that do not meet those standards. This percentage can include dogs that fall below the standard growth measurements or rise above them.
For instance, there may be dogs that measure above average in height and weight, while others may measure below due to developmental delays, preexisting conditions, and genetic factors. One of these factors, pituitary dwarfism, is to blame for the occurrence of a German Shepherd falling way below the standard height for the breed.
Pituitary dwarfism is a condition known to affect humans. It occurs when the pituitary gland does not produce enough of the growth hormone during development and growth, resulting in stunted growth. The upside of this condition, if there is one, is that it results in the affected German shepherd having a stunted puppy-like appearance. (Source)
Notable German Shepherd canines like Ranger and Tiger, the three-year-old German Shepherd with dwarfism, have brought public attention to this condition. On one hand, there’s the adorable appearance that is given to German Shepherds affected by the condition and on the other, there are the health risks that come with it.
Caring For Your German Shepherd
There’s no denying that the German Shepherd is a large breed with lots of character, energy, and growth! Although their size can be quite intimidating, these dogs make a great addition to any family lovingly willing to accept them into their home. Taking care of any dog requires lots of attention and tender loving care.
This attention and care can ensure their well-being when focused on fostering their growth and health. If you plan to bring a new German Shepherd puppy into your home or you already have, it’s important to keep an eye on the puppy’s rate of growth. This should also include making sure the puppy is meeting essential milestones.
Having a growth guide like this one or similar on hand to refer to can help you identify when your puppy has reached certain milestones. Likewise, it also gives you an idea of where they are in their growth and development. If you’re ever unsure of where your puppy’s growth lies, simply take measurements and check off milestones.
If you feel that you puppy isn’t reaching certain milestones adequately, consult with a licensed veterinarian to identify any potential underlying circumstances. Some common advice includes adding supplemental nutrition to your puppy’s diet through certain food brands, groups, or vitamins.
Keeping track of certain behaviors and the temperament of your puppy is equally important. Overall, if you provide your German shepherd pup with a healthy diet, exercise, and plenty of care, you are contributing to their happy and healthy growth.