Puppy weight chart by breed size
How puppy weight grows to adult size: when each size class reaches half its adult weight, when growth ends, a table for seven breeds, and what to do when weight lags.
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Short answer
No single chart fits every puppy, because adult size sets the pace. In a study of 12 breeds, a toy breed reached half its adult weight at about 11 weeks and a giant breed at about 23 weeks, and toy, small and medium breeds were close to adult weight by 9 to 10 months while large and giant breeds took 11 to 15 months. Weigh your puppy on the same scale each week and compare the trend with its size class.
Choose this if
Find the closest breed in the table, use its half-weight age as a checkpoint and watch the trend rather than a single number.
Choose the other option if
A puppy that loses weight, stops gaining or stops eating should see a vet, whatever a chart says.
At a glance
| Feature | Adult weight and age at half weight | Age at about adult weight |
|---|---|---|
| Papillon (toy) | 2.2 kg (4.9 lb), half at 11.1 weeks | 41.7 weeks, about 9.6 months |
| Miniature Schnauzer (small) | 7.0 kg (15.4 lb), half at 14.1 weeks | 41.3 weeks, about 9.5 months |
| Cocker Spaniel (small) | 10.2 kg (22.5 lb), half at 16.6 weeks | 46.6 weeks, about 10.7 months |
| Beagle (medium) | 17.4 kg (38.4 lb), half at 14.8 weeks | 41.9 weeks, about 9.6 months |
| Labrador Retriever (large) | 28.1 kg (61.9 lb), half at 18.6 weeks | 52.1 weeks, about 12 months |
| Great Dane (giant) | 51.1 kg (112.7 lb), half at 18.1 weeks | 52.1 weeks, about 12 months |
| English Mastiff (giant) | 66.9 kg (147.5 lb), half at 22.9 weeks | 65.2 weeks, about 15 months |
Why one chart does not fit all puppies
Adult dogs range from a 1-kilogram Chihuahua to a 115-kilogram St. Bernard, so a puppy’s weight at 12 weeks means little without its adult size. A study of 173 puppies of 12 breeds in the Journal of Nutrition found that larger breeds grow for longer: toy breeds finished their rapid early growth at about 11 weeks, small and medium breeds at 14 to 16 weeks, and giant breeds at about 5 months.
The same study found that the weekly rate of gain in that fast phase was similar across breeds, mostly 13 to 17% a week, so a big puppy is not growing faster than a small one. It grows at that pace for more weeks.
The size classes used in growth charts
A 2017 PLOS ONE study built growth charts from the records of more than 6 million young dogs in a large US veterinary network, using data from dogs that stayed in ideal body condition. It grouped dogs by predicted adult weight into five categories: under 6.5 kg (14 lb), 6.5 to 9 kg (14 to 20 lb), 9 to 15 kg (20 to 33 lb), 15 to 30 kg (33 to 66 lb) and 30 to 40 kg (66 to 88 lb).
The charts cover 12 weeks to 2 years and show centile bands, so a vet can see whether a puppy follows its band. They do not apply to dogs with an adult weight above 40 kg, and the authors say standards for those dogs still have to be developed. The authors also say the charts need further validation before they become a clinical tool. A 2024 correction notice changed only the study’s data availability statement. We use the category definitions and none of the chart values.
The table: half weight and adult weight
The table above comes from the Journal of Nutrition study, which weighed puppies weekly on calibrated scales. The adult weights are the means for each breed, the half-weight age is when the fitted growth curve reached 50% of adult weight, and the last column is when it reached 99%. Pounds and months are our conversions, at 2.2046 pounds per kilogram and 4.345 weeks per month.
To use it, find the closest breed and work backward. A Beagle-sized puppy that will end near 38 pounds should be around 19 pounds at about 15 weeks. A Labrador-sized puppy heading for about 62 pounds should be near 31 pounds at about 19 weeks. These are estimates from breed averages, not rules. The puppies in the study were fed to keep an ideal body condition, and some breeds were few dogs: the Papillon curve rests on 3 puppies and the English Mastiff curve on 4.
When growth ends
Toy, small and medium breeds in the study reached 99% of adult weight at about 9 to 10 months. Large and giant breeds reached it at about 11 to 15 months, and the authors conclude that a toy or small dog can be fed as an adult from about 9 months while the largest breeds are not adult until about 15 months.
The authors cite earlier studies reporting that males take longer than females to reach adulthood, and say it remains to be seen whether that holds in every breed. Charts for a mixed-breed puppy are a rough guide: pick the size class from its predicted adult weight and ask your vet to check it.
How to log it
Our suggestion: weigh at the same time each week, on the same scale, before a meal, and write the date and weight down. For a small puppy, a kitchen scale in grams is more accurate than a bathroom scale. A line of weekly weights shows a trend that a single weigh-in cannot.
Charts like these start at 12 weeks, so they say nothing about newborns. The goal is a steady climb along the same band, not the highest number.
When weight lags, or runs ahead
The 2017 authors say growth charts could help trained vets monitor growth objectively and identify puppies with possible growth disturbances. Our advice: call your vet if your puppy loses weight, stops gaining for a week or two, refuses food, or is bloated or lethargic. Do not try to catch up with extra food on your own.
Running ahead is not a goal either. The Journal of Nutrition authors note that overnutrition in large breeds can cause musculoskeletal disorders, and that overfeeding leads to obesity in dogs generally. Feed a puppy food for the size of your dog and follow your vet’s amounts.
Frequently asked questions
How much should my puppy weigh at 12 weeks?
It depends on adult size. A toy breed has already passed half its adult weight by 11 weeks, while a giant breed reaches half at 18 to 23 weeks. Compare with the closest breed in the table and ask your vet.
When does a puppy reach half its adult weight?
In the Journal of Nutrition study, between 11.1 weeks for a Papillon and 22.9 weeks for an English Mastiff. Eight of the 12 breeds reached it between 14.1 and 18.6 weeks.
When do puppies stop growing?
Toy, small and medium breeds reached 99% of adult weight at about 9 to 10 months, and large and giant breeds at about 11 to 15 months.
Is my puppy too small or too big?
Look at the trend, not one number. Growth charts show bands, and a vet can tell whether your puppy follows its band. Call your vet if weight stalls or drops.
Is Littero available?
See the official app page for current availability and pricing.
Our pick
Littero, weigh-ins for every puppy
A chart is only useful with your puppy’s own numbers. Littero keeps each puppy from birth with its weigh-ins and documents, so a litter’s weights sit with each puppy and can be exported for your vet. It does not diagnose growth problems or set feeding amounts; that stays with your veterinarian.
- Each puppy from birth, with weigh-ins
- Documents stored with the puppy
- Exports for your vet and your records
Sources · checked October 1, 2026
- J Nutr (2004): Body-weight changes during growth in puppies of different breeds (PubMed)
- J Nutr (2004): Body-weight changes during growth in puppies of different breeds (full text)
- PLOS ONE (2017): Growth standard charts for monitoring bodyweight in dogs of different sizes
- PLOS ONE (2024): Correction notice for the 2017 growth charts (PMC)
