German Shorthair Pointer Puppy Growth Chart & Weight Calculator
May 23, 2021 2022-08-16 17:13Do you own a German Shorthair Pointer? If you’re interested in how large your dog might be as an adult, type their information into our puppy growth calculator below and get an estimate.
German Shorthair Pointer Weight Calculator & Growth Chart
Table of Contents
How big will my German Shorthair Pointer get?
When full-grown, the American Kennel Club asks for a male German Shorthair Pointer to stand between 23 to 25 inches tall and weigh anywhere from 55 to 70 pounds. This is a much smaller range than most purebred dogs, so most of these dogs are pretty much around the same size (the same is true for their relatives, the Vizsla) .
Females run slightly smaller at 21 to 23 inches tall and 45 to 60 pounds. There is usually a significant size difference between males and females. While the smallest males may be the same size as the largest females, it is usually pretty easy to tell both genders apart just by looking at them.
This size difference usually presents itself pretty early on as well, with male puppies quickly becoming larger than female puppies.
What does a 4-month German Shorthair Pointer weigh?
At around four months of age, the difference between males and females has already become obvious. Females will weigh at least 22.5 pounds, while males will weigh at least 28.2 pounds. It isn’t odd for puppies to weigh a few more pounds over this, though. If your puppy is a bit bigger, it isn’t any reason to be concerned.
The first four months are a period of rapid growth. At birth, puppies typically weigh less than a pound. They must grow into a full-sized dog in hardly any time at all, so they have little time to lose. However, their growth will start slowing down as they age.
It isn’t unusual for these dogs to grow a bit unproportionally at first. It isn’t uncommon for them to gain height first and then fill out with muscle mass and fat later. If your dog looks a little skinny for a bit, it usually isn’t anything to be concerned about. Of course, if you’re particularly concerned, it may be time to visit your vet.
How big is a 6-month-old German Shorthair Pointer?
Dogs at this age can range quite a bit in weight, depending on their genetics and their diet. Females can weigh anywhere from 32.4 to 42.8 pounds, while males weigh anywhere from 40 to 49.2 pounds. The difference between genders should be very obvious at this point. Most of the smaller puppies will be female, and most of the larger puppies will be males.
After six months, most puppies will slow down their growth substantially. They tend to gain height faster than they gain weight. Many of them may be close to their adult height or may have even already reached it. Much of the remaining growth will be muscle mass and fat. Many of their calories have gone towards development and gaining height up until now. After this point, much of it will be put towards bulking up.
For this reason, it isn’t odd for 6-month-old German Shorthaired Pointers to look a bit skinny. This is normal until they bulk up a bit. It may be tempting to feed your puppy extra food in an attempt to help them fill out faster, but this can be harmful to their health. You should let them grow naturally and gain their muscle in due time.
When is a German Shorthair Pointer full grown?
These dogs reach their full, adult size at around 1.5 to 2 years. As you might imagine, this can vary from puppy to puppy, depending on genetics. Generally, no dog is going to grow substantially after 1.5 years. However, some may gain a few pounds here and there. At 1.5 years, you can safely assume that your dog is pretty close to their full size.
With that said, cognitive growth typically continues until two years. Up until this point, dogs typically display puppy-like behaviors and may go through a “teen” phase, where they are more stubborn and more likely to get into trouble.
Your 1.5-year-old dog will often still act like a puppy, even if they are pretty much full-grown.
Is a German Shorthaired Pointer considered a large breed?
This breed is typically placed in the medium-to-large category. This means that the dog may either be medium- or large-sized, depending on the genetics of each specific canine. Females often firmly fall in the medium category, as they are much smaller than the males of this breed. Some larger males may fall into the large category, though.
It is difficult to determine how big a puppy will get until they have already started to mature. While you can usually guess a dog’s adult size based on their 6-month weight, it is difficult to do this with very small puppies. For this reason, you should preferably be happy with either a medium or large dog when adopting a German Shorthaired Pointer. If you want a smaller medium-sized dog, this canine is likely not for you.
Why is my German Shorthaired Pointer so skinny?
It isn’t uncommon for these dogs to gain their weight last after they have gained much of their height. They may look particularly skinny for some time because of this. Usually, this isn’t any reason to be worried. You’re looking for steady growth, not necessarily growth according to some standard. If a dog suddenly stops growing or drops from the top of the weight bracket to the bottom, you may want to visit your vet.
There are many diseases and underlying problems that can make a puppy unable to gain weight properly. In many cases, though, it is simply the puppy gaining height before they gain weight. If you’re particularly concerned, we do recommend visiting your vet and ensuring that your dog is growing correctly.
