WALTHAM™ Puppy Growth Charts
How big will my puppy get? When will my puppy stop growing? How much weight should my puppy be gaining? Like many new puppy owners, you might be asking yourself all these questions – and more. Owning a new puppy can be a challenge. And if shark teeth and chewed slippers weren’t enough to deal with, healthy weight gain should also be a concern.
Created by a group of experts including veterinarians, statisticians, and nutrition scientists, WALTHAM™ Puppy Growth Charts can help pet owners and veterinary professionals monitor dogs’ growth.
Why should I use them?
Just like babies, puppies that grow too quickly or slowly can suffer from lifelong health problems. Science has shown that healthy weight for life starts with healthy growth as puppies. Puppies that grow too fast are at risk of developing health problems including obesity, and those growing too slowly may have underlying healthy conditions– therefore it’s important that puppies grow at a healthy pace.
But getting a good estimate of your puppy’s ideal weight and how much weight they should be gaining can be difficult. This is because several factors can influence the growth rate of each individual puppy, including their breed or size, sex, neutering, illness, diet, and the environment they live in.
Did you know dogs of different sizes grow at different rates? A toy (under 9kg) dog reaches adulthood in 1 year, but a giant breed (over 40kg) takes nearly 2! Your dog’s sex matters too, as males typically grow faster than females.
By using the charts, you can compare your puppy’s weight and growth to the weight of other healthy puppies of a similar size and at the same age. This allows you to track if they’re following a healthy growth pattern or spot any unusual growth so you can reach out to your veterinarian before it becomes an issue.
Because dogs of different sizes grow at different rates, there are 14 different charts for male and female dogs, tracking their growth from 12 weeks old to adulthood. The charts are based on data from 50,000 healthy young dogs and are intended to be a standard for healthy growth. They have been scientifically developed in a similar manner to charts that healthcare professionals around the world use to monitor the growth of children (e.g. the WHO growth standards).
Sign up in the app below to start tracking your puppy’s growth and get access to:
- Free of charge growth charts, scientifically developed by vets and scientists using data from 50,000 healthy dogs
- Alerts if your puppy isn't growing as expected
- Your puppy’s ideal adult weight
- 14 different growth charts across seven size groups, for male and female dogs up to adult weight
- Suitable for pure and mixed breed dogs
- Create unlimited pet profiles
- Shareable growth charts that you can discuss with your veterinarian or post on social media
