# DDR shepherd growth rates



## matt1970lemans

my dog is just over one year.He is still small for his age.The lady at the end of my street has a GS that is about maybe 2 and he towers over my dog.He looks like he has 20 pounds on him.I know that she has an american line and they are bigger but aren't the east german lines stocky and big head, big boned?I also read that DDR's grow VERY slow up to 3 yrs old.That true? I 'm not on of those people who want a BIGGER is better dog just one that is the right size.He is about 60 bls now wet and is skinny at is waist but long,very fast and strong herding instict.A typical DDR.Will he grow bigger?


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## MaggieRoseLee

Since there is a misguided attitude in the USA that 'bigger is better' many GSDs (and other breeds) you see out there are not only much taller than a GSD is supposed to be, but also FAT FAT FAT. So to compare to another dog you see around isn't the thing to do at all.

Instead you need to look at what they are meant to be:
click here Size, Proportion, Substance
The desired height for males at the top of the highest point of the shoulder blade is 24 to 26 inches; and for bitches, 22 to 24 inches.
ed to look at the size our GSD's are meant to be. 

http://www.gsdhelpline.com/weight.htm has their weights as they grow.


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## jesusica

Your boy has LOTS of growing left to do, mostly filling out. Sounds like he's on track to be within standard.


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## shepherdbydesign

You have to look back in your shepherds bloodlines and see what size they were, Sometimes you get dogs that are bigger than the sire and dam. And will he grow bigger you ask? Well ussally at a year our 18 months they will have their height and by the time they are 3 yrs old they will have grown to the size they will be, Such as filling out( chest size ). This has been my experiences so far until one of our shepherds proves me wrong. MaggieRoseLee has a point there are breeders out there that pass off their GSD's as large shepherds that are nothing more than just FAT


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## Barb E

Dante really this year finally looks like a grown up. He'll be 4 in 2 months


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## big_dog7777

DDR GSD's are working line dogs that are bred to WORK, not just lay on the couch. The standard for these dogs is there for a reason. An over sized dogs body breaks down from the type of work these dogs are meant to do, as well as it's really hard to get moving fast when the dog is BIG. The "bigger is better" people will laugh their butts off at a wirey 65 pound malinois right up until they put on a sleeve or bite suit and take a hit from one that knocks them off their feet and makes them forget what day it is.


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## daviddrena

You know it's kind of funny you brought up the malinois There was a male malinois worked at our local police dept. One of the best dogs the dept had ever had. But for a malinois he was 95 lbs when the officer told my wife that I like to lost my mind a malinois that big.


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## debbiebrown

i have a two year old DDR female. she is small, if we are lucky she may hit 60 pounds. true that DDR lines can take longer to fill out and mature, but typically they are a shorter/stockier dog than some other lines. she is VERY quick and agile etc.
your male will fill out more in the next year or so, but as far as height i don't think after a year they grow much taller. i have had DDR lines most of my shepherd years and this is what i've experienced.
people make comments all the time about my female. in fact i was outside playing with her last week, and a neighbor i hadn't seen for a while was walking by. she said "aaaaah, you got a new puppy" but, people who make comments like this don't understand there are different sizes and lines of shepherds.

debbie


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## Ocean

My experience has been a bit different from Debbie's. I've also been told that GSDs stop growing after one year old, but the 3 GSDs that I've raised so far all had growth spurts at 2 years old, and my West German line male did not fill out completely until he was 3.5. I currently have a DDR female that is less than 2 and I expect her to grow a bit more heightwise and a lot more in the chest comparing her to her mom and dad, and all the other dogs in her lineage. I won't be disappointed at all though if she doesn't. What's more important is she is very athletic and healthy.


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## debbiebrown

they most definitely fill out from ages 1-3 years. my DDR female is quite short, but she has filled out nicely and may still fill out more. but, her height will not change at almost 2 1/2 years old. she is definitely the shortest dog i have ever had. i should measure her height just for the heck of it. she reminds me of the height of an english lab, short and stocky.
i will say she would have it all over a tall lanky dog in most any sport. very quick and agile for sure.

debbie


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## Brightelf

DDR lines tend to be shorter in height. They are, however, nicely stocky. When your dog fills out, (gets wider) he will be impressive!


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## lcht2

DDR?? wuts that


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## angelaw

old east german bloodlines.


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## Chris Wild

I didn't see it mentioned (though admitedly I didn't read all the posts completely) but I wanted to point out that when people refer to DDR lines as "slow to mature" they are generally talking about mental maturity, not physical maturity or size.


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## daviddrena

I think it's amazing all the different types of German Shepherd it's also kind of funny that they grow and mature differently


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## Melina

I found this thread and wanted to resurrect it because I had a question, if someone can answer it...

The OP's story sounds very similar to my Shepherd. I don't know his history as he was a stray, but the Vet put him in the ballpark of being between 1 and 2 years old, so I'm saying he's 18 months, I just put him right in the middle, haha. He's only about 65 pounds, though he could put on a little weight, and probably will after he's finished with his heartworm treatment (he tested positive, obviously), but he's about 25-26 inches tall.

On to my question, as far as growth rates, I was reading somewhere that since some GSD's will continue to grow/fill out after 18 months, they should continue on puppy food. I had never heard of keeping a dog on puppy food past a year, so I thought I would ask you guys. He's on adult food right now, as I'm not sure how old he is, but if he is younger, maybe I should switch him to puppy food? Or is the information I found completely false?


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## spartshep

The DDR dogs are slower to mature in all ways...physically, mentally and all of the above mentioned. Puck didn't really fill out nicely until he was about 4 years old. He transformed himself into a gorgeous hunk of a DDR male  The girls are no different except that they do mature a little quicker than the guys.


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