# Method to determine GSD size/weight?



## AR15223 (Apr 10, 2011)

Took our GSD to the vet yesterday for a check up and shots. She will be 11 weeks on the 18th. She weighs 22 lbs. The vet and other people have been telling us that she is going to be a large GSD. She has large paws. Just wondering what your GSD weighed at 11 weeks. Also is there a method to estimate weight for a GSD. Found a few online, but looking for bread specific.


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## Rylee (Mar 14, 2011)

Rylee, F, is 13 wks and weighs 25 lbs. I was told by the vet at 6 months, double the weight and it is approximate of what she will be full grown. Not sure how precise but just forwarding info given to me.


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## Emoore (Oct 9, 2002)

No, there's not really a reliable way to determine your pup's size at maturity and here's why:


Lets say you breed a dog and bitch together and they have 3 puppies. Mom was very healthy and well-fed throughout the pregnancy and with only 3 puppies, each one gets lots of attention, lots of stimulation, and lots of milk.

Then a year later you breed the same dogs again. This time they have 12 puppies and mom catches a little sniffle halfway through the pregnancy. The puppies will each get much less attention and food than the ones in the smaller litter. 

You can see that these two litters, with the same parents, will be different sizes at 8, 10, maybe even 12 weeks old and beyond. But when they're finally adults, you won't be able to tell which is from the small litter and which is from the big litter.

Then there's the matter of what you're feeding. Feeing certain foods will cause your pup to grow much faster than feeding other foods. (This isn't a good thing by the way)

Also, some bloodlines mature quickly, reaching their adult size much earlier than other bloodlines. So you can't say, "If she's x- inches at 6 months she'll be y-inches at a year." Combine those factors, and it's really difficult to tell.

By far the best and most reliable way to tell is to look at the parents, grandparents and even farther back. All my my pup's paternal ancestors, back to great-grandpas, have been in the 80-90lb range. So I'm safe in assuming he'll be somewhere in there, even though he was a smallish pup.


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## Scleropages (Jan 24, 2011)

Use this formula:

x=[-b±(b^2-4ac)^0.5]/2a

where

x = adult weight
a = sire adult weight
b = dam adult weight
c = litter size


Ok, it's actually just the quadratic formula (rofl, math nerd), Emoore is completely right, there's no real way to tell other than looking at the ancestors and siblings from earlier breedings. I imagine you could plot all the weights and come up with a mean and a standard deviation and use a normal distribution to determine a statistical likelihood that your dog would fall within a certain margin, but who wants to do all that work? If you want a giant Shepherd, get a Shiloh.


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## Emoore (Oct 9, 2002)

So Sclero, according to you, Kopper will either be -2,728lb or .5lb as an adult.


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## FloppyEars (Apr 15, 2011)

I took mine to the Vet Monday " Kira " is 10 weeks and 28lbs. The Vet said she is too skinny and needs to put on weight.


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## Rylee (Mar 14, 2011)

Holy Crapolo...I am in my last math class and my heart about stopped when I saw that formula...thought you were serious..oh I need sleep....ROFLMBO:wild:


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## Scleropages (Jan 24, 2011)

Emoore said:


> So Sclero, according to you, Kopper will either be -2,728lb or .5lb as an adult.


Yeah, but how amazed would you have been if it produced a realistic number? Lol.


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## evybear15 (Mar 28, 2011)

It really can be tough to tell with weight. At 11 weeks, Baxter weighed just a touch over 20lbs. Now at 6 months, he weighs 60lbs. He's been gaining roughly 10lbs per month, but it's still hard to say how big he'll get. All I know is that it's estimated he'll be a big boy.

To me, it's just fun to watch them grow. Doesn't matter if he's only 80lbs fully grown, or 120lbs. As long as they're healthy, I'm happy.


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## Emoore (Oct 9, 2002)

Scleropages said:


> Yeah, but how amazed would you have been if it produced a realistic number? Lol.


I would have fallen over.


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## Emoore (Oct 9, 2002)

evybear15 said:


> To me, it's just fun to watch them grow. Doesn't matter if he's only 80lbs fully grown, or 120lbs


_*ONLY*_ 80 pounds? That's a pretty average size for an adult male GSD. And 120? :nono: Might want to go back and re-read the standard.


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