Puppy Rate Of Growth
Will my Great Dane puppy be huge like her parents?
I bought a 6 week old Great Dane puppy, however she was the runt of the litter. Her mom and dad were HUGE, and I would love for her to grow to that size. Does anyone know if she stands a chance to be that big, or do runts typically have a lower growth rate? Also I have owned young Dane’s before and I don’t remember them being this small at 6 weeks. Thoughts?
First off the puppy at 6 weeks should still be with the breeder. In most states it is illegal to buy, sell, adopt or give away any puppy before it has completed it’s 7th week and in some states 8 weeks.No responsible breeder will let a puppy go to it’s new home younger then 8 weeks.
To answer your question a runt can grow just as big as all other pups in a litter as long as there are no medical issues such as kidney or heart.
Here is a height and weight chart for Great Dane puppies. Remember though that some will be a bit heavier/taller, some a bit lighter/shorter.
Week 1: 2-3 lbs
Week 2: 3-5 lbs
Week 3: 4-7 lbs
Week 4: 5-8 lbs
Week 6: 10-20 lbs
Month 2: 15-30 lbs (13-17″)
Month 3: 30-45 lbs (17-22″)
Month 4: 50-65 lbs (21-25″)
Month 5: 65-85 lbs (25-30″)
Month 6: 70-100 lbs (27-32″)
Month 7: 75-110 lbs (27-33″)
Month 8: 80-115 lbs. (27-34″)
Month 9: 85-120 lbs. (28-34″)
One year: 90-135 lbs (28-36″)
Full grown: 100-190 lbs (28-38″)
For males: 140-170 lbs. & 33-36″ is typical.
for females: 110-140 lbs. & 30-33″ is typical.
Also remember Danes can grow in height until they are 18 months – 2 years old and can fill out any time from 18 months to 3 years of age. A lot depends on genetics (not just parents but all dogs in the pedigree).
Make sure that you do NOT feed your Dane puppy any puppy food. Feed a good quality adult food that has a protein level of 24% or less. Puppy foods have far too much protein and can cause some very serious growth issues such as HOD. look for foods such as Chicken Soup for the Dog Lover’s Soul ADULT large breed formula, Canidae all life stages, Wellness, Solid Gold, Natural Balance, California Natural to name a few good foods. Steer away from foods that contain corn, wheat, soy and beet pulp.These foods can cause allergies, excess gas and other issues in your Dane.
OaSiS’s Puppies 21 days #2 (BulliesbyGod.com)
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