Month-by-month weight ranges for German Shepherd puppies, separated by sex. Adult males reach 65.0–89.9 lb (29.5–40.8 kg) and females 50.0–70.1 lb (22.7–31.8 kg) under the American Kennel Club breed standard.
Quick answers
- Adult males weigh 65.0–89.9 lb (29.5–40.8 kg).
- Adult females weigh 50.0–70.1 lb (22.7–31.8 kg).
- At 6 months a male is usually 47.8–66.4 lb and a female 37.0–51.8 lb — about 74% of adult weight.
- At 12 months a German Shepherd is around 94% of its final weight.
- Fully grown at roughly 18 months.
German Shepherd weight chart by age
| Age | Male | Female | % of adult |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2 months | 14.8–20.5 lb6.7–9.3 kg | 12.1–16.8 lb5.5–7.6 kg | 23% |
| 3 months | 24.5–34.0 lb11.1–15.4 kg | 19.6–27.3 lb8.9–12.4 kg | 38% |
| 4 months | 33.3–46.1 lb15.1–20.9 kg | 26.2–36.8 lb11.9–16.7 kg | 52% |
| 5 months | 41.4–57.5 lb18.8–26.1 kg | 32.4–45.4 lb14.7–20.6 kg | 64% |
| 6 months | 47.8–66.4 lb21.7–30.1 kg | 37.0–51.8 lb16.8–23.5 kg | 74% |
| 8 months | 56.9–78.7 lb25.8–35.7 kg | 43.2–60.4 lb19.6–27.4 kg | 87% |
| 10 months | 60.4–83.6 lb27.4–37.9 kg | 46.3–64.8 lb21.0–29.4 kg | 93% |
| 12 months | 61.3–84.7 lb27.8–38.4 kg | 47.0–65.7 lb21.3–29.8 kg | 94% |
| 18 months | 63.7–88.2 lb28.9–40.0 kg | 48.7–68.3 lb22.1–31.0 kg | 98% |
| 24 months | 65.0–89.9 lb29.5–40.8 kg | 50.0–70.1 lb22.7–31.8 kg | 100% |
Weigh on the same scale at the same time of day where you can. The trend across several weighings tells you far more than any single row.
Male and female German Shepherds grow apart early
At 6 months a male German Shepherd is typically 47.8–66.4 lb while a female is 37.0–51.8 lb, and by maturity the gap between the middle of each range is about 17 lb. If you are comparing a female puppy against figures that do not specify sex, she will often look underweight when she is not.
How a large breed grows
German Shepherds reach roughly 23% of adult weight at 2 months, about 52% at 4 months, and around 94% at 12 months. A toy breed is already at 36% by 2 months and effectively finished by its first birthday, which is why a German Shepherd that still looks unfinished at 10 months is usually on schedule rather than behind. What comes after the first birthday is chest and muscle filling in, not more height.
Where to go next
- Estimate your own puppyEnter an age and weight to project this breed’s adult size.
- Compare across large breedsThe same curve applied to every large breed on the site.
- Puppy growth chart by ageAll five size classes in one table, and what the ranges mean.
- Body condition scoreThe 9-point scale vets use, and why it beats the scale alone.
Other large breeds
Frequently asked questions
What is the average weight of a German Shepherd?
An adult male German Shepherd weighs 65.0–89.9 lb (29.5–40.8 kg) and an adult female 50.0–70.1 lb (22.7–31.8 kg), according to the American Kennel Club breed standard.
How much should a 3 month old German Shepherd weigh?
A male is typically 24.5–34.0 lb (11.1–15.4 kg) and a female 19.6–27.3 lb (8.9–12.4 kg) — around 38% of adult weight.
How much should a 4 month old German Shepherd weigh?
Roughly 33.3–46.1 lb for a male and 26.2–36.8 lb for a female, about 52% of the way to adult weight.
How much does a 6 month old German Shepherd weigh?
A male is usually 47.8–66.4 lb (21.7–30.1 kg) and a female 37.0–51.8 lb (16.8–23.5 kg).
How much does a 12 month old German Shepherd weigh?
61.3–84.7 lb for males and 47.0–65.7 lb for females — about 94% of final weight, with the rest filling in over the following months.
How big will my German Shepherd get?
At 52% of adult weight by 4 months, a rough shortcut is to double a four-month weight. The calculator on the home page does this properly, using the growth curve for this size class and returning a range rather than one number.
When is a German Shepherd fully grown?
Height is usually settled by about 12 months, but a German Shepherd keeps filling out until around 18 months. The last 6% of adult weight takes roughly as long as the jump from 3 to 4 months.
Do male and female German Shepherds weigh different amounts?
Yes, and by enough to matter. Adult males run 65.0–89.9 lb against 50.0–70.1 lb for females. Comparing a female against a chart that does not separate the sexes will usually make her look underweight when she is not.
What size class is a German Shepherd?
A large breed, defined by adult weight. That classification determines the growth curve used here: veterinary research shows dogs of similar adult size grow at similar rates regardless of breed.
Is my German Shepherd puppy underweight if it is below the chart?
Not necessarily. The table shows the middle of the healthy range, so plenty of healthy puppies sit below it. A puppy that is consistently below and not gaining, or that has dropped from a higher line to a lower one, is worth a vet visit. A single reading below the range is not.
How can I tell if my German Shepherd is a healthy weight?
Body condition tells you more than the scale. You should be able to feel the ribs under a thin layer of fat without pressing, see a waist from above, and see the belly tuck up from the side. A dog can sit inside the weight range and still carry too much fat.
Why do German Shepherd growth charts disagree with each other?
Most published charts come from one breeder’s litters or from unsourced rules of thumb, and many do not say whether the figures are for males, females or both. The ranges here come from centile curves fitted to millions of veterinary bodyweight records, scaled to the AKC adult range, and split by sex.
Does neutering change how much a German Shepherd weighs?
The research behind these curves found neutering shifted growth trajectory only slightly, by less than the variation between individual dogs, so separate curves were not needed. Neutering is associated with a higher chance of becoming overweight in adulthood, which is a body condition question rather than a growth chart one.
Where these numbers come from
Adult weights are the breed standard figures published by the American Kennel Club. The month-by-month ranges are estimates rather than measurements of this breed: they come from growth centile curves built from around 15 million bodyweight records collected at US primary-care veterinary hospitals, published open-access by Salt and colleagues, and scaled to the adult range above. That research found dogs of similar adult size grow at similar rates regardless of breed, which is what makes the scaling valid. The records were collected between 1994 and 2013 and describe dogs attending veterinary clinics rather than an idealised population. The derived table, the filtering steps and the known gaps are all published, so the arithmetic here can be checked rather than taken on trust.
- American Kennel Club — German Shepherd breed standard
- German Shepherd Dog Club of America — the AKC parent club for the breed
- Kerby VL. Giant Expectations: Nutrition for the Large-Breed Puppy. Today’s Veterinary Nurse, Spring 2018
- Salt C, Morris PJ, Wilson D, Lund EM, German AJ (2017). Growth standard charts for monitoring bodyweight in dogs of different sizes. PLoS ONE 12(9): e0182064
- Supporting dataset, University of Liverpool DataCat (CC BY 4.0)
