Chow Chow puppies grow toward an adult weight of 45.0–70.0 lb (20.4–31.8 kg) under the American Kennel Club standard, which gives one range for both sexes; the charts below give the typical weight and the usual range at each month, for males and for females.
Quick answers
- Adults weigh 45.0–70.0 lb (20.4–31.8 kg); the AKC standard does not separate the sexes for this breed.
- At 6 months a typical male weighs 40.3 lb (18.3 kg) and a typical female 40.5 lb (18.4 kg) — about 70% of adult weight.
- At 12 months a Chow Chow is around 93% of its final weight.
- Fully grown at about 13 months.
Chow Chow weight chart by age
Male Chow Chow weight by age
| Age | Typical | Usual range | Lightest 1 in 10 | Heaviest 1 in 10 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 months mo | 4.510.0 | 3.5–5.67.8–12.3 | < 2.7< 5.9 | > 6.6> 14.6 |
| 3 months mo | 8.017.7 | 6.7–9.514.7–20.9 | < 5.4< 11.8 | > 10.9> 24.1 |
| 4 months mo | 11.926.3 | 10.1–13.722.3–30.2 | < 8.5< 18.7 | > 15.5> 34.1 |
| 5 months mo | 15.333.7 | 13.1–17.529.0–38.6 | < 11.1< 24.5 | > 19.7> 43.4 |
| 6 months mo | 18.340.3 | 15.8–20.834.8–45.8 | < 13.5< 29.7 | > 23.2> 51.2 |
| 8 months mo | 22.249.0 | 19.4–25.042.7–55.2 | < 16.8< 37.1 | > 27.8> 61.2 |
| 10 months mo | 24.052.9 | 21.1–26.946.5–59.4 | < 18.3< 40.4 | > 29.8> 65.6 |
| 12 months mo | 24.353.6 | 21.3–27.546.9–60.6 | < 18.3< 40.4 | > 30.5> 67.1 |
| 18 months mo | 25.656.3 | 22.5–28.749.6–63.3 | < 19.7< 43.5 | > 31.9> 70.3 |
| 24 months mo | 26.157.5 | 23.1–29.350.9–64.6 | < 20.3< 44.8 | > 32.5> 71.6 |
Female Chow Chow weight by age
| Age | Typical | Usual range | Lightest 1 in 10 | Heaviest 1 in 10 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 months mo | 4.810.7 | 3.8–5.98.4–13.1 | < 2.9< 6.5 | > 7.1> 15.6 |
| 3 months mo | 8.418.6 | 7.0–9.915.4–21.8 | < 5.7< 12.5 | > 11.4> 25.2 |
| 4 months mo | 12.327.1 | 10.5–14.123.1–31.1 | < 8.9< 19.5 | > 15.9> 35.2 |
| 5 months mo | 15.634.4 | 13.5–17.929.7–39.4 | < 11.5< 25.4 | > 20.1> 44.3 |
| 6 months mo | 18.440.5 | 16.0–20.835.3–46.0 | < 13.7< 30.3 | > 23.2> 51.2 |
| 8 months mo | 22.048.4 | 19.3–24.742.6–54.5 | < 16.7< 36.8 | > 27.4> 60.4 |
| 10 months mo | 23.952.6 | 21.0–26.746.4–58.9 | < 18.5< 40.7 | > 29.6> 65.1 |
| 12 months mo | 24.353.5 | 21.3–27.246.9–60.1 | < 18.4< 40.5 | > 30.3> 66.9 |
| 18 months mo | 25.455.9 | 22.4–28.549.3–62.8 | < 19.6< 43.3 | > 31.8> 70.2 |
| 24 months mo | 26.157.5 | 23.0–29.450.7–64.8 | < 20.3< 44.7 | > 32.5> 71.6 |
Half of Chow Chow puppies weigh within the usual range. 1 in 10 weighs less than the lightest figure, and 1 in 10 more than the heaviest. The figures are scaled from the AKC adult range.
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.
Reading the range
The American Kennel Club gives one range for both sexes, 45 to 70 lb, so the male and female charts above share one adult range. The breed standard itself sets height only, so these lines are the AKC’s guidance rather than limits in the standard.
A 25 lb spread is wide for a breed of this height. Read a Chow against the line it has been tracking rather than against the middle of the range.
How a large breed grows
Chow Chows reach roughly 17% of adult weight at 2 months, about 46% at 4 months, and around 93% at 12 months.
The last stretch is slow: from 12 months to full size takes about as long again as the first year’s final quarter. A Chow Chow that looks lanky at 10 months is usually on schedule rather than behind.
Where to go next
- Puppy weight calculatorEnter a Chow Chow puppy’s age and weight to estimate its adult weight.
- 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 Chow Chow?
An adult Chow Chow weighs 45.0–70.0 lb (20.4–31.8 kg), according to the American Kennel Club breed standard, which gives one range for both sexes.
How much should a 3 month old Chow Chow weigh?
At 3 months a typical male weighs 17.7 lb (8.0 kg) and a typical female 18.6 lb (8.4 kg). Half of males weigh 14.7–20.9 lb (6.7–9.5 kg), and half of females 15.4–21.8 lb (7.0–9.9 kg). A typical puppy is around 31% of its adult weight at this age.
How much should a 4 month old Chow Chow weigh?
At 4 months a typical male weighs 26.3 lb (11.9 kg) and a typical female 27.1 lb (12.3 kg). Half of males weigh 22.3–30.2 lb (10.1–13.7 kg), and half of females 23.1–31.1 lb (10.5–14.1 kg). A typical puppy is about 46% of the way to adult weight.
How much does a 6 month old Chow Chow weigh?
At 6 months a typical male weighs 40.3 lb (18.3 kg) and a typical female 40.5 lb (18.4 kg). Half of males weigh 34.8–45.8 lb (15.8–20.8 kg), and half of females 35.3–46.0 lb (16.0–20.8 kg).
How much does a 12 month old Chow Chow weigh?
At 12 months a typical male weighs 53.6 lb (24.3 kg) and a typical female 53.5 lb (24.3 kg). Half of males weigh 46.9–60.6 lb (21.3–27.5 kg), and half of females 46.9–60.1 lb (21.3–27.2 kg). That is about 93% of final weight, with the rest filling in over the following months.
How big will my Chow Chow get?
Dogs of this size that were weighed both as puppies and as adults ended up at about 2.3 times their 4-month weight, in records from US veterinary clinics. The calculator on the home page uses those records for the puppy’s own age and weight, and returns a range rather than one number.
When is a Chow Chow fully grown?
Height is usually settled first; weight keeps filling in for longer. On the growth curve for its size, a Chow Chow stays above 95% of adult weight from about 13 months, and the last 7% after its first birthday comes on slowly.
Do male and female Chow Chows weigh different amounts?
The American Kennel Club gives one range for both sexes, 45 to 70 lb, so the male and female charts above share one adult range. The breed standard sets height, 17 to 20 inches, rather than weight, so frame size rather than sex decides where a grown Chow sits in that range. Judge it by body condition, felt by hand under the coat.
What size class is a Chow Chow?
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 Chow Chow puppy underweight if it is below the chart?
Not necessarily: 1 in 10 healthy puppies weighs less than the lightest figure in the table. What matters more is the trend. A puppy that drifts from one part of the range to a lower one is worth checking: look at its body condition and ask your vet about its diet. A single low reading is not a diagnosis.
How can I tell if my Chow Chow 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 Chow Chow 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 Chow Chow 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.
How much does a Chow Chow weigh in kg?
An adult Chow Chow weighs 20.4–31.8 kg for both sexes under the American Kennel Club standard. A typical male weighs 8.0 kg at 3 months, 18.3 kg at 6 months and 24.3 kg at 12 months; a typical female 8.4 kg, 18.4 kg and 24.3 kg. The charts above give every month in kilograms, with a switch to pounds.
How much does a female Chow Chow weigh?
The American Kennel Club standard gives one range for both sexes, 45.0–70.0 lb (20.4–31.8 kg); it does not publish a separate female figure. A typical female Chow Chow weighs 27.1 lb at 4 months, 40.5 lb at 6 months and 53.5 lb at 12 months. Weight stays above 95% of the adult figure from about 13 months. The female chart above gives every month.
How much does a male Chow Chow weigh?
The American Kennel Club standard gives one range for both sexes, 45.0–70.0 lb (20.4–31.8 kg); it does not publish a separate male figure. A typical male Chow Chow weighs 26.3 lb at 4 months, 40.3 lb at 6 months and 53.6 lb at 12 months. Weight stays above 95% of the adult figure from about 13 months. The male chart above gives every month.
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 8,754,779 bodyweight records from preventive-care and healthy visits, filtered from nearly 15 million collected at US primary-care veterinary hospitals and 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 — Chow Chow breed standard
- Hall EJ, Carter AJ, O’Neill DG (2020). Incidence and risk factors for heat-related illness (heatstroke) in UK dogs under primary veterinary care in 2016. Scientific Reports 10:9128
- 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)
