Boston Terrier puppies grow toward an adult weight of 12.0–25.0 lb (5.4–11.3 kg) under the American Kennel Club standard, which gives one range for both sexes; the chart below gives the healthy range at each month.
Quick answers
- Adults weigh 12.0–25.0 lb (5.4–11.3 kg); the AKC standard does not separate the sexes for this breed.
- At 6 months a male is usually 9.3–19.3 lb and a female 9.2–19.2 lb — about 77% of adult weight.
- At 12 months a Boston Terrier is around 93% of its final weight.
- Fully grown at roughly 12 months.
Boston Terrier weight chart by age
| Age | Male | Female | % of adult |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2 months | 3.7–7.8 lb1.7–3.5 kg | 3.9–8.1 lb1.8–3.7 kg | 31% |
| 3 months | 5.5–11.4 lb2.5–5.2 kg | 5.7–11.8 lb2.6–5.4 kg | 46% |
| 4 months | 7.0–14.6 lb3.2–6.6 kg | 7.1–14.9 lb3.2–6.8 kg | 59% |
| 5 months | 8.4–17.4 lb3.8–7.9 kg | 8.4–17.4 lb3.8–7.9 kg | 70% |
| 6 months | 9.3–19.3 lb4.2–8.8 kg | 9.2–19.2 lb4.2–8.7 kg | 77% |
| 8 months | 10.4–21.7 lb4.7–9.9 kg | 10.4–21.6 lb4.7–9.8 kg | 87% |
| 10 months | 11.0–22.8 lb5.0–10.4 kg | 10.8–22.6 lb4.9–10.2 kg | 91% |
| 12 months | 11.1–23.1 lb5.0–10.5 kg | 11.1–23.1 lb5.0–10.5 kg | 93% |
| 18 months | 11.7–24.4 lb5.3–11.1 kg | 11.7–24.3 lb5.3–11.0 kg | 98% |
| 24 months | 12.0–25.0 lb5.4–11.3 kg | 12.0–25.0 lb5.4–11.3 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.
Reading the range
The American Kennel Club standard gives one set of weight classes for both sexes, from under 15 lb to a maximum of 25 lb, and does not separate males and females, so the two columns above are identical. The 12 lb floor is the AKC’s breed-page figure; the standard itself sets no minimum.
Because the standard is written in three weight classes, the range at every age is wider than for most small breeds. A puppy tracking the bottom of the range is heading for the under-15 lb class, one tracking the top for the 20-to-25 lb class; neither is off course.
How a small breed grows
Boston Terriers reach roughly 31% of adult weight at 2 months, about 59% at 4 months, and around 93% at 12 months.
A toy breed is already at 36% by 2 months and effectively finished by its first birthday. A Boston Terrier that still looks unfinished at 10 months is therefore usually on schedule rather than behind, and is close to full size by its first birthday.
Where to go next
- Puppy weight calculatorEnter a Boston Terrier puppy’s age and weight to estimate its adult weight.
- Compare across small breedsThe same curve applied to every small 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 small breeds
Frequently asked questions
What is the average weight of a Boston Terrier?
An adult Boston Terrier weighs 12.0–25.0 lb (5.4–11.3 kg), according to the American Kennel Club breed standard, which gives one range for both sexes.
How much should a 3 month old Boston Terrier weigh?
A male is typically 5.5–11.4 lb (2.5–5.2 kg) and a female 5.7–11.8 lb (2.6–5.4 kg) — around 46% of adult weight.
How much should a 4 month old Boston Terrier weigh?
Roughly 7.0–14.6 lb for a male and 7.1–14.9 lb for a female, about 59% of the way to adult weight.
How much does a 6 month old Boston Terrier weigh?
A male is usually 9.3–19.3 lb (4.2–8.8 kg) and a female 9.2–19.2 lb (4.2–8.7 kg).
How much does a 12 month old Boston Terrier weigh?
11.1–23.1 lb for males and 11.1–23.1 lb for females — about 93% of final weight, with the rest filling in over the following months.
How big will my Boston Terrier get?
At 59% 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 Boston Terrier fully grown?
Height is usually settled first; weight keeps filling in until around 12 months. The last 7% of adult weight takes roughly as long as the jump from 3 to 4 months.
Do male and female Boston Terriers weigh different amounts?
The AKC standard gives the same three weight classes for both sexes, under 15 lb, 15 to 20 lb and 20 to 25 lb, so the chart columns are the same. Males in most breeds finish a little heavier than females, but in a breed bred in three sizes the class a dog belongs to matters far more than its sex. Expect a female to sit slightly lower on the chart than a male of the same class, and do not read that as underweight.
What size class is a Boston Terrier?
A small 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 Boston Terrier 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 Boston Terrier 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 Boston Terrier 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 Boston Terrier 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 Boston Terrier weigh in kg?
An adult Boston Terrier weighs 5.4–11.3 kg for both sexes under the American Kennel Club standard. On the median growth curve a male is 2.5–5.2 kg at 3 months, 4.2–8.8 kg at 6 months and 5.0–10.5 kg at 12 months; a female 2.6–5.4 kg, 4.2–8.7 kg and 5.0–10.5 kg. Every row of the chart above gives kilograms under the pounds.
How much does a female Boston Terrier weigh?
The American Kennel Club standard gives one range for both sexes, 12.0–25.0 lb (5.4–11.3 kg); it does not publish a separate female figure. On the female growth curve a female Boston Terrier is about 7.1–14.9 lb at 4 months, 9.2–19.2 lb at 6 months and 11.1–23.1 lb at 12 months, reaching adult weight at around 12 months. The Female column of the chart above gives every month.
How much does a male Boston Terrier weigh?
The American Kennel Club standard gives one range for both sexes, 12.0–25.0 lb (5.4–11.3 kg); it does not publish a separate male figure. On the male growth curve a male Boston Terrier is about 7.0–14.6 lb at 4 months, 9.3–19.3 lb at 6 months and 11.1–23.1 lb at 12 months, reaching adult weight at around 12 months. The Male column of the 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 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 — Boston Terrier breed standard
- Boston Terrier Club of America — the AKC parent club for the breed
- 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)
