German Shorthaired Pointers are such a joy to their owners and to whomever they cross paths with. These little balls of energy are great family pets as they are perfect for children that have loads of energy to spend.
They do, however, tend to grow at an alarming rate, so when Do German Shorthaired Pointers stop growing?
German Shorthaired Pointers will generally stop growing when they are between one and a half and two years old.
Males will be taller and heavier than the females, and their cognitive growth will also finish around this age; it is essential that you get their training in when they are young.
How much should a fully grown Germain Shorthaired Point weigh exactly when they are done growing? Are there factors that may negatively affect their growth and development that you may need to watch out for?
We will go through and answer these questions in detail in this article.Â
When Is A German Shorthaired Pointer Fully Grown?
German Shorthaired Pointers are a playful, fun, and energetic dog breed, but this is not what they are known for. These dogs are known and sort after for their agility, endurance, and their hunting abilities.
These dogs have an aristocratic look to them, and they have an incredibly loyal personality.
As with most dog breeds, they are not very difficult to take care of. However, it is still essential that you monitor their growth to ensure that they meet all their developmental milestones.
This will help you pick up any problems and begin treating them before they get out of hand.
A German Shorthaired Pointer is considered to be fully grown when they are two years old. These dogs should stop physically growing between the ages of 1.5 and 2 years old.
Their cognitive development is also generally done by the time they are two years old.
When your German Shorthaired Pointer is fully grown, a male should be between 23 to 25 inches (58 to 63 cm) high and weigh between 55 to 70 pounds (24 to 31kg), while a female should be between 21 to 23 inches (53 to 68 cm) high, and 45 to 60 pounds (20 to 27k).
However, there can be exceptions depending on certain factors that we will go through later in this article.
What To Expect With A German Shorthaired Pointer Puppy’s Growth
German Shorthaired Pointers do most of their growth in their first nine months of life. These first months are crucial for their development, just like most other dog breeds.
During this time, you need to ensure that your puppy is reaching all the proper developmental milestones for its age.
This is where they will go from weighing between 12 to 24 ounces (340 to 680g) to between 39 and 52 pounds (18 and 24kg) for females and between 48 to 61 pounds (22 to 28kg) for a male. It is during this time there the puppy needs good mental and physical stimulation, but not too much.
It would be better if you found a good balance that works for you and your puppy. As your puppy grows, so should their exercise and mental stimulation.
If you do not meet your puppy’s needs during this period of time, then they may get bored, and they may begin to do their own thing, which could be to chew your new slippers, or they may even have a slower development due to certain factors not being met.
Factors That Can Affect A German Shorthaired Pointers Growth
Even though the German Shorthaired Pointer dog breed generally has a specific growth range, there are a few factors that could affect your puppy’s growth.
These factors are essential to know and should always be kept in mind when you have a German Shorthaired pointer puppy, as they can negatively affect your puppy’s growth.
They can also contribute to your puppy suffering through certain conditions later on in their lives too.
Let us have an in-depth look at these factors, so you know what to avoid and what you should add more of into your puppy’s life.
Nutrition Of The Puppy
You must give your German Shorthaired Pointer puppy the proper nutrition as they are growing. If they do not receive the correct nutrition, then this will affect your puppy’s ability to grow correctly, and your puppy may begin to be too small for its age.
Not only do you need to ensure that your German Shorthaired Pointer puppy gets the right amount of food every day, but you also need to ensure that your puppy gets good quality food that is filled with all the right vitamins and minerals that a growing puppy needs.
If you feed your puppy low-quality food that does not have the correct amounts of minerals and vitamins, then your puppy’s development will be negatively affected.
Not only will this affect their growth, but it could also contribute to problems that can occur later on in your dog’s life, like osteoporosis (Brittle Bone Disease).
The Physical Activity Of The Puppy
German Shorthaired Pointers are effective natural hunters. They naturally have a tremendous amount of energy; this is also true for their puppies.
This does mean that German Shorthaired Pointers require a lot of exercises. If they do not get all the exercise they need, they tend to get bored, and a bored puppy is never good as this is when they get up to mischief.
When a puppy is bored, they tend to give in to destructive behaviors. But sufficient exercise is required for mental development and stimulation, but it also helps promote healthy growth and helps develop good bone density.
In other words, exercise will help your puppy develop strong bones and stay fit, and it will help keep your puppy healthy in the long run.
This will also ensure that your German Shorthaired Pointer has that distinctive muscular look to them that all healthy German Shorthair pointers have.
Check out this helpful dog size calculator to estimate the size of your pup.
Genetics The Puppy Has
When it comes to the growth of a puppy and how fast the growth will be as well as how big the German Shorthaired Pointer will get, it comes down to hereditary factors.
The genetic factors that the German Shorthaired Pointer puppy gets from its parents play a significant role in their physical and mental development.
So, to try and get a slightly accurate prediction about how big your puppy will get and how mentally capable they are in certain areas, you need to look at the puppy’s parents.
For this reason, you must request time with the parent dogs before you purchase the puppy, as you can then gauge if the puppy might be the size you want.
Meeting the parents with their owners will also let you see if the parents may have any negative attributes that may be passed down to the puppies, for example, bad joints.
Conclusion
German Shorthaired Pointers do develop and mature quickly, but if this development is not watched and cared for, it can be negatively affected.
It is important to understand how your puppy is going to grow and when they should reach certain milestones to ensure that you can pick up any issues before they become a problem that your dog needs to live with for the rest of their lives.
Always get your puppy their annual check-ups and have a growth chart printed out to monitor their progress.
