How big do German Shepherds get?
Well the answer is, it depends!
Genetics mainly determine size, but environment (what he/she eats, exercise etc.) can have a small part to play as well.
There are general breed guidelines as to how big most German Shepherds will get on average.
You can find that info out here where we talk about things like growth rate, and how big an average GSD should be at each age.
(NOTE: this is a general information guide only, and is not professional advice, or a substitute for professional advice. A qualified vet or animal expert is the only person qualified to give you expert advice in regards to your pet/s)
How Big Will My German Shepherd Dog Or Puppy Get? – Average Weight, Height & Size
Average German Shepherd Size
German Shepherds are considered a large breed of dog.
Males average 60-65 cms (24-26 in) in height, and 30-40 kg (66-88 lb) in weight.
Females average 55-60 cms (22-24 in), and 22-32 kg (49-71 lb).
Typical length is measured from the breastbone/chest to the base of the tail.
An adult GSD might have a length ratio of 10:8.5 with 10 being the length of the back, and 8.5 being the height of the front legs from the ground to the breastbone, looking side on at the dog.
While the above dimensions apply to the pure breed, mix breed GSDs and GSDs with dwarfism might range in size.
German Shepherd Puppy to Adult Growth Rate
A GSD puppy will usually double its birth weight in the first week.
When you get a GSD puppy at the standard age of 8 weeks or 2 months old, your puppy will be around 16-19 lb (7.5-9 kg).
A GSD will increase in size 5-10% monthly up until the age of about 1 year or 12 months.
At this age, your GSD’s growth rate will slow rapidly until the age of about 18 to 24 months old when they reach physical maturity.
Interestingly, some the Eastern European GSD lines do not reach physical maturity until much later at around 3 years old, and their growth rate slows noticeably at 6 months. Although these lines are more rare.
A GSD ends up at around 70 times the size of its original birth height and weight.
Regular and daily exercise, and quality (vet approved) dog food is the best way to ensure your GSD grows at a natural rate and reaches a healthy size.
Being a large breed of dog, it is important you don’t overfeed your GSD if you want to prevent obesity.
How Can I Check If My GSD Is The Right Size by Age and Weight?
There is a site that makes super easy for you to check your GSD by weight and age as general guidelines.
PuppyChart.com has an easy to use chart where you plug in information, and you’re given weight estimates for the age of your GSD.
If you have concerns about size, weight or dimensions of your dog and you think it may be affecting their health – ask a vet for their opinion.
Sizes Of The Different German Shepherd Bloodlines
The different German Shepherd bloodlines have either not been maintained 100% over the years, or there has been been breeding between the lines to a significant extent.
However, when looking at the different lines from a general perspective of what they are suppose to look like, there are some obvious physical differences.
North American and Canadian Show Line German Shepherds
West German Show Line German Shepherds
Show lines are bred for their appearance and show conformance.
The show lines tend to have narrower faces and narrower body proportions than the working lines.
In some cases they may be slightly taller and longer, and weigh slightly less.
West German Working Line German Shepherds
East German/DDR Working Line German Shepherds
Czech Working Line German Shepherds
The working lines are all quite similar physically – in particular the DDR and Czech Shepherds.
They were bred to have thicker/denser bones, more muscle, thicker heads, bigger chests and an overall thicker appearance.
This emphasis on a working dog structure was because these lines were bred for real world working applications and sports and working dog title events.
It wouldn’t be surprising if some working line GSDs weighed slightly more than the show lines.
Miniature German Shepherd Size
Miniature German Shepherds are caused by either dwarfism, or by by cross breeding a German Shepherd with another smaller breed of dog.
In both cases, the actual size of the dog will vary, but they are usually much smaller than a purebred GSD.
Giant German Shepherd Size
Giant German Shepherds are German Shepherds who generally tend to have a family history of just being big dogs – so, Giant German Shepherds don’t technically have a size.
But, if we were to unofficially define them, they generally fit into the category of any dog over the weight of about 110 lbs.
We say this because Great Danes are considered a giant breed of dog, and they start at about the 110 lbs mark.
Size Of German Shepherd Cross Breeds
There are some cross breeds like the King Shepherd or the Shiloh Shepherd that some people mistake for German Shepherds.
Both these cross breeds are larger than an average GSD, and are considered their own breed or cross breed of dog separate to the GSD.
More Information & Facts About The German Shepherd Dog Breed
We’ve put together this guide with over 100 interesting pieces of information and facts about the German Shepherd Dog Breed.
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