While you can easily pick up your puppy, she may grow up to be taller than you when fully stretched out. Predicting her height helps you be a good dog mommy, care for her and instill obedience principles that keep her -- and your chocolate stash -- safe from harm.
Predicting Purebred Height
If you purchased your pup from a breeder, he can give you the skinny on your pup's future size. Ask the breeder how tall the pup's parents are and how large their dogs run relative to others of the same breed. If your toy poodle puppy comes from parents who run small for their breed, then she will likely be small for her breed, for example. If this particular litter contained larger-than-usual pups, this could mean that your pup will be taller than usual. If you don't know your pup's parents, research the average breed size for a guess into future height.
Predicting Mixed Breed Height
It can be tricky to guess the adult height of a mixed-breed puppy, since her genetic mix is made up of two or more dog breeds. You may not even know your mixed-breed puppy's heritage. For these dogs, wait until they are 4 months old to measure their height. At this age, they tend to be one-half their adult size, so double the four-month measurement to get an idea of how tall your pup may be when grown. While this method isn't foolproof, it can be useful.
Myths
There's an old myth that you can tell how large a puppy will be by her paw size: A tiny pup with oversized feet will grow up to be large, but a tiny pup with small feet will not get very tall, according to the legend. While it may be fun to guess, this method is not very scientific and cannot accurately predict how large your pup will become.
Considerations
As your puppy grows into her adult size, she may need a larger dog bed, kennel, collar, harness, food bowl and other items to comfortably sleep, eat and live. Purchase your puppy supplies that are appropriate to her adult size when she needs them, or start with items large enough for her to grow into.
Always check with your veterinarian before changing your pet’s diet, medication, or physical activity routines. This information is not a substitute for a vet’s opinion.
