When does a Rottweiler stop growing? Well, you certainly know you are at a good point when you put your donuts on top of the counter and you come home to a Rottweiler with a powdered nose. Jokes aside, Rottweilers are gentle giants but tend to grow slowly and steadily.
Puppy Growth
Ready, steady, grow. As a proud Rottweiler puppy owner, you may wonder how long it takes for your butterball to grow into the handsome, powerful dog you have seen in many breed books. Get ready for some thumb-twiddling; Rottweilers are a slow-growing breed, and it takes some time for them to stop growing. Slow and steady is the ideal pace for this dog. If you try to hurry up the process by overfeeding, your pampered pooch may develop serious bone and joint problems or other health issues. Generally, most rapid growth in this breed appears to occur between birth and 8 months.
Height Growth
While rapid growth occurs, you may notice your Rottweiler going through a stage when he looks sort of awkward and out-of-proportion. This thin, gangly phase is thankfully transitory. Generally, you should expect your Rottweiler to have gained 75 percent of his adult height once he has reached 6 months of age. Because your Rottweiler will first reach his full height between the ages of 12 months and 2 years before putting on muscle and weight, he will look leggy during this stage, but don't worry -- the "puppy uglies" will soon be over, and your Rottweiler will bloom from ugly duckling into a decent representative of his breed.
Weight Growth
Generally, average puppies increase between 4 and 5 ounces a day for the first 6 months, and by the age of 4 months, you can estimate your Rottweiler's adult weight by doubling his weight and adding 10 pounds. By the age of 6 months, you can expect your pup to have reached about 66 percent of his adult weight. Once your Rottweiler reaches his height, he will gradually "fill up" nicely and add weight. If you are looking for a ballpark figure, consider that your Rottweiler will generally continue to put on weight and height between 18 months and 2 years old, or even longer in some cases.
Final Growth
Who's your daddy? Questioning your Rottweiler's parentage is important as it may give you a good idea about how big your Rottweiler may get, but of course there are no rules written in stone. As a rule of thumb, you generally know your Rottweiler has stopped growing once he has reached the weight and height standards of the breed. Male Rottweilers grow to be between 24 to 27 inches at the withers, according to American Kennel Club standard. Females, on the other paw, should reach a height between 22 to 25 inches.
Proportionally, the length of your Rottweiler's body should be overall slightly longer than his height. Weights in Rottweilers range around 92 pounds for females and 110 pounds for males.
References
Writer Bio
Adrienne Farricelli has been writing for magazines, books and online publications since 2005. She specializes in canine topics, previously working for the American Animal Hospital Association and receiving certification from the Certification Council for Professional Dog Trainers. Her articles have appeared in "USA Today," "The APDT Chronicle of the Dog" and "Every Dog Magazine." She also contributed a chapter in the book " Puppy Socialization - An Insider's Guide to Dog Behavioral Fitness" by Caryl Wolff.