Puppy Growth Chart Selector
Which chart, and how often to weigh
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Pick your puppy’s sex and expected adult size below.
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Why this page does not predict a weight
Search for a puppy weight calculator and you will find dozens, most promising an adult weight from a single current weight and age. We looked for an authority that publishes such a formula, and there is not one.
What exists instead is better, and works in the opposite direction. The veterinary growth charts ask you to establish an estimated adult weight first — from the dog breed standard, or from the parents’ weights — and then track your puppy’s repeated weighings against a curve for that size. Adult weight is an input, not the output.
That is not a technicality. With one measurement you cannot tell a large-breed puppy that is growing normally from a small-breed puppy that is growing fast; they can weigh the same at eight weeks. It takes a series to distinguish the two, which is exactly why the charts are built from series of measurements.
What a growth chart actually is
It is the same idea as the growth charts used for children. Your puppy’s weight is plotted against its age, and the chart shows a set of curves — centile lines — representing the range of normal growth for dogs of that expected adult size.
The WALTHAM charts were built from data on 50,000 healthy young dogs and developed the way the WHO child growth standards were: as a reference for healthy growth rather than an average of whatever was measured. There are 14 charts across seven size groups, separate for males and females, covering growth from 12 weeks to adulthood.
Weight that follows a curve is considered normal whether it is the lowest curve or the highest. The chart is not looking for a particular weight; it is looking for a consistent trajectory.
The four things a chart needs
Royal Canin’s veterinary guide lists what you need before you can plot anything:
| Input | Where it comes from | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Sex | You know this | Males and females have separate charts; males typically grow faster |
| Estimated adult weight of the dog | dog breed standard, or the parents’ weights (assuming the parents are in ideal body condition) | Decides which chart you use. It is not calculated from the puppy’s current weight |
| Age in weeks | Date of birth | The horizontal axis — and an estimated birthday makes the curve much less reliable |
| Weight | Repeated weighings | The vertical axis. One reading tells you nothing on its own |
The five size bands the standard charts use are under 6.5 kg, 6.5–9 kg, 9–15 kg, 15–30 kg and 30–40 kg. If your puppy sits between two, pick one and watch: the digital WALTHAM tool will suggest changing bands if the puppy tracks better elsewhere. A wrong first guess is recoverable.
For a purebred, your breed’s standard gives an adult weight range — that is the figure to use here. For a mixed breed, use the parents’ weights if you know them, or make your best guess and let the first few readings correct it.
How often to weigh
This is where most people go wrong, in both directions. Weigh too rarely and there is nothing to plot; weigh daily and you are reading noise, because a meal or a bowel movement moves the number.
| Source | Recommended schedule |
|---|---|
| WALTHAM | Every 2–4 weeks up to 6 months of age, then every 1–3 months until fully grown. Deliberately not more often: weight fluctuates with meals and toileting |
| Royal Canin Academy | Minimum every 2 weeks, ideally weekly — always at the same time of day. If you weigh at home weekly, still see the vet about every 4 weeks |
How to weigh a puppy at home
- A puppy you can lift: weigh yourself holding the puppy, then weigh yourself alone, and subtract. That difference is the puppy.
- A small breed: stand the puppy in a box or carrier on kitchen scales, and subtract the empty carrier.
- A puppy too heavy or too wriggly: use the scales at your vet clinic — most will weigh a puppy free, and it is a low-stress visit.
Use the same scales each time, and take the collar or harness off first. Record the date every time — a weight without a date cannot be plotted.
Reading the curve
Once you have enough points, the chart shows whether your puppy is staying on the curve it started on. The useful signal is departure from that line, not the absolute weight.
- Following a curve steadily → normal, whether that curve is high or low on the chart.
- Crossing a line upward → growing faster than expected.
- Crossing a line downward → growing more slowly than expected.
- Crossing two or more lines → a reason to speak to your vet, not a diagnosis in itself.
Royal Canin’s guide reports that among healthy dogs, departing from the original percentile line is very rare, while most dogs that were obese by the age of three had crossed two or more percentile lines during growth. That is why this is worth tracking rather than guessing at: the pattern shows up early.
The WALTHAM digital tool colors the chart green, orange, and red as you add weights. The green area is only defined once you have three measurements two weeks apart after 12 weeks.
What the charts cannot do
These limits are stated by the sources themselves, not by us, and they matter:
| Limit | What it means for you |
|---|---|
| Giant breeds over 40 kg | The standard charts stop at 40 kg. Giant breeds grow too variably between breeds for standard curves, so a vet should build an individual chart |
| Nothing before 12 weeks | The curves are only validated from 12 weeks. Earlier weights can be recorded but produce no line |
| Body condition scoring in puppies | Royal Canin states the BCS system is not yet validated in puppies — it is still useful alongside weight, but not on its own |
| Mixed breeds | The chart works, but the hard part is knowing the adult weight target. Best guess, then let the first readings correct it |
| Illness | Illnesses such as gastroenteritis can pause growth temporarily. Continue weighing — and if the puppy does not catch back up, that is a vet call |
And the biggest limit of all: this is a monitoring tool, not a diagnostic one. The sources are consistent that crossing a curve is a prompt to involve your vet — not something to adjust by guesswork at home.
What to buy
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. The links below are affiliate links — they cost you nothing extra. This page contains affiliate links. If you buy through them, we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you.
We do not show prices. One accurate scale you use consistently beats an expensive one you use once; the charts care about the trend, not the decimal places.
Questions we get a lot
Can I predict my puppy’s adult weight from its current weight?
Not from one measurement, and not with a published formula. The charts work the other way round: you set the estimated adult weight from the dog breed standard or the parents, then track repeated weighings against the matching curve.
At what age can I start using a growth chart?
The WALTHAM charts are validated from 12 weeks. Earlier weights can be entered but no growth line appears until you have two weights two weeks apart after the puppy reaches 12 weeks.
How often should I weigh my puppy?
Every two to four weeks up to six months, then every one to three months until grown, per WALTHAM. Royal Canin suggests every two weeks as a minimum and ideally weekly, always at the same time of day.
Does this work for a giant breed?
No — the standard charts stop at 40 kg estimated adult weight, because giant breeds grow too variably between breeds for standard curves. A vet should make an individual chart.
Is body condition scoring useful in puppies?
Royal Canin states the BCS system is not yet validated in puppies, though it remains useful alongside weight and the growth chart.
What if my puppy crosses a curve line?
Upward means growing faster than expected, downward slower. Departure from the original line is very rare in healthy dogs. Treat it as a prompt to talk to your vet rather than something to fix by guesswork.
Do I need the app to use the charts?
No. WALTHAM publishes downloadable charts for veterinary professionals, and you can plot points on paper. The digital tool adds automatic alerts and an adult-weight projection, which is a convenience rather than a requirement.
How we work this out
- The chart system is not ours. The size bands, the 12-week validation point, the separation by sex and the weighing schedule all come from WALTHAM and Royal Canin Academy, named and linked on this page.
- We do not predict an adult weight, and that is deliberate. We looked for an authority publishing a single-measurement formula and did not find one. What the authorities publish is a method whose input is the estimated adult weight — so a page that output it would be reversing the method and inventing the number.
- The tool selects and schedules; it does not measure. It tells you which band applies and how often to weigh. Every number that goes on the chart comes from your scales.
- The limits are quoted, not softened. Giant breeds, pre-12-week puppies, mixed-breed targets and unvalidated BCS in puppies are all stated by the sources, so they are stated here.
What this page will not do: it will not tell you how big your puppy will get, whether its growth is healthy, or what to change if a curve is crossed. It gives you the tool and the schedule; the judgment belongs with your vet.
Related tools
- Puppy Feeding Chart by Age
Meals per day in the first year, from the AKC timeline. - Dog Feeding Calculator
Splits your bag’s daily amount into meals. - Dog Calorie Calculator
For the adult dog your puppy becomes. - Dog Crate Size Chart by Breed
53 breeds with the AKC weight behind each figure.
Last updated: 2026-10-19.