Mutts, also known as mongrels, are dogs that randomly mixed breed dogs. Their parents could either be two different purebred dogs, one hybrid and one purebred, or two hybrid dogs. But how big will my mutt puppy get? This will actually depend on the breeds it came from.
However, since most mix breed puppies have a rather confusing ancestry to begin with, it can be difficult to assess how big they will be as adults. This is especially harder when you get your puppy from a shelter where the record of their history could only go as far as the parents.
But while it is hard, it’s not entirely possible. Today, we’ll talk about the physical hints and the factors that could say how big your mutt puppy could be.
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Physical Traits
If you’re asking how big your mutt puppy will get, you need to consider their physical appearance. Sometimes, it is easy to determine which breeds they came from. From there, you’d be able to at least guess whether they’d be big or small dogs.
However, there are more specific areas that you should look into:
Paws
Big paws often mean that your puppy will grow into a larger adult dog.
Bigger paws are in the genetics of larger dogs in order to support all their weight when they grow. As puppies, big paws will look a little awkward, but given some time, their body will grow in proportion to their big paws.
Loose and Saggy Skin
Another good indicator is their skin. More often, pups with saggy and loose skin tend to grow bigger. They “fill in” the skin as they grow older. The looser the skin, the more likely they’ll grow as large dogs seeing as they have to fill in more of the skin.
This characteristic is not easy to miss out. Pups with loose skin often have this wrinkly face and bodies.
Present state
Their overall size and weight could also be a huge sign. Bigger adult dogs often have bigger pups. Medium-sized dogs have a slightly smaller frame as pups. And of course, small dogs tend to have smaller babies as well.
However, this isn’t always the case. Given their long line of ancestry, it is possible that smaller dogs will actually grow bigger and vice versa. It’s a lot like with humans, small children could actually grow taller than anticipated because their grandparents or great-grandparents were tall. The genes would sometimes jump a few generations.
Ancestry
Being able to track down the ancestry of your dog is perhaps the best way of answering how big your mutt puppy could be. They usually fall from the lowest to highest possible weight and height for both parents.
The tricky part is when their parents are of mixed breeds as well. The only way you can guess is to see break down your pup’s ancestry and see whether there are smaller, medium, or larger breeds in his/her family tree.
One other option is to get genetic testing at centers with DNA databases for different dog breeds. However, I don’t recommend this unless you’re a really curious person. Dog breed testing for mix breeds can be expensive, depending on the company that does these tests.
For example, a mix breed puppy with an ancestry of Siberian Husky, German Shepherd, and Golden Retriever is most likely a medium to large adult. They can grow between the smallest Golden Retriever to the biggest German Shepherd.
Other Factors
Other factors that can determine how big will they will get are the following:
- Gender — Male dogs tend to grow bigger than female dogs
- Age of Neutering/Spaying — If you get your dog neutered/spayed at an earlier age, your mutt puppy could grow taller or bigger. This is because early neutering often cancels out the chemicals which tell the bones to cease growing.
- Health condition — Some health issues could hinder your dog’s growth. Dog dwarfism is not uncommon. Bone and joint conditions could also cause stunting.
- Nutrition — Good food maximizes growth.
How to Calculate your Dog’s Growth
With math, you’ll be able to calculate your puppy’s growth and from there, conclude their average height and weight as adults. While this method does not guarantee you get the right number, it’ll give you a good insight into what you should expect.
Basically, you take your puppy’s weight at a certain age (in pounds) and then divide that number by his age (in weeks). Then, take that number and multiply it by 52 (which is the number of weeks there are in a year). The number you get in the end is pretty much the ideal weight for your dog as they grow into adults.
Normally, you can predict your dog’s ideal weight during these times:
- Small/Toy dogs weigh at around 12 weeks
- Medium-sized breeds at around 16 weeks
- Large-breed dogs at around 20 weeks
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8cqtOOMs2sk
Conclusion
So, if you are still wondering “How big will my mutt puppy get?”; there’s no way of knowing until you request for a genetic test, which are rarely found at your neighborhood vet. It also helps to know how big your dog is going to be so you can adjust things around the house or perhaps give you an insight into whether they fit your family or not.
