German Shepherds are one of the finest dog breeds and also considered as the best all-purpose dogs. They are large-sized and muscular-looking dogs with personality traits such as cleverness, alertness, loyalty, courageousness and high self-esteem. Overall, a Shepherd is just a real charm to humans.

But how big can a German Shepherd get?

On average, male German Shepherds can grow 65-90 pounds in weight (29.4-40.8 kg) and 24-26 inches in height (60.9-66 cm) whereas female German Shepherds are able to grow 50-70 pounds in weight (18.5-31.7 kg) and 22-24 inches in height (55.8-60.9 cm).

These numbers are based on an average analysis and depending on different factors such as health conditions, the size of a GSD can be different. However, you can see a size-difference between male and female Shepherds and it is surely a quite normal thing to see in the animal world in general.

What is the maximum size of a fully grown German Shepherd?

German Shepherds are usually as big as the dogs in its dog group “herding group” but when it comes to their maximum size, there is a variation of German Shepherds named “the King German Shepherd” that is actually much larger.

By the name of this dog, you already might have an idea that they must be enormous and yeah that is true. This is the biggest, a GSD can grow but a King German Shepherd is not purebred like the average GSD. They are a crossbreed of a Shiloh Shepherd and a German Shepherd and they have been bred for less health issues and a distinctive temperament.

Although, both the average GSD and the King German Shepherd look alike, their sizes are different. Like I said, the king tend to grow to become the biggest GSD variation.

Generally, a full grown male King GSD can grow about 29 inches in height and 110-150 pounds in weight while a female king GSDs are capable of growing around 27 inches in height with a weight of 110-150 pounds. So, you see, when a King GSD is compared to an average GSD, these guys are just giants.

When does a German Shepherd become fully grown? (The age and the lifespan)

The lifespan of a German Shepherd is 9 to 13 years and if we take the average, it can be amounted to about 11 years. The longest a German Shepherd can live is recorded as 18 years. That is if the pet-parent provides excellent care and maintenance to the doggo such as good diet, exercise and regular visits to vet’s office.

And the age at which a GSD becomes fully grown is when they turn 18 to 24 months old. This means, these doggos will mature into a complete Germen Shepherd by the age of 1.5-2 years but remember, sometimes one GSD could have a different growth rate from another due to having particular breed lines.

For example, in Eastern Europe, some German Shepherd bloodlines cause these dogs to grown at a much slower paced which means it would take approximately 38 months for them to become fully grown.

Weight and Height range of male and female German Shepherds as they grow:

Weight and height chart of male German Shepherds

Age	Height (Inches)	Weight (Pounds)
4 weeks	4 – 7”	5 – 15 lbs
8 weeks	7 – 10”	16 – 30 lbs
Three months	9 – 12”	23 – 40 lbs
Four months	11 – 15”	35 – 50 lbs
Five months	14 – 17”	40 – 59 lbs
Six months	16 – 19”	48 – 67 lbs
Seven months	19 – 21”	56- 72 lbs
Eighth months	20 – 23”	62 – 76 lbs
Nine months	21 – 24”	64 – 81 lbs
Ten months	22 – 25”	67 – 83 lbs
Eleven months	22 – 25”	70 – 85 lbs
One year	22 – 25”	71 – 90 lbs
One and half years	23 – 26”	71 – 90 lbs

Weight and height chart of female German Shepherds

Age	Height (Inches)	Weight (Pounds)
4 weeks	3 – 8”	4.5 – 12 lbs
8 weeks	6 – 11”	11 – 20 lbs
Three months	8 – 12”	17 – 30 lbs
Four months	10 – 14”	31 – 39 lbs
Five months	12 – 16”	35 – 47 lbs
Six months	15 – 19”	44 – 53 lbs
Seven months	17 – 21”	49 – 57 lbs
Eighth months	18 – 22”	53 – 61 lbs
Nine months	19 – 23”	55 – 64 lbs
Ten months	19 – 23”	57 – 66 lbs
Eleven months	20 – 24”	60 – 68 lbs
One year	20 – 24”	60 – 68 lbs
One and half years	21 – 24”	60 – 70 lbs

How to make sure your German Shepherd will grow into their maximum size?

Just feeding and showing affection is not sufficient to ensure the health of your four-legged friend, you also have to do it in a way that is suitable and will maximize the growth and the health of the doggo.

When raising your GSD at your house and around your family, you must be mindful of some basic knowledge which you can learn by the following information.

Being active for both physical and mental health:

German Shepherds have originally been bred for guarding sheep and herding and with that, these dogs have been adapted to have a quite active lifestyle which means the breed lines of having an active lifestyle can be found in the present day German Shepherds as well.

Although today, they do not have the same purpose, they still have a lot of energy that needs to be spent on something and that is where exercise, going for walks and playtime in the yard come in.

It is crucial to have a daily routine for the doggo: A certain time to exercise, play and go for walks. Also, if you do not make the doggo be occupied with such activities, their behavioral characteristics could change and that change is not good for the dog’s mental health.

For example, your GSD will get super bored that it will start digging everywhere, chewing everything they can get their teeth on and even barking too much,

So if you ever notice these changes, you have to make sure that your GSD is doing plenty of daily activities and that way, it will have healthy physical and mental states.

Moreover, it is best to consult with the vet to create a good daily routine for your dog with a suitable workout routine. On average, at least two hours of exercise should be done.

A proper diet:

Along with exercising and other daily activities, GSDs should be fed properly as well. That means, you as the pet-parent should give your dog foods according to a diet plan.

In a good diet that is fit for German Shepherds, there should be foods that are of high quality nutrients. That means to keep a good balance in protein, fats and carbohydrates (Micro-nutrients too).

So Here is a quick list of the certain foods that a GSD can eat and also can provide all the essential nutrients.

Protein Foods	Vegetables	Grains	Fruits	Dairy	Nuts
Beef	Beets	Corn	Blackberries	Cheese	Cashews
Lamb	Pumpkin	Oatmeal	Pear	Yoghurt	Chestnuts
Chicken	Peas	Spelt	Orange	Ice-cream	Hazelnuts
Eggs	Lettuce	Amaranth	Blueberries	Cream	Almonds
Tuna	Artichoke	Rye	Cucumber	Milk	Peanuts
Duck	Broccoli	Quinoa	Kiwi
Kidney	Cauliflower	Maize	Apple
Fish	Cabbage	Oats	Cranberries
Pork	Eggplant	Rice	Banana
Venison	Asparagus	Millet	Melon
Mackerel	Brussel	Bulgar	Persimmon
Salmon	Peppers	Teff	Mango
Turkey	Bell	Buckwheat	Strawberries

However, another crucial factor you need to know about is the potion size. No matter how healthy foods your four-legged friend is eating if it is eating too much of it, he/she will become fat or even obese which is not the purpose of a good diet.

So you should consult with your vet about the potion sizes and they will give you all the instructions on how to feed your dog properly based on the age, weight, height and the health conditions. However, on average, a German Shepherd can eat foods of 1750 and 2100 calories but this intake can be different based on factors such as age like I mentioned above.

PREVENTIONS OF DISEASES TO ENSURE YOUR GERMAN SHEPHERD‘s MAXIMUM GROWTH (DISEASES AND THEIR SYMPTOMS)

Another essential thing, you need to know to secure better health and growth for your doggo is the basic knowledge of the diseases a GSD could have and what course of actions, you should take to prevent them.

Basically, If you notice your GSD showing any of the symptoms that I have mentioned below under each disease, hurry and seek out for veterinary help as soon as possible because that may likely mean a serious illness.

Bloat

This is a quite risky disorder that makes a dog’s stomach bloated (Making the dog feel like its tummy is full of food to an uncomfortable state). This condition is caused by the excessive amount of fluid, foam and gas in the stomach.

So the first step, you have to take is to identify the symptoms and like I said repetitively, bring the dog to the family veterinarian.

Here are the symptoms of Bloat:

• Restlessness
• Behavior of depression
• Being less active and shows sudden weakness
• Collapsing
• Cool extremities (The core of the body tends to be more heated than the rest of the body)
• Vomiting

Hip Dysplasia

This is a quite common skeletal disease that many large-sized dog breeds are having and if I were to simply explain what this condition is, it is a health issue that occurs when a dog is unable to develop its hip joints correctly and due to that, the hips can be dislocated quite easily which is a huge problem.

The cause of this is mainly the genetics along with a poor diet.

Here are the symptoms of Hip dysplasia:

• Tiredness or weakness in both or one of the hind legs
• The painfulness when pelvis or hip aria is touched. (Look for the facial expression of pain or the sound the dog makes)
• Behavioral changes such as low tendency to play, run or climb stairs and overall tiredness throughout the day.
• A clicking sound is coming from the hip area when the dog is walking.
• Shrinking muscles of hind legs

Heart Disease

German Shepherds are prone to having a number of different Heart diseases. Due to these heart conditions, there can be poor blood pumping Therefore, oxygenated blood does not get distributed throughout the body and ventricular walls of the heart will also get thinner.

Here are the symptoms of Heart disease:

• Dry cough
• Restlessness when the dog is sleeping
• Sudden weight loss
• Fainting
• Sudden fatigue and tiredness
• Shortness of breath
• Elevated breathing

Arthritis

Arthritis is basically the inflammation of joints and is caused by a number of factors such as metabolic issues, infections, immune-mediated disease and trauma.

This condition is a long-turn one and cannot be cured in one go and although it gradually can get worsened, with the proper management and medications, the doggo will be able to live happily like a normal dog.

But for that to happen, diagnosis is crucial. Otherwise, the treatments and management cannot be provided. Well, it should be obvious. Isn’t it?!

Here are the symptoms of Arthritis:

• Joints being swollen
• Depression
• Panting or whining
• Low tendency to jump, walk or climb stairs
• Licking the area of joints
• Dullness in rising up from resting positions
• Lameness
• Losing appetite
• Sudden weight gain

Degenerative Myelopathy

This is a disease that also gets worsened overtime, especially in older dogs. The condition affects the spinal cord and as a result, the hind limbs get weakened badly.

However, it Initially starts with a loss of the hind limbs coordination and then, GSDs will start to wobble when walking or try to drag the feet.

Here are the symptoms of Degenerative myelopathy:

• Falls over effortlessly if the dog is pushed
• Wobbling
• Knuckles the paws when walking
• Abnormally worn toenails
• Struggling when walking
• Struggling to rise up from a resting position

Exocrine pancreatic insufficiency

This condition makes a dog unable to make enough pancreatic enzymes to break down foods into fats, carbohydrates and protein in order to digest and ultimately, it leads to lack of enough nutrients to be absorbed for the dog to sustain its metabolism

However, as a result, a GSD will experience rapid weight loss along with more health issues although it is eating enough foods with a normal appetite.

Here are the symptoms of Exocrine Pancreatic Insufficiency:

• Chronic diarrhea
• Weight loss
• Excessive amount of stool and gas
• There will be a gray and oily appearance to the stools
• With that, the answer to the question that “How big can a German Shepherd get?” is concluded and I hope you fellow hoomans found it helpful. Thank you for reading.

Featured image credit : Photo by Adam Kontor from Pexels