great dane & english mastiff puppy growth
Many times great danes and
mastiffs are lumped into the category of "large breed puppies," which grow to 50
lbs. or more. Giant breeds like mastiffs and danes can grow from 1-2 lbs. at
birth to over 250 lbs. within just two years! Big difference. In human terms -
if a baby was born weighing 7 lbs. and grew at the same rate as a giant breed
dog, that little bundle would weigh in at around 1000 lbs. by age 2!
Because of their rapid growth, nutrition and feeding are crucial to proper
development. It's extremely important that you don't overfeed a giant breed
puppy as overfeeding can lead to painful bone/joint diseases.
Check out our great dane and
english mastiff nutrition and feeding page for more information >
prevent injuries
Injuries to puppies' bones and joints can cause serious long term problems.
Some studies have shown that allowing puppies to play on slippery surfaces can
be an environmental cause of hip dysplasia. If you have children, don't allow
them to "tackle" your puppy or lean on them as this can cause stress on their
bones and joints. If you have hardwood or tile floors, you may want to invest in
some throw rugs and only allow your puppy to play on carpeted surfaces while
their joints are developing.
Don't allow your puppy to run for long periods of time or jump from heights
(like the bed) until they are at least 18 months old. ie: Don't take your 3
month old great dane jogging! Hairline bone fractures can develop leading to
issues down the road.
vitamin c
Some studies have shown that providing moderate amounts of Vitamin C
supplements to puppies that are genetically predisposed to hip dysplasia may
reduce their chances of developing it. Others claim Vitamin C may help reduce
growing pains common in giant breeds.
growth charts
Is there a pattern of growth that can be used to predict the size a puppy will grow to?
Do all giant breeds grow at the same rate? These are questions we'd like answers
to as well. We don't currently have enough data to answer these
questions, so if you have a giant breed dog, please help us learn more about
this topic by submitting your information to the growth chart.
submit your data
We are in the process of collecting great dane and mastiff puppy growth data
from puppy owners and breeders. If you would like to participate, please submit
your information in the i-tails.com community forum
growth chart thread. Be sure
to include the following in your post:
Your puppy's name
Breed
Puppy's Age
Puppy's Weight
What Brand and Type of Food You Are Feeding
How Much You Are Feeding
Puppy's Parents' Weights if You Know Them
Please remember to update your thread/chart as your puppy grows! We would love to
see weekly weights on puppies up to 6 months and monthly weights at 6 months and
up.
Thanks for participating!
Go to the
Growth Charts >
If you had already been sending in your dog's info on the
submission form, you'll notice it's
gone! We had to remove it due to the large amount of spam that was coming in. We
are in the process of adding all previously submitted information to the forums so you can
update it there. If your dog's info isn't up yet, feel free to start a new
thread with your most recent weight and we'll add your previous submissions to it.
