How Big Do German Shepherds Get?

How Big Do German Shepherds Get?

How Big Do German Shepherds Get? This is a question many potential and new owners ask. German Shepherds are wonderful dogs. Loyal to a fault and protective of their family, these intelligent canines make a great addition to the family but they are going to need a good bit of space of their own.

How big do German Shepherds get?

Well, on average they are going to have a height between 22 – 26 inches, with the females generally being between 22 and 24 inches while the males are taller, at 24 to 26 inches. Weight-wise, Shepherds should be between 50 and 90 pounds.

This is with purebred Shepherds, however, and if your Shepherd is a mix then this can make a big difference. Today we’ll talk about Shepherds, both purebred and mixed, so you can get an idea just what size dog you are really getting and how old your dog will be once it reaches its full adult size.

Let’s talk about Shepherds and their sizes!

Is your German Shepherd a purebred or a mix?

Mixed-breed Shepherds can change the playing field quite a bit when it comes to approximating what your dog will be like once fully grown. If your Shepherd is a mix then it won’t usually be much taller than 28 inches, at most, but you could have a longer or much shorter dog and a very different weight range.

We’ve got a few examples so that you can get an idea of the kind of difference that this can make.

How big do German Shepherds get if they are a mixed breed?

Some examples of Shepherd mix sizes:

While we don’t have space to chronicle all of the different mixed-breed shepherds you can run into, we thought that we might give you a few just to show you what kind of difference it can make. Here are some of the more popular German Shepherd mixes out there:

  • Alaskan Shepherd – A German Shepherd mixed with an Alaskan Malamute, the ever-loyal Alaskan Shepherd measures in at 22 – 25 inches in height and weighs between 60 to 85 pounds.
  • Beagle Shepherd – Beagle shepherds are sweet and petite, measuring in at a maximum of 24 inches high with a bodyweight of 20 to 70 pounds.
  • Corman Shepherd – Vocal and playful, this mix of Corgi and German Shepherd breeds produce a small dog that will grow to be 12 – 15 inches tall and have a bodyweight of approximately 30 to 60 pounds.
  • German Australian – When you mix a German and an Australian Shepherd you get quite the herding dog indeed. The German Australian stands 21 – 24 inches high and will weigh between 50 to 80 pounds, on average.
  • German Sheppit – When you mix a Pitbull and a German Shepherd then you get one of the most loving (and a little bit needy about it) mixes out there. These sweet dogs measure in at 18 – 24 inches in height and weigh in the neighborhood of 40 to 80 pounds.
  • New Shepherd – One of the largest on our list of mixed Shepherds and one of the cuddliest, genes from the Newfoundland side of the New Shepherd’s family give you a dog that can be up to 28 inches tall and have a weight of 90 to 140 pounds. Long, rather than tall, this is a dog that will take up a lot of your couch and your heart.
  • Saint Shepard – Our second largest Shepherd is a mix of German Shepherd and Saint Bernard. The Saint Shepherd measures up to 28 inches high with a weight averaging between 85 to 140 pounds. Smart, relaxed, and loyal, this is a whole of Shepherd.
How Big Do German Shepherds Get?

How long until your German Shepherd is full-grown?

That cute little puppy is going to grow up fast, so this is something that you will want to be ready for. According to the American Kennel Club, “Although all puppies are officially considered adult dogs once they reach one year old, puppies continue to grow in height and size while their bones are still developing, which takes anywhere from 6 to 24 months”.

A German Shepherd is typically going to reach its full size between 18 and 24 months of age. This means that in just a year and a half to 2 years maximum your dog will be taking up quite a bit more space.

Some Shepherds can take longer, with some European breeds taking up to 3 years to reach their full adult size, but even with that extra year this is a pretty fast growth cycle that will pass before you know it.

Some final advice: Start training early!

Your German Shepherd is going to be growing in leaps and bounds and as much as you want to enjoy that time when they are small you should really consider getting a handle on training early. At 5- 6 months of age, you can start teaching your dog commands and they can start formal training as early as 6 months. For more information on training your German Shepherd please see our free German Shepherd Training Guide here.

German Shepherds get pretty big but with a lot of love and some early training, there is no other breed quite like them. We wish you and your dog the best!

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