Wondering how big your puppy will get, or whether they are growing at the right speed? A puppy growth chart answers both. It shows where your pup's weight sits compared with many other puppies of the same age and size group, then lets you look ahead along their curve. Our free tool goes one step further: pick a target weight one week to three months away, and it suggests daily calories and tells you whether that pace is safe.
Here is how it works, in plain English, and how to use it for your puppy or kitten.
What is a puppy growth chart?
A growth chart plots weight against age. Instead of one "correct" line, it shows bands. Each band is a percentile: the share of similar puppies who weigh less than yours at the same age.
Our charts draw five lines: the 2nd, 25th, 50th, 75th and 98th percentiles. The light outer band (2nd to 98th) is the typical range, and most healthy puppies sit inside it. The darker middle band (25th to 75th) is where half of all puppies are.
How dog weight percentiles work
If your puppy is on the 60th percentile, they weigh more than 60 out of 100 similar puppies and less than the other 40. That is not a grade. A puppy on the 20th percentile can be just as healthy as one on the 80th. Percentiles describe size, not health.
What matters is the trend. Healthy puppies tend to follow roughly the same band as they grow. A small wobble between weigh-ins is normal. Crossing two bands up or down over a few weeks, or sitting outside the typical range, is a good reason to check in with your vet.
How big will my puppy get?
The simplest honest answer: follow their line forward. If your puppy has stayed near the 50th percentile for their size group, they will most likely finish near the middle of that group's adult weight range. A puppy who tracks the 75th line will likely end up toward the heavier end.
It is still an estimate. Growth spurts, genetics, neutering and mixed breeding all move the result. Giant breeds can keep filling out well past their first birthday, while toy breeds finish growing much sooner.
Why we use size-group curves for each breed
Our dog curves come from a large published study of puppy weights recorded at vet visits (Salt C, et al. "Growth standard charts for monitoring bodyweight in dogs of different sizes." PLoS ONE 12(9): e0182064, 2017, using data from Banfield Pet Hospitals, published under CC BY 4.0). The researchers grouped dogs by expected adult size, from toy to giant, rather than by breed.
That study used more than 6 million young dogs' records, covers ages 12 weeks to 2 years, and its five size groups cover breeds up to 40 kg, so giant breeds above that are outside the published charts.
So when you enter a breed, we place your puppy in the size group that breed usually reaches as an adult. A Labrador puppy growth chart, for example, uses the large-dog curve. If you have a mixed breed or are not sure, you pick the closest expected adult size. This keeps the curves grounded in real data, but it means breed results are estimates, not a breed standard.
Is there a kitten weight chart too?
Yes. Kittens get their own chart built from a veterinary dataset of kitten weights, with all breeds combined. It works the same way: find the percentile, watch the trend and set a goal.
What is a healthy weight for my dog?
Weight alone does not tell the whole story. Vets also use a body condition score (BCS), usually on a 1 to 9 scale. AAHA's 2021 guidelines treat 4 to 5 as ideal: you can feel the ribs easily under a thin layer of fat, see a waist from above, and see a tuck behind the ribs from the side. Scores of 6 and up mean extra fat; 4 and below mean lean or thin.
Our tool asks for body shape after your first result. It uses the score to estimate an ideal weight for adult dogs and to decide which goals make sense. For example, if your pet already looks a healthy weight, it will flag a weight-loss target and suggest you only aim to lose if your vet advises it.
How much should I feed my puppy?
Feeding guides on the bag are a starting point, but they cover a wide range of dogs. Calories based on your own puppy are more precise. Here is the sum our tool does.
- Resting energy (RER). The energy a body uses at rest: 70 × body weight in kg to the power of 0.75. A 10 kg puppy needs about 394 kcal a day at rest.
- Daily energy. RER multiplied by a life-stage factor. We use about 3 for puppies under 4 months and about 2 from 4 months until grown. Kittens use about 2.5.
- Turn calories into food. Divide by the food's calories (kcal per kg or per cup) to get grams or cups a day. Each food page shows this for your pet.
Every puppy is different, so treat the number as a starting point. Weigh every few weeks, check body shape, and adjust by small steps.
How the growth goal planner turns a goal into calories
This is the part owners love. On your pet's growth chart, tap where you would like them to be, or pick a time frame: 1 week, 2 weeks, 1 month, 2 months or 3 months. Then set a target weight. The tool shows three things.
- Daily calories: how much energy a day is needed to reach that point, based on your pet's current calories.
- Weekly change: the percentage of body weight gained or lost each week.
- A safe-pace check: whether that speed is gentle, safe, or too fast.
What counts as a safe pace?
For adult dogs that need to lose weight, the 2014 AAHA Weight Management Guidelines for Dogs and Cats recommend losing roughly 1 to 2% of body weight per week. Our tool marks anything up to about 2% a week as safe, and flags faster goals so you can choose a longer time frame. It also holds calories above a safe minimum.
Growing puppies: follow the curve, do not diet
For a puppy or kitten that is still growing, the best goal is usually to keep following their own percentile line. We do not recommend weight-loss plans for growing pets without your vet. Puppies need steady energy and nutrients to build bones and muscle. If your puppy looks heavy, talk to your vet about slowing the climb rather than reversing it.
How to use the puppy weight calculator, step by step
- Add your pet. Three quick questions: dog or cat, age, and current weight. Add a breed or pick an expected adult size.
- Open the growth chart. See where your pet sits and whether they are in the typical range.
- Pick a goal. Tap the chart or choose a time frame from 1 week to 3 months, then set a target weight.
- Read the result. Check daily calories, the weekly pace and the safety note. Save it as your goal if it looks right.
- Weigh in every 2 to 4 weeks. Log each weight to see the trend and adjust.
Then visit food matches to see how many grams a day of each food fits your pet's calories.
Frequently asked questions
How big will my puppy get?
Follow their percentile line forward. A puppy who has tracked near the 50th percentile for their size group will usually end up near the middle of that group's adult range. It is an estimate: growth spurts, genetics and mixed breeding all shift the result, and big breeds keep filling out after their first birthday.
Is there a puppy weight calculator by breed?
Our chart uses the adult size group your breed belongs to, from toy to giant, rather than a separate curve per breed. That keeps the curves grounded in real data, but it means a breed curve is an estimate. For a Labrador, for example, you would see the large-dog curve.
What percentile should my puppy be?
There is no best percentile. A puppy on the 20th and a puppy on the 80th can both be perfectly healthy. What matters is a steady track. Crossing two bands up or down within a few weeks, or sitting outside the 2nd to 98th percentile range, is worth raising with your vet.
How much should I feed my puppy?
Start with their resting energy (70 × body weight in kg to the power of 0.75) and multiply by a growth factor: about 3 for puppies under 4 months and about 2 after that. Then adjust using the bag's calorie content, regular weigh-ins and body condition. Our tool does this sum for you.
Can I put my puppy on a diet?
Not without your vet. Growing puppies need enough energy and nutrients to build bones and muscle, so we do not suggest weight-loss plans for them. If your puppy looks heavy, the usual approach is to slow the climb with your vet's guidance, not to make them lose weight.
Is there a kitten weight chart too?
Yes. Kittens get their own chart, built from a veterinary dataset of kitten weights with all breeds combined. It works the same way: see the percentile, pick a goal date and get daily calories.
How often should I weigh my puppy?
Every two to four weeks while they are growing. Use the same scale at a similar time of day. For small pups, weigh yourself holding them, then subtract your own weight.
