You must be knowing how cute German Shepherd pups are as I too get excited after seeing their cute behavior. If we look at their physical appearance, their floppy ears, bushy tails, and others all act as the cherry on the cake. You may have also noticed their paws that provide them grip in walking and running but at the same time, you may be also wondering do German Shepherd puppies have big paws.
Because of their large-bodied nature, German Shepherd puppies have big paws as they grow rapidly and their paw grows at a fast rate that supports their growth rate. However, their big paws may also be an indicator of whether your German Shepherd pup will be bigger or not but this can not be a foolproof idea to determine the final size of your German Shepherd.
German Shepherd dog is a very popular breed in the USA because of their friendly nature, loyalty, and of course their cuteness. Every dog owner wants their German Shepherd pup to be bigger and the exciting news is German Shepherds are also large when they become adults.
Many of you may also be wanting to know how large your German Shepherd puppies grow. This post will be very relevant to this topic as there will be a detailed discussion about their size and other fun facts about German Shepherd’s paws.
So without wasting any moment, let’s dive into the topic:
Table of Contents
Can You Determine The Size Of Your German Shepherd Puppy By Their Paws?
It is quite difficult to determine what size your German Shepherd puppy will be when they become an adult. Though you can guess their size by considering the size of their parents and your dog’s paws.
But this type of information may not be sufficient to determine the actual size of your German Shepherd pup when they become older. Some also say that the paws are also a good indicator of the future size of your pup but is it true, can you determine the size of your GSD puppy by their paws?
There is no foolproof idea but ”yes” the paws of your German Shepherd puppy can be a good indicator of determining the future size and growth, especially when you see their paws are too large after their birth. If the feet of your German Shepherd puppy is too big for their body then there will be a higher chance that they will be bigger when they become adults.
If we consider another large breed like golden retrievers that have larger feet to support their height and whole body tiny feet can not hold if they are the big dog. It is clear that even if your puppy of a larger breed has paws that will be already on the larger side that directly reflect their growth.
If your German Shepherd pup is born with tiny feet then there will be a higher chance they will be smaller in size even if they become adults. Apart from this, the paws will be a good indicator of whether your German Shepherd’s pup will be bigger or not after becoming an adult.
German Shepherd Puppy Size Proportion
German Shepherds are smaller in size as they are small in age. The weight of a newly-born German Shepherd pup is around 1 pound. As they grow quickly, they gain weight very quickly after a few weeks.
German Shepherd puppies gain weight around 10% of their adult size within the first month and when they become six months older their weight reaches around 70% of their adult weight. Due to their fast growth rate, it is quite difficult to notice their growing period.
When your German Shepherd pups will become 18 months older, they will be in the stage where they are fully grown. This is the point where they will gain a little more weight but it will also depend on their height.
Why Does My German Shepherd Puppy have a Big Paw?
The paws of a German Shepherd pup may be the indicator of whether your puppy will be bigger or not, however, there may another reason to have bigger paws in them, which may be due to it. The larger paws of GSD
pups provide necessary support but why do they have bigger paws?
Let’s look at the facts:
An Indicator Of Adult Weight
The paws of German Shepherd puppies can be a good indicator of their adult size and weight but it is not full-proof. But generally larger paws mean your German Shepherd pup will be bigger when they will be older. This is because the German Shepherd comes in the category of lard and they have bigger paws to support their body and growth.
You can also take an example of the smaller breed with bigger paws like Chihuahua if they have bigger paws that will not let them walk comfortably and as a result, they will fall here and there. You can also imagine your German Shepherds getting the paw of a greyhound which will also look ridiculous.
However, you should note that guessing the paws of German Shepherd pups for their weight and height is not a full-proof idea. German Shepherd pups grow very rapidly and sometimes their paws may not grow as per their whole body after which their paws will look disproportionate. But it will not be an indication for your puppy to be smaller in size after becoming older.
So being German Shepherd owners you should not observe the size of your puppy after seeing its paws until they become a few weeks older. After becoming some weeks older it becomes easy to proportionate and can give you a little bit of accuracy.
Difference between the size of the front and back paws
As you know paws provide grip to all the pups and let them walk comfortably on the surface. If you have also noticed the difference between the size of the front and back paws in your German Shepherd pup then you should not worry.
If the paw of the front leg is slightly higher than the back leg, you should not worry as this is quite common.
Every breed is different and the difference between the size of the front and back paw does not affect them. They can walk and jump comfortably so you should not worry about this common issue among pets.
Injuries
One of the reasons your German Shepherd puppy has big paws than others is because of some injuries. You have not noticed and they may have injured their leg and as a result, their paw may become bigger.
However, this type of issue is treatable and you should monitor your German Shepherds very closely. There may be some symptoms you should look for like swelling in their paws, limping more often, couldn’t allow them to stand for a longer time.
If you notice any type of the above symptoms, you should meet your vet immediately and provide them with proper treatment. Ignoring their health may lead your puppy to go through many problems so it’s important to keep them safe and avoid leaving them alone.
Slow Growth Of Paws
If you have a German Shepherd puppy in your home then you must be enjoying their company and they are too cute after seeing their physical appearance. German Shepherd pups are a large breed after becoming older so seeing their big paws are very common.
In some cases, the paws of a German Shepherd pup may grow much slower than other breeds. If you are noticing them walking uncomfortably and falling more often this may be one of the reasons they do have not the exact size of their paws.
As German Shepherds grow quickly and their paws may not grow quickly as a result their paw pads may malfunction which may lead them to stumble.
Also Read: What Is The Right Age To Adopt A German Shepherd Puppy? Important Tips For The New Owners!!!
Other Ways To Indicate Adult Size and Weight Of German Shepherd Puppy
German Shepherd puppies become double their size when they are 16 weeks older. Your German Shepherd puppy can be a little bit bigger after the actual calculation.
Apart from predicting the size of your German Shepherd pup, there are other ways also through which you can be able to predict the size of your German Shepherd pups when they become older.
Here are some of the ways which will help you in predicting the size of your German Shepherd pups in the future:
Seeing The Size Of Their Parents
German Shepherd’s size mostly depends on their parents, if their parents are both bigger then there will be a high probability that their pup will also be bigger after becoming an adult. Here the main thing to consider is you should not only consider your pet with their paws.
There may be a higher chance that the paw of a German Shepherd puppy may remain smaller as per their size even when they become older. But this is not any problem they can face a little bit of difficulty in walking else wise everything is ok.
Observation Of Skin And Their Losing Structure
It has been seen that the puppy with loose skin has more space to grow. This means that if your German Shepherd puppy has some loose skin then there will be a higher chance they will grow up to their skin and will become bigger than expected.
Use a Device Like a Calculator
Another way to calculate the future size of your puppy is using a calculator which is now easily available on the market. This calculator is enough in guessing the future growth of your puppy. This asks some questions like breeding profile and actual weight by their birth.
So these are the ways through which you can determine the size and weight of your German Shepherd pup in the future. Their paws can indicate somehow future size but it’s not a full-proof idea that can miscalculate when you have a full-grown German Shepherd.
What does it mean when your puppy has big paws?
There is much research that shows puppy’s paws may be a good indicator of their future size. But being a pet parent you must be eager to know about the meaning of puppies with bigger paws.
Big paws typically indicate that your puppies are going to be large dog breeds when it matures. Large breeds of puppies often have wide, rounder feet than smaller breeds, which can result in bigger paw sizes.
Big paws can also be an indicator of good bone density and joint health in the future. While larger paws don’t guarantee good health for your pup, it does mean that they are more likely to remain strong and healthy as they grow older.
However, some dog owners find big paws to be quite cute! If you’re concerned about the size of your puppy’s paws or would like to know if they are likely to become a large breed, consulting with a veterinarian can help provide insight into potential growth patterns and any health issues your puppy may have.
Additionally, observing how quickly the puppy grows and keeps up with other puppies of the same breed can give you a good indication of their eventual size.
Overall, big paws usually mean that your puppy is likely to become a large breed dog when it’s fully grown. While there are no guarantees, this can be an indication of strong bone density and joint health in the long run.
Frequently Asked Questions(FAQs):
How Do I Know If My German Shepherd Puppy Will Be Big?
The size of a German Shepherd puppy when fully grown is largely determined by genetics, so it can be difficult to accurately predict the adult size of a puppy.
Other factors such as diet, exercise, and even environment can also influence the final size of an adult German Shepherd.
The best way to get an accurate assessment of your pup’s future physical size is to look at their parents; if the parents are both large, then the puppy will likely end up being larger than average too.
Do Puppy Paws Get Bigger?
Yes, puppy paws do get bigger as they grow. This is because puppies are born with soft, small feet that will eventually become larger and stronger as they develop. Puppies go through several stages of growth before their paws reach full size.
Can You Tell How Big A Puppy Will Get By Its Paws?
No, you cannot tell how big a puppy will get by its paws. The size of a puppy’s paws is not an indicator of its full-grown size as many other factors influence the growth and development of puppies such as nutrition, genetics, exercise, and even gender.
Puppies may grow at different rates depending on these factors and may even reach different heights than their siblings or parents when fully grown.
Final Thoughts:
The bigger paws in German Shepherd puppies are common as they come in the category of large breeds. Their paws provide sufficient grip to their body that helps them in walking and jumping comfortably.
However many of you consider the paw of German Shepherd pups to determine the future size which is also not a full-proof idea.
There is also another method through which you can determine the future size of your German Shepherd puppy-like seeing their parents’ personality, using the calculator, and seeing their loose skin which can let them gain weight in the future.