Knowing when your boxer will stop growing isn’t exactly straightforward.
Just when you think they have reached full size, they continue to get bigger! I know, been there myself!
Boxers normally reach their full height by 10-12 months but will continue gaining weight until 18-24 months. Most boxers grow to be 21-25 Inches in height and 55-75 lbs in weight, depending on gender.
Table of Contents
When Do Boxers Stop Growing
The best way to break this down further is by looking at males and females separately.
Male weight: up to 24 months
Female weight: up to 18 months
Female boxers typically reach their full weight by around 18 months of age, whereas males can take up to 24 months of age.
Males take longer to reach their final weight because they continue to add more muscle than females.
When it comes to height, there’s not too much difference between the genders. Both females and males will reach their full height by 10-12 months.
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How Big Do Boxer Dogs Get?
Again, let’s break this down for males and females separately.
| Gender | Height | Weight |
|---|---|---|
| Females | 21-23.5 Inches (53-59cm) | 55-65 lbs (24-29kg) |
| Males | 23-25.5 Inches (58-64cm) | 65-75 lbs (29-34kg) |
I must point out that these are just averages. My friend has two boxers (one male, one female) and both are a little heavier and taller than what they “should be”. And this is the same for many other boxers too.
Although these averages will count for the majority, there will always be some that end up smaller or bigger than the breed standard. And there’s nothing wrong with that. 🙂
Boxer Puppy Growth Timeline
The following timeline can help you see where your boxer is at compared to where most are at.
Again, I want to state that these following are averages so don’t worry too much if your boxer is a little under or over. However, if you see drastic differences it’s worth further investigation to find out why.
| Age | Male Boxers | Female Boxers |
|---|---|---|
| 3-4 months | 21-27 lbs | 21-27 lbs |
| 4-5 months | 27-34 lbs | 25-32 lbs |
| 5-6 months | 34-42 lbs | 30-38 lbs |
| 6-7 months | 40-48 lbs | 36-44 lbs |
| 7-8 months | 46-55 lbs | 42-50 lbs |
| 8-9 months | 52-59 lbs | 46-53 lbs |
| 9-10 months | 56-62 lbs | 49-56 lbs |
| 10-12 months | 60-65 lbs | 53-58 lbs |
| 18 months | 63-67 lbs | 55-65 lbs |
| 24+ months | 65-75 lbs |
What you’ll find with both males and females is that the majority of their growth is done between 4-9 months of age. This is considered their rapid growth phase and when they are developing the quickest.
Of course, weight gain continues after 9 months but you’ll notice it slow down in terms of lbs gained from month to month.
One of the most popular questions we get from boxer owners is how big should their boxer be at 6 months of age.
According to the chart, 6-month-old male boxers should weigh between 40-48 lbs and females 36-44 lbs.
4 Factors Affecting Boxer Growth
Let’s run through four important factors that will affect the growth and development of your boxer.
1. Diet and nutrition
Of course, your boxer’s overall diet and the quality of the nutrition he’s receiving will impact his growth potential. Not only is it necessary to be feeding a high-quality diet, but it’s equally important that your boxer is getting on well with his food.
If he has any kind of digestive upset with his diet, it could indicate that he’s not actually absorbing the nutrients as he should be. This can happen with even the most premium brands out there. Digestion is really important, so be wary if you notice any diarrhea, vomiting, lethargy, food refusal, or discomfort after eating.
With puppies, it’s essential they remain on food “made for puppies” until they are an adult. Avoid “all-life stages” as these foods just don’t cater to a puppy’s higher calorie, protein, fat, calcium, and vitamin requirement.
In general, boxers thrive off a diet that’s high in protein, medium to high-fat, and low carbs. There’s a common link between low-quality dog food and higher carb content so always be sure to check the macros. In addition to this, you’ll want to opt for a brand that prioritizes “fresh and whole” ingredients with the fewest preservatives, additives, flavorings, and chemicals.
2. Rest and recovery
The reason puppies sleep so much is because growing takes A LOT of energy. Most of their growing is done when sleeping and napping, not playing and running around.
This makes it important to allow your pup to nap and sleep as much as they wish, without any interruptions. This is easy for us adults to understand, but if you have kids in the house, they will need to be informed, a few hundred times.
3. The right amount of exercise
When it comes to adult dogs, exercise is easier to get right, but with puppies, it’s a little more difficult. Puppies still need to be exercised but there’s a balance between too little and too much, both of which could negatively affect growth.
Exercise too little and your pup’s muscles might not be stimulated or stressed enough to grow sufficiently. On the other hand, exercising too much can easily cause injuries to their fragile bones, joints, ligaments, and muscles (short and long-term).
The best way to get around this is to follow the 5-minute method. This is an exercise routine designed by experts to ensure your pup gets the right amount of exercise for their age.
This means providing 5 minutes of dedicated exercise per day, per month of age they have. At 4 months old it will be 20 minutes per day (4×5), and at 5 months it will be 25 minutes per day (5×5), etc. This can be followed up to 10-12 months where they can start exercising like they would an adult.
4. Breeding and genetics
Something we have no control over, yet will impact their size the greatest, is their genetics. Certain bloodlines of boxers will produce particularly large offspring and vice versa.
Boxers that come from “show dog” lineages tend to be a little smaller than their breed standard. This is because show dogs seem to be purposefully bred smaller for competing purposes.
Additionally, some breeders engage in selective breeding and will only breed the largest of males with the largest of females, resulting in large offspring.
You may or may not know information about your boxer’s parents, but if you do, this will give you a glimpse into your boxer’s future size.
Key Takeaways
Some of the essential takeaway from this article:
Overview:
● Boxers dogs reach their full height by around 10-12 months (both males and females)
● Boxer dogs reach their full weight by 18-24 months (females earlier than males)
● Fully grown males weigh around 65-75 lbs on average (but some can be heavier)
● Fully grown females weigh around 55-65 lbs on average (but some can be heavier)
Age-related:
● At 3 months old, boxer dogs should weigh between 21-27 lbs (both males and females)
● At 6 months old, male boxers should weigh 40-48 lbs, whereas females should weigh 36-44 lbs
● At 9 months old, male boxers should weigh 56-62 lbs, whereas females should weigh 49-56 lbs
● Females usually stop gaining weight at 18 months, whereas males continue gaining weight until 24 months
● Boxer dogs experience a growth spurt between 4 and 9 months of age
Growth factors:
● Genetics play the biggest role in how big or small your boxer will grow to be
● Diet and nutrition are essential for proper growth
● Napping and sleeping is when your boxer will do most of their growing
● Avoiding overexercise is a top priority before their joints, bones, ligaments, and muscles are better developed
And of course, no matter how big or small your boxer ends up, they will be perfect! 🙂
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Additional resource:
Boxer dog AKC standard: https://www.akc.org/dog-breeds/boxer/
Growth standard charts for monitoring bodyweight in dogs: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5584974/