We all know great danes are pretty huge, but owners want to know exactly when their great dane will stop growing and reach their full size. This article has everything you want to know and includes a detailed growth timeline you can compare your pup to.
Table of Contents
When Do Great Danes Stop Growing
Great danes stop growing between 18-24 months. They reach their full height by 18 months but continue gaining weight and muscle mass until 24 months of age.
After speaking to many great dane owners it seems all have similar results. You can always check the breed standard information given by the AKC but I wanted to find out from real owners what their experiences were.
● Great Dane Height.
When it comes to height, the vast majority of great danes reach their full height by 12 months, and all of them would have reached it by 18 months.
● Great Dane Weight.
But when it comes to weight, it takes a little longer. Full weight and muscle mass keep developing long after your dane has reached his full height. Weight gain continues up to 2 years of age and for some, keeps on increasing throughout their second year.
It’s very important to note all great danes are different, some may grow naturally faster or slower than others, and that’s totally okay!
I’ve had owners explain how they were worried that their dane seemed to be “lagging behind” on their size. But with time, they slowly added weight and reached their full height.
Some just take longer than others, so always keep that in mind, there’s nothing wrong with slow and steady.
How Big Do Great Danes Get?
Probably the most asked question when it comes to great danes is without a doubt “how big will my great dane get?” And it’s no surprise either! With such incredible size, all owners are desperate to know just how big their giant puppy will grow.
The average size for male Great Danes:
- Height: 30-36 Inches
- Weight: 135-175 Pounds
The average size for female Great Danes:
- Height: 28-34 Inches
- Weight: 110-145 Pounds
If you check the AKC you find very similar averages, give or take 1 or 2 inches, but through our experience conversing with real great dane owners, the “normal” range is a little wider than what the AKC give, so that’s why our averages are a little different. But we think they are more realistic!
Expect your great dane’s final size to take a long time to settle. Remember that overall mass keeps developing for quite some time, even after their second year.
Great Dane Growth Timeline Chart
Let’s run through a detailed snapshot of what you can expect as your great dane puppy develops into a fully grown giant. Again, keep in mind the figures referenced are averages.
The lower range represents females, the higher range represents males.
| Age | Height (Inches) | Weight (Pounds) |
|---|---|---|
| 4 Weeks | 8-12 | 4-8 lbs |
| 8 Weeks | 12-14 | 12-25 |
| 3-4 Months | 14-18 | 25-40 |
| 4-6 Months | 18-22 | 45-65 |
| 6-8 Months | 22-28 | 65-85 |
| 8-10 Months | 28-30 | 85-120 |
| 10-12 Months | 30-36 | 120-135 |
| 12-14 Months | – | 135-145 |
| 14-16 Months | – | 145-160 (males) |
| 16-18 Months | – | 160-170+ (males) |
As you can see the weight and height increase at greater rates throughout 6-12 months, and then slows back down after, especially weight.
For the males, the weight could even keep rising as they get into their second year and develop further muscle. Albeit slowly.
Once again, these are averages. So if your great dane is following the same projection, don’t worry too much! 🙂
5 Tips To Ensure Steady & Healthy Growth
So what are the ways that you can ensure you great dane growths at a healthy rate throughout puppyhood? Let’s take a look!
⭐ Ensure your puppy is consuming a high-quality kibble formulated for large breed puppies.
It’s essential that the kibble your great dane is eating is tailored for them. Great danes, due to their size and demanding growth must have the right kind of nutrition. If you feed your dane the wrong kibble, he won’t be receiving enough calories, protein, essential fats, and other nutrients for optimum growth.
All kibbles are different, so make sure you use one that is suitable for large breed puppies. Our recommendation: Purina ONE SmartBlend Large Breed Puppy Formula
⭐ Ensure your puppy agrees with the kibble.
Apart from finding the right kibble to begin with, your puppy must actually agree and get on well with his kibble. If his body disagrees with it then it means the nutrients and calories will not be properly absorbed anyway, and you’ll need to find another food.
If your puppy shows signs of discomfort after the food, doesn’t seem keen to eat it, refuses it, or experiences diarrhea or vomiting, then it’s likely you will need to change foods.
⭐ Avoid over-exercising your great dane puppy.
You have to be very careful with how much exercise your giant pup receives before he’s physically matured.
Great danes aren’t considered physically mature until 2 years of age. The joints, bones, muscles, and organs need adequate time to rest, recover, and grow during their puppy months, that’s why puppies sleep so much!
Too much exercise will overstress the growing bones, joints, and muscles which can prevent proper growth and cause short-term or long-term injuries.
P.S exercise is still important, you just need the right amount, I have another article which covers this in more detail here: great dane exercise.
⭐ Allow him to rest as much as he needs.
I know this is kind of similar to the tip above, but it’s so important I want to mention it again. This goes for naps and sleep.
Puppies can sleep upwards of 18 hours per day when you include naps, it sounds a lot, but it’s totally necessary! Creating a calm and comfortable environment for your puppy is probably the most important thing you can do during these early stages. The better he can relax and rest, the better his body will grow.
This tip is easy enough for adults to understand, but young children may need to be told an unlimited amount of times! I know, they just want to play, but it’s crucial your pup’s sleep is not interrupted.
⭐ Schedule routine check-ups.
Veterinarians are there to help you and make sure everything is going smoothly. By scheduling routine appointments every 2-4 months during the early stages it will keep you worry-free.
The veterinarians will be able to check and monitor growth progress and perform exams to keep an eye on their overall health.
For great danes, this is particularly important, as they are prone to many health issues as they grow.
Popular Great Dane Articles:
● Can Great Danes Go For Long Walks?
● Can Great Danes Be Left Home Alone
● Why Isn’t My Great Dane Eating His Food?
Factors That Will Change How Big Your Great Dane Will Get
Overall size is quite an important factor for most great dane owners. Not that there is anything wrong with being smaller or bigger than average, but many want to know what will impact their danes growth the most.
● The number one factor affecting your great dane’s size will be genetics.
Without a doubt, the biggest contributing factor will be genetics and blood lineage. The size of your great dane’s parents and even their parents will play the biggest role in determining size.
If your dane has particularly large parents then it’s more than likely your dane will also be on the larger end of the spectrum, and the same goes for smaller-than-average parents.
Other factors include diet, quality of nutrition, calories received, the amount of rest your great dane gets as well as underlying health conditions that may affect growth.
Diet will play a significant role in overall health and growth, especially muscly development, but all in all, genetics will play the biggest role in overall size. Which also happens to be something we have no control over.
In the end, it doesn’t matter if your great dane is slightly smaller or bigger than average, as long as he/she is healthy 🙂
Thank you for reading! I really hope I have answered your questions about great dane size and growth rate. If you feel I have missed out on information that future readers will find helpful, please contact me. I am always happy to add relevant sections.
Resources used:
https://www.akc.org/dog-breeds/great-dane/