Pitbull Size Chart – Growth & Weight Chart

Pitbulls are a mix of Terrier and Bulldogs and are short-coated, solidly built, and known for their fierce athleticism and strength.

As a Pitbull owner, you may be worried about the development of your puppy, which is why you should keep a Pitbull size chart to help you monitor their growth.

Is your Pitbull growing steadily? Are they achieving their growth milestones? How much should they be eating daily?

If these are the type of questions you have after adopting a Pitbull puppy, continue reading to understand more about the Pitbull growth chart and development and how you can help them maintain a healthy weight as well as some of the health conditions to watch out for.

When Do Pitbulls Stop Growing?

As medium-sized dogs, Pitbulls stop growing at the age of one year when they reach their full size. However, larger Pitbulls need about 18 months to fill out their chest and add more muscle.

It will take about two to three years for your Pitbull to reach their emotional and mental maturity and behave like an adult dog.

It is necessary to note that there are things that can affect your Pitbull’s growth such as health issues, exercise, genetics, and diet.

Ensure that your Pitbull is fed a balanced diet for them to develop and grow well and achieve all their milestones.

Pitbull Weight Chart

A Pitbull weight chart shows an estimate of the weight numbers throughout the different ages of your puppy’s growth. All puppies grow at different rates and the Pitbull breed is known to have significant variations in their final weight.

Consult with your vet if you are concerned that your Pitbull’s numbers are significantly behind or ahead of the estimates shown on the weight chart so that they can give you personalized advice about your puppy’s weight and growth.

A female Pitbull weighs between 10 to 20 pounds at the age of three months, 15 to 30 pounds at the age of 6 months, and 25 to 45 at the age of one year.

On the other hand, a male Pitbull weighs about 10 to 20 pounds at 3 months old, 20 to 35 pounds at 6 months old, and 30 to 55 pounds at the age of one year.

Pitbull Size Chart

Pitbull Puppy Development Stages

Birth – 2 Weeks

From birth until the age of two weeks, your Pitbull puppy is considered to be in the neonatal stage of life.

This is the period where they depend entirely on the mother for defecation, food, and warmth. Their bodies cannot generate heat, so the mother provides them with the warmth that they need.

During this stage, your puppy will be eating or sleeping most of the time. At the end of two weeks, their eyes begin to open and they should have doubled their birth weight.

3 Weeks – 12 Weeks

At three weeks old, your puppy’s ears open and they can now hear the sound in their environment. their milk teeth also begin to come out.

At this stage, your puppy will grow rapidly, both emotionally and physically and they will learn acceptable behavior from their mother and littermates.

You can start socializing your puppy but ensure that they are vaccinated.

At seven weeks, you can introduce solid foods to your puppy and they should be learning how to wag their tail, vocalize, and run. Your puppy is ready to move to their new home by the age of eight weeks.

4 Months – 9 Months

You will notice that your Pitbull’s soft coat is being replaced by a denser and harsher adult coat. They will start teething at this age, hence proper teething toys should be provided to ward them off furniture and shoes.

Socialization begins at home, therefore you should expose them to daily sounds and sights such as vacuum cleaners, hairdryers, other pets, and children.

You can take them to obedience classes so that they can receive professional training as they will start being stubborn and challenging you.

At this age, females may experience their first heat while males start to lift their leg to mark, which makes it the right time to sterilize them to avoid unwanted litter or aggressive behavior.

10 Months – 18 Months

Your Pitbull’s appearance may fool you but they are still a puppy even though they look like an adult dog. You should increase their playtime to stimulate them physically and mentally.

If you lock them and prevent them from releasing their energy, they may end up becoming a destructive dog.

They reach their adult height at the age of one year but still continue to fill up their chest. You can start feeding them adult food as they need a diet that maintains their muscle mass.

Adult

As an adult, your Pitbull has reached their final weight and height. However, they do not finish developing their muscles until the ages of two to three years.

This is the age where they also mature emotionally and mentally and stop behaving like a puppy and more like an adult dog.

You can involve them in more strenuous physical activities such as running and hiking over longer distances to keep them fit.

Continue training them on what they already know and teach them something new so that they remain an obedient dog.

How Big Do Pitbulls Get?

There are a few ways that you can use to determine how big your Pitbull will get.

First, if you got your Pitbull from a breeder, ask them about the puppy’s estimated adult size. Based on the parent’s information and previous litters, your breeder should be able to give you an estimate of the adult size of your Pitbull.

If you can visit the breeder and look at your puppy’s parents, you will have a clear picture of what your Pitbull will look like when fully grown.

Secondly, you can check your puppy’s paws. If they appear to be oversized next to their body and legs, then they are still growing and filling out so that their body is proportional.

Checking the Pitbull size chart will also give you an idea of your puppy’s final weight as an adult.

If you cannot get the parents’ information because you adopted your Pitbull from a rescue center, then do a DNA test and use the results to estimate how big they will get.

An adult Pitbull stands at a height of between 17 and 21 inches with a weight of between 30 and 60 pounds.

Pitbull Size Chart

According to the United Kennel Club Pitbull Breed Standards, a male Pitbull is slightly heavier and taller than a female Pitbull.

A female Pitbull stands at around 17 to 20 inches and weighs about 30 to 50 pounds. On the other hand, a male Pitbull stands at about 18 to 21 inches with a weight of around 35 to 60 pounds.

Knowing the weight and height of your Pitbull enables you to shop for them the correct clothing, and kennel gate, and enter them into a competition. You can measure their height at home using a flat surface and a tape measure.

While your Pitbull is standing straight on the flat surface, find the highest point between the shoulder blades and measure from the ground to this point, and this is your Pitbull’s height.

Will Neutering And Spaying My Pitbull Affect His Growth

Spaying and neutering are related to growth because sex hormones are needed. Spaying or neutering at 6 months of age is acceptable.

Neutering or spaying your Pitbull early allows the dog to grow taller while staying leaner. This happens because some hormones which close the growth plates are not produced. Pitbulls neutered at a very tender age grow taller than average.

However, dogs who are neutered and spayed in early life develop fewer muscles than intact dogs and appear less bulky. If you also want your Pitbull to have puppies, delay the neutering or spaying.

Bulldog Vs Pitbull Size

Size is the main difference between the American Bulldog and Pitbull. The Bulldogs are larger than Pitbull and weigh between 60 and 120 pounds.

Usually, the male is larger and weighs between 66 and 120 pounds while females have between 60 to 90 pounds. The Bulldogs stand tall at around 19 to 28 inches high at the shoulder with males remaining the larger.

Pitbulls on the contrary are about half the Bulldog’s weight and weigh about 35 to 60 pounds. Females weigh about 30 to 50 pounds. The height of a Pitbull is smaller than that of a Bulldog and stands tall between 16 and 21 inches.

Factors That Affect Pitbull Growth

Genetics and gender

The growth of a Pitbull can be affected by genetic health conditions. Be aware of your puppy’s health records and that of their parents.

Learn about their genetic predisposition to help you to know what diseases your dog is prone to.

It will also help you to know about the appearance of your puppy when is fully grown. Generally, the female breeds are usually smaller than their male counterparts.

Nutrition

It is important to be aware of the food that you give to your dog. It is advisable to consult a vet on the food you will give to your puppy because if you provide unsuitable food to your dog it can cause serious health problems.

The best food to give your dog is the one with protein-based recipes. Before you purchase any food for your pet, check the ingredients contained in the meal to ensure that protein is the main ingredient with real meat as the source of protein.

Physical activity and health

Physical fitness is a good part of the growth of every dog. It contributes to overall health, an important aspect of the growth curve.

It also helps in curbing any difficulties that may arise later. Physical activity helps keep the puppy healthy.

When you regularly exercise your puppy, they remain physically fit and maintain their right weight contributing to their overall good health.

How Much to Feed a Growing Pitbull Puppy

Pitbull puppies require food with high-calorie content and fat to aid in their growth. The ideal diet has 22% to 32% of protein because protein is good for bone and muscle growth.

Pitbull puppies need breastmilk for the first six weeks of their life and formula can be used in places where the mother cannot nurse.

The amount of food to give to your Pitbull puppy depends solely on his age, the general size, and whether it’s a female or male.

The Pitbull puppy should eat four times a day till 12 weeks of age each of the four meals is about ¼ of a cup which is about 2 cups a day.

At three months, the puppy needs around 3 cups every day. At four months the puppy requires three meals a day while at six months you can drop down to two cups a day.

How To Tell If Your Pitbull Is Underweighted or Overweight

You can determine if your Pitbull’s weight is under or over the normal category by weighing them, observing their behavioral habits, feeling their bodies, and maybe seeing the vet.

You can tell that your Pitbull is overweight when you cannot feel the ribs, when ribs are visible it indicates that it is underweight and good health is when you can feel the ribs with light pressure.

If you cannot feel the spine, the dog is overweight and when the spine is visible, it means that the dog is underweight.

You can also have a glance at your dog’s shape. If they appear oval-shaped and rounded, it is an indicator of being overweight if your pet is becoming less active and tend to have difficulty in breathing, it could be due to weight gain.

You can also weigh your pet to tell if he is the right weight, by using the weighing scale from your veterinary to know the weight the dog should have.

If you are concerned and want professional guidance on your dog’s weight, consult the veterinarian.

What Are the Most Common Conditions to Be Aware of In Growing Pitbull Puppies

Pitbull are usually healthy dogs and do not have many genetic issues. However, they still have some problems.

All dogs have health issues they are susceptible to more than other breeds. Ensure you are well conversant with the history of the genetic health condition that the parent of your Pitbull had through consultation with the breeder.

Pitbull usually is susceptible to Hip Dysplasia, hypothyroidism, and heart problems. Eye problems such as cataracts and allergies and other skin conditions. These issues can cause stunted growth in your Pitbull.

To ensure a long and healthy lifespan for your puppy, be aware of the health conditions that they go through.

Do Pitbull Experience Growing Pain

Growing pains is a medical condition called Panosteitis which causes pain and lameness in young dogs. Several causes result from this condition from infectious agents to genetics to nutritional causes.

The good thing is that the dog grows out of it as they grow and do not cause long-term effects. Every dog including Pitbull can have growing pains.

Symptoms include painful, shifting leg lameness that lasts for weeks, lethargy, depression, fever, and inappetence.

If any other condition has been ruled out your vet may recommend that you localize the pain of your dog to one of the long bones in the leg. Your vet may recommend anti-inflammatory pain medication to give to your dog for pain relief.

What To Do If My Pitbull Is Not the Right Weight

Consulting a Pitbull growth chart is a great way in finding the ideal weight for your Pitbull. However, the growth charts only carry the average weights. But it is good to just keep track of the growth of your puppy.

Pitbulls that have a BCS (Body Condition Score) that is lower than 5 have issues of being underweight. An underweight dog has visible ribcages and yet ribs are not meant to be seen they just need to be slightly visible but not protruding.

An overweight dog has its rib hidden and you cannot easily feel it when you touch it. Pitbulls are active dogs and hence need muscles rather than fats.

It is therefore important to reduce treats and change the food your dog eats and ensure they work out more.

The cardio exercises you do together with your dog do wonders in no time and they keep the brain of the do busy with low energy levels.

An underweight dog needs a vet to run the test to see if the dog has any adverse health issues. If your dog is undergoing a health problem, the vet will prescribe a medication that will aid your dog back to normal weight.

You can also consider switching food. Be aware that some brands have poor nutrient value hence be careful not to buy such. Overweight Pitbull has a BCS score above 5

How To Help Your Pitbull Lose Weight If He Is Overweight

Diet, exercise, and lifestyle are the thing that will help your Pitbull to lose weight. Proper exercising with the right diet helps the overweighted Pitbull to shed some pounds.

Remove any food that can cause weight gain and provide the dog with recommended food portions.

Ensure you visit the et first to rule out any health conditions that could cause your dog to gain weight. Provide healthy treats like carrot slices to your Pitbull and avoid any human snacks because they are high in calorie content.

How To Properly Weigh My Pitbull

There are several ways to weigh your Pitbull:

1. Find a digital scale online or at any hardware store near you.
2. Find something like a platform that the dog can stand on while on top of the weighing scale.
3. Place the scale on the floor and ensure it is flat then coax your dog to stand on the scale and let it sit down steadily then record the weight displayed.
4. Move the dog off the platform and record the weight of the platform minus the dog.
5. Subtract the platform weight from the weight of the dog on the platform and there you find the weight of your dog.

Pitbull Genetics and Common Health Problems

Pitbull are susceptible to several health problems and the most common are;

Hip Dysplasi – is a condition that causes the dog to have difficulty moving freely and develop pain. Pitbull suffering from this condition have a shallow hip socket and an improper fit of the femur ball.

When the femur ball and the socket do not fit together the hip cartilage wears off causing pain. This condition leads to arthritis in older Pitbull.

A kneecap dislocation or luxating patella is a condition that causes the kneecap to slip off from the normal position. When this happens the dog’s knee cannot be able to extend properly and gets bent.

Sometimes the kneecap moves back to its position when the dog takes some steps but in serious cases, surgery is required to improve the life of the dog.

Degenerative myelopathy – Pitbull is commonly diagnosed with this condition. This health problem causes a progressive loss of the functions of the nerve because of an inherited mutation in the SOD1 gene.

This disease manifests in older Pitbull as loss of coordination and muscle atrophy and eventually prevents the dog from walking.

Congenital heart defects are heart disease and Pitbull is susceptible to it. It happens when there is too much pressure on the left ventricle and causes shortness of breath or chest pains due to the narrowing size.

Your vet can diagnose your Pitbull by listening to your pet’s heart.

Final Words

Knowing the different factors that may impact the growth of your Pitbull puppy will prepare you to provide them better care and support.

Pitbull is known to have congenital issues such as ear infections and severe allergies hence taking them to the vet frequently will ensure that they remain in healthy condition.

Hopefully, you now have all the information that you need to raise a healthy Pitbull puppy.