Saint Bernard Growth Chart – St. Bernard Weight & Size

Saint Bernard owners know that this is a sweet, yet giant dog breed.

It is important to consult with a Saint Bernard growth chart in order to know when your puppy will finally stop growing and to ensure that your puppy is growing at the right speed.

Yet, there are many other factors to consider when it comes to your Saint Bernard’s growth.

We have broken down everything that you should know about your growing Saint Bernard, from how to use a Saint Bernard weight chart to what factors can affect your puppy’s growth. Here’s what you need to know.

When Do Saint Bernards Stop Growing?

Given that Saint Bernards are such large dogs, you might be thinking that your puppy is going to continue to grow forever.

But, if you consult a Saint Bernard growth chart, you will see that they do stop growing eventually.

When your Saint Bernard is a year-old, he will likely have reached his total height.

They might grow slightly taller, but this is generally a good guideline to go with. Pups will not be at their final weight, however.

Some Saint Bernards do stop gaining weight when they are about one, but others may continue to put on weight until their second birthday.

Saint Bernard Growth Chart

If you are trying to keep track of your Saint Bernard puppy’s growth, a Saint Bernard weight chart is really the best way to go.

A weight chart can help you use the information that you already have about your puppy to get an idea of whether your dog is growing at the right rate.

For example, you may know that your Saint Bernard puppy is 48 pounds at 3 months old, putting him on the lower side of normal.

Following the Saint Bernard growth chart, you will see that when a puppy on the low side of normal is 6 months old, he should weigh about 88 pounds.

You will know if your dog is growing at an irregular rate, because the expected growth will not align.

If he drifts too far off of his growth chart, you will need to make sure that he is eating well and that there are no underlying medical reasons that he has fallen off of his curve.

The St. Bernard growth chart can also help you get an idea of how big your dog will be when he is done growing.

A Saint Bernard who is 48 pounds at 3 months old can be expected to weigh around 161 pounds when he finally stops growing.

Saint Bernard Weight Chart

Saint Bernard Puppy Development Stages

Birth – 2 Weeks

Given how large a Saint Bernardis, it might be surprising that they are very small when they are born, like all dogs.

On average, a Saint Bernard puppy weighs about a pound and a half at birth, but he will grow quickly.

For the first two weeks, your puppy likely won’t move very much at all and it can take a couple of weeks for a puppy to open his eyes.  

3 Weeks – 12 Weeks

Between 3 weeks of age and 12 weeks of age, there is a huge amount of change and growth. A puppy is normally weaned off of his mother’s milk when he is 8 weeks old.

This is also the same time that puppies are separated from their mothers and will be rehomed into different families.

They will still get exhausted easily and take a lot of naps during this time period, and will definitely begin to really embrace a life of puppy mischief, so keep things out of reach that you don’t want eaten or destroyed.

4 Months – 9 Months

Your little puppy will not be so little between 4 months and 9 months old. The puppy will be growing really quickly, reaching well over the 100 pound mark long before he is 9 months old.

He should still be on puppy food at this point, because he is definitely not done growing at this point.

You have a giant baby on your hands, so even though the dog is big, you need to remember that he is not an adult and will still be up for puppy mischief.

10 Months – 18 Months

When your Saint Bernardpuppy is between 10 months and 18 months old, he should reach his final adult height.

This should happen about the time of his first birthday, but every puppy is different.

He should definitely be his final height by 18 months, but there is a chance that he will continue to gain weight until he is 2 years old.

You still should see puppy energy at this age group, though chewing things should be slowing down.  

Adult

A Saint Bernardpuppy is an adult around a year old, but of course he is not done growing at this point.

As an adult, he should slow down on weight gain and have a reduction in energy.

Big dogs still need the same level of TLC that small dogs get. Saint Bernards are such sweet dogs that you will continue to see this good personality as your puppy continues to grow. 

How Big Do Saint Bernards Get?

If you are looking at your Saint Bernard puppy and wondering how big he will be when he grows up, there are some things that you can look into to get an idea.

Perhaps the easiest of them is to look at the dog’s parents. Dogs will follow the size of their ancestors.

You can also use a St. Bernard weight chart to follow how large your dog will get when he is done growing.

You just look at your dog’s current size based on age and base it on the average adult size, following the growth curve.

With large breeds, like a Saint Bernard, you can also look at your dog’s paws.

The paws will look out of proportion with the rest of him and he will need to continue to grow until his body fits the size of paws that he has.

Finally, you can also have a DNA test done to see what the expected size is for your Saint Bernard.

Saint Bernard Size Chart 

You can use a Saint Bernard size chart to keep track of how well your dog is growing and how much he will continue to grow.

You can use the size chart for both height and weight to see what the averages are for the dog’s age.

Weighing a Saint Bernard puppy at home is difficult, since he is going to quickly be too large to hold on a scale to weigh.

Instead, you can either invest in a larger scale can accommodate this giant breed, or you can ask your vet to weigh him periodically to stay on top of it.

In terms of length, you can measure your dog by extending the tape measure from the base of the neck to the base of the tail, which is where the tail meets with the body. This works if you know how long the dog should be.

You can measure a dog’s height by having him stand up and measure the length from the dog’s upper back down to the floor.

Typically, a female Saint Bernard will be shorter in stature and weigh less than a male Saint Bernard will.

Will Neutering/Spaying My Saint Bernard Affect His Growth?

The standard practice when it comes to spaying and neutering has been to spay or neuter before your dog reaches sexual maturity.

This means for females, spaying the dog before she goes into heat. This might have been the traditional practice, but that is no longer the case.

Newer science and information has showed us that it is better to wait to spay or neuter until your dog has finished growing, especially for large breed dogs.

The advantage to having your dog spayed or neutered early is that you will not have any unwanted pregnancies.

And, not having to deal with a female dog in heat is always a pro.

But, there are cons for doing it too early. The new information says that dogs that are spayed and neutered before maturity are more likely to suffer from joint problems as they get older.

The side effects will not appear until your dog is much older, but the joint issues can seriously alter your dog’s quality of life.

It is a good idea to see what your vet’s opinion on the timing of spaying and neutering is.

Your vet should be able to weigh the pros and cons with you and help you make the best choice for your dog.

Newfoundland Vs Saint Bernard Size

Both the Newfoundland and Saint Bernard breeds are large breeds, so it is easy to wonder between the two, which dog is the bigger dog.

A Newfoundland male stands between 27 and 28 inches tall while a female is slightly shorter at 26 inches tall.

By comparison, the Saint Bernard mal stands between 28 and 30 inches tall while their females are between 26 and 28 inches tall.

Based on those statistics, the Saint Bernard is about the same size as a Newfoundland, but slightly taller.

Weight-wise, Saint Bernards are heavier. Males weigh up to 180 pounds and females weigh between 120 and 140 pounds.

The Newfoundland male weighs between 130 and 150 pounds and the females weigh between 100 and 120 pounds.

Factors That Affect Saint Bernard Growth 

Genetics & Gender

The biggest factor that determines a Saint Bernard’s growth is genetics. A dog’s size is normally inherited from parents and ancestors.

If you want to get an idea of how big your Saint Bernardwill be, you should look at the pup’s family.

If you can look further back than the parents, that is even better, but parents are a good place to start.

 Also, as a rule, female dogs are smaller than males, so that will also affect your dog’s size. 

Nutrition

Nutrition is a factor that can affect a dog’s growth. All bodies need the right nutrition in order to grow correctly.

In the case of a Saint Bernard, you might not see a big size difference on the outside, but poor nutrition can do damage on the inside.

If there is not enough nutrients to grow a dog’s bones correctly, he will be more prone to joint issues. Some of the results of the malnutrition may not show up for many years.

Physical Activity & Health

Another factor that can affect growth in a Saint Bernard is his physical activity and health.

If a Saint Bernard is not active enough, it can lead to weight gain and cause a lot of health issues in the long run.

If your dog is over-exercised, that could put undue pressure on his joints, leading to joint problems when he is older. 

The health of your Saint Bernard can also affect his growth. Unhealthy pups have a harder time growing as big as they should. 

How Much To Feed A Growing Saint Bernard Puppy?

Looking at how big a Saint Bernard can be, you really need to be prepared for the amount of food that your dog will need.

But, since their fur is so fluffy, you cannot do the visual checks that you can do with breeds with shorter coats.

As far as quantity goes, Saint Bernard puppies normally eat about 2 cups of food a day, divide into multiple meals.

Puppies between 8 and 12 weeks will need about 4 equal meals a day. Between 3 and 6 months, this can be reduced to 3 meals a day, dropping to 2 meals when your dog is 6 months old.

An adult Saint Bernard eats as much as 4 cups of food a day, so you will need to adjust the amount of food that your dog needs based on his age and whether he is staying on his growth curve.

How To Tell If Your Saint Bernard Is Underweight Or Overweight? 

Since Saint Bernards are so large and fluffy, the normal visual markers that you would use to see whether a dog is underweight or overweight with a shorter coat do not work.

You also cannot feel for the dogs’ ribs because of the coat. Instead, you will need to use the Saint Bernard weight chart to guide you.

Knowing your dog’s average growth curve, keeping up with regular weigh-ins will help you see when your dog falls off of his growth curve.

Sometimes dogs do not grow consistently, so if the weight has a random fluke off of the curve, it is no cause for concern, but if your dog really has moved away from his growth curve, then you might be dealing weigh a dog overweight or underweight.

If you are worried at all about your puppy’s health, you should have your vet take a look and give you either advice or reassurance.

It is better to speak to the vet before you decide to alter how much food that your dog should have.

Do not put a puppy on a diet without consultation first. You also do not want to increase your dog’s activity level unless you have been cleared by your vet.

What Are The Most Common Conditions To Be Aware Of In Growing Saint Bernards?

Do Saint Bernards Experience Growing Pain?

Panosteitis, which is commonly known as growing pains, is an inflammation along the surface or the shaft of the long leg bones in bones.

The inflammation itself is what causes the pain or discomfort, so the bones themselves do not actually cause pain or feel pain.

Bigger breeds, including Saint Bernards, are more prone to growing pains because of how quickly the bones grow and stretch.

You will know if your dog is suffering from the pain by whether the dog seems lame. If he is shifting weight between legs or refusing to bear weight, he might be experiencing growing pains.

How To Help Your Saint Bernard Lose Weight If He Is Overweight?

If you have been weighing your puppy regularly and find that he is too high off of his growth curve, you might be worried that your puppy is overweight.

Never try to put a puppy on a diet or over-exercise him.

If you have an adult dog that is clearly overweight, you can switch your dog to lower-calorie food and make sure that he is getting plenty of exercise.

Saint Bernards only require moderate exercise, so he should be happy with a 30-minute walk or a 30-minute play session every day.

Never start a diet or exercise program without checking with your vet first.

Your dog may not actually be overweight or there could be an underlying explanation for the weight gain.

Ask your vet if she thinks your dog needs a diet plan and follow what you are given.

How To Properly Weigh My Saint Bernard?

Weighing your puppy a couple of times a month is a good way to ensure that he is growing well.

It is best to be able to do it at home, but when you consider how heavy these pups get and how quickly, it will become necessary to either take your dog into the vet for a weigh-in or to buy a larger scale for your home to be able to weigh your dog.

Weighing a puppy regularly and help you be sure that he is growing consistently and is at a healthy weight.

Since they are such fluffy dogs, looking with just your eyes is very difficult.

Saint Bernard Genetics And Common Health Problems

As much as we love them, Saint Bernards are prone to certain common health problems, just through genetics.

Pure bred dogs are more prone to them than mixed breeds, but it can happen to any dog.

Saint Bernards can develop hip dysplasia. This is a condition where the hips do not form properly and can cause pain and limited mobility as the dog ages.

Large breeds are more like to develop this condition.

Your dog might develop other health issues as he gets older, but keep your dog fit and healthy.

Final Words

Saint Bernards are such a loving and sweet dog breed. But, if you have never had one, you will need to understand the consequences of not taking care of your dog well, which could include health issues, moodiest.

Make sure that you understand that they are a lifetime commitment and as such a large breed, you really need to make sure that you understand what you are getting yourself into.

If you are up for it, your adoption should be smooth and healthy based on the information that we supplied you today.