Sheepadoodles have easily become one of the more popular breed hybrids in recent years, making it all the more important to understand how they grow.
If you have adopted a Sheepadoodle puppy, you will need to consult with a Sheepadoodle size chart to understand how your puppy should grow and how big he will be. Feeding a Sheepadoodle puppy the right amount and type of food is crucial for their growth.
We have broken down what you can expect about your growing puppy, including how to read a Sheepadoodle weight chart and what you will see with each developmental phase.
Here’s everything that you should know about your growing Sheepadoodle puppy.
When Do Sheepadoodles Stop Growing?
Looking at your Sheepadoodle puppy, you might be wondering when your puppy will reach his adult size. A Sheepadoodle size chart is one way to get an idea, but there are also some averages that you can be aware of to know what to expect.
When a Sheepadoodle stops growing will depend on the type of Sheepadoodle puppy that you have. A toy Sheepadoodle will stop growing earlier than others, stopping at about 7.5 to 11 months of age.
A mini Sheepadoodle will stop growing between 11 and 13 months, and a standard Sheepadoodle will stop growing between 12.5 and 16 months.
Sheepadoodle Size Chart
Using a Sheepadoodle weight chart is definitely the easiest method to monitor your puppy’s growth. You can use a weight chart to see where your pup is as far as averages go.
Once you know where your puppy is in terms of averages, you can see whether your puppy remains on his growth curve as he ages or if he happens to slip off.
A growth curve is just the steady rate of growth that all dogs go through. You’ll know if your puppy falls off of a growth curve if he is suddenly not gaining as much as he should be to stay on the same target.
To use the weight chart, you will need to look at your dog’s current weight and compare it to his age. Then, following the growth curve, you can predict how big your puppy will be when he is done growing.
The Sheepadoodle weight charts vary depending on the type of Sheepadoodle that you have, however. There are distinct size differences between the Mini Sheepadoodle, the Toy Sheepadoodle, and the Standard Sheepadoodle.
The differences are because it depends on what kind of poodle has been mixed with the Old English Sheepdog.
Sheepadoodle Weight Chart
Mini Sheepadoodle | Medium Shepadoodle | Standard Sheepadoodle | |
---|---|---|---|
Weight lbs | 20 - 45 Lbs | 40 - 55 Lbs | 55 - 80 Lbs |
Height Inch | 16 - 18 Inch | 19 - 22 Inch | 23 - 26 Inch |
Full Grown Months | 12 Months | 12 Months | 14 - 16 Months |
Sheepadoodle Puppy Development Stages
Birth – 2 Weeks
Since there are three primary types of Sheepadoodle puppies, there is no easy way to monitor the size at each developmental stage without a Sheepadoodle growth chart that matches your puppy.
From birth to 2 weeks, your puppy will likely have his eyes shut and be entirely dependent on his mother. Puppies should only drink mother’s milk at this point and should not be separated.
A puppy will usually double his birth weight within the first couple of weeks.
3 Weeks – 12 Weeks
There is a huge amount of development that happens between 3 weeks and 12 weeks of age. At 3 weeks a puppy will still be with his mother, but at around 8 weeks, he can be rehomed to a new family.
A puppy should be entirely on puppy kibble at this point and full of mischief. A puppy will need to have 3-4 meals a day to keep up with growth, but should still have the round puppy tummy at this point.
4 Months – 9 Months
For some Sheepadoodles, they will be done growing by that 7.5 month mark. This is for the Toy Sheepadoodles who are the smaller of the Sheepadoodle breeds and therefore finish growing sooner than the other breeds.
For others, you should see your puppy start to thin out in the waist and gain more height. Most Sheepadoodles are not done growing yet, but you can slow down their feedings to twice a day.
10 Months – 18 Months
Between 10 months and 18 months, your Sheepadoodle will still be very much a puppy, but his growth rate should have slowed down.
Most Sheepadoodles will be done growing by this age, even the largest breed, but there will still be puppy-like behaviour for some time yet.
Your big puppy should have a lot of energy and a voracious appetite. Switch your puppy to adult dog food at the 12-month mark. Even if he isn’t quite done growing, he does not need all of the calories.
Adult
When your Sheepadoodle puppy reaches adulthood, he should still maintain his energy, even if he is not getting any bigger.
The Standard Sheepadoodle should be officially done growing by 16 months, while the Mini Sheepadoodle will be around a year and the Toy Sheepadoodle will be between 7.5 and 11 months when he has officially stopped growing.
Even though there is no more physical development, your pup will still be developing mentally for a while yet.
How Big Do Sheepadoodles Get?
Looking at a Sheepadoodle growth chart is one sure method to help you work out how big your puppy will be when he stops growing, but it is not the only way. There are a couple of different methods that you can use to determine your pup’s final size.
One good way is to look at your puppy’s parents. Just like with humans, dogs are likely to mimic their parents in size, so if you know or have seen the pup’s parents, you already have that advantage.
Some puppies also have paws that they need to grow into. If your puppy has paws that are too large for his body, then you know he has more growing to do in order to “grow into” his paws.
Finally, you can use a DNA test to help you determine your pup’s adult size. Especially since a Sheepadoodle is a mixed breed, knowing what lies within a dog’s DNA can help you guess how big your dog will be.
Sheepadoodle Growth Chart
A Sheepadoodle size chart is an excellent way to monitor how well your puppy is growing. To use it correctly, however, you should know how to measure your dog in order to use it well.
To get properly weigh your puppy, you will need to first weigh yourself while holding the puppy. Then, step on the scale once more without the puppy, weighing just yourself.
The difference in the weights is your puppy’s weight. You can also have a vet weigh your dog for you if you don’t have a home scale, which might be a good idea if you have a larger Sheepadoodle.
If you are looking to measure your pup’s height, you will need to have him stand up on all-four legs. Using a tape measure, measure from the shoulder of the dog down to the floor.
The average adult Standard Sheepadoodle stands between 22 and 27 inches while the average Mini Sheepadoodle stands between 15 and 22 inches, and a Toy Sheepadoodle stands under 15 inches.
Will Neutering/Spaying My Sheepadoodle Affect His Growth?
Traditionally, we were told that it was important to spay or neuter a puppy before they reached reproductive maturity. The logic was that you can miss unintended pregnancies that way since a dog couldn’t have reproduced yet.
In recent years, we have learned that it is possible to spay or neuter your puppy too young. It has been shown that if a pup is still growing and is fixed, there can be later injuries to joints.
This is especially common in larger breeds, so if you have a Standard Sheepadoodle, it is likely best to wait. Discuss the options with your vet to see what she recommends.
Goldendoodle vs Sheepadoodle Size
Since both the Sheepadoodle and Goldendoodle are mixes between Poodles and another dog, their size can vary. Regardless, in general, the Sheepadoodles are larger in size than the Goldendoodles.
For a Standard Sheepadoodle, they can weigh as much as 60 to 80 pounds, while a Standard Goldendoodle can weigh between 50 and 65 pounds.
Sheepadoodles are also a bit taller, standing at 24 inches, while the Goldendoodle can stand as tall as 23 inches.
Even with the smaller Poodle breeds in the mix, the Sheepadoodle is still larger in size than the Goldendoodle, because an Old English Sheepdog is larger than a Golden Retriever.
Factors That Affect Sheepadoodle Growth
Genetics & Gender
Genetics and gender are the biggest factors that affect a dog’s growth. This is because just like with humans, dogs often resemble the parents who sired them.
So, if you have access to the dog’s parents and know they are large Sheepadoodle, your Sheepadoodle is likely to be large. The genetics are also affected by the type of Poodle and the gender. Females are usually smaller in size than males are.
Nutrition
Proper nutrition with a puppy will help your dog grow up well and live a long and happy life. While it is not likely that nutrition will stunt a dog’s growth, it can have internal effects that may not present themselves until your dog is finished growing and aging.
There could be calcium and bone problems that will lead to your dog being prone to arthritis or other deficiencies, causing your pup to not stand as tall as he should.
Physical Activity & Health
Keeping your dog healthy overall will have a lot of long-lasting benefits. All dogs need to be physically active. If a dog becomes overweight, there will be too much pressure on his developing body, which can harm his joints.
Additionally, it is much more difficult to lose weight than it is to gain it. Keeping your dog active and healthy will set him up for a good, long development.
How Much To Feed A Growing Sheepadoodle Puppy?
It can be incredibly tricky to determine how much you should be feeding your Sheepadoodle puppy. There are different sizes of the breed, so there are different amounts needed.
Most puppies need to be fed 3 to 4 meals a day up until about 6 months old. It is best to not try to leave food out for your puppy and hope he is able to split the meals up.
Instead you need to measure out 3 to 4 equal meals. At 6 months, you can drop the meals down to twice a day.
A fully-grown Sheepadoodle will need between 2 and 3 cups of food a day, depending on the size of Sheepadoodle that you have.
You can also monitor your puppy’s weight as well as his appetite. In some phases of growth he will be hungrier than he will be in other phases, though appetite is not a solid way to measure since some puppies always think they are hungry.
How To Tell If Your Sheepadoodle Is Underweight Or Overweight?
There are a few different ways to tell whether your Sheepadoodle is overweight or underweight. You can use a Sheepadoodle growth chart to see where your dog is according to his own growth curve.
If he has fallen off of his curve, he might be overweight or underweight, depending on how well he is growing.
You can also do a physical examination to see whether your dog is overweight or underweight. You should be able to see the dog’s waist after he has by-passed the puppy chubby phase.
You should not be able to see his ribs, however, but you should still be able to feel them under his fur and skin.
If you cannot see a waist at all, your pup might be overweight, especially if you have compared his weight to the weight chart.
It is important, however, to discuss weight concerns with your vet before you do anything. You can easily over-exercise a pup and deprive him of nutrients in an attempt to get him to lose weight, which is a horrible idea.
There also could be an underlying explanation as to why your puppy is not the weight that he should be, so always ask your vet first.
Sheepadoodle Genetics And Common Health Problems
Even though the Sheepadoodle is a mixed breed, it can suffer from the same health problems that you see in a Poodle and an Old English Sheepdog.
Some of these conditions include bloat, hip dysplasia, Addison’s disease, corneal dystrophy, joint problems, and skin disorders.
Unfortunately, some of these conditions will not appear until your dog has completely developed.
Some may not even appear until he has become elderly. Knowing what to look out for can help guide you toward prevention and proper health, however.
Your vet will be able to screen your dog for many conditions and some can be treated early in life.
Even if these are average issues for Sheepadoodles, it does not mean that all dogs will automatically develop these conditions. They are just more prone to them than other dogs.
Final Words
Whether you are considering adopting a Sheepadoodle puppy or you already have, understanding how a Sheepadoodle puppy grows is important in keeping your pup healthy.
Using a Sheepadoodle growth chart or size chart can guide you to ensure that your puppy is growing just as he should be.
Remember that beyond using the growth chart, you should also keep up with regular veterinary visits.
Also, since there is so much variety with Sheepadoodle types, you will need to keep in mind the type of Sheepadoodle that you have and use the appropriate growth chart for your needs.