Pitbull Growth Chart: At What Rate Should Your Puppy Grow?

Our Pitbull growth chart will help you to check that your Pittie is reaching the developmental milestones they should be. In this article we are going to give you all the information you need to make sure that your puppy is on the right track. Helping you to keep them happy and healthy!

An adult American Pitbull Terrier usually grows to between 17 and 21 inches tall, weighing from 30 to 60 pounds. Females are usually smaller than males. If you’re worried about whether your Pitbull is a healthy weight for their age, check out the expected development stages here to see whether they match up.

Pitbull Growth Chart – Quick Links

• Types of Pitbull
• Pitbull development stages
• Pitbull growth chart
• Is my Pitbull a healthy weight?
• Best Pitbull diet
• Pitbull exercise needs

Use the links above to jump straight to the part that interests you. Or, keep reading to find out everything you need to know about Pitbull growth. First things first, knowing which Pitbull breed you’re dealing with.

Types of Pitbull

There are five different breeds that are all considered to fall into the Pitbull breed category. These are the American Pitbull Terrier, American Staffordshire Terrier, Staffordshire Bull Terrier, Bull Terrier, and Miniature Bull Terrier. However, despite these distinct breeds, most people still only use the term ‘Pitbull’. Most often, when people say Pitbull, they mean the American Pitbull Terrier. So, this is the main Pitbull breed we will be looking at in this guide.

Pitbull Development Stages

Pitbull growth charts can be interesting and useful. But, it’s also great to learn about the development stages your Pitbull puppy will go through. Here’s a guide to Pitbull development stages from birth to 1 year old.

1 Week Pitbull

The weight of a newborn Pitbull puppy depends upon the size of their mom, and how many sibblings are in the litter, among other factors. But anywhere between 7 and 10 oz is in the normal range.

In his first week, a Pitbull puppy won’t have his eyes or ears open. But, he has enough strength in his front paws to pull himself to his mom. One week old Pitbull puppies can’t regulate their own temperature, so need their mother. They’ll spend pretty much all of their time eating or sleeping.

2 Week Pitbull

At two weeks old, Pitbull puppies will start to open their eyes. And, they will start to grow quickly. In fact, a Pitbull puppy will add around 5 to 10% of his body weight by the end of this week.

3 Week Pitbull

At three weeks, Pitbull puppies will start to stand and sit properly by themselves. Ears and eyes are fully open, and tails start to wag! Pitbull puppies at 3 weeks will be continuing to grow quickly.

4 Week Pitbull

By this stage, Pitbull puppies are stronger, and can move around more easily. At this age, puppies start to look more like proper dogs than tiny puppies.

5 Week Pitbull

Five week old Pitbull puppies will start to move and play a lot more. This is a key stage for puppies to learn behavioral habits like bite inhibition. They’ll be eating plenty, and continuing to grow quickly.

6 Week Pitbull

As your puppy nears the end of his sixth week, he will be either fully or mostly weaned from his mother. Instead of milk, he now eats five or six very small meals of puppy food. Your puppy will start gaining weight very rapidly from this stage onwards.

7 to 8 Week Pitbull

Pitbull puppies now will be completely eating puppy food. They will also be preparing to leave their mother and go to new homes. It’s important not to bring a Pitty puppy home any earlier than this. Your puppy will still be eating its food in at least 4 meals a day.

3 Month Pitbull

At 12 weeks, or 3 months, you can divide your puppy’s food allowance into three meal times, rather than 4. Although, this transition won’t necessarily happen straightaway. If your puppy gets an upset stomach when you change to 3 meals, stick with 4 for a little longer.

4 Month Pitbull

To get a rough idea of your Pitbull’s adult weight at this time, divide his current weight in pounds by his age in weeks. Then, multiply this number by 52. This is the best time to do this for a medium-sized breed like the American Pitbull Terrier, but take the result with a pinch of salt – it’s not always 100% accurate!

By 4 months old, your Pitbull puppy will look much more adult than when you brought him home. At the end of this month, your puppy will be around half of his adult height.

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6 Month Pitbull

At six months old, you can reduce your Pitbulls meals from 3 times a day to 2. But, like before, if there are any stomach upsets, just wait a while longer. Your puppy will likely be around two thirds of his adult weight now.

6 Months to 1 Year

During this period, your Pitbull puppy will reach his adult size and weight. At 1 year of age, you may start to transition from puppy food to adult food. But, make sure to follow your vet’s advice on the perfect time to do this for your puppy. Not every adult Pitbull will weigh the exact same, or be the exact same height. So, make sure to take online Pitbull growth charts with a pinch of salt.

Pitbull Growth Chart

There are no completely accurate ways to tell exactly how big your puppy will be as an adult. But, you can use online Pitbull growth charts as a general guide. Here’s a Pitbull growth chart example for medium sized dog breeds.

• At birth – 7 to 10 oz
• 2 months – 7 pounds
• 4 months – 21 pounds
• 6 months – 30 pounds
• 8 months – 35 pounds
• 1 year – 38 pounds

Not an Exact Example

Remember, Pitbull growth charts can only offer a guide to your Pit puppy’s weight, as every dog is different. Some will weigh much more than 38 pounds as adults, but some might weigh less. The most important thing is that they are healthy.

Your vet is the best person to help you assess this, as they can analyse your dog in person. However, as a general rule, American Pitbull Terriers are fully grown by a year old. At 4 months, he will be about half of his adult height. And at 6 months, he will be around 2 thirds of his adult weight. 2 to 6 months is when your Pitbull puppy will grow the fastest.

Is my Pitbull a Healthy Weight?

Some Pitbulls will naturally weigh more than others. So, it’s hard to say exactly what weight your individual Pitbull should be. The best person to tell you this is your vet, because they can look at your dog in person. They will also know a lot more about your lifestyle and your dog’s health.

Generally, American Pitbull Terriers grow between 17 and 21 inches tall. They usually weigh between 30 and 60 pounds. Females are often smaller than males. This breed is medium-sized, but muscular and can look a little stocky.

You can see that these stats leave quite a lot of room for individual differences in size. Growth charts are a good way to check off milestones, and to see your Pitbull puppy growth is going in the right direction. But only ever use them as a guide.

Visual Checks

You should not be able to see a Pitbull puppy’s ribs in the first 6 months. But, you should be able to easily feel them. If you can see your puppy’s ribs, check with the vet that your dog is not too skinny. But, if you are unable to even feel your dog’s ribs, check with the vet that he isn’t too plump.

   

This can be used when your dog is over 6 months old too. You can also look for a visible waist and tuck – where your dog’s stomach slopes upwards from his ribs to his hind legs. If you’re not sure that your Pitbull is a healthy size or weight, check with your vet.

Best Pitbull Diet

If you’re looking for a Pitbull growth chart, you might also be wondering if your Pitbull is eating the right food, and the right amount of food. We’ve briefly touched on meal frequencies. From 2 to 3 months, puppies tend to eat 4 meals a day. At 3 months, this reduces to 3 meals, and at 6 months, it reduces again to 2 meals a day.

At a year old, you will likely make a transition to adult food. Puppies need a specific puppy food because they have a lot of growing to do. Puppy food has a very different nutritional balance to adult food, which you can read more about here. If you’re unsure about the best puppy food for Pitbulls, speak to your vet. You can also look at our top recommended brands in this guide. And if your Pitbull is already over a year old, we have a guide to the top adult Pitbull foods.

Pitbull Exercise Needs

If you’ve used a Pitbull growth chart and are worried your Pitbull needs to lose weight, you might need to check they’re getting enough exercise. Obesity is a growing problem in pets, but giving your dog the right amount of food and exercise will help you avoid this issue.

Staying a healthy weight will help your Pitbull have the longest lifespan possible. American Pitbull Terriers can be prone to hip dysplasia, which can be made worse by obesity. Pitbulls are active dogs, so they need plenty of exercise every day. They will enjoy having a safe, enclosed space to run around in. They’re intelligent dogs, so will also enjoy dog sports like agility and obedience.

Pitbull Growth Chart – Summary

What development stage is your Pitbull puppy in at the moment? We would love to hear about your experiences with Pitbull puppy growth in the comments. Make sure to share your top tips for keeping Pitbull dogs healthy!

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References and Resources

• Witte, P. ‘Hip Dysplasia: Understanding the Options (Conservative Management)’, Companion Animal (2019)
• German, A. ‘The Growing Problem of Obesity in Dogs and Cats’, The Journal of Nutrition (2006)
• Munoz-Prieto, A. (et al), ‘European Dog Owner Perceptions of Obesity and Factors Associated with Human and Canine Obesity’, Scientific Reports (2018)