I adopted my little Pogo three months ago now. Everything is going really well; he's settled in quickly to his new environment and has found his place within our family. He’s a very energetic 5-month-old puppy, and I take him out for walks for between 2 and 3 hours a day.
This afternoon, I took him to the vet for his booster jabs. All is well—he’s in excellent health, which is perfect.
However, my vet thinks he's 'small' for his age and told me he's likely a Miniature American Shepherd. At 5 months old, he only weighs 10kg (about 22 lbs) and isn't very tall at all. When I bought him from the breeder, she told me he'd reach about 35kg (around 5 and a half stone) as an adult... So, I’m a bit confused... Can a dog just have a massive growth spurt? Could the breeder have lied to me?!
Thanks in advance for any advice you can give 🐶
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Hi there,
If you're talking about the Miniature American Shepherd (Mini Aussie), they were developed by selecting the smallest Australian Shepherds from litters to keep certain traits... they then crossed Australian Shepherds with Mini Americans to reach the Miniature American Shepherd breed standard.
Regarding Belpatt, I’m with @Patou; some of the weights and growth charts on there aren't always 'realistic'. You really have to be careful with charts from private owners, whether the dogs are Kennel Club registered or just 'type' crossbreeds.
@Tani28700. Minis do exist, and that’s exactly the problem – someone buys a dog thinking it’s a standard Australian Shepherd and ends up with one the size of a mini. It’s highly likely there’s an issue with the parents. Even though they come from the same stock (even if they’re classified as two different breeds), you don’t mix them, unlike with the German Spitz. I might be wrong, but I reckon the sire was probably a mini.
You’d have to see if the other puppies have the same issue, but in my view, we’re looking at a difference of about 18 to 22 lbs (roughly 1 stone 4 to 1 stone 8) compared to a small-to-medium adult male standard Aussie. Something’s definitely up. This is far more than just a dog that's a slightly small build.
Patou 88, as far as the Czechoslovakian Wolfdog goes, that’s the absolute minimum for the breed standard (even if hardly any dogs actually fit into that anymore). I’m not too sure about the Pyrenean Mountain Dog. But with Australian Shepherds, they’re within the standard range (the more common side of the breed gives you a better idea of the specifics). In any case, seeing as I have a dog that weighed 20 lbs at five months and is 26 lbs today—or maybe 25 lbs depending on the season—I really doubt this Aussie will reach 44 lbs later on. In my opinion, if he hits 35 lbs, he’ll be doing well. This dog definitely has the build of a 'Mini'.
Mind you, it’s important to pick up on these things. I didn’t have my dog at eight weeks, but he was 5.5 lbs; clearly, this dog must have been about 6.5 lbs or 7.5 lbs max at two months old. No Aussie male, or even female, weighs that little. At the same time, people often struggle to judge size when they're pups—I’ve lost count of the number of times people thought I had a Czechoslovakian Wolfdog, a German Shepherd, and so on, even while I was carrying him, despite the fact my dog is only 13 inches at the withers today. Then again, you only really spot that sort of thing once you've had experience with dogs of all different sizes.
Look, 22 lbs (around 1 stone 8) at 5 months was roughly the weight of my Swedish Vallhund at the same age, and he's only 26 lbs (1 stone 12) now. I can accept him having a small build, but not to that extent—it’s just not possible. Either the breeder lied to you (did you see the mother?) or the dog has an underlying issue. 77 lbs (5 and a half stone) for an adult Aussie is pretty much impossible too, unless they are severely obese.
Personally, I’d agree with your vet, especially if the dog isn’t KC registered. Don't forget that for three-quarters of dogs, unless they are a very large breed, 80% of their growth is finished by 6 months. My mum’s dog was 55 lbs (nearly 4 stone) at 6 months and 63 lbs (4 and a half stone) at a year old. In my opinion, a dog that’s that weight at 5 months shouldn’t really go over 33–35 lbs (about 2 and a half stone) as an adult. Especially since a Malinois has a similar weight and height standard to an Australian Shepherd (even if you do see more "off-standard" ones with the Malinois).
At 22 lbs at 5 months old, it seems pretty unlikely he’ll reach 5 and a half stone (77 lbs) as an adult... A dog doesn’t just grow all at once; they follow a steady growth curve.
You can register on the "Belpatt" website to see where your puppy sits on the growth chart. I did it for my own dog and, based on his weight at different stages, it predicted he’d reach 11 stone (154 lbs), and at 20 months old, he’s at that exact weight. So, the growth curve was spot on.
For a much more common breed, you should be able to get a fairly accurate growth curve and compare him to other dogs on the site. There are very few Dogues de Bordeaux on there, but I imagine there are loads of Aussies as they’re such a popular breed at the moment.
77 lbs (about 5 stone 7) is a big build for an Aussie. The breed standard actually tops out at 75 lbs (5 stone 5)...!
He’ll likely have a smaller frame, but he should still reach around 55 lbs (3 stone 13) when he's fully grown (at about 2 years old). He’s definitely still got some growing to do height-wise. So don't worry—if he’s fit and healthy, the rest will follow.
Mine are on the smaller side for their breed, but I’m perfectly happy with that; I’ve found that the larger dogs among my lot seem to have more health issues.
