You may be wondering how big your puppy will get. This all depends on the breed. If you have a purebred dog, chances are that you know roughly how big he or she will be by looking at the parents and knowing something about the breed.
If, however, you purchased or adopted a puppy that is a mixed breed, you may not be able to understand how big the puppy will get. There is a good way to tell how big the puppy will get, however, that has worked for centuries. Take a look at his paws. A puppy will generally grow into his paws. If you look at the paws of your puppy and see that they are much bigger than him and pretty much disproportionate, he is going to be horse. Not a real horse, but you get the idea. He will be a big dog. If the paws are small and proportionate, chances are that the dog will be medium or small built.
Even if you are buying a specific breed, there is no guarantee on how big the puppy will get. You can have an idea by knowing the parents or at least what breed the parents are or were.
If you are purchasing a puppy from a shelter, you may be unsure of exactly how big he or she will get. The people who work at the shelter will be able to give you some information on what type of mix the puppy has. Each breed has distinct signs. If the puppy has shepherd mix, chances are that he will be large to medium-sized. A shepherd mix with a Shetland sheepdog will be small to medium size.
The gender of the puppy will also determine the size. Males tend to be larger and more muscular, even in the dog world, than females. Even if the mother dog is small, you may end up with a large male dog out of the litter.
Know your breeds before you decide to purchase a puppy so that you understand about how big your puppy will get. You do not want to think you are buying a toy breed and end up with a large breed dog, especially if you do not have room. Most puppies are tiny in the pet store. When they start growing though, look out.
Most breed dogs will stay within their allotted breed height and weight. Every once in a while you may get a dog that is a little bigger or smaller than average for his breed. Again, mixed breeds will depend on the type of breeds that have been mixed and the gender of the dog.
When you are really stumped and have no idea, take a look at the paws of the dog. These are the tell-tale signs. Large paws mean a large dog when it grows up, no matter how small it looks as a puppy.