While the Great Dane is known for its massive size, deep bark, and affectionate attitude, many people want to know when they stop growing. We’re here to answer those questions for you.
A Great Dane will stop growing at the two-year mark. Although they can still fill in muscle after that, they stop growing any taller by 18 months to 2 years. Their puppyhood grows from very small to very large quite quickly, so it can be hard to tell how big they will get as a puppy.
You can look at and do some things to help figure out how big a Great Dane will get. Their parent’s size, nutrition, and how big their paws are as a puppy can all help determine how big they will be when they grow up, along with their gender.
How big do Great Danes get?
Great Danes grow to different expected sizes as they grow up from small puppies to fully grown adults. At three months, a Great Dane usually weighs 25-45 pounds and is 17-23 inches in height.
This increases to 65-100 points by six months, more than doubling their weight, and 26-33 inches in height. A Great should weigh 95-140 pounds and be 26 to 32 inches tall at one year.
Great Danes grow very quickly from a relatively small size when they are puppies. This rapid growth can lead to a few different problems with their health and so it’s crucial they get proper nutrition during this period.
Their most significant ground spurt occurs between four and six months. By one year, they are close to their full-grown size and will reach their full height and weight by 18 to 24 months of age. They continue to build muscle during their second year of life.
During their growth spurt around 4 to 6 months, they mustn’t grow too quickly. When a Great Dane puppy grows too rapidly, they can get hip dysplasia and joint problems.
There is specific large-breed puppy food you can get your Great Dane to help keep their growth steady and healthy. This won’t affect their final size but allows their bodies to spread out the growth over a more extended period of time, reducing the stress to their bodies.
You can contact your breeder (if you got your Great Dane from one) to find out a better estimate of how large your Great Dane will be. They can tell how big their parents were and roughly how big you can expect your puppy to get.
Why do some Great Danes grow at different sizes?
Genetics and their environment play the biggest factors, as well as their gender. If you know the Great Dane’s parents and are remaining in the same environment, it’s likely the Great Dane will grow to a similar size are their same-gendered parent. This is still an estimate, but does help provide a better idea.
Oversized paws are another great indicator of a puppy who is not done growing—the more considerable the paws, the more growth you can expect of that Great Dane.
In terms of when a Great Dane will grow, they have one major growth spurt in their lives from 4 to 6 months, but continue to grow drastically from 6 months to 1 year of age.
What is the average weight and height of a Great Dane?
According to the American Kennel Club Official Great Dane Standards, male Great Danes reach 30 to 32 inches tall to the shoulder and weigh 140 to 175 pounds as fully grown adults. Female Great Danes grow to around 28 to 30 inches tall and weigh 110 to 140 pounds.
Note that height is measured from the ground to the shoulders. These numbers are estimates but provide a solid idea of what to expect when adopting a Great Dane.
Also to note, Great Danes never quite outgrow their awkward phase. Even as they grow bigger, they change size so much, so rapidly, they tend to remain a bit wobbly and puppy-like for the rest of their lives.
How much exercise should Great Danes get each day?
In their first two years, Great Danes need a lot of exercise. It is recommended an adult Great Dane gets at least one hour of exercise per day. You can combine a 30-minute walk and 30 minutes of playtime to help get all this exercise in.
Younger Great Danes are often willing to play exercise for even longer than they need, so make sure to watch for signs of over-exhaustion when you’re playing with them. They do need a lot of exercise per day, though, so be sure you are ready for it, or else they’ll be jumping off the walls all day.
Funnily enough, they often rest in strange and uncomfortable-looking positions when you are done exercising them, but this is normal for them! Since they’re so big, human furniture doesn’t tend to suit them well, so they’ll do stuff like sit on a couch with their head resting on a coffee table.
Do you need to feed Great Danes more than once a day?
Yes. Great Danes need to be fed at least twice a day, preferably three times a day. Free feeding is not recommended for Great Danes, as they will overeat.
Overeating can lead to bloat, which can turn deadly. In addition, the digestive tract gasses can twist and hurt the internal organs, leading to pain and potentially a quick death without immediate surgery. That’s why it’s so important to monitor a Great Dane’s feeding habits.
A common misconception about Great Danes is that they will never stop growing.
The Great Dane does not grow forever, their growing will most stop by end of their 2nd year of life. Their biggest growth spurt is from 4 to 6 months, during which time they must have the proper nutrition to help them grow properly.
Overly rapid growth during a short period of time can lead to problems with their joints in the future, so it’s crucial to get it right. After they reach two years old, Great Danes are unlikely to grow much more.
At the 18-month mark, all that’s usually left in terms of growth is filling out their muscle mass. Make sure to take them on lots of walks and play with them often to build them out ultimately.
Great Danes require a ton of exercise to stay fit and use excess energy to wreak havoc at home if left unchecked.
Is it possible for a Great Dane to grow again after they have stopped?
Not really. A Great Dane’s growth is primarily genetic, although, of course, nutrition and environment are essential. Once a Great Dane is around two years old, it will not grow significantly larger than they are at that age.
The only kind of growth that is still possible after this point is muscle growth, which is most crucial from 18 months to 24 months but will continue for the rest of their life. You can increase their muscle with regular exercise for the rest of their life.
One last thing to note as they grow bigger – Great Danes are great with kids, but kids can start to want to ride on them as they reach their largest size. This is bad for the Great Dane’s back and should be stopped as soon as you see it.
Although it won’t affect their growth, kids sitting on them will strain their joints massively and damage their health.
Is there anything I can do to help my Great Dane grow taller or bigger?
Yes, but not a large amount.
First, by far the most critical factor is their genetics. If you are looking for the biggest possible Great Dane, you’ll want to look for large parents, a male, and huge paws as a puppy.
Second, excellent nutrition during their first two years of life is key. Their genetics will do most of the work, but good nutrition guarantees the Great Dane will fill out to their full potential.
Third, even after they stop growing, you can get your Great Dane to exercise a lot to fill out its muscles. Just like a human, a Great Dane’s muscles grow or shrink depending on their diet and exercise.
Final thoughts
The Great Dane is an absolutely wonderful, affectionate companion that will typically stop growing after 2 years of age. Of course, we can’t control too much of how big they will get, but we can look at different estimates to get an idea of what we are in for.
They are also already the most giant dog breed on average in the world, so no matter if you get a bit of an average-sized Great Dane or a larger one, they are going to be a massive addition to your family.
