Vet Says He's Done Growing At 6 Mos?

dyson · #1 12-19-2008, 08:26 AM

Hi everyone,

Well, yesterday I took my brindle boy Dyson to the vet. He just turned 6 months old on Dec. 16 (3 days ago - as I write this post) & is approximately 22 inches at the shoulder ( a bit higher in the back) & weighs in at 60.5 pounds. No, he's NOT overweight...he's tucked up a great deal & has a very visible waist, but he's stocky & solidly built; more like the "old fashioned" type I recall seeing decades ago as opposed to the lanky almost Great Dane look that evenually became more popular.

In any case, the vet & her vet tec both stated that he's done growing now at 6 Months & he won't have the "typical boxy Boxer head" (those are their words) that you sometimes see on the breed. I was kind of dumbfounded as I'm an avid reader of this site as well as of the published books on the breed, & most maintain they tend to be a slower growing breed as opposed to many others & can easily continue growing in height up to at least a year & then filling out for quite a bit longer.

Dyson (although heavily built & with already a very nice looking masculine type head) still looks very much puppyish to me - still gangly with the "growth plate" bump still visible on his forelimbs. At 22 inches now, I don't expect a super tall boy but rather the afforementioned stocky one, but I would like to see him at the higher end of the standard as opposed to the bottom. Yes, needless to say, I love him dearly no matter what (of course) but I am surprised to hear this from the vet regardless.

Did anyone ever see Boxers finished in growth (including head size) at 6 months? Is that unusual? His dam is about 65 pounds & taller & longer than he is now & the sire I never saw, but from photos he was that wider, stocky build I've mentioned.

I'm a long term dog owner & lover (subscribe to Bark, Animal Wellness, AKC Gazette, DogWorld) but this is my first Boxer, as I love so many breeds. I can say my Rottie female was done in height at 9 months & my Bernese Mt. Dog male at 11 mos....but every individual & every breed is different. Might the vet be accurate?

I really look forward to your insight. THANKS!

johann · #2 12-19-2008, 01:15 PM

I've been told (and read on here) that boxers usually grow height-wise until about 12 months old. If he still has visible growth plates, then he's not done growing.

My 9 month old boxer has both gotten taller and stockier since 6 months old. Just this past week or so he's starting to get a more boxer-like head. We had Johann neutered early, so I doubt that he will get as stocky as some other boxers.

Draymia · #3 12-19-2008, 07:16 PM

Six months is very young to be calling any larger breed dog---done growing??

If he still has growth plates, he has lots more to do. My males usually have their full height at 12-14 months, but have lots of maturing to do, after that.

Box Boys · #4 12-19-2008, 07:37 PM

My breeder told me that boxers can keep growing past 12 months old. Buster's dad (one of their champions) continued to fill out and gain weight past two years old (and he's 86 pounds), not sure how tall. I would say that your boy is still growing.

HurricaneBox · #5 12-20-2008, 07:17 AM

Yeah not sure what your vet is talking about. Hurricane kept growing up until he was 13 months old, and he is still slowly filling out now, he is almost 2 years now....

HaiducAgnita · #6 12-24-2008, 08:25 AM

Not sure why your vet said that, since like everyone else I read around in books and on these forums that they still grow and fill out until 12-24 months of age.
My Haiduc is almost 8 months old and around 65lbs, and my vet just said he's a big boy, but nothing about being done growing.
I guess you'll be able to prove them wrong in a couple of months either way

LILYLARUE · #7 12-24-2008, 09:17 AM

My Lily stopped growing tall at about 14 mos. Now she is just filling out and getting her boxer head. She's 18 mos. now.

I think your vet is just silly. Need to get him a good boxer book for x-mas.

RoxDiezAlize · #8 01-18-2009, 02:18 PM

I have to agree with everyone here... My pups are both 18 mos now, and just stopped growing (height-wise) within the last couple of months. Diesel is still filling out, and he's already at 92 pounds. His head's been the same size for at least 10 months now, but Roxi's still isn't finished off that boxy look... she still has a puppy face, but she's more filled out than Diesel.

x19er · #9 01-18-2009, 02:37 PM

No your vet is not correct. By chance I've just been looking through Dino's puppies photos right through to the present and at 6 months he is nowhere near the dog he is now. They may achieve their height early but it takes considerably longer for them to mature - indeed both our boy dogs took a good while to mature and now Dino is 4 he is looking just right.