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When Does Bernese Mountain Dogs Stop Growing? (Explained)

When Bernese Mountain Dogs are young, they look like a walking, barking teddy bear. At first, their growth is slow and steady. Once they begin to fill up and get tall, that’s when you realize, like a Bernese parent that your pup is a big dog.

Since Bernese Mountain dogs are huge, it is natural for you to wonder how big your pet will get and when.

When do Bernese Mountain dogs stop growing?

A Bernese Mountain grows in height and weight until it is 3 or 4 years. In most cases, a Bernese Mountain dog does not mature, either physically or mentally during the first 12 or 18 months since birth. A male fully grown Bernese’s dog would weigh 85 to 115 lbs. by the time it reaches 12 months.

At what age does a Bernese Mountain dog stop growing?

If you think about how small dog breeds grow, you might have noticed how they grow up to their sizes within a year. Which that they do not get bigger anymore. This is not the case for bigger-sized dogs such as high maintainedBernese Mountain Dogs.

Some Bernese Mountain dogs stop growing at 2 years, while others grow faster till 2 years and still become taller or get bulkier until 3 years.  Once fully grown, the Bernese Mountain dog might weigh and look almost 3 times its puppy size.

That is why if there are two dogs of different breeds, you would notice that the growth of your Bernese till 18 months is slower than the other breed.

Depending on whether your Bernese Mountain dog was small or big as a puppy, at around 12 months you can expect the dog to weigh about 30 kilos to 52 kilos respectively.

At what age is a Bernese Mountain dog fully grown?

Bernese Mountain Dogs are considered to be slow-maturing dogs. This means that during the initial 12 to 18 months, the growth of Bernese dogs will be slow.

Although by the time it reaches one year, they would not be physically or mentally mature, you can predict its final size and height during this time.

Generally, a Bernese Mountain dog becomes grown with its chest and back areas fully brimmed up, when it reaches the age of 3, sometimes 4 years.

Even after that, their bodies still fatten up and an adult Bernese might look bigger than a young adult Bernese dog, even though they are well past their official growth age.

How big does a Bernese Mountain dog get?

When it comes to their height, this breed is a tall and towering canine and can be as tall as 2 feet from the ground. Adult pooches with bulked-up chests and bugger heads might look even taller.

According to official stats, a male Bernese Mountain dog can have a hefty weight of 80 lbs. to 120 lbs. As for female Bernese Mountain dogs, they are much lighter and can weigh anywhere from 70 to 95 lbs.

You already know that Bernese Mountain dogs can get noticeably big, thanks to breed genetics. How big a Bernese Mountain dog can get would depend on a few factors and vary according to gender.

If your Bernese pup is less than 12 or 18 months, they have a lot of time for growth and you’d have to weigh till it reaches at least a year old to predict its final size. If your BMD is already an adult, you can assume it probably would not become bigger.

Two more factors that can be an indicator of how big your Berner will get are the paws and the parents. If the paws look oversized compared to the rest of the body, your pet still has some growing to do.

If the parents of the Berners are tall and giant, it is most likely the Bernese Mountain dog will be larger in size.

How much do Bernese Mountain dogs weigh?

A Bernese Mountain dog grows up slowly compared to other dogs. Here is how its weight or size might compare in its years of growth.

From the time the Bernese puppy is born to 5 to 7 weeks after that, it will have a big head compared to its body. Although they may be blind and deaf and feed themselves or sleep all day, a small puppy can weigh 2 ounces to 6-10 pounds during this time.

Starting from 8 weeks and onwards, its growth is slow but noticeable. During this time, Bernese Mountain Dog typically weighs 10 to 25 lbs. in males and 8-20 lbs. in females of the breed.

As it grows and reaches about 4 months onwards, a Bernese will weigh about 35 lbs. to 50 lbs. and slowly increase to about 75 lbs. or around in the coming months. By the time it reaches one year, you would be able to notice the enormity of your pet.

During this time, they might weigh about or more than 100 lbs. From 1 year to 3 or 4 years of puppy age, your Bernese Mountain dog is likely to bulk up around the body. You can expect it to grow taller and bigger.

Below, we have included a growth chart for both male and female Bernese Mountain Dogs. This is the average weight of a healthy and active Bernese dog. If your Bernese Mountain canine is way off these ranges, you may want to consult a vet nearby.

Nevertheless, we suggest you do not become impatient when it comes to a Bernese Mountain dog’s growth. Initially, they might look dangly while they walk and have weak-looking limbs, but as they grow up, Berners usually bulk up nicely.

Growth chart:

Age (months/years) Male Weight in-lbs. Female Weight in-lbs.
1 month6-105-8
2 months10-208-20
3 months20-3520-35
4 months35-5035-45
5months50-6040-50
6months55-7045-65
7months60-7555-70
8months65-8055-75
9months70-9060-80
10 months75-9560-85
11 months75-10060-85
12 months80-10570-90
1-2 years80-11065-90
2-3 years80-11570-95

When do male Bernese Mountain dogs stop growing?

A male Bernese Mountain dog grows bigger than a female canine of the same breed.

If the weight of the male dog when they are about a month old is 5 to 10 lbs., the Bernese dog will grow up to 75 to 100 lbs. in the first 12 months.

Once they are 1 or 1.5 years, they mature and after that, they keep growing for one or two more years until they are about 80 to 115 lbs.

How fast do Bernese Mountain dogs grow?

Breeds that are immense usually grow up slowly than smaller breed dogs. Likewise, Bernese Mountain dogs grow up slowly as well. They grow bigger and become taller up to 3 to 4 years. That is precisely when they stop growing.

That is why during their puppy years, particularly when they are less than 12 months, Bernese Mountain dogs are frail and dangle slightly when they walk. Usually, with smaller breed dogs, they reach a full growth size by the time they are 1 or 1.5 years

How much does a Bernese Mountain dog eat?

A Bernese Mountain dog will eat 3 to 6 cups of food every day if it is a healthy and active dog. The big dogs usually don’t have a monstrous appetite and eat more when they are having more exercise.

When the Bernese Mountain dog is only 8 to 10 weeks old, you can expect them to gobble up about ¾ or 1 cup of food on a daily basis. In one meal, they would only have half a cup and no more than that.

How often do you feed a Bernese Mountain dog puppy?

When a Bernese Mountain dog is young, a few weeks to 4 months, they would have 3 meals a day. The meals should be of small proportion.

The frequency may be more or less depending on the activity levels and metabolism of your pet.

Beyond 6 months, your Bernese pup should have 2 or more meals a day. As the dog grows up and becomes more active, its food requirement would also increase.

When do Bernese Mountain dog puppies lose their teeth?

Generally, it is said that Bernese Mountain dogs would lose their first milk teeth when they are about 4 or 5 months. Like most dogs, they also have a permanent set of teeth once they reach adulthood.

A lot of Bernese Mountain Dog owners have said that after the Berner reached the age of 2 years, their dental health diminished. These problems usually occur because of their eating habits and lack of dental hygiene.

If you have a Bernese dog as a pet, you may want to brush your teeth with a great quality toothpaste to avoid just that. You can also give them raw bones to chew on. This is an old practice because raw bones are great for cleaning the dog’s teeth.

Final Thoughts:

Bernese Mountain dogs are slow maturing dogs who reach their full height, as well as, weight capacity only when they are 3-4 years.  Although they grow significantly during the first year after their birth, this breed only matures after that. Female Berners are usually smaller than male ones.

Frequently Asked Questions:

Is Bernese Mountain Dog Aggressive?

Do Bernese Mountain Dogs Smell?

Do Bernese Mountain Dogs Like to Cuddle?

Can Bernese Mountain Dogs Have Blue or Red Eyes?

Is It Ok to Shave a Bernese Mountain Dog?

Can Bernese Mountain Dogs Swim?