How a Caucasian Shepherd grows up

Some of the most common questions that people ask to a Caucasian Shepherd breeder are related to the dogs’ size and growth process. Because this breed is famous for its dimensions and guarding abilities, people tend to focus on that and make the size of the dog a very important topic. We will tell you a bit about the dimensions of Caucasian Shepherds at different ages and what to expect.

The dimensions of puppies

First of all, we cannot give you exact measurements of growing puppies as it is irrelevant for how an adult will look like. During Caucasian Shepherd breeding history there were three branches of such dogs that stopped being differentiated in time, there is only one Caucasian Shepherd that puts all of them together. This way, the puppies in a litter can differ in sizes or puppies in two different litters from the same parents can also have different sizes than the previous one.

What does it mean that they differ in sizes? Of course, do not imagine that there are huge differences, we are talking about a few centimeters only. The measurements of any dog’s size is made in their adult stage and for Caucasian Shepherds the usual height at the withers for males goes from 75 to around 88 cm, while for females from 64 to maximum 80-84 cm. There will be males that are smaller and females that grow larger than the smaller males so in this way the dimensions can be different. Also it depends a lot on the breeder and the line of dogs they choose to breed. Here in Romania at the Titans Family most of our dogs are large, as we have chosen to breed the largest dogs only.

You cannot tell this from an early age, as their growth process is not linear and puppies that might seem smaller when they are newborns can develop quickly in their following months.

Quick growth in the first year

As they are large breed dogs, you can expect a quick growth in their first year of life. So if you are buying a young puppy of two or three months, in a couple of months it will almost double its size. If you buy a puppy at 5 or 6 months of age you will see that they are quite developed already. Again, we cannot give you specific dimensions but you should know that in its first year of life a Caucasian Shepherd grows to around 80% of its adult dimensions. So you should not buy too many accessories or doggy beds for them when they are little, as they will shortly become too small.

The second year your dog will also be growing but much slower, reaching maturity and its final dimension until the age of three.

Supplements and diet for growth

What we recommend to all our clients is that at least in their first year of life they should feed premium quality food to their puppy. This food is researched by specialists and packed with all the necessary nutrients for a healthy growth of the dog. After the age of one you can switch to a medium quality food if you wish to.

There are cases when the puppies need calcium supplements to help their bone growth, but that is only if they are showing clear sign of pain or limping during their development. We keep contact with our owners in the first year of life of the dogs and ask for pictures and videos, also paying attention at how they develop, to see if they need some supplements in their diet. Otherwise, nothing should be given to the puppies as prevention or by default. Calcium supplements can harm your dog’s growth if you give them without it needing any. Please be mindful of that and only give supplements at your vet’s or breeder’s recommendation.

Food should also be given in specific quantities according to the stage of development and age of the puppy. The dosage is always mentioned on the package of the dog and you should respect that. Overfeeding does not make your dog larger in size! On the contrary, it causes serious health problems on the long term.

After three years of age the dog is considered an adult and it will have finished its growth process, reaching its mature dimensions. This is a spectacular evolution, especially for first time owners who witness their growth curiously. After having your first dog you will already be accustomed with how they grow up and be less surprised and more experimented. Be mindful of our advice and write to us if you need any help. Wishing you and your dogs the best!