Puppy Weight Chart – How Much Weight Should A Newborn Puppy Gain Per Day?
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“Do you by chance have a newborn puppy weight chart? We want to make sure our litter is gaining the right amount of weight.” – A.R.
We’ve raised three Golden Retriever litters and from day 1 we start weighing the puppies. It’s uber important to track weight because if a pup is not gaining or even worse losing weight then something is probably wrong.
A couple of years ago we noticed Falken from our second litter wasn’t gaining weight and ended up taking our little pup to the vet when he was only 12 days old.
The good news is Falken pulled through after getting antibiotics and fluids from our emergency vet. He did fall behind on his weight gain and ended up being one of the smaller puppies from that litter.
Let’s get back to our question:
Question: Do you have a newborn puppy weight chart?
Answer: Yes. We tracked the weight of all 24 of our puppies (3 litters) from newborn until they were 8 weeks old.
And the second part of our question: “We want to make sure our puppies are gaining the right amount of weight.”
I’m not going to share all 24 puppy weight charts, but maybe sharing the puppy weight chart for one of our litters will help answer Part II of the question.
Remember this is based on our 3 litters of Golden Retriever puppies which is a larger breed of dog. Our mama dog, Raven weighs just under 70 pounds.
Also, Raven was bred with different sires resulting in different size puppies in each litter.
If you’re raising a litter of Chihuahuas you can definitely expect smaller puppies. On the other hand, if you have a litter of Great Danes you can expect bigger pups.
QUICK RECOMMENDATION: If you’re raising or about to raise a litter of puppies you might want to check out our Whelping Checklist. We list all the supplies we use to whelp our litter.
How Much Should A Newborn Golden Retriever Puppy Weigh?
I’m going to make an assumption that we’re talking about a puppy at birth.
We weighed all 24 of our Golden Retriever puppies the day they were born and there was a decent gap between our heaviest and lightest puppy.
As I noted earlier each litter had a different sire and Raven is a Golden Retriever which is a larger dog breed.
Question: How much should a newborn Golden Retriever puppy weigh?
Answer: In our first litter the average newborn puppy weighed just over 1 pound (16 ounces). However, out of 3 litters (24 puppies) our largest puppy at birth was 17 ounces and the smallest was 10.5 ounces.
At 8 weeks old our largest puppy was from the first litter at 16 pounds 5 ounces.
At 8 weeks old our smallest puppy came from the third litter at 8 pounds 8 ounces. And everything in between.
That is a huge difference! The largest is nearly twice the size of the smallest!
One thing to note: We had litters of 6, 8, and 10 puppies. The larger the litter the smaller the puppies were at birth and through their first eight weeks.
Newborn Puppy Weight Chart
This is the newborn puppy weight chart from our first litter of Golden Retriever puppies. There were 6 puppies in the litter and the puppies from litter #1 were larger than the puppies from litter #2 and #3.
Each puppy wore a different color collar represented by the header in the first row of our table. The puppy weights were measured in pounds and ounces.
Example: Day 1, Black Collar Puppy = 1:1 = 1 pound, 1 ounce
Hopefully that all makes sense.
Without further adieu:
Raven’s 1st Litter – Puppy Weight Chart
We put together 2 printable PDF documents in our Resource Library. One has the Puppy Weight Chart below in printable PDF.
You can access our Resource Library by joining our email list:
I put together a second blank Puppy Weight Chart PDF that you can print and fill out if you’re going to have a litter of puppies.
Raven’s 1st Litter (Veterans) – Puppy Weight Chart
| Day | Green | Black | Red | Blue | Pink | Brown |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | ||||||
| 1 | 1:0.5 | 1:1 | 1:0 | 1:0 | 1:0 | 1:0.5 |
| 2 | 1:2 | 1:4 | 1:2 | 1:2 | 1:3 | 1:2 |
| 3 | 1:5 | 1:6 | 1:3 | 1:4.5 | 1:3 | 1:4 |
| 4 | 1:7 | 1:9 | 1:5 | 1:7 | 1:5 | 1:6 |
| 5 | 1:10 | 1:11.5 | 1:8.5 | 1:10 | 1:8.5 | 1:7.5 |
| 6 | 1:11.5 | 1:14.5 | 1:10.5 | 1:13 | 1:10.5 | 1:10 |
| 7 | 1:13 | 2:1 | 1:13.5 | 1:15.5 | 1:12.5 | 1:13.5 |
| Week 2 | ||||||
| 8 | 1:12.5 | 2:2 | 1:15 | 2:2 | 1:13.5 | 1:14.5 |
| 9 | 1:13.5 | 2:4 | 2:0 | 2:3.5 | 1:14.5 | 1:15 |
| 10 | 1:15 | 2:6 | 2:0.5 | 2:3.5 | 2:0.5 | 2:1.5 |
| 11 | 2:0 | 2:8.5 | 2:3.5 | 2:7.5 | 2:3.5 | 2:3.5 |
| 12 | 2:2.5 | 2:10.5 | 2:5 | 2:9 | 2:4 | 2:5 |
| 13 | 2:5.5 | 2:12.5 | 2:6.5 | 2:12.5 | 2:6.5 | 2:6.5 |
| 14 | 2:7.5 | 2:15.5 | 2:9.5 | 2:15 | 2:10.5 | 2:7.5 |
| Week 3 | ||||||
| 15 | 2:11.5 | 3:1.5 | 2:11 | 3:1 | 2:11.5 | 2:10.5 |
| 16 | 2:14.5 | 3:3.5 | 2:13.5 | 3:4.5 | 2:13 | 3:0 |
| 17 | 3:2 | 3:6 | 2:14 | 3:5.5 | 3:3 | 2:14 |
| 18 | 3:2.5 | 3:8 | 3:1 | 3:7.5 | 3:7.5 | 3:0 |
| 19 | 3:4 | 3:10 | 3:2 | 3:10.5 | 3:8.5 | 3:3 |
| 20 | 3:6.5 | 3:12 | 3:4 | 3:12.5 | 3:12 | 3:7.5 |
| 21 | 3:10 | 4:0 | 3:6.5 | 4:1 | 3:15.5 | 3:10 |
| Week 4 | ||||||
| 22 | 3:12.5 | 4:2.5 | 3:8 | 4:4 | 4:3.5 | 3:13 |
| 23 | 3:13.5 | 4:4 | 3:9 | 4:6 | 4:3 | 3:14 |
| 24 | 4:0.5 | 4:5.5 | 3:11.5 | 4:8.5 | 4:3.5 | 4:0.5 |
| 25 | 4:5 | 4:10 | 3:15 | 4:11 | 4:6.5 | 4:4 |
| 26 | 4:8 | 4:13 | 4:0.5 | 4:14 | 4:9.5 | 4:7.5 |
| 27 | 4:10 | 4:15 | 4:4 | 5:0 | 4:12.5 | 4:10 |
| 28 | 4:12.5 | 5:1 | 4:6 | 5:3 | 4:14.5 | 4:12 |
| Week 5 | ||||||
| 29 | 4:15 | 5:4.5 | 4:9 | 5:7 | 5:1.5 | 5:0.5 |
| 30 | 5:2 | 5:7.5 | 4:12 | 5:9.5 | 5:3 | 5:3 |
| 31 | 5:4.5 | 5:10 | 4:14.5 | 5:12 | 5:6.5 | 5:7 |
| 32 | 5:12 | 6:3 | 5:6 | 6:4 | 5:14 | 5:15 |
| 33 | 5:13 | 6:1.5 | 5:7 | 6:4 | 6:0.5 | 5:15 |
| 34 | 6:3 | 6:7.5 | 5:12.5 | 6:10.5 | 6:5 | 6:4 |
| 35 | 6:10 | 6:15 | 6:3.5 | 7:3.5 | 6:12 | 6:12 |
| Week 6 | ||||||
| 36 | 6:15 | 7:5 | 6:9 | 7:12 | 7:0 | 7:15 |
| 37 | 7:5.5 | 8:0.5 | 7:1 | 8:8.5 | 7:8 | 7:11 |
| 38 | 7:9 | 8:3 | 7:3 | 8:11 | 7:10 | 7:15 |
| 39 | 7:10.5 | 8:9 | 7:7 | 8:13.5 | 7:15 | 8:1 |
| 40 | 7:15 | 8:13 | 7:11 | 9:6 | 8:4.5 | 8:7 |
| 41 | 8:6 | 9:8.5 | 8:1.5 | 9:15 | 8:13 | 9:1 |
| 42 | 8:9 | 9:9 | 8:5 | 10:1 | 9:0 | 9:4 |
| Week 7 | ||||||
| 43 | 8:15.5 | 10:1 | 8:13 | 10:9 | 9:4 | 9:11 |
| 44 | 9:1 | 10:7 | 9:2 | 11:1 | 9:11 | 9:14 |
| 45 | 9:8 | 11:2 | 9:8 | 11:10 | 10:5 | 10:12 |
| 46 | 9:12 | 11:5 | 9:14 | 12:2 | 10:9 | 10:15 |
| 47 | 10:6 | 12:1 | 10:4 | 12:11 | 10:14 | 11:5 |
| 48 | 10:9 | 12:5 | 10:7 | 13:2 | 11:5 | 11:8 |
| 49 | 10:12 | 12:8 | 11:0 | 13:6 | 11:11 | 12:0 |
| Week 8 | ||||||
| 50 | 10:15 | 12:12 | 11:1 | 13:9 | 11:11 | 12:4 |
| 51 | 11:7 | 13:9 | 11:9 | 14:6 | 12:5 | 12:13 |
| 52 | 11:11 | 13:12 | 11:12 | 14:10 | 12:9 | 13:5 |
| 53 | 12:1 | 14:4 | 12:4 | 15:3 | 13:0 | 13:14 |
| 54 | 12:10 | 14:8 | 12:7 | 15:8 | 13:5 | 13:15 |
| 55 | 13:4 | 14:13 | 13:7 | 15:14 | 13:11 | 14:7 |
| 56 | 13:11 | 15:6 | 13:8 | 16:5 | 14:2 | 14:12 |
Don’t forget if you’d like our printable Puppy Weight Chart PDFs then visit our Resource Library.
When weighing your puppies try to be as consistent as possible. If you’re not consistent with your weighings then you will notice a lot more fluctuation in your puppy weight chart.
- Weigh your puppies at the same time every day.
- Weigh your puppies right after feedings. We prefer doing it this way because puppies are usually more docile and easier to weigh. Also, you’ll see a lot of fluctuation in weights if some days you weigh before feedings some days after.
Be consistent with your weighing and it will be much easier to analyze your puppy’s weight chart.
How Much Weight Should A Newborn Puppy Gain Per Day?
When we have a litter of newborn puppies we weigh each puppy every day for the first 8 weeks (as you can see in the above puppy weight chart).
So, just look at the above chart and you can see how much each puppy gained each day.
As newborn puppies get older they gain more weight so there really is no simple answer to our question:
Question: “How much weight should a newborn puppy gain per day?”
Answer: During the first week our newborn puppies only gained about 1-3 ounces per day averaging about 2 ounces per day. In week 8, some days our pups gained as much as 10+ ounces in a day with an average of about 4-5 ounces per day for our bigger puppies.
The extreme fluctuations we saw with puppies gaining 10+ ounces in a day were because I wasn’t consistent when weighing the puppies. Somedays I weighed the pups before feeding and some days after.
*Of course these numbers are based on our litters of Golden Retrievers.
QUICK TIP: When it comes to your newborn puppy weight chart the most important thing is to make sure each puppy is gaining weight every day. If a puppy does not gain or lose weight one day then monitor him very closely and make sure he gains weight the next day.
Printable Puppy Weight Chart PDF
Did we mention that we put together a Printable Puppy Weight Chart PDF?
Yes, yes we did. Well, let’s go into a little more detail.
First, you have to join our email list to get access to our Resource Library. We have other printable PDFs on this page, you’ll want to go to the section labeled “Newborn Puppies”
Here’s what’s currently available in our library:
- Puppy Weight Chart PDF – this is a blank puppy weight chart that you can print and use to track your own litter.
- Puppy Weight Chart PDF: Raven’s 1st Litter – The same information from above, but in a printable PDF form just in case you’d like to print out the document.
We have the puppy weight charts for litters #2 and #3, and sometime in 2020, we’ll have weights for litter #4.
We weren’t planning on adding these charts to our resource library. They’re still written on a piece of paper, but I could transfer them to digital by updating my spreadsheets.
If you’d like us to add these puppy weight charts to our library for comparison please let me know by leaving a message in the comment section below.
Conclusion
Okay guys and gals, does that answer your questions?
Let’s Recap:
I know we all want to be sure our puppies are progressing the way they should so they grow to be healthy happy dogs.
So, take a look at the Raven’s first litter’s puppy weight chart. However, you might take the information with a grain of salt.
After experiencing Raven’s three litters I learned a few things about puppy weight charts:
- Puppy sizes vary greatly between litters even from the same mama. As we mentioned Raven had different sires and different sized litters which influenced each litter’s puppy weight charts.
- Even within a litter, there’s a decent size difference between puppies. In Raven’s first litter the biggest puppy was 16 pounds 5 ounces at 8 weeks old and the smallest was 13 pounds 8 ounces.
- Be consistent when weighing your puppies. As our puppies got older I wasn’t as consistent when weighing the pups. Thus you see days of huge weight gains and the following day very little gains.
- Weigh your puppies every day and make sure they’re gaining weight. If a puppy is not gaining or losing weight then monitor him closely and consider taking him to the vet if he continues to lose weight.
Today’s chart covered from newborn to approximately 8 weeks old. Check this link if you want to see how a Golden Retriever grows from puppy to adulthood.
That’s a wrap, folks!
Have you ever cared for newborn puppies?
Do you keep a puppy weight chart when raising a litter of puppies?
Do you have any tips for weighing and tracking your puppies?
Tell us about your experiences in the comment section below.
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DISCLAIMER: Guys I’m not a veterinarian. This information is for entertainment purposes only. If you have questions about your dogs or puppies please consult with your veterinarian.
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You mentioned that larger litters have bigger puppies, but this isn’t always the case. If there are nutritional issues with the mother, or absorbtion issues with the puppies, a smaller litter can have smaller puppies, too.
I’ve been raising Cavapoo puppies for a few years now, and one of my girls, Willow, had a litter of just one the other week. This is her second litter, the previous being 4 pups last year, but this puppy is smaller than 3 of those were, only 123g/4.3oz, which is really small for this breed. A normal birth weight is about 180g/6.3oz. I’ve been keeping a very close watch on the pup, but she wouldn’t stop losing weight until I started giving her supplement milk. Willow started moving away from her, and kept whining at me like she knew something was wrong. With no other puppies to reference, I have no idea if she kept losing weight due to Willow’s milk, or the room temp, or if the pup just can’t suckle properly. She’s 6 days old now, and is still below her birth weight.
Missy was 55 lbs and Buzz was 75 lbs!
I started weighing our newborn dachshunds at day 2. I weigh them at 6am and 6pm. Ideally (per the internet I might add) each pup should gain about 10% of their previous day’s weight so I guess it would be better to add a % computation next to the weight in the spreadsheet just to be sure 🙂
I am concerned that my momma dog is starting to leave them more often after just having them 5 days in :/ they’re still gaining weight but not as fast as the first 3 days.
Hello! This is fantastic information. I have a litter of 11 golden retriever puppies and I was wondering what your litter of 10’s weight distribution looked like? Mine are going to be three days old.
Hello I’m a first Time taking care of puppies and I’m worried they are not gaining weight is 11 and some looking skinny can you help with suggestions please thanks
We just heard from a friend who’s litter of 4 Golden Retrievers were between 1.3 to 1.4 lbs when they were born! That’s a lot bigger than Raven’s biggest puppy!
It probably took a few weeks for Raven to get back to her regular weight. However, after every litter she also blew out her coat which takes a few months to come back.
I remember it being so stressful the first few weeks because I was so worried about the puppies gaining weight. How long do you think it took Raven to get back to her normal self after having the puppies? I remember you mentioned before she lost a lot of weight after having the puppies.
Thanks John. Our Linus was an Aussie/Lab Mix from the animal shelter. I think he got most of the Aussie instincts as he liked to herd. Thanks for stopping by!
That’s a lot of good information Colby. We used to be involved in raising Australian Shepherds, but we had to cut back on our workload, we still have a few of them to round-up the raccoons around here to protect our chickens and my wife’s rabbits. The Red & Silver Branhams producing real good though.
It’s very interesting now that we’re three litters in. The puppies from our last litter were nearly half the size of the puppies from our first litter by the time they went home at 8 weeks old. I think a big part of that is the size of the litter. Litter #1 was 6 puppies and Litter #3 was 10 puppies. Another interesting fact: I saw Charlie (from our second litter) last summer and he was about 55 pounds at 1 1/2 years old. Raven is about 70 pounds and his Dad Remy is about 80 pounds. Also, Charlie was one of the bigger puppies in his litter. How big were Missy and Buzz when they were full grown?
How interesting – thanks for this informative post, Colby! I’ve never raised a litter of puppies, but I adopted my last 2 pups at 8 weeks of age. Back then Missy weighed 8 lbs, and her brother Buzz weighed 10.5 lbs. They had 7 other siblings and Missy was the runt of the litter, and Buzz was one of the larger pups.