Known for their fierce strength and athleticism, Pit Bulls are courageous dogs with a loving, gentle side. Pit Bulls are a mix between bull and terrier dogs and are solidly built, short-coated with robust bodies. These dogs are amazingly versatile and used in police work, hunting, drug detection, water safety, therapy, and more! They are reliable, fiercely loyal dogs that make wonderful additions to many families.
If you’re the lucky pet parent to one of these confident, hard-working dogs, you may be wondering how big will my Pit Bull get and when will they stop growing?
“Pit Bull” is a general term that applies to several bulldog and terrier mixes, including the American Pit Bull Terrier and Staffordshire Bull Terrier. The following Pit Bull growth and weight charts reflect an American Pit Bull Terrier’s estimated weight. Staffordshire Bull Terriers tend to be smaller than Pit Bulls, weighing between 25 and 40 pounds, putting them on the smaller end of these estimates.
Please keep in mind that the following numbers are estimates. All puppies grow at their own rate, and the Pit Bull breed is prone to significant variances in their final size. If you are concerned that your Pit Bull is significantly ahead or behind of the following numbers, please consult with your veterinarian so they can give you personalized advice on your pup’s growth and weight.
Adopt When at All Possible
I know it can be a difficult choice, and especially with pit bulls, there can actually be times when owning a puppy is the best choice, but not always. I do advocate and personally support several rescues, pit bull and otherwise, but I do also understand the deep need a human pet owner can feel to get a baby and raise it on their own.
The best service I think anyone can do is supply the knowledge and let others make the best decision for them.
Mom May Want More Alone Time
Mom will still be willing to clean up well after the pups poop, and there will still be tiny puddles of urine.
She will want more time away from them beginning this week. She will enjoy some more time alone, and it is as early as the second week when some Dams begin to show signs that they may try to wean too early.
Try to make sure that mom feeds them every four hours or so. If you do not encourage her, later feeds will cause them to munch more furiously, which can cause scratching and pulling on already sensitive nipples. She will naturally want to avoid this, but unless you are prepared to bottle feed an entire litter, several times per day for another two weeks, make her feed them regularly.
Fun Fact
The pit bull was so popular in the early 1900s that they were our mascot not only in World War I, but also in World War II.
As the third week begins, there will be many more waking hours than sleeping hours, as opposed to the last two weeks. Most pups will have their eyes mostly open, although none can see too well, but they will start to recognize the smell of mom when shes close, and of people visiting their box or enclosure.
When we retrieved a riding lawnmower box from a local store, the mom actually jumped for joy several times in the air as I began placing them in the new blanket-filled box. Seriously, do both of you a favor and get them enclosed ASAP if not done so already by this week.
Get an Enclosure
If you havent put them in an enclosure, you are likely half-mad and a bit crazy. Do this immediately! An old playpen is an excellent idea for the next couple of weeks. A huge box even better. Without those things, youll have mass chaos and a mother who may be a bit edgy that her pups arent gathered in a neat area for check-ups.
By the end of the third week, there will be no doubt that living in a box with so many of your siblings can be really hard. Many mini growls and burks (not quite barks) are heard coming from the box at all hours. Closer observation reveals a painfully slow (at least from their point-of-view) process of growing, fighting, eating, and yes, pooping.
Mom may not be so happy about cleaning up after the pups, as big as they are getting. This week will likely find you washing and rewashing box blankets, pillows, and other paraphernalia. Often.
They have become the worlds most ferocious eaters. Watching them at this point makes me think that they closely resemble a pack of wolverines nursing. You may have to begin preparing a puppy cereal for them to eat soon.
Puppy Gruel
Purchase a good quality puppy chow and run it through the blender, add puppy formula or goats milk, baby rice cereal and baby strained chicken. Mix until its fairly thick. After they have mastered that for a few days, start adding softened puppy kibble.
You may need some tips on how to do this, and it does get nasty. Personally, I have what I consider a fairly strong stomach, but the results of nine pit bull pups moshing, rolling, and rooting around in a pile of gooey mess still required me to give it a good strong swallow or two while watching.
The Best Ways to Manage Puppies’ First Solid-Food Feedings
Everyone has a different set-up, but according to what you have available, here are the best suggestions I have for managing these feedings without needing to spend hours cleaning, crying, and growing your slang/rant vocabulary twice a day.
Garden Tub or Walk-In Shower. If you have either of these, you are golden. It may not look any prettier, but it will save you incredible amounts of time and frustration if you simply feed them via a large, low-sided dish in the center of your large tub or shower. Your regular tub may work if you have a smaller litter. However, if they cant get a nose into the bowl, this can cause much scrumming and begin to form a food-fiend pile of pups. You do not want any pup to believe they arent going to get enough, which will obviously encourage aggressive eating. In a dog this powerful, there is no need to tempt this fate. If you have an immense litter, feed them in shifts.
The Box. If you do not have a large enough area aside from their box or enclosure, you can use the box and help it to remain somewhat mush and odor-free. Remove all of the blankets and place a piece of plastic, tarp, or even garbage bags in a pinch on the bottom of the box. Toss the low-sided bowl, or even a high-fluted plate in the center and let the scrum begin. Note: If you do not protect the box, i.e., clean up any mush piles, stay tuned, as there is one sure way to get some of the serious grunt work done.
The…Floor? Really? It can be done, although hopefully you have had a bit better planning, if you have a rescue or an unexpected litter and no huge accommodating box or used playpen in sight, you can certainly let the food scrum occur on the floor. However, I would NOT suggest ever doing this if you have expensive wood, tile or otherwise grainy or textured flooring; do not have an area uncovered by carpeting or rugs; or will cry if your precious faux-linoleum incurs a scratch or a brown mush haze temporarily.
If you are going to feed on the floor, plan to do two things.
Section Off an Area, even if you have to use a pile of books, kids toys or even just a couple of long-armed and familiar adults. Tuck them in a corner if alone, you will need to referee the match. Ever the millers, they will eat, roll around in the mush, and in generally roam off while following yet more mush piles on the floor, tub bottom or box. Be prepared to gently nudge them or if brave and not averted by said mush, place them back in the scrum pile.
Keep Mom Away. For many reasons, this is beneficial and necessary. Mom definitely needs to know that gruel is for pups. You should not let her overwhelm them while they are learning to eat, nor compete with them for food. Also, this will supply you with the best cleaning partner you have ever had. Once they are done and starting to mill slower, and likely sleepier, set mom loose. She will clean up the floor, albeit in a way not entirely sanitary, and once done with the bigger obvious mush piles, she will turn her attention to cleaning her pups.
The floor certainly isnt the ideal method. The garden tub or a walk-in shower are far more ideal (with a detachable shower head for quick clean-up). However, the other methods will work, and ultimately, you will really come to rely on creating a sort of ritual when doing the feedings so that everyone, even Uncle Eddie, my litter of pups stepdaddy, gets to participate in the cleanup.
Also, be sure to sanitize the feeding area after each feeding. Even if you feed them in a box, sprucing up, applying Lysol and a light bleach wash will kill the germs and ensure a cleaner surface for the next feeding. For tubs, a quick bleach wash is usually enough.
The Most Important Thing
Do NOT give them cows milk. Goats milk is ideal, and puppy or baby formula works too.
There sure is a lot of milling around.
They are probably quite tired of a box if you have them in one. If you dont, you are probably quite tired of them by now. They are on the go these days in a lot of ways.
They should have tried the gruel by now, and you should be preparing to supplement a morning or mid-day meal from mom with the gruel mixture.
They will likely need some roaming time now. This means more messes to clean up, but socialization is important with all dogs, most especially Pit Bulls, at this critical age.
Everyone is getting around pretty good. There may still be some shaky legs and wobbling heads, but there is certainly no shortage of willpower. Box floppers are more and more common, even using a box that shipped a large riding lawnmower.
There will be power struggles happening in the box. In or out, they are determined to elicit screams from their siblings at any cost. Must be those weeks stuck together, but they are really letting off steam this week.
Eating Habits by the Fifth Week
The pups should by now have had several gruel meals and their food should be closer to the dry side now, as opposed to the wetter mushy food.
These pups are some incredible beasts. Seriously, the most ornery, amusing, mushy sweet, clumsy, wobbly-headed, thick-skinned, love muffins around.
When they arent testing out their burk-to-barking skills, they are amok, flopping from the box at high rates. I am fairly sure they have learned to take one for the team by letting other puppies stand atop them, so they have a better chance at springing at least a few of their box mates. For most Pit pups who have been weaned on this schedule, this week may be their last in your home.
You should now begin trying to keep them on a food schedule.
Prepare yourself, your spouse, and your children for their departure. Prepare the pups too.
Get them outdoors, rain or shine, cold or hot, and let them muck around a bit. Dont let their first experience outside of the box be the same one that takes them to their forever families.
For the sake of their future homes as well, it would be a good idea to start trying to get them to use puppy pads, or take them outside, en masse, for pee parties.
Bathe them, worm them, collar them, and if you plan to be the one who does it, vet them and get their first shots.
FAQ
What should I feed my 6 week old Pit Bull puppy?
Start out with a mix of 75-percent liquid to 25-percent wet or dry puppy food. Over the course of four-to-six weeks, slowly increase the amount of food by 25 percent and decrease the liquid by the same amount. Plan on feeding your little one about four times a day, recommends Cesar’s Way.
How often should you feed a 6 week old Pit Bull puppy?
Check with your veterinarian, but at this age, most pups receive shots for distemper, parainfluenza, measles, and bordatella.
Food. Fully Weaned. Your pup should be eating only puppy food and drinking plenty of fresh water.
Sleep. Long Naps. Expect your fur baby to take plenty of naps throughout the day.
Toys. Play Time!
How big is a Pit Bull puppy at 7 weeks?
Puppies up to 12-weeks-old should eat four-to-six small meals a day. Each meal should be about a quarter-to-half cup of food. At six months, reduce their feeding frequency to three times a day. Never free-feed your puppy by leaving a bowl of food out all day.