Shih Tzu Growth Chart: How Big Will Yours Get?

The honest answer starts with the official standard: Shih Tzu adults run 9 to 16 lb per the AKC breed standard. Your puppy's own weight and age narrow that further.

Run your own numbers in the puppy weight calculator — it combines this breed range with two published growth formulas and your puppy's current weight.

How small dogs grow

Small dogs grow fast early and finish growing sooner than most other size classes. Veterinary sources describe puppies in this range as reaching adult body size by about 9 to 10 months old, with the bulk of that growth happening in the first six months. Growth rate slows noticeably after that point, and the skeleton keeps firming up until roughly the 8- to 12-month mark, even after a puppy already looks close to full grown.

Because every puppy grows at its own pace, the more useful way to track progress is a weight range for the current age rather than a single target number. Veterinary growth charts work this way too: repeated weigh-ins show which line a puppy is following over time, and that pattern matters more than any one reading. A puppy tracking a little ahead of or behind that range is usually just showing normal variation between individuals. A bigger or sudden shift is worth a mention to a vet, and adjusting portion size is often the simplest explanation when growth speeds up or slows down.

Why we don't publish a week-by-week weight table

Charted growth curves exist in veterinary research, but no source publishes the underlying week-by-week numbers in verifiable form — so we won't fake one. Our methodology page explains exactly what data this page uses and where it comes from. For tracking, weigh your puppy regularly and compare against the adult range above, or read what to track week by week.

Common questions

How big will a Shih Tzu get?

9 to 16 lb at maturity, per the AKC standard. Individual dogs can land outside the standard, especially mixes and outlier bloodlines.

Is my Shih Tzu puppy on track?

Enter their age and current weight in the weight predictor. If the formula estimate lands far outside the breed range, the tool flags it — that usually means tracking above or below standard, and it's worth mentioning at your next vet visit.

When do they stop growing?

Growth timing varies by size class more than by breed — our guide on when dogs stop growing covers what the research supports.

Estimates, not guarantees, and not veterinary advice. Sources for every number on this page: methodology.