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How much should your Chihuahua weigh?

How much a Chihuahua weighs depends on age and on the frame he was born with. This calculator tells you, for a puppy, what he'll weigh as an adult; and for an adult, whether he's inside the breed's range or it's time to look at the food bowl.

Estimated adult weight

Breed growth curve

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lb as an adult

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likely range

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vs. the standard

For guidance only. Chihuahuas grow in spurts and a one-week error in real age moves the result. Body condition is your vet's call.

Chihuahua puppy weight chart by week

Each column is a different Chihuahua, by the adult weight he'll reach. Find your puppy's age row and see which column today's weight lands in: that's his projection.

Age	Adult 3 lb	Adult 4 lb	Adult 5 lb	Adult 6 lb	Adult 7 lb
8 wk (2 mo)	13 oz	1 lb 1 oz	1 lb 6 oz	1 lb 10 oz	1 lb 14 oz
12 wk (3 mo)	1 lb 4 oz	1 lb 10 oz	2 lb 1 oz	2 lb 7 oz	2 lb 14 oz
16 wk (4 mo)	1 lb 9 oz	2 lb 1 oz	2 lb 10 oz	3 lb 2 oz	3 lb 10 oz
20 wk (5 mo)	1 lb 14 oz	2 lb 8 oz	3 lb 2 oz	3 lb 12 oz	4 lb 7 oz
24 wk (6 mo)	2 lb 2 oz	2 lb 13 oz	3 lb 8 oz	4 lb 3 oz	4 lb 14 oz
32 wk (7 mo)	2 lb 9 oz	3 lb 7 oz	4 lb 5 oz	5 lb 3 oz	6 lb 0 oz
40 wk (9 mo)	2 lb 13 oz	3 lb 12 oz	4 lb 11 oz	5 lb 10 oz	6 lb 9 oz
52 wk (1 year)	3 lb 0 oz	4 lb 0 oz	5 lb 0 oz	6 lb 0 oz	7 lb 0 oz

Typical breed curve: at 8 weeks a Chihuahua is at about 27% of adult weight; at 12 weeks, 41%; at 16 weeks, 52%; at 24 weeks, 70%. Growth ends between 9 and 12 months.

How much does an adult Chihuahua weigh?

The two breed standards don't quite agree, and neither describes the average pet Chihuahua, who tends to run a little bigger than the show ring:

Reference	Weight	Note
AKC standard (United States)	up to 6 lb (2.7 kg)	No minimum, only a cap.
FCI standard (Europe, Latin America)	3.3 to 6.6 lb (1.5 to 3 kg)	Show ideal; under 2.2 lb is disqualified.
Healthy pet Chihuahua	4 to 8 lb	The most common reality. Romeo is 5.3 lb, Lorenzo 5.1.
Large frame	8 to 10 lb	Exists and can be perfectly lean. Judge by touch, not the scale.
"Teacup" or micro	under 3.3 lb	Not a variety: a very small Chihuahua, with more hypoglycemia and fracture risk.

That's why "teacup" appears in no standard. We explain it in teacup, mini and toy Chihuahua sizes.

How do I know if my Chihuahua is overweight or too thin?

The scale alone isn't enough, because two 6-pound Chihuahuas can be one lean large-framed dog and one overweight small-framed one. Vets use body condition, which you assess with your hands and eyes in three steps:

·Ribs. Run your hand along his side with light pressure. You should feel each rib, like the knuckles of your closed hand, without seeing them. If you have to press to find them, there's excess fat; if you can see them from across the room, he's underweight.
·Waist. From above, he should narrow behind the ribs. A tube-shaped Chihuahua is overweight.
·Belly. From the side, the belly should rise from the chest toward the hind legs. If it hangs straight or sags, that's fat.

Not sure? The body condition test tells you in four questions. If he's carrying extra, don't guess at a diet: work out his daily ration and cut 10% from there. On a 5-pound dog, 8 ounces of extra weight is 10% of his body: the equivalent of 18 pounds on a person.

Why can the calculator be off?

Because Chihuahuas don't grow in a straight line. They spurt for a week and then sit still for two, and a litter of five can produce puppies that end up at 4 and at 7 pounds. Three things move the result:

·True age. If the breeder said "two months" and he was seven weeks, the projection rises 15%.
·When you weigh him. A full belly adds 2 ounces to a 1 lb 12 oz puppy. Always weigh before a meal.
·The parents. If you know their weights, that's the best data of all: the puppy usually lands between the two, females a little closer to the mother.

Lorenzo weighed 2 lb 2 oz at 12 weeks: the curve projected 5 pounds, and that's where he settled at age 2. Romeo was never weighed as a puppy, so his 5.3 pounds were revealed by life.

Frequently asked questions

How much does an adult Chihuahua weigh?+

The AKC standard caps the breed at 6 pounds (2.7 kg); the FCI standard used in Europe and Latin America allows 3.3 to 6.6 pounds (1.5 to 3 kg). In real life, many healthy pet Chihuahuas weigh 4 to 8 pounds. What matters isn't the exact number but whether you can feel the ribs and see a waist.

How much does a 2-month-old Chihuahua weigh?+

Between 14 ounces and 1 pound 12 ounces (400 to 800 g), depending on adult size. At 8 weeks a Chihuahua has roughly 27% of its final weight: a 1 lb 5 oz puppy usually ends up around 5 pounds.

How much should a 3-month-old Chihuahua weigh?+

Between 1 lb 5 oz and 2 lb 10 oz (600 g to 1.2 kg). At 12 weeks a puppy has reached about 40% of adult weight, so multiplying today's weight by 2.5 gives a reasonable estimate of adult size.

How can I tell how big my Chihuahua puppy will get?+

Weigh him at 12 or 16 weeks and use the calculator above, which applies the breed's growth curve. Quick rule: at 12 weeks multiply by 2.5; at 16 weeks multiply by 2. Expect a margin of about 10 ounces either way.

Is a 9-pound Chihuahua overweight?+

Not necessarily: some large-framed Chihuahuas weigh 9 pounds and are lean. The test is touch: if you can feel the ribs with light pressure and see a waist from above, he's fine. If not, cut the daily ration by 10 to 15%.

Do female Chihuahuas weigh less than males?+

Slightly, on average: about half a pound less on the same frame. But variation between bloodlines is far bigger than the difference between sexes, so the same weight chart works for both.

Keep reading

Month by month, with what changes at each stage: when growth ends, how much he eats and what to expect.

When do Chihuahuas stop growing → Growth stages Age calculator