Puppy weight and adult size

Question
QUESTION: We're thinking of purchasing a male standard poodle puppy (from a reputable, experienced AKC breeder) and are wondering how big he might be when fully grown. We do like very large standard poodles.

At seven weeks of age, the puppy's weight is 8.4 lbs. His father is 85 lbs and 28" at the shoulder. His mother weighs 48 lbs and is 24" at the shoulder. The breeder said that the puppy's skull shape takes after his father. We would have the puppy neutered when he is approximately 6 months old.

The breeder estimates that the puppy's adult weight would be at least 70 lbs and she thinks that with early neutering his height could be equal to his father's. Does these estimates seem reasonable to you? If not, what would you estimate as a final adult weight and shoulder height? Thanks!!

ANSWER: Hello Zhenya,
It is really difficult to tell how big a Puppy will be when he reaches full size. You will have a better idea of size if you look at previous litters from these two dogs. I would say that he will have a good chance at being big. Maybe 27" at the shoulder.
I like that his father is so big, I would have liked to seen a larger female, but her size isn't bad for a female. The average size for a male is 24"-25". The neuter date is appropriate for a male.

I could possibly get a better idea of how big he will be at adulthood by seeing a picture of him, but since I can't actually touch him and feel his bone structure, it still would just be an educated guess.

I wish I could give you a more predictable answer, but thats the best I can do with what I have.
I hope this helps you some. If you have other questions about this, or other Poodle questions in general, please feel free to ask me.

Thanks for using AllExperts.com,
Kim

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Kim, thanks so much for your answer. The same father as I mentioned in my first question will be having another litter with a different female. This female is bigger: 65 lbs and 27" at the shoulder. Would male puppies from this pairing be, on average, larger than male puppies from the pairing I mentioned in my first question, the one with the smaller female?

Also, I read about a formula that helps to predict adult weight. You divide the puppy's weight by its age in weeks, then multiple the result by 52. What do you think of this way of predicting? Useful? Accurate? Or do you use another way?

Thanks again, very much.

Answer
Hello again Zhenya,
I am glad I could help you in the previous answer. I know in our litters, we could usually tell between 8-10 weeks which puppies would be bigger and which ones would be on the small side. The puppies that would be bigger had larger heads, and were structurally more big and sturdy than the smaller ones.
I think there will be larger puppies in each litter, but the chances of getting a larger male will be better with the larger female.

Here is a good weight predictor at: http://www.puppychart.com/
Some breeders I know go by the length of the shoulder/leg and chest, while others know their dogs and what their dogs tend to throw.
I think all of these methods do work, however you can never totally predict the size a pup will eventually be. For a good example, look at George. He is a Great Dane that started out as a normal sized puppy, but turned into this: http://www.giantgeorge.com/ I know this is rare, but it shows that you never really know.

I would see what you think about the puppies in the first litter in the upcoming weeks and if you don't find anything you like, try the next litter. I know you will find your perfect pup.

I am glad I can help you. Please feel free to contact me in the future if you have other questions.

Thanks for using AllExperts.com,
Kim