70 lb. German Shepherd Pup.. What should I expect?

Question
QUESTION:  Hi,
I have a 5 1/2 month male German Shepherd pup that is already up to 70 pounds. He started out being a very picky eater but his appetite has increased lately. He's pretty well behaved and learns quickly. The problem is that he's a 70 pound puppy with the energy of a puppy. When he gets excited he goes barreling through the house at full speed and crashes into everything.
I love him to death and expected to have a big dog. But if he's this big now what should I expect to have as a full grown dog? Large dogs keep growing til they are a year and a half, don't they? Maybe I should back off on the puppy vitamins???
Thank you! Dawn

ANSWER: Hi Dawn
Sounds like you're going to have a BIG BIG BOY. Being a large breed pup he shouldn't be on vitamins anyway. That doesn't make him bigger just makes him achieve his size quicker and is bad for his joints which have to catch up with his weight and body mass. Keep feeding him well don't deprive him of food but vitamins are a bad thing no matter what. A good diet is all a puppy really needs to grow and be healthy. You can add some vitamin c, omega fish oils, vitamin e and vitamin B but other than that....no vitamins.
As for when stop growing they will continue to put on body mass until they are two and sometimes after. Height is usually slowing down by a year to a year and a half old.
Here's a great website with height growth charts
http://www.mygermanshepherdpuppy.com/
As you can see by the site your pup is already almost 20 pounds over the average weight of a pup his age. DO NOT put your puppy on a diet or refuse him food. He needs to grow.His height and weight are determined by genetics and it's your job to get him there in a healthy manner. What are you feeding? If he's not FAT then dont' worry do much.
Get him into puppy socialization classes and basic obedience NOW. Be sure and socialize him, give him lots of outside toys to burn energy,. Tether balls and poles are GREAT for pups to play with. And..well, ENJOY
Cindi

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

QUESTION: Hi Cindy,
He's in obedience classes now and is doing really well. He's a family dog and has been more than I could ever ask for as a great companion to the kids. He is socialized to a point. We have a friend that takes care of our pets when we go on vacation and he has been over frequently just to make friends with him and socialize with him. When others come over he's too friendly. He jumps and wants to sit on their lap.
I checked out his parents well before buying him and they were both very friendly German Shepherds. No aggression at all with either parent. No hip problems or anything..
My house is the place where all of the school kids gather. So he is around the kids all of the time and does very well with them. He has been socialized with other animals, although if a cat runs he can't help but chase it. But he doesn't hurt it once he catches it. He just stands over it.
He's already had a torn aquilies sp? tendon on his back leg and had to wear a cast for a month. The vet said he was growing too fast for his bones to keep up.
I'm still feeding him puppy chow. I was told by the vet that he needed puppy chow til he was a year old. He also has a daily training regimine with beggin strips and other snacks. He is in no way heavy. He's very tall and has a very deep chest. You can't see his ribs, but he's actually very slender.
His mom was a smaller sable shepherd, his dad is probably a hundred pound male.
I just love him to death and whatever size he turns out is fine with me. I'm just a little, shall we say shocked at the size he's become already. And just curious what is coming.
I guess as long as he's well trained size doesn't matter. I just have a hard time, at times, remembering that he's still just a pup. He's a big dog with a puppy personality.
Thank you SO MUCH. The Vitamins will stop and I'll feed him the basics plus the ones you advised.
Have a great night, Dawn and Bowzer...  

Answer
Ok one more word of advice. If you don't have him on large breed puppy food put him on that now. Take him off as soon as he hits nine months and put him on adult food. Also watch for bloat. these big, deep chested guys are notorious for it. Make sure he has water at all times and doesn't drink a ton of water after eating or playing. Also make sure he doesn't run and get really active for an hour after eating or drinking a large amount. You really have to watch for bloat
He sounds wonderful!
Cindi