How Much Should a Pit Bull Weigh? Pit Bull & Staffy Weight Chart (kg)

How much should a pit bull weigh? Under the United Kennel Club standard, an adult American Pit Bull Terrier male in good condition should weigh about 16–27 kg (35–60 lb) and a female about 14–23 kg (30–50 lb).¹ Most Aussie "pit bulls" are actually Staffordshire Bull Terriers, which are smaller at 13–17 kg for males and 11–15.4 kg for females.⁴ The number on the scale matters less than body shape, so check ribs and waist as well.

Pit bull vs Staffy vs AmStaff vs Bully: weight and height chart (kg and lb)

"Pit bull" is a loose label rather than one breed. RSPCA Australia notes it isn't a recognised pure breed. It's a descriptive name for dogs that share some physical features.⁸ So before you compare your dog to a chart, work out which of these breeds (or which mix) you actually have.

Breed (standard used)	Male weight	Female weight	Male height (withers)	Female height (withers)
Staffordshire Bull Terrier (Australian / Kennel Club standard)4,5	13–17 kg (28–38 lb)	11–15.4 kg (24–34 lb)	36–41 cm (14–16 in), related to weight
American Staffordshire Terrier (AKC / Dogs Australia standard)2,3	No weight given. "Height and weight should be in proportion."		About 46–48 cm (18–19 in)	About 43–46 cm (17–18 in)
American Pit Bull Terrier (UKC standard)1	About 16–27 kg (35–60 lb)	About 14–23 kg (30–50 lb)	About 46–53 cm (18–21 in)	About 43–51 cm (17–20 in)
American Bully, Pocket (UKC standard)6	No weight given		36 to under 43 cm (14 to under 17 in)	33 to under 41 cm (13 to under 16 in)
American Bully, Standard and Classic (UKC)6	No weight given		43–51 cm (17–20 in)	41–48 cm (16–19 in)
American Bully, XL (UKC)6	No weight given		Over 51 up to 58 cm (over 20 to 23 in)	Over 48 up to 56 cm (over 19 to 22 in)

Metric figures for the APBT, AmStaff and Bully are our rounded conversions. Reading the chart:

• The APBT standard is flexible. The UKC treats height as a guideline only. Dogs outside the range aren't penalised unless they look disproportionately heavy or rangy, because balance matters more than exact size.¹
• The Staffy figures come with a warning. The Kennel Club's own note to puppy buyers says a dog may end up larger or smaller than the measurements in the standard.⁵
• Bully standards cap bulk, not just height. The UKC lists "overly massive dogs" as a disqualification.⁶ A heavier Bully isn't automatically a better one.

Why so many Australian "pit bulls" are really Staffies

The Staffy is one of Australia's most popular breeds. Dogs Australia ranks it second in the national top 10 and says it has the largest population of any breed, with registrations of over 4,000 (not counting unregistered dogs).⁷ If your dog came from a registered Australian breeder, it's almost certainly a Staffy or an AmStaff. That puts the Staffy row of the chart, or the AmStaff height guide, closest to your dog.

Pit bull and Staffy puppy growth: what to expect by age

We looked for a published week-by-week weight chart for APBTs or Staffies, but no breed standard or peer-reviewed study gives one. So rather than invent numbers, here is what the research actually supports.

The biggest growth study so far, by Salt and colleagues (2017), used the records of more than six million young dogs seen at veterinary clinics. Its growth charts are grouped by expected adult weight, not by breed, and "Pit Bull type" falls into the 15 to under 30 kg category.⁹ The charts cover 12 weeks to two years, and the authors found that size category described growth about as well as breed did.⁹ Most Staffies, at 11–17 kg as adults, sit at the boundary between the 9–15 kg and 15–30 kg bands.

Stage	What's normal
12 weeks onward	The research growth charts start here. Weigh your puppy weekly if you can, and at least every two weeks, at the same time of day.9,10
3–12 months	A healthy puppy should follow roughly the same centile line on the chart. Drifting up towards the next line suggests it's eating too much, and drifting down suggests too little.10
12–15 months	Most dogs with an adult weight of about 11–27 kg (24–59 lb) are fully grown by now.11
Adult	Once growth has finished, switch from the growth chart to regular body condition checks (see below).12

Ask your vet about the WALTHAM puppy growth charts, which were built from this research. You need your puppy's sex, an estimate of its adult weight (from the parents or the breed standard), its age in weeks and its weight in kilograms.¹⁰

When do pit bulls and Staffies stop growing?

A dog stops getting taller when its growth plates, the soft growing ends of the long bones, close. A vet-written guide on PetMD puts medium dogs of 24–59 lb (about 11–27 kg) at full size around 12–15 months, which covers both Staffies and APBTs.¹¹ The research agrees that bigger dogs take longer: very small dogs mature at 8–12 months, while large breeds can need up to 24 months to reach adult weight.⁹ An X-ray is the only way to confirm the growth plates have closed.¹¹

Does desexing change how big they get?

It can change height a little, but it has little effect on weight. Here's what the evidence says, carefully:

• In a controlled study of 32 mixed-breed dogs, desexing delayed growth plate closure. Dogs desexed at 7 weeks ended up with longer forelimb bones than intact dogs. Food intake and weight gain were not affected.¹⁷
• In the Salt growth data, dogs desexed before 37 weeks grew along a slightly higher weight path, and those desexed later along a slightly lower one. Both shifts were small compared with normal variation between dogs.⁹
• After desexing, a dog's energy needs can change. A Danish study of 268 dogs found that neutering raised the risk of overweight in males. Females were at similar risk whether desexed or not.¹⁸

The best age to desex depends on more than growth, so talk it through with your vet.¹¹ If you own a restricted-breed dog, the law may decide for you (see below).

Is my pit bull a healthy weight? The rib and waist test

With ranges this wide, a 25 kg dog can be lean or overweight. Vets use the WSAVA 9-point body condition score (BCS), and RSPCA Australia recommends the same chart.^12,13 A score of 4 or 5 is ideal.

1. Feel the ribs. Run your flat hands along your dog's sides. At the ideal score you can feel the ribs easily under a thin layer of fat, without pressing hard.¹²
2. Look from above. You should see a waist behind the ribs.¹²
3. Look from the side. The belly should tuck up towards the back legs.¹²

Signs your dog is heading over ideal (6–9 on the chart) include ribs you can only feel with pressure, a waist that's barely visible, and fat pads over the lower back and base of the tail.¹² If the ribs, spine and hip bones are clearly visible, your dog may be under ideal (1–3). Book a vet check either way.

The muscle trap: Staffies and AmStaffs carry a lot of muscle, so owners often read a broad chest as "solid" when the waist has quietly disappeared. Judge the waist and ribs, not the shoulders.

Why extra kilos matter for pit bulls and Staffies

Being overweight is common in Australian dogs. A University of Sydney-led study of 2,661 dogs at 52 Australian vet practices found that 33.5% were overweight and 7.6% obese.¹⁴ The consequences are real:

• Shorter life. In a study of more than 50,000 desexed dogs across 12 breeds, overweight dogs died younger in every breed. For pit bull-type dogs, the median lifespan was 13.8 years at a normal weight, compared with 13.0 (males) and 12.9 (females) when overweight.¹⁵
• Earlier disease. In a lifelong trial with Labradors, the dogs fed less lived significantly longer, and signs of chronic disease generally appeared later.¹⁶
• Wider health effects. Obesity in dogs is associated with heart and breathing, joint, hormonal and cancer-related disorders.¹⁹

For more on how long these dogs live and what affects it, read our guide to pit bull lifespan.

Are pit bulls legal in Australia?

The American Pit Bull Terrier is the most tightly regulated of these breeds. Staffies and AmStaffs are not on the breed lists below. Councils can still declare an individual dog dangerous or menacing because of its behaviour.

• Federal: Under the Customs (Prohibited Imports) Regulations 1956, the "American pit bull terrier or pit bull terrier" is listed as a dangerous breed that can't be imported into Australia.²⁰
• Queensland: The APBT is one of five prohibited breeds under the Animal Management (Cats and Dogs) Act 2008. A person must not own or be responsible for one unless they have a reasonable excuse.²¹
• NSW: The APBT is a restricted dog. You can't sell it, advertise it, give it away or transfer it. It must be desexed, kept in a council-certified enclosure, muzzled and leashed off the property, and supervised by someone aged 18 or over, and the owner pays an annual permit fee.²² Crossbreeds may need a temperament assessment.²²
• Victoria: Pure or crossbred dogs that visibly contain the APBT are restricted breed dogs. They can be registered, with conditions such as desexing and microchipping.²³
• WA: The APBT is a restricted breed under the Dog (Restricted Breeds) Regulations 2002, with penalties of up to $5,000 for breaches.²⁴

Rules differ between states and councils and change from time to time, so check with your local council before you get a dog that could be classed as a pit bull. RSPCA Australia doesn't believe breed-specific laws are effective, and says dogs should be judged on behaviour, not looks.⁸ For more background, see pit bulls: the misunderstood breed.

Sizing clothes for muscular breeds: deep chest, thick neck

Weight is a poor guide to clothing size for bully breeds, so measure instead:

1. Chest: around the widest part, just behind the front legs. This is the measurement that matters most.
2. Neck: where the collar sits.
3. Back: from the base of the neck to the base of the tail.

On our size by breed chart, most Staffies wear a Large (65–75 cm chest, 46–56 cm neck), and very muscly Staffies may need an XL. American Staffordshire Terriers and Bull Terriers usually wear an XL (73–83 cm chest, 50–60 cm neck). APBTs and American Bullies vary too much to call, so measure and compare with the size finder. If your dog is between sizes, go up. The stretch fabric handles a deep chest, and our front hem sits higher than the back, which suits a broad-bodied boy on toilet stops.

FAQs

How much should a pit bull weigh at 6 months?

No reliable breed-specific figure exists, and a single number would mislead. Puppies vary widely. Plot your puppy on a size-category growth chart with your vet and check that it stays on roughly the same centile line.^9,10

How big do Staffies get?

Under the Australian standard, Staffies are 36–41 cm at the shoulder. Males weigh 13–17 kg and females 11–15.4 kg.⁴ Some pet Staffies end up a bit outside these ranges, which the Kennel Club says can happen.⁵

My pit bull is 30 kg. Is that too heavy?

It's above the UKC's desirable range for a male APBT (about 16–27 kg).¹ Your dog may be a cross or a bigger AmStaff or Bully type, though. Use the rib and waist checks, and ask your vet for a body condition score before you cut food.

When do pit bulls stop growing?

Most medium-sized dogs are fully grown at around 12–15 months.¹¹ After that, keep an eye on body condition rather than the scales alone.

Is a Staffy a pit bull?

No. The Staffordshire Bull Terrier is a separate, recognised breed and is not on the Queensland or NSW lists of prohibited or restricted breeds.^21,22 "Pit bull" is a descriptive label rather than a breed.⁸

References

1. United Kennel Club. American Pit Bull Terrier breed standard (revised 1 May 2017)
2. American Kennel Club. American Staffordshire Terrier official standard (approved 1936)
3. Dogs Australia. American Staffordshire Terrier breed standard
4. Dogs Victoria (ANKC member body). Staffordshire Bull Terrier breed standard
5. The Royal Kennel Club. Staffordshire Bull Terrier breed standard
6. United Kennel Club. American Bully breed standard (2025)
7. Dogs Australia. Staffordshire Bull Terrier: browse a breed
8. RSPCA Knowledgebase. What is the RSPCA's view on breed-specific legislation?
9. Salt C et al. (2017), PLOS ONE. Growth standard charts for monitoring bodyweight in dogs of different sizes
10. Royal Canin Academy. Puppy growth charts
11. PetMD (Sandra C. Mitchell, DVM). When do dogs stop growing?
12. World Small Animal Veterinary Association. Body Condition Score: dog
13. RSPCA Australia. 4 ways to avoid obesity in your dog
14. McGreevy PD et al. (2005), Veterinary Record. Prevalence of obesity in dogs examined by Australian veterinary practices and the risk factors involved
15. Salt C et al. (2019), Journal of Veterinary Internal Medicine. Association between life span and body condition in neutered client-owned dogs
16. Kealy RD et al. (2002), JAVMA. Effects of diet restriction on life span and age-related changes in dogs
17. Salmeri KR et al. (1991), JAVMA. Gonadectomy in immature dogs: effects on skeletal, physical, and behavioral development
18. Bjørnvad CR et al. (2019), Preventive Veterinary Medicine. Neutering increases the risk of obesity in male dogs but not in bitches
19. Suarez L et al. (2022), Veterinary Sciences. Is dog owner obesity a risk factor for canine obesity? A "One-Health" study
20. Federal Register of Legislation. Customs (Prohibited Imports) Amendment Regulations 2004 (No. 3), regulation 5L "Importation of dangerous breeds of dogs"
21. Queensland Government. Regulated dogs
22. NSW Office of Local Government. Restricted dogs and Control requirements for restricted dogs
23. City of Boroondara (Vic). Register restricted breed dogs
24. City of Vincent (WA). Restricted dog breeds