# Does puppy size matter?



## Duck Blind (Dec 11, 2010)

My daughters and I went to visit "our" litter today. I have 4th pick female. Total of 9 pups in this litter - 6 female, 3 males. Pups in this litter weigh between 6.8 and 8 lbs. There are two pups that I have my eye on and they both weigh 6.8. Two questions:

1- Is puppy weight an indication of what their adult weight will be?
2- Any reason why I shouldn't select one of the smallest pups in the litter.

Going in, I wanted a smaller dog. 

Thanks in advance for your responses.

7 days and counting!!

Brian


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## Julie R. (Jan 13, 2003)

Their size now isn't a reliable indicator of how big they'll get; it sounds like a fairly uniform litter, too. Some of the eggs could've been fertilized a day or more later and a day or two can mean a half lb. difference easily. Better indicator is the parents' size and/or any offspring they've had previously.


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## helencalif (Feb 2, 2004)

The next time you go to see them, their weights will probably have changed. 

I look at structure and look at "bone" (big bone, small bone). 

Go for the puppy you like.


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## Angie B (Sep 30, 2003)

You can't tell anything about their adult weight and size now. Best to look at the parents and grandparents...

Once the pup is 4 months double it's weight and that will be close to it's adult weight.. Supposedly...

Angie


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## Keith Stroyan (Sep 22, 2005)

Duck Blind said:


> ...Two questions:
> 
> 1- Is puppy weight an indication of what their adult weight will be?


I'll repeat what's said above. Size at this age doesn't indicate adult size, even in comparison to larger littermates. I've had the smallest male end up biggest adult and the largest pup end up smallest male (but a little bigger than the females.)

My guess is that maternal nutrition affects size at this age - if they get a small placenta, they start out behind. But genes and later nutrition determine adult size.

DON'T over feed, either. That disposes them to hip problems.



> 2- Any reason why I shouldn't select one of the smallest pups in the litter.


No, as long as they seem healthy, those little ones are just fine.


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## Its all G (Jan 6, 2011)

I have heard that also, and it held pretty true with my last two labs.


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## david gibson (Nov 5, 2008)

to me, size matters none. i have had 2 runts that were A-1 learners and performers.

what matters more is how the pups respond to various stimuli - littermates, pigeons, tennis balls, etc. a good breeder that qualifies their prospective buyers and pups will usually have them picked for you, based on what they know you want out of the pup. what if the person with no. 1 pick just wants a pet, and you with no. 4 wants a hunter? just an example. hardly right that they pick the pup with the most birdyness. and then again, even if its the smallest pup, if it responds better to the birds then that has to be considered. pet-pickers tend to overlook this and go for the biggest, especially with males.....

there is no exact science, but there is at least some science to the madness.


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## ReedCreek (Dec 30, 2007)

My Grady pup was the smallest one in the litter; I had never seen a pup that small and fragile looking. At 7 mo. things have changed; she has grown and is now almost one of the largest in her litter. She has filled out and looks beautiful.


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## ErinsEdge (Feb 14, 2003)

One pound difference doesn't mean much in a larger litter. Don't worry about it.


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## Don Smith (Mar 23, 2004)

Size at that age doesn't matter. In my last litter, the last one whelped was half the size of all the others through the age when others when to their new homes. I kept him and his sister, first born and one of the largest. He caught up and went beyond. Grown, Lucy's now at 58 lbs. Little Guy, the tiny one, is now the largest in my kennel at 80 lbs.
http://www.meglynretrievers.com/id28.html


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## Lady Duck Hunter (Jan 9, 2003)

Of the many litters we've had over the years, I noticed a trend of the 5 week weight X 10 coming really close to their "in shape" adult weight. That's not to say there won't be variations.... it depends on how much exercise they get and how much and what kind of food they get. This is NOT scientificly proven only anecdotal based solely on the dogs I raised or was able to keep up with after they left my home.


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## Wayne Beck (Mar 22, 2010)

boy am I glad thats not an indicator! 

My first dog CLM- 11.5 pounds at 7 weeks.. 105 pounds full grown

My YLM- 7 pounds at 7 weeks.. Now 85 pounds. 

My new pup.. 17 pounds at 7 weeks.. Currently about 80ish pounds at 8 months.


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## Howard N (Jan 3, 2003)

Lady Duck Hunter said:


> Of the many litters we've had over the years, I noticed a trend of the 5 week weight X 10 coming really close to their "in shape" adult weight. That's not to say there won't be variations.... it depends on how much exercise they get and how much and what kind of food they get. This is NOT scientificly proven only anecdotal based solely on the dogs I raised or was able to keep up with after they left my home.


Vicky, Has this been on the 35th day or sometime in the middle or end of the 5th week? 

They're putting on weight pretty fast at this age.


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## Lady Duck Hunter (Jan 9, 2003)

In our case it was on the 35th day. I kpet weight charts on a bunch of our litters weighing daily at first , I think it was til they were 3 weeks old, then I weighed them weekly on the exact day they turned another week older.


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## Duck Blind (Dec 11, 2010)

Have you guys seen this formula for calculating approximate adult weight.
#

Growth = Current weight / Age in weeks
Estimated adult weight = Growth x 52

Example: A toy poodle is 3 pounds at 14 weeks. His projected adult weight is less than 9.75 pounds.
Growth = 3 lbs / 14 weeks = 0.214 lbs/week
Estimated adult weight = 0.214 lbs/week x 52 weeks = 9.75 lbs
The toy poodle has passed his rapid growth stage, so he should grow to less than the estimated adult weight.

http://www.ehow.com/how_5015037_calculate-dog-weight-during-puppyhood.html#ixzz1Aa2uso00


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## gman0046 (May 7, 2009)

In the dog in my Avatar's litter there was a black male that was almost twice the size of the others we called him Bubba. The black female (which is what we wanted) in my Avatar was the runt of the litter. We had a low number pick and it was her or nothing. She turned out to be 23 inches at her withers and never weighed more then 63#. She was slim and trim and extremely athletic. An almost exact duplicate of her Momma. We came to find out Bubba's size evened out and he was in the 80-85 # range at full size. Not sure there's any scientific way to determine their size other then comparing them to their sire and dam. Our two year old yellow female started out bigger with larger paws but is just under 22 inches and weighs 62#. She could probably stand to lose a couple of pounds. She's shorter and stockier then the black female. I call her my Pocket Rocket.


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## ErinsEdge (Feb 14, 2003)

Lady Duck Hunter said:


> In our case it was on the 35th day. I kpet weight charts on a bunch of our litters weighing daily at first , I think it was til they were 3 weeks old, then I weighed them weekly on the exact day they turned another week older.


How many litters were there about, were these litters from one female or maybe her daughters, and how many different studs and were any studs larger-90+ pounds? I definately can say that I could not come up with those figures from big litters or from small litters when the pups are big. Also, 5 weeks is around weaning and their weight is not always the greatest-they gain quite a big in the next 2 weeks. Also, what are the adult weight differences or range?


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## 2tall (Oct 11, 2006)

Duck Blind said:


> Have you guys seen this formula for calculating approximate adult weight.
> #
> 
> Growth = Current weight / Age in weeks
> ...



Holy Cow, (literally)! Have any of you ever tested this formula? If my calculations are right, my pup will be approximately 97 #s!!!! I wonder if it is just not accurate when they are only a couple of weeks old?

I am thinking the pups are big because the litter is relatively small, 7 pups. But at 2 weeks the largest is 3# 12 oz.


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## Duck Blind (Dec 11, 2010)

2tall said:


> Holy Cow, (literally)! Have any of you ever tested this formula? If my calculations are right, my pup will be approximately 97 #s!!!! I wonder if it is just not accurate when they are only a couple of weeks old?
> 
> I am thinking the pups are big because the litter is relatively small, 7 pups. But at 2 weeks the largest is 3# 12 oz.


After reading a little more, it may be best to weigh the pup once they are beyond the "rapid growth rate" stage - listed here.
"Below is the general time frame when each size grows the fastest":
Toy and small: birth to 3 months (12 weeks)
Medium: birth to 4 months (16 weeks)
Large: birth to 5 months (20 weeks)



Read more: How to Calculate Adult Dog Weight During Puppyhood | eHow.com http://www.ehow.com/how_5015037_calculate-dog-weight-during-puppyhood.html#ixzz1Af4GOWul


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## Lady Duck Hunter (Jan 9, 2003)

ErinsEdge said:


> How many litters were there about, were these litters from one female or maybe her daughters, and how many different studs and were any studs larger-90+ pounds? I definately can say that I could not come up with those figures from big litters or from small litters when the pups are big. Also, 5 weeks is around weaning and their weight is not always the greatest-they gain quite a big in the next 2 weeks. Also, what are the adult weight differences or range?


Whew...Nancy, I said it wasn't scientific, now you want all this "data?" LOL

I'd be hard pressed right now to pull out my records as we are in the middle of a remodel of the house and nothing is where it is supposed to be at the moment.

We had one or two litters a year from 1996-2005 from 3 generations of related females, a mother and her 3 daughters and two grandaughters. The mothers ranged in size from 75-78 (the oldest) down to 62lbs. None of the studs used were over 90 lbs. Most were in the 70-78 lbs range.

Smallest litters were 8 pups. Largest litters were 12.

This is all from memory.

I begin feeding them mush at 2 weeks old and they are mostly eating on their own by 5 weeks.


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## ErinsEdge (Feb 14, 2003)

Lady Duck Hunter said:


> Whew...Nancy, I said it wasn't scientific, now you want all this "data?" LOL
> 
> I'd be hard pressed right now to pull out my records as we are in the middle of a remodel of the house and nothing is where it is supposed to be at the moment.
> 
> ...


You answered the question. The dams were related and were similar in size, and the litters were a good size but from simialar sized parents. I think that it worked well for you and it was an interesting observation.


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