# Need HELP! Puppy appears to be too small



## jgarcia4988 (Jan 28, 2015)

I'm sure you guys have seen this thread repeatedly, and I've read a few, but I feel my situation is slightly different.

I was in search of a perfect GSD puppy in November and tried to go through a rescue. It took them 32 days to get back to my original request. They were the only one within my area and they didn't have an office where you could go in and look at dogs or speak to an employee. They placed these puppies/dogs in homes and then got them a good place to live. 

After about 28 days I got impatient at the lack of returned phone calls and answered emails so I got on Craigslist and found a puppy within my area. I spoke to the owner, who had just 2 left, and she assured me the puppy had the required immunizations and was 9 weeks old. After seeing the puppies my girlfriend, who lives with me, wanted one so we went ahead and made it happen. The owner told me she would get me all the necessary paperwork later (it was only suppose to be a viewing, we didn't intend on actually taking one and it was done at a secure, seperate place). Well after I asked for all records the lady stopped speaking to me completely. She did send me pics of her two GSDs that supposedly bred my pup, the picture appeared to be in the same backyard that Roxie (my pup) was in when they sent pictures of her, and both appeared to be GSDs. 

I take her to the vet the second day I had her only to find out she had worms. She also weighed 4.1 pounds. I didn't know if this was normal because I've never owned a puppy before. Fast forward to today, she is extremely healthy and happy (I think they beat her because it took a while for her to kick the lowered ears, tucked tail when making to her head to pet her) and we love her to death. Problem is that, by the previous owner's timeline of 9 weeks old, she should be 20 weeks old. We just got back from the vet yesterday and she weighed all of 17.5 pounds. We have followed the vet's instructions on feeding and amount (use Science Diet puppy, large breed). In the past 3 weeks she has hit a spurt and is exactly double in size but that is entirely too small for a 20 week old puppy. It's not even half the size of the projected weight for the dog!!! I have looked up pictures and size estimates of puppies and the way Roxie looked when I got her and the weight she had, it's consistent with a 4-5 week old GSD. 

Is it reasonable to expect that my GSD is actually 15-16 weeks instead of 20 weeks? Even then, she's small for her age. But it isn't as bad as it is if she truly is 20 weeks old. I've attached a couple of pictures.


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## Castlemaid (Jun 29, 2006)

Hard to tell from these pictures - some GSDs are very small as pups, but later catch up. - Not that unusual for a female to be on the small side, like 50 - 60 lbs all grown up. 

Do you have any pics of your pup from when you first adopted her? Easier then to tell if she looked 4 - 5 weeks old, as opposed as 8 - 9 weeks old, but your vet should have been able to tell if she was actually only four weeks old when you got her.


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## Zeusthegsd143 (Nov 24, 2014)

jgarcia4988 said:


> I'm sure you guys have seen this thread repeatedly, and I've read a few, but I feel my situation is slightly different.
> 
> I was in search of a perfect GSD puppy in November and tried to go through a rescue. It took them 32 days to get back to my original request. They were the only one within my area and they didn't have an office where you could go in and look at dogs or speak to an employee. They placed these puppies/dogs in homes and then got them a good place to live.
> 
> ...


Don't worry so much about her size, worry more about keeping your pup lean and healthy. Not all German Shepherds are huge. In fact my last female German shepherd was only 55 pounds full grown and filled out.


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## carmspack (Feb 2, 2011)

can you post a picture of the "parents"?


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## carmspack (Feb 2, 2011)

many who worry about the lean and healthy do harm through denying nutrition that is critical for the immune system and for growth !


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## pyratemom (Jan 10, 2011)

We all know how many problems people have had with Craig's list purchases when it comes to puppies. I would get the vet to estimate her age and also if there is any way to check to see if she has had vaccinations yet. Many puppies seem small at first then hit a growth spurt so your girl may just be waiting for that or she may be younger than you thought. Also, I would contact the breeder again and ask for papers or at least a copy of the parents papers if they can't produce evidence of registering the litter. If you can get a look at her bloodline it will be easier to get an idea of what her weight should be by her bloodlines weight. Of course the papers don't give weight but you can look up names and try to get information that way. Also, the Science Diet may not agree with her and it may require that you find a different large breed puppy feed.


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## jgarcia4988 (Jan 28, 2015)

Attached is a pic of her the day we got her. The lady took a pic of Roxie before we met at a secure place. 

I don't have pics of the parents because I didn't think to save the picture that was sent to me. I was more involved with how my puppy looked. 

I and the vet believe she is the perfect size for her height. The vet has consistently questioned my information on her birth date BUT HAS YET TO SUGGEST GIVING ME HER OWN ESTIMATE.


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## Sabis mom (Mar 20, 2014)

She looks to be about 6-7 weeks or so in that pic, but I am no expert.

However, for future reference, don't buy puppies in parking lots. A breeder should be more then happy to have you in their home/kennel.


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## jgarcia4988 (Jan 28, 2015)

Sabis mom said:


> She looks to be about 6-7 weeks or so in that pic, but I am no expert.
> 
> However, for future reference, don't buy puppies in parking lots. A breeder should be more then happy to have you in their home/kennel.


You think so? She doesn't look to be malnourished in that picture or in real life, she weighed only 4.1 pounds. I will defer to your opinion, though, since I have no experience with puppies.

And it was my idea to meet at a well lit park in order to see the dog. I didn't feel comfortable meeting a complete stranger at their home, although the owner insisted on it. Roxie and her sisters lived outside with the parent dogs because they were outside dogs. From my conversation with the owner, it did not sound like the most healthy environment for raising a dog. It definitely isn't something I would do with my own (outside with a big bowl of food and water, not allowed inside). Roxie is an inside dog with her own room, crate and unlimited access to us when we are home. 

I must say that a reason why I went ahead and pulled the trigger on buying her was because the owners seemed real shady, didn't seem to have the best environment for puppies and definitely did not look like breeders with papers. At this point I'm just worried about how Roxie is progressing and if her age is correct so I can kind of track it.


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## Zeusthegsd143 (Nov 24, 2014)

She looks way younger than 9 weeks old in this picture. Maybe 6-7 weeks old. Cute but your pup might not be as old as you think.


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## selzer (May 7, 2005)

I think 4-5 weeks old in the picture. I think the dog looks like an ordinary GSD puppy in the current photo. What is done is done. It could be that the pup's breeder is just worried to have strangers coming to the home, I can see that for people living alone in bad neighborhoods.

Could also be someone with something to hide. But the pup is here and is growing, healthy for its size. I think you just expect it is a little younger than you thought. 

If the breeder gave it any shots, they would have only given one set at that point, so your vet will be doing a few more sets. Your vet sees the pup and feels it, go with how they think the pup is sizewise. 

Now is the time to spend looking up everything there is to figure out about GSDs: nutrition, training, what health concerns typical in the breed -- what to look out for. I am not saying because you got your dog from Craig'slist it will have problems. I am saying the breed itself has typical health problems, and knowing what the symptoms are of the biggies might help your pup down the line.

Good luck with the puppy, she looks nice.


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