# Is my puppy to small?



## AC1 (Sep 24, 2009)

Hello,

My male German Shepherd turned 3 months old on Saturday. I've read that a normal male german shepherd should weight about 31 pounds at 3 months. My dog only weights 22.5lbs.

We saw both parents when we bought the dog. The mom was 95lbs and the dad was 110lbs. The mom was HUGE and was a direct import from Germany.

If my dog is almost 10 lbs smaller then what he should be at this age, will he still make it to 100lbs? The site that said he should weight 31 lbs right now said he should be 70lbs when he is done growing. Is he going to be smaller then 70lbs if he isnt 31 right now?

I don't think he has worms, could worms stunt his growth? My other dog only poops about twice a day, this dog poops 5 times a day, sometimes more. Is that normal at 3 months?

Thanks


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## zyppi (Jun 2, 2006)

If your puppy is healthy and energetic, I wouldn't worry. The charts are just for averages and all grow at their own rate.

If your pup tops out at under 88 lbs, that would be within breed standard.


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## Kaidsmom (Oct 12, 2009)

I have the same concerns that you do my little guy is even smaller than yours he is 14 weeks this week and last week at the vet he weighed in at 16.9 lbs. His dad is also a large male at 110 lbs. But mine did test positive for whips and round worms but I have taken care of that (gave him worm med. after vet visit). I am also seeking advice on the matter.


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## HeidiW (Apr 9, 2009)

He needs to be checked for worms and parasites, there has been an outbreak with them lately. I would do this right away and get him cleared. Puppies do poop alot more than adult dogs. Are you feeding him enough? An what? Also some pups just start out smaller but then boom have a large growth spurt. My Bell was so tiny and now she is 74 pounds.


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## WiscTiger (Sep 25, 2002)

Frist if you pup had worms or you think it might be a possibility go to the vet and have it checked. 

Next what are you feeding and how much? What are the stools like, firm or pudding plops.

Genetics will determin how big your pup will be as an adult. Some lines grow slower than others, check with the breeder on the normal growth pattern for your pup. Stuff on the internet is averages, not a solid this is what you pup has to weigh at a certain age. 

Val


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## valkyriegsd (Apr 20, 2000)

Have you had him in to the vet's to check on whether he had worms? That would be my first suggestion, but I don't worry about size much. Growing slower is usually better, as long as he's healthy. One of my girls was the runt, literally 1/2 the size of the other pups, but grew to be on the high end of standard. The vet said an egg can get fertilized latter than the rest, making that pup slightly premature. If that happens, they start out small but usually grow to their full genetic potential. So don't stress!!


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## Kaidsmom (Oct 12, 2009)

My Kaid has firm stool and I am feed the recommended amount broken into 3 feeding. He is also getting a supplement of cottage cheese that was recommended by the breeder that I got him from.


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## AC1 (Sep 24, 2009)

Right now my dog is on Iams Puppy Smart large breed. He is eating a couple cups full a day, along with eating poop.

I was thinking about switching him to Eukanuba once he is done with this bag.


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## Lauri & The Gang (Jun 28, 2001)

Neither Iams nor Eukanuba are good quality foods.

Try reading through some of the threads here to learn more about kibble (or raw). They will help you make a better food choice.


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## AC1 (Sep 24, 2009)

What do you feed your dog Lauri? I always thought Eukanuba was the best


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## AbbyK9 (Oct 11, 2005)

Lauri has a wonderful website all about what she feeds, a raw diet. Her site is http://www.rawdogranch.com and is packed full of info and resources.

Neither Iams nor Eukanuba are "the best" dog foods - they don't even rank very high up on the list of "good" dog foods since they're packed full of grains and cheap quality ingredients. The nutrition forums here have a lot of great threads on picking good quality foods and getting opinions on foods. The Dog Food Project - http://www.dogfoodproject.com/ - also provides lots of information.


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## Cassidy's Mom (Mar 30, 2003)

> Originally Posted By: AC1Hello,
> 
> My male German Shepherd turned 3 months old on Saturday. I've read that a normal male german shepherd should weight *about* 31 pounds at 3 months. My dog only weights 22.5lbs.


The key here is "about". As zyp mentioned, the charts are simply averages - some puppies will weigh more than that, some will weigh less. And the 3 month weight isn't necessarily an indication of what his adult weight will be either. Dena weighed 7 pounds more at 6 months old than her half sibling Keefer did. He was a pound and a half under the average male weight, she was over the average male weight and WAY over the average female weight. As adults she was about 8 pounds less than him. 

There is an 18 pound spread between the low and high ends of the breed standard for both males and females. Hopefully your puppy WON'T make it to 100 pounds, because that would make him way oversized - the high end of the breed standard for a male is 88 pounds.


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## squirl (Dec 20, 2005)

The charts really are just an approximate. However, I have to say Jersey was the runt of her litter of 3 and still to this day at almost 4 years old is only a whopping 68 lbs soaking wet. She has never been large even though her mom was 85lbs and her dad was 105lbs. She was the runt and has stayed the runt. Although, she is of the working lines and I know they do tend to run a slight bit smaller but not all of them do.
If pup is healthy with no worms or parasites or eating problems I would say that is just a normal weight for your pup.


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## Cassidy's Mom (Mar 30, 2003)

68 pounds is only 2-1/2 pounds under the top of the standard for a female.


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## 876lol678 (Sep 8, 2009)

Scout was the runt of the litter and at 4 months old weighs 22 pounds. I guess she is going to be a mini Shepherd.


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## 3K9Mom (Jun 12, 2006)

My little guy weighed 21.8 lbs at 3 months. He was the smallest of his litter, but he's healthy and robust.

It's easy to get very worried, but fortunately, I have the records of my last male GSD, Camper, as well. At 3 mos, Camper weighed 26.2 lbs and he was one of the biggest pups in his litter. So Celo, at 3 mos, wasn't very far behind. He's off the chart by 10 lbs at 3 months, but only off my other shepherd's weight at the same age by 4 lbs. 

We need to keep in mind that "German Shepherd" growth charts don't break down American vs. German lines (much less Czech lines), working vs. show, BYB vs breeder pups. They're all lumped in there together. So when the chart says 31.3 lbs at 3 months, WHICH kind of GSD are they referring to? 

On 10/12/09, Celo was 20 wks old (5 months). The chart says he should weigh 50.6. He weighed on that day 42.1. Camper, my old GSD, weighed 49 lbs. So Celo is gaining ground -- off from the chart weight by 8 lbs, off of Camper's by 7. 

So I'm not worried. He's growing normally.









Why do I keep referring to Camper? Because I know he was a pup that was smaller than the chart weight for much of his young life, BUT I know where he ended up. His sire was 100 lbs. His dam 90 lbs. He ended up being a 25.5" tall (26" is the top of standard), 85 lb GSD that was a large muscular dog always attracting attention for his size and beauty. He had excellent hips and elbows. He was 78 lbs at one year, and continued to slowly add more weight. So it took him TWO years to reach his full size, but when he did, he was a solid strong dog. 

I'm confident that my little pup will also end up being a large, strong, muscular, healthy dog as well. It just takes time...

Better to feed EXCELLENT food (check out the Food and Nutrition and BARF/raw food threads for info on what foods are good and what aren't. Your pup can and should eat adult food at this point.) and have slow steady growth the way nature intended. 

Get your pup thoroughly vet-checked if you haven't already. And remember, as long as he's being fed excellent food, as long as he's growing consistently, whatever size your dog should be, he'll reach that potential.









I know I gave you a lot of details, but I know it can be worrisome when your pup doesn't seem to be growing well. Do some research and change his diet (that alone may likely get rid of his feces eating). If you think it would make you feel better, keep records to make sure he's growing at a rather consistent pace. Then relax and enjoy your pup


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## RubyTuesday (Jan 20, 2008)

Look for a healthy, alert, active dog & size bedamned. 'Reaching a dog's genetic potential' is about so much more than size. Remember too that there's a tendency to prefer dogs much too beefed up. Slim, strong, muscular dogs age far more gracefully IMO than the bulky sumo wrestlers that are so much in vogue these days.


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## BeaufordDMB (Oct 13, 2009)

Beauford is 11 weeks and 20.2lbs! The vet said he looks great and his weight is normal. He seems like a sturdy/strong little guy and judging from his paws, he's gonna be a BIG guy!


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