# Male 8.2 lbs at 7 weeks?



## Marmalade (May 21, 2013)

Hello I just got my puppy 5 days ago, he just turned 7 weeks old on tuesday and he only weighs 8.2lbs! Why is my puppy so little? he is Purebred GSD AKC registered and everything, but according to all the GSD charts he should weigh between 15 and 20lbs by the end of next week and there is no way he will gain that much weight in 6 days. I feet him 3/4 a cup twice a day of the Purina Pro Plan large breed puppy food. Should I be feeding him more food?


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## Pooky44 (Feb 10, 2013)

Do you have his parent's registration? I would be good to look at them.
Is he skinny? Has he been vet checked?
Pro Plan isn't horrible food but check online for better foods.
Dog Food Reviews and Ratings | Dog Food Advisor
It seems that he could be eating more but he may still be reacting to his new home.


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## Marmalade (May 21, 2013)

Yes I've seen his parents registration and I've seen his parents, they are both big GSD's if I had to guess I would say his mom is around 75-80lbs and his dad is around 100lbs. He has a very thick fluffy puppy coat so you can't really see if he is skinny but yes when I feel him I think he is under weight. As far as reacting to a new home he loves it here, he plays with all his toys and will chase me outside, he sleeps most the time but he is a puppy so I expected that. I really like Purina so I don't plan on changing the food anytime soon especially since he just got started on it and he seems to like it. He is going in to the vets next Tuesday for a check up and his second set of vaccines. I've never owned a GSD puppy so I was wondering if this has happened to anyone else before and if its normal of if he just needs more food.


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## martemchik (Nov 23, 2010)

More than likely he's younger than what you believe. He's way too small to be that age, and just looking at the picture you have as your avatar I believe he's younger.

I also think he needs more food than what you're giving him, remember...they burn through calories at this age and need all they can get to grow.


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## Carriesue (Aug 13, 2012)

I feed my puppy 3 cups a day, one cup split three times throughout the day... 3/4 twice a day doesn't sound like a lot?

I would also consider switching him to a higher quality kibble, Purina has a lot of filler and junk in it... It may be cheaper but you'll be feeding more of it and having more waste.

But 8lbs is not unheard of for a dog that age, every dog is different. And I agree he looks really young in your avatar... He shouldn't of left his siblings until 8 weeks old ideally.


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## Pooky44 (Feb 10, 2013)

Looked at your album and he's awful cute. Looks younger than 6 or 7 weeks. He also looks healthy and not skinny. Was he the runt? That could account for his size. I had a runt one time that turned out to be very large so don't go by his current size.
I didn't read all the posts, did you ask the breeder for more information about his size?


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## Marmalade (May 21, 2013)

Pooky44 said:


> Looked at your album and he's awful cute. Looks younger than 6 or 7 weeks. He also looks healthy and not skinny. Was he the runt? That could account for his size. I had a runt one time that turned out to be very large so don't go by his current size.
> I didn't read all the posts, did you ask the breeder for more information about his size?



Thank you for the compliment on Marmalade. I never asked the breeder if he was the runt, I guess I never thought to. He was the only Male left by the time I got there so I didn't get to compare him with the rest of the puppies. I'll email the breeder now and see what she has to say.


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## trcy (Mar 1, 2013)

My puppy was 8 weeks when we got him and he was 7lbs 2 oz. I took him to the vet the day we picked him up and was told he was to skinny and to feed him 4 to 5 times a day. Has your puppy been to the vet yet? 

He's fine now almost 7 months and 70lbs.


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## KZoppa (Aug 14, 2010)

Stop going off the charts. They're not a one size fits all!!!! 

People guess my female weighs 90lbs. She's only 75lbs. She's in good condition. Don't try to guess a dogs weight. As far as your pup, he's either younger or he's just built differently than you expected. My pup was 8lbs at just under 8 weeks. At his checkup with the vet last week, he weighed in at 9.5lbs. 

Don't over feed your puppy. You want to keep them lean so as not to stress their growing joints. That doesn't mean starve him. That means keep an eye on his body condition. He's getting a good amount of food for his size. Love him, train him and take care of him. Don't obsess about his weight unless it drops rapidly or he's overweight. He will grow at his own pace and not what the charts say. If after his first meal of the day, he's looking for more, give a little more. If you bump him up to 2 cups a day and he doesn't finish the morning meal or the evening meal in the allotted time, he's being given too much. Adjust accordingly.


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