Worried about weight unneccesarily?

[deano76]

Hi everyone. Just looking for a bit of reassurance really.

I got my pup 3 days ago and he turned 8 weeks yesterday. We went for first vaccinations today and he weighed 8.3lbs. He is from a HUGE litter of 12 and wasn't the smallest or the largest pup. Probably somewhere in the middle.

Anyway, he eats like he's never seen food before and is always on the lookout for more - but I just have this nag in my head that says he should be heavier than this at this age even though he came from such a large litter. Anyone else have a pup at this age who weighed around the 8lbs mark? I've been taking him everywhere in my arms to get him socialised and everyone comments on his size (saying wow he's big when I tell them he's 8 weeks) so I know I'm probably being a dufus

Have attached a pic even though I'm sure it's really difficult to get an idea of size from a photo as well as one with my other boy - a 5 year old Basset Hound.

Thanks a lot!

A (stupidly!) worrying GSD dad

[Elaine]

His actual weight doesn't matter.What does matter is his body condition. You need to feed him so he's nice and lean, not fat or too skinny.

[Jag]

Don't worry about it. Grim came to me at nearly 12 weeks weighing less than 18 lbs. He didn't look bad, he was just light and lean. His last weight at 17 weeks was 35.5 lbs. Now he looks a little skinny, but is being treated for worms. He's been tested all along and was negative, I don't know how he came up positive now. Anyway, he's steadily gained weight. He's probably still going to be a big boy, but he doesn't need all that weight on a puppy body. Those joints need less weight on them. In fact, the puppy food I have him on (Innova) is made so they DON'T have big weight increases that are too much for their body. He eats well, poops well, and plays well. He's just not an overly huge pup. It's not a bad thing. They really shouldn't reach their peak weight until they're around 2. So don't put a lot of stock in the scale, as long as the pup is gaining weight. Go more by what you SEE. I saw Grim thinning out where I wasn't comfortable, and it seemed to happen in a couple days. Sure enough, he needed some meds. If you watch your pup's growth and concentrate on what you see, you'll be fine.

[reck0n3r]

Yup don't worry too much about weight, as long as he LOOKS and ACTS healthy, the weight will take care of itself.

My breeder recommended feeding my guy twice a day, but he wasn't eating much the first week or so here (probably due to nerves). Now the little bugger will never stop eating if I left the entire bag for him. I have been feeding him 3 times a day for the last few months now and he's been great. Choice of food is extremely important too.

Just make sure you're feeding him good food, and pay attention to coat/ears/eyes etc and his energy levels.

Cute guy btw! They grow super quick, so get ready.

[lzver]

Our Jake was only 8 pounds when we got him at 8 weeks old. Now Jake did have digestive issues from 3 – 7 months old that caused him to gain weight very slowly (if at all some weeks) and he was definitely underweight by the time he was 7 months old. But after determining he had SIBO (Small Intestinal Bacterial Overgrowth) and was on the antibiotic Tylan for 7 weeks, he is now in ideal body condition and weighs just shy of 70 pounds at 9 ½ months.

There is always variation in size in every breed. We’ve accepted that Jake likely won’t be a 90 or 100 pound shepherd. His parents were 75 and 80 pounds, so that’s likely where he’ll end up as well.

He's super cute by the way. I just want to scoop him up and cuddle him

[Thorny]

Gunnar turned 8 weeks on tuesday. I just weighed him tonight and he's 15#
He leaves most of his food and grazes all day long. He was the biggest in a litter of 10, but he's slimming down over the last 5 days that I've had him.

Here's my 4 year old holding him when he was 7 weeks old.

[Suka]

Thorny, in the interest of housetraining, you may want to look into feeding him 3 times a day at regular set times instead of grazing. There are a few reasons why, but this is a good one.

[Thorny]

Originally Posted by Suka

Thorny, in the interest of housetraining, you may want to look into feeding him 3 times a day at regular set times instead of grazing. There are a few reasons why, but this is a good one.

expand please. I'm looking for all the info I can get.

[Thorny]

never mind. I found the answers. I've been free feeding since he doesn't want to eat much at any one time. and if I take the food away he'll be hungy. Then I fear that next meal time he'll scarf it all down and learn to eat like my friends dog, which is just plain dangerous.

And potty training has not been an issue. he pee's on command and poops only after a hard romp 3x a day, so I can sort of plan that too.

[Elaine]

If he's not eating like a pig, he probably won't start just because you feed actual meals 3 times a day. I would discourage you from free feeding as it lowers food drive, they poop at more irregular intervals, and it's hard to really get a good idea of how much he's eating when free fed.