What's with this SIZE? - Page 3

The best nutrition can only affect growth rate, not the result, the entire size!! Size is only genetic!! So we have only the possibilitty to select the partners for medium, or say better "correct" size. And there comes the difficulty: we have only very few correct size dogs. And also these dogs have ancestors! It will take a long time to get back normal size dogs! And it depends on the players in this field, if they really want to come back to correct size!!

I have a 9 yr old grandson of Cello. He weighs 70lbs and acts 2yrs old. He's still one of the best personal protection dogs alive. On the flip side of the coin we have a 4yr old son of Yasko who is a giant. He is a little over 72cm and well over a hundred lbs. He runs and swims all day in the summer. He was first bit by a big Rattler 2 summers ago. He killed the Rattler but was bitten deep on the muzzle. I gave him mega doses of Vit C and ground up the tabs and used it as a cold poultice directly on the punctures. He swelled up and the dead tissue smelled to high heaven, but he healed up just fine. He was bitten again last summer, but had already built up an immunity from the previous year and it wasnt near as bad. He has no health problems, thrives in sub zero temps or heat and seems indestructable. Whether on the smaller or larger end of the spectrum a sturdy proper proportioned dog will Thrive.

People like BIG BAD dogs and you see alot of advertising how big the pups will be. The market demand has been for large dogs. Don't know how many times I have had people in public remark how my 65 lb female was "small" compared to their neighbors big ole 120# GSd. All I could say was "Thanks"!

I saw several other folks already touch on this, but I just thought I'd add my own 2 cents (albeit somewhat worthless now) Neutering before a dog is fully mature...and especially before a dog hits puberty WILL make them grow taller! I know that sometimes folks in the horse industry, namely the hunter-jumpers and dressage folks will castrate a colt if he is on the small side of the scale in hopes that he will grow tall enough to be a competition horse. I've seen plenty of rangy over-sized dogs whom had been neutered at very early ages, but most memorable to me were 2 cavalier males, same age, different parents, both from championed parents, same owner, both neutered before puberty, both grew to the size of springer spaniel dogs! (normal size of cavalier is about 15 lbs, these fellas were literally 30 some lbs! and NOT fat) When a dog goes through puberty his body releases hormones that cause the growth plates in the bones to stop growing, when a dog is neutered before or during puberty those hormones are still released, but much less and over a longer period of time, thus giving the dog a longer growth period. neutering/spaying also has an affect on coats!

There are a lot of oversized dogs in the old W Germanbloodlines both showline and worklines that were combined and kk2 dogs all along the lines. Its a lot of study to weed them out and expect to use your smaller females from now on....My Cadette v Busceker Schloss and Wierthurchen, Zilla , got me to learning about this same genetic kickback and it is genetic one o one.......