size as adults - Page 1

Hi everyone.  Are pups from first litter smaller as adults, compared to second and third litter of the same sire and dam?  Considering sire, dam, and pups are healthy.  And are both purebreeds.  Thanks.

For GSD my answer is no.  It is possible the mother may do a better job of caring for the later litters and may produce more milk but it is not a foregone conclusion and the age of the mother at time of the first litter has some bearing perhaps.  Probably the experience of the human feeding them has more influence as I have had some runts grow up to be the largest adult.  If you feed them good food ( ie raw and meat based diet) they will grow.  I am not a fan of carbohydrate based dog foods using plant proteins and plant fats for puppies.

Bubbabooboo I am guessing you feed your puppy raw.
I have an adult male I am feeding raw chicken backs.
at what age do you feed your pups raw? At what age can they handle bones?
I am getting a puppy very soon.

thanks bubba...some people says their second litter from same sire and dam were bigger as adults, but some also say that no difference as long parents are healthy and at right age.  And somesay that their first litter was more vigorous and bigger as adult.  For sure health of parents plays a big part, while genetics not so because they are same sire/dam combination.  And puppies nutrition also is a very big factor.

Frontline  .... My GSD pups that are 20 pounds ( and some smaller ) can easily handle raw bones .. they have to knaw the meat and the bones as they have trouble crushing bones until they have their adult teeth.  I have put a whole raw chicken in a pen with a group of 12 week old puppies and they find a way to make it disappear.  Prior to 12-13 weeks I feed cooked chicken with few bones ( baked and then stripped from the bones ) or a commercial raw finely ground mix such as Blue Ridge Beef Puppy Mix.  The raw puppy mix can be mixed with evaporated milk and probiotic to make a gruel to transition the puppies from milk to solid.  At 6-8 weeks as the puppies start to wean I start giving evaporated milk with probiotic,  then evaporated milk plus raw puppy such as BRB Puppy mix.  The Blue Ridge Beef Puppy Mix has organ meat, chicken, beef, and some bones ground very fine.  Virtually no problems with weaning puppies getting sick using this protocol as the puppies never go through any weaning shock as they always get as much as they want to eat.  I continue to let the mother feed and nurse the puppies as long as she wants.  I have never had a dog of any age choke on a raw bone but there is a first time for everything.  I feed mostly chicken leg quarters which are 70 cents per pound at the local food big box store such as Walmart.

With puppies and for a long time I have started puppies on RAW very early...Usually at 3 to 4 weeks I'll begin offering RAW Chicken (no bones at this time)...I love to see how their little noses begin to work...It's very interesting...But within a week or two of their first taste of RAW Chicken (without bones) I'll begin giving the puppies a small bit of bone and/or pieces they have to begin to learn how to chew...

I have a puppy now who's 4 months old...Asko vom Hundenarr...who was in the kitchen (at 7 weeks of age) I began to get my adult's RAW Chicken Leg Quarters ready for them (in the kennel)...He wouldn't leave me alone so I gave him a small RAW Chicken Leg Qtr....thinking he'd chew and chew and chew on it...Well it kept him busy for 10 minutes but he ended up eating it all...He's gotten a RAW Chicken Leg Qtr. every night since...Never had a problem and continues to be a pain...waiting for his Chicken...

 

~Bob~

Thanks for the information i am going to buy the blue ridge beef and keep it on her until I feel the pup can handle the bone. I am getting a working line. And I know they dont get so big so I am wanting the pup to get as much nutrition as possible to help the pup develop to the max.

I am the proud owner of a gorgeous 27 month old sire with excellent pedigree. Both parents are perfectly within the breed standard size. However, my dog and his brother are enormous (30" at the withers). The one sister we know is within standard. You never know.

Search his name in this database: Dundee von der Schanzlache.