# Runt owners, what is your experience?



## srains99 (Nov 23, 2009)

I know that my desire to determine my puppy’s adult size is an exercise in futility but I figure it never hurts to try. I guess my questions are for those who own/owned pure breed runts or runts from known mixed parents. First, did your runt grow up to be comparable in size to its siblings and/or parents. If so, how long did it take them to catch up in size? Was it done in the first 6 months of puppy hood or was it a slow process over a year or two? If you like, please provide some detail. The reality is, my situation has so many unknowns, that the odds are, only time will tell. With that said, it will be interesting to hear from other people and how the puppy they got turned out.

My situation, we were contacted by a rescue agency that had a puppy who they thought one parent was a Bernese mountain dog and the other a Lab. The puppies were dropped off at the rescue agency and they were told the puppies were 6 weeks but they guessed they were actually closer to 5, maybe 4. All of them covered in fleas and ticks. We received our puppy (female runt, 50% the size of the other puppies but 200% the attitude) a little over two weeks later, she (Eddie) was 3 lbs 12 oz. So at around 7 weeks Edie was 3.75 lbs, at 14 weeks she is 17 lbs. If you go with the standard estimate, her adult size will be between 35 – 45 lbs. I have never owned a dog that was classified as a “runt” and do not know if they grow at a different rate. I know we can debate the term “runt” but lets not. 

Thanks


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## Spicy1_VV (Jun 1, 2007)

In my experience runts usually catch up in size as pups. 

I've other dogs smaller (or bigger) than their siblings but I don't consider them runts exactly, they are just the size the genes they got dictated them to be. 

What is the standard estimate? 

Also remember litters can have more than one sire. Perhaps a smaller dog is the sire of this pup.


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## srains99 (Nov 23, 2009)

As far as "standard" estimate, 2 - 2.5 x the weight at 14 - 16 weeks.


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## Spicy1_VV (Jun 1, 2007)

Thanks now I will have to see how accurate it is.


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## Dogstar (May 11, 2007)

To be honest, I'd be very surprised if one parent was BMD based on your pup's pictures and size. 

Aussie, however....  There's also a LOT more stray Aussies and Aussie mixes around.


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## Spicy1_VV (Jun 1, 2007)

I don't know that this is very accurate it seems to work for some and not others. So it isn't very reliable.

According to this my dog would be 74-81lbs. He was 81lbs when he was 9-10 months old. My other would be 18-20.25lbs, she is 30-32lbs.


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## LuvmyRotti (Oct 26, 2007)

I don't know if this helps you - but my 2 berners are littler mates and Quinn (on the right) was the runt. Noticabley smaller then the other puppies. Cartman on the left was probably the largest from what I remember. They were about 10 weeks old in this picture. Now at 4 years old there is still quite a difference in height/weight. Cartman is approx. 110lbs and Quinn is approx. 70lbs. Quinn is my boy - and I'm glad I picked the runt.


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## w8ing4rain (Sep 4, 2008)

I grew up with a pekingese "runt". She never got over 8lbs. Her litter mates were much larger than that as adults.


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## prntmkr (Jan 17, 2009)

Spicy1_VV said:


> In my experience runts usually catch up in size as pups. ... Also remember litters can have more than one sire. Perhaps a smaller dog is the sire of this pup.


Ditto.

Also, the "runt" egg may simply have been fertilized at the 2nd or 3rd "shot", making him/her slightly younger than the litter-mates.


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## srains99 (Nov 23, 2009)

LuvmyRotti said:


> I don't know if this helps you - but my 2 berners are littler mates and Quinn (on the right) was the runt. Noticabley smaller then the other puppies. Cartman on the left was probably the largest from what I remember. They were about 10 weeks old in this picture. Now at 4 years old there is still quite a difference in height/weight. Cartman is approx. 110lbs and Quinn is approx. 70lbs. Quinn is my boy - and I'm glad I picked the runt.


Those are some good looking puppies. Does the Bernese have a really soft coat? My puppy has the softest coat I have ever felt. My wife wants me to get a Dog DNA test done, cost about $100. If I do, I will run a contest here.


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## Michiyo-Fir (Jul 25, 2009)

Hmm...when we got Truffles she was the tiniest one in the litter. Her compared to the biggest pup she was only about half the size. But now she's 21 lbs! That's even over the breed standard size. She caught up pretty fast once she left the mom. We suspected it was because she gets pushed around by the bigger pups so she didn't get enough resources and nutrition to grow as big but when she was weaned and started on dog food and separated from the other dogs she ate more and grew more.


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