# Maltese pup growing too big too fast?



## SaraBee (Dec 28, 2011)

I have a 12.5 week old maltese puppy that is weighing 1.8kgs (3.95lbs). I got him when he was 8 weeks old and in the last 2 weeks. He has had a growth spurt. I heard dogs don't stop growing till about 1 yrs old so iam now worried that at this rate. My Maltese would be huge! Maltese is not overweight and iam 99.9% certain that it is a pure maltese and not mixed. 

Is this normal? I am a First time puppy owner. Can anyone give advice on tear staining too? My old maltese had no tear staining at all and iam finding it very hard to get rid of tearstains naturally. Sorry i can't take a picture of it's length or of it standing up. My puppy finds it very hard to keep still. lol

Here is a pic


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## DustyCrockett (Sep 24, 2011)

Small breeds reach their full size more quickly than larger breeds. Your pup is probably about half her eventual weight now. She'll be full size at six or eight months of age.


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## lisaj1354 (Feb 23, 2008)

Pepper is a Maltese mix, and he is about 8.5 lbs at 3 years old. He had a growth spurt at 2 years old, gained almost a pound and grew almost 3/4 inch.


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## Abbie_Hope (Oct 16, 2011)

i use angel eyes with my maltese mix (make sure you get the regular and NOT the natural). it works very well. i occasionally just trim the darker fur out from under his eyes and he looks great. he had TERRIBLE staining when i first got him. now he looks great.


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## Tankstar (Dec 30, 2006)

where di you get the pup? many BYB dogs are over (or under) sized, due to improper breeding of dogs out of standard size.

as for tear staining, keep the hair short and well groomed around the eyes, so the hair doesnt go in to the eyes, which will cause tears. also wash the face daily with a warm wash cloth.


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## lisahi (Jun 19, 2011)

Coco is a maltese mix and she would go through growth spurts. She went from 2.5 lbs at 8 weeks to 4 lbs at 16 weeks. She's now 10.5 lbs at 10 months.


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## Shell (Oct 19, 2009)

SaraBee said:


> I have a 12.5 week old maltese puppy that is weighing 1.8kgs (3.95lbs). I got him when he was 8 weeks old and in the last 2 weeks. He has had a growth spurt. I heard dogs don't stop growing till about 1 yrs old so iam now worried that at this rate. My Maltese would be huge! Maltese is not overweight and iam 99.9% certain that it is a pure maltese and not mixed.


The rate of growth varies. Just because a dog doesn't reach physical maturity until 1 year of age (and easily 2 years of age for a large or giant breed) doesn't mean that the rate stays the same. Think of how little a human baby starts out and how fast they grow but then that slows down, then a few growth spurts and then adult height at anywhere from maybe 15 to 20 years old.


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