Calling 4lbs or under dog owners...

polos26

polos26

Jessie
Feb 8, 2007
687
0
#1
I just found out that the Chi puppy I will be getting on friday, will potentially only weight around 3lbs full grown....I was hopping my puppy would be at least 4 lbs. I know that under 4lbs they're more delicate and prone to accidents. Can some enlighted me with their experience with a tiny teeny dog? Is it really something I should be concerned about?

thank you
 
#2
I would be concerned...for health reasons and...fragile reasons. :smile: Also I wonder if the teenier dogs tend to be more needy. I don't see it being a problem so long as you are up for all of the potential problems. lol I would personally be afraid, even though they are extremely cute!!!
 
#3
ITA...the smaller the dog, usually the more health problems you will find.

**However, there is a difference between a dog that is small b/c it was the runt of its normal sized litter, and the dog that is so small b/c the breeder PURPOSEFULLY bred it to be so tiny**

Does that make sense? Carmen, my female Chi (blonde/tan in pic) is very small but its b/c she was the runt, not b/c the breeder was trying to breed 'teacups'.

I would ask the breeder of your puppy about why the pup is expected to be so small. PM me if you have any more questions :smile:
 
#4
I would not worry, breeders alway under estimate the weight as they know most people like the smaller dogs. My breeder stated my chi would be no more than 3.5 pounds, Molly is 2 years old and 5.5 pounds. I really would not pay too much attention to the weight they tell you.
 
#6
I personally would not purchase a Chi that will only be 3 pounds mostly because of health issues. Chi's have a predisposed tendancy to have luxating patellas (bad knees essentially)bad teeth, heart problems and more. All dogs have some kind of possible future health issue, but you are definitely raising your chances by purchasing a pup that will only be 3 pounds. My Chi pup is 4 pounds and probably won't grow much more and my adult Chi is 5 pounds and even she seems tiny because her bones are SO small compared to the puppy's bone structure. Also think about things like, Is the pup going to be around children? Kids, even well meaning ones can very easily kill or injure a small dog in an instant. Also, when your pup decides to jump off the sofa (and it will try) will it injure itself because of it's tiny size and fragility. A 4 or 5 pound dog is still a TINY dog, and it will probably have fewer problems, whether they are degenerative defects or not. JMO tho, good luck and keep us posted!
 
#7
My puppy is almost 11 months old right now. I think he weighs around 3.5 lbs and hes supposed to be at around 4.5...I think hes fine honestly, and he jumps from the couch sometimes (dumb dog!) and he hasnt hurt himself yet, There are no kids around here (well I just turned 18 so I dont really count:P but im gentle, hes my baby!) Like others have said, breeders often say that but he will probably grow to be a little bigger than that. It should be fine if your breeder is reputable and you take good care of it. These small dogs need gentler care:heart: Good luck!
 
#8
Elphaba is not quite 3lbs yet at 14.5 weeks. The breeder said 4-5 lbs based on her parents but since she's up to almost 3 already (up from 1.75 at 9 weeks) I think she may end up a bit bigger. Which is fine with me...I wasn't going for a "teacup" but fell in love with her when I saw her....I really had to think about it before I decided to bring her home because I was nervous about the size. But my heart won out.

She's positively fearless of most things. Exception is she won't go down the stairs (which I'm fine with) - but she will jump off the couch if I'm not watching closely. She hasn't gotten hurt but it worries me. I haven't allowed her on the bed at this point - and won't until I have a safe way for her to calm down.

Other than that...she seems to be doing great. The cats are much larger than her and occasionally they take a swat at her, but no problems so far. She does FEEL delicate - more so than she acts - which makes me nervous. I also have to remind myself that a lot of her size is her fur..and she's TINY when she's wet because she's so little.
 
#9
Make sure the place is legit!!!! I got my yorkie when he was 6 monthes and under 2 lbs and he was sick hypoglycemic started having seizures and wouldnt eat or drink, it took months for him to get healthy, and numerous vet visits over night visits and you name it. The small dogs can also get a LIVER shunt, which basically gives them malnutrition and hypoglycemia no matter what they eat, and will need surgery. Bundles is now a robust (fatty) at 5 lbs, he made it but ALOT of people were skeptical bc he was soo sick for a long time, his hair was even falling out. I say all this to say be aware of your puppies health and eating habbits. make sure their tongue and gums are a helthy pink or red color if they get too light it means they have terribly low blood sugar and could go into seizures. GOOD LUCK!!

*I dont want to scare you, and I wouldnt have traded my bundles in for anything in the world he is my little miracle, but alot of these places are just hustlers and dont care about the health of the dogs they sell people
 
#10
bellacherie said:
Is there anything wrong with the runt of a litter? Like healthwise...
Click to expand...


In my own case, Carmen is very healthy. However, she does have the luxating patellas that Kristie mentioned, although I attribute that to her breed and not her smaller size.

In some cases runts can be unhealthy, though. My dog only had a brother as a littermate, so she always had access to her mother's milk and therefore got the necessary nutrients without being bullied around by alot of siblings.
 
#11
my maltese baby is 4lbs right now but still growing i hope, she's about 7 months now. although she is tiny, i wouldn't say she is fragile. she runs around with lots of energy and jumps off my couch, although i have a pretty low one.

she's very adventurous and brave, she's isn't really scared of anything. if anything, she even picks on the bigger maltese, growling at him and fighting him for toys!
 
#12
I have a 3 lb female Chihuahua that has no health issues and like a few others have said jumps off of everything and runs around like she is a HUGE dog lol. My grandmother has a 3.5 male and my mom has a 3 lb female as well. They are all very hardy and healthy dogs. It all is very individual but there is still truth in what others have said that the smaller they are the more likely they are to have issues.

This weight chart is used by a lot of people. Ask them all the weights (birth and current) on this pup and see what it is charting.
http://www.ahkennel.net/weightchart.htm
 
#13
I have a 9 year old female Toy Poodle and she is exactly 4 lbs. She's been very healthy her whole life. She runs all around the house jumping on and off furniture and she hasn't had any problems.

I would say the biggest problem we have had is that she will get under your feet. You have to really be aware of where she is at all times. Sometimes, I go into another room and I haven't even realized that she came in with me.

She's a great little dog. I think you have to think about the people in your house too. If I had small children, I might not get a really small dog. I think there are many things to consider.

Good luck.
 
#14
A chihuahua that conforms to breed standard is under 6 pounds, but usually in the 3-6 pound range. 3.5 pounds fully grown is not something to be concerned about.

http://www.agilityability.com/puppy_growth_chart.htm

Use this puppy chart. It'll give you a very good idea of how large your puppy will be fully grown. As someone else mentioned, some sellers underestimate the weight of the puppies to drum up more interest.
 
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