Another weight thread, but with a real concern

[Irok]

Like the title says, My pup Irok is 16 weeks and only 35lbs. Let me give you some background info: He is from a very reputable breeder, both of his parents are top notch quality! Apparently at around 2-4 weeks old, the mother milk had dried up early. Causing 4 pups to pass away. I was reassured he was perfectly healthy( which he is), but I have noticed he has always been on the smaller side. My concern is will he ever recover, and be a decent size? What really had me wondering was today at the vet, there was another 16 week Corso who was 58lbs! I really feel like I paid a good amount of money for a lesser quality pup. I love my dog so much, he is great, just way smaller. Hopefully some one with breeding experience can give me some reassurance.

 

[thelady_v2010]

I got my dog at 16 weeks, he was 32 lbs. At 9 months, he is 70 lbs. He is healthy and active and happy. I think that is all the really matters.

I guess I don't see small as less quality. I think a well adjusted and healthy dog is way more important than size. I actually think smaller when they are young IS more healthy, less wear on the joints.

 

[Irok]

I got my dog at 16 weeks, he was 32 lbs. At 9 months, he is 70 lbs. He is healthy and active and happy. I think that is all the really matters.

I guess I don't see small as less quality. I think a well adjusted and healthy dog is way more important than size. I actually think smaller when they are young IS more healthy, less wear on the joints.

I was kind of in a bad mood, when I stated smaller being lesser quality. I am concerned that when he was a few weeks old, that lack of nutrition may have effected his growth. I just feel like I got taken advantage of, or maybe I am over reacting. My dog has great genetics, confirmation is great, very high prey drive. When I seen my dog next to an identical dog( same age) that's double the size, it made me wonder if he will ever achieve the size of his parents.

 

[BlackShadowCaneCorso]

As long as he received/is receiving proper nourishment he will grow into what he should be. We have various sizes in all the puppies of our litter to some that are very large at 6 mths to some that are more petite (50 lbs or so) it doesn't make them lesser quality and it doesn't mean that they will be the smallest puppy in the litter. It means they are growing more slowly and might be a little longer to mature. As long as he is healthy and happy then I would not compare him to other corso puppies, there are far too much variance in the breed to compare many things in it right now. The puppy you are comparing him to would have had to come from the same litter, same parents, etc and even then it would be like comparing your growth to that of a sibling. If we don't grow at the same rate as our siblings then I would not expect my puppies to either.

 

[thelady_v2010]

I think genetics will win out. What I would concentrate on now is making sure you can do everything NOW to make him healthy and happy. Make sure he is getting good nutrition, not too much calcium. Not too much weight gain too early and not too much rough (jumping, leashed running, etc)before he is fully grown.

I get how you feel, my dog is smaller than dogs younger than he is. But we love him and don't care if he doesn't get to 120 lbs. Maybe you could talk to your breeder about your concerns?

 

[cookiedough39]

what are you feeding him?

 

[Irok]

what are you feeding him?

He is eating Kirkland Puppy, with chicken quarters 3-5 times a week.

 

[thelady_v2010]

How many of his ribs can you see? And, how firm are his poops? Are they fully firm, or do they start out firm and get soft?

 

[Irok]

You can see 3 ribs I think, typically they are pretty firm. What are you thinking?

 

[BlackShadowCaneCorso]

If you can see 3 ribs and he still seems hungry you can probably up his food some, and be alright. I like to see the last rib on the dogs to keep them just lean enough to hopefully avoid joint issues

 

[DennasMom]

There's always the flip-side to consider... that 58lb puppy may be fed too much of a high-calcium food... causing him to be too big too fast... and he may suffer for that later.
Or not.

I wouldn't worry - he may have had a slow down due to the mother's milk issue (and why, oh why, wasn't the breeder prepared with formula and hand feeding for those other pups?!?!?!!?) - but he'll still grow to his genetically pre-programmed size, as long as he gets what he needs going forward.

I can't find info on the Kirkland Puppy... what's the calcium & phosphorus numbers on that one?

 

[Irok]

There's always the flip-side to consider... that 58lb puppy may be fed too much of a high-calcium food... causing him to be too big too fast... and he may suffer for that later.
Or not.

I wouldn't worry - he may have had a slow down due to the mother's milk issue (and why, oh why, wasn't the breeder prepared with formula and hand feeding for those other pups?!?!?!!?) - but he'll still grow to his genetically pre-programmed size, as long as he gets what he needs going forward.

I can't find info on the Kirkland Puppy... what's the calcium & phosphorus numbers on that one?

I will try to locate it tonight when I go home, what is ideal?

 

[Irok]

If you can see 3 ribs and he still seems hungry you can probably up his food some, and be alright. I like to see the last rib on the dogs to keep them just lean enough to hopefully avoid joint issues

I allow him to eat as much as he wants to. I don't take it away, although he is crated during the day while we are gone.

 

[thelady_v2010]

You can see 3 ribs I think, typically they are pretty firm. What are you thinking?

If his poops are firm all the way through, he isn't over eating and you could maybe feed him more. Or something a little more high calorie as a treat. For months I could see all my dogs ribs, but if I upped his food too much his poop got softer, which meant I was overfeeding. It was a science. He started filling out more at 7 months or so. He is very muscular and strong, just on the smaller side. I am trying to stay patient and see what happens. Either way, he is still more impressive than any of our friend's and family's dogs!

I have heard warnings against free feeding mastiffs, so you can control their rate of growth.

 

[Wildcat99]

Is there a weight and age chart that shows what a typical CC's size should be? Just wondering.

 

[braydenfarley]

That is a perfectly normal size for that age, 58 Pounds seems oversize considering that the standards for Cane Corsos (in Australia) is 90-110 Pounds fully grown! But yeah but the rule of thumb is like roughly 10 Pounds a month give or take

 

[Cody]

I personally like to see 3 ribs on my dogs as pups, people tend to over feed and create obese dogs because they want the size. A skinny puppy, as long as healthy and active is a good thing IMO. Hell, now that Black Jack is focussed on agility and not showing I can see 3 of his ribs, same with my 4 year old bitch . I want solid muscular dogs. As for the weight and growth chart, as Mary said above the breed is all over the place, I have seen grown males from under 100 lbs to over 150. His genetics will determine his finished size. Adding food to buff that up will not help that, only make him over weight. I would just keep him healthy and happy and do not worry about what other dogs weigh. He has years left to finish.