Puppy Growth

[Skylar]

Skylar's at 14 weeks and just hit the 5lb mark. We looked at some puppy growth charts online and found that she may be smaller than average. She was the runt of the litter and she was sick when we got her, but her vet is happy with her progress and growth. They said the food we give her is also good quality (Royal Canin mini puppy). 

 

I just wanted to know how big she should be at this age. I was told by my vet that Cairn sizes do vary so I wasn't sure.

 

 

[Sam I Am]

They totally vary. Jock was a big boy clocking in at 20lbs but I think that's way above show standards....don't know, never shown a Cairn. My Scottie , Rosie, is only 18.6 pounds her brother is 25! So unless you are breeding and showing I don't think size matters as long as they are healthy.

[Kathryn]

Whether they end up "big" or "small" by the standards, they all seem to think they are "BIG."  Oban is only 13.5 lbs. at over a year, and is obviously going to be a "small cairn."  He doesn't think so though.  And he ate a hole in one of my gardening sweatshirts last night...I think this is the phase he is in now -- chewing...

[hheldorfer]

Whether they end up "big" or "small" by the standards, they all seem to think they are "BIG."  Oban is only 13.5 lbs. at over a year, and is obviously going to be a "small cairn."  He doesn't think so though.  And he ate a hole in one of my gardening sweatshirts last night...I think this is the phase he is in now -- chewing...

I believe the ingestion of fleece is critical to the growth and well-being of all Cairn puppies.

[bradl]

Other than signs of obvious "failure to thrive" or other clearly incorrect development we pay no attention whatsoever to the growth curves of our Cairns.*  In addition to the genetic variation in ultimate size they also vary somewhat in speed to maturity. Some lines seem to mature earlier, some later.

 

To whatever extent nutrition plays a factor, I'm a believer in "growing them slow" if there's any choice.  I don't particularly believe in puppy food (beyond the obvious infant transition to solid foods) nor do I believe puppies have exotic nutritional needs other than they eat A LOT for their size.  I don't think there's anything necessarily wrong with puppy foods and the like, I just mostly think it's much ado about not much. We are big believers in the power of the measuring cup, tho'

 

We were once at a Cairn weekend and had a litter of puppies in a pen playing with a litter of the host's puppies. The litters were only about a week's difference in age and the host litter was enormous and chubby and cute and ours somewhat sleek but also cute. They looked easily a month or more different in age. Ours happened to be raw-fed and the others kibble-fed. Once they got to be older than a few months, however, you could not spot a difference -- the dog-to-dog variation was larger than the litter-to-litter variation.

 

My opinions only, of course. Your mileage may vary.

 

* For the very few litters we bred, we did indeed weigh them daily for the first couple weeks. For the first week  we wanted to see weight double. That's not a curve you want to maintain very long

[Hillscreek]

Think standard may be about 13lbs for bitch and 14lbs for dog.

Cairns in general seem to weigh anything from10 to 25lbs+.

Healthy and trim is what counts. If you can feel the ribs beneath a thin layer of fat. If you can see a 'waist' when you look down on them then I'd say they were fine whatever their size. As already noted they know they arer BIG dogs whatever they look like.

Angus is 16.5lbs. He is bigger all round than I expected. My vet has seen a few and tells me he's healthy and his weight is fine for him.

So Skylar whatever size you grow to as long as you are healthy your weight will be right for you.

Never used puppy food for my pups of several breeds.

Edited May 13, 2014 by Hillscreek

[Pepper Bug's Mom]

Pepper turns 3 on May 18 and weighs in at 15.5 lb....she is a SOLID girl!!!

[Roux's Mom]

Roux will be 9 months in a few days and weighs in at 12.5 lbs - all muscle, nothing frail or delicate about her. I'm figuring she will be right about at the "standard" at maturity, a bit on the smallish side. After reading up quite a bit on the history of the breed, she seems to embody the old original scrappy working standard, in looks and temperament. I find it fascinating how much these dogs vary within the same breed.

[hheldorfer]

For God's sake don't let Buffy know I posted this.  She is 5-6 years old and weighs 21 lbs.. (She says it's all hair.)

[Lynn in TN]

Sounds about as big as my Kelly. I dug up her records just for you. This is Kelly's weight as a pup (until I stopped writing it down that is)    

 

9 weeks----- 2.5 lbs

12 weeks----4 lbs.

16 weeks----5.8 lbs.

20 weeks----7.5 lbs.

 

Kelly is now 3 years old and weighs about 14.5 lbs. She didn't make it to that weight until she was about 1 1/2 to 2 years old.

 

I hope this makes you feel better. I remember how much I worried when she was a pup. I still worry of course but not about weight and growth.

 

It sounds like your pup is a healthy weight to me.

[Dempsy's Mom]

Haha.  Elsie 19 lbs.  Dempsy 21 lbs. Stocky little devils.  Dempsy has always weighed around that, but Elsie gained 10 lbs when she came to live with us.  It wouldn't hurt her to loose a little.  They are both happy and healthy.

[Skylar]

After reading everyones comments, there is quite a bit of variation in their weights.

 

Thank you everyone. A special thanks to Lynn, I appreciate your extra effort. Skylar seems to be in a similar range for the different weeks. I feel much better now! 

 

 

 

 

 

[teddybearsmommy]

Teddybear is 4 or 5 and weights I would say he weighs a good 24 25 pounds it sure feels like it whe wwhen he steps on my chest

Edited May 17, 2014 by teddybearsmommy

[_whits_]

Pulled out Addie's baby book (yes, she has one) to give you some perspective on growth. Addie is on the larger side for Cairns I gather; she's 3 years old and 20.9 pounds (as of last week's vet appointment). 

 

Birth: 8 1/2 oz

9 weeks: 4lbs, 5 oz

12 1/2 weeks: 7 lbs, 6 oz

6 months: 12 lbs, 6oz

8 months: 15.3 lbs

9 1/2 monthsL 16.56 lbs

1 year: 19 lbs

2 years: 20 lbs