# puppy too big?



## 24953 (Oct 27, 2013)

Marta Elmer said:


> Woodstock has been with us two weeks now, and he is adorable puppy. I wonder only if he is too big for his age. He is only 12 weeks old, and weighs over 18 pounds (he came to us with 16,7 pound). He is about 15,5 inches in the shoulders.
> 
> Woodstock is on premium kibble (MARP - Czech-UK product) plus bits of apple and carrots. I treat him with the kibbles, and he eats less then recommended by the producer. I am just worried he is too big and heavy, and don't know if any of you would have good advise about raising such a big puppy. I let him go up and down the stairs, but control him so that he doesn't run while descending. Is that ok?
> 
> ...


That weight and height sounds ok to me. Some really grow fast all at once and don't end up that tall in the finish, he may have a growth spurt and lose it all and you could be trying to get the weight back on him again. At 12 weeks he is still puppy looking, puppies are just more tubby looking anyway I wouldn't take any notice at this stage. I wouldn't hold back on the food especially if he is eating less than recommended, its too important for the rest of the growing and forming that he gets enough, when he is old and he has good bones and teeth you will be glad of it. My standard female outgrew her parents a small bit, she was similar to your puppy at that age, is now 25" and 51lbs fully grown and not overweight at all, nice padding over the ribs but still has the poodle waist and vets all say she is an ideal weight. I fed her fish/meat/eggs (cooked), bit of veg, and supplemented with a bit of dry complete dog food, for balance incase I miss anything they need but to be honest I do prefer they meat/fish/eggs and a bit of veg as some heap of crap goes into dog food in Ireland, and the one brand that is OK must be pretty bland as they hate eating it! :act-up:
I used to guide them on the stairs as pups, until they were steady on them. Our standards take 4 steps at a go up and down, and are very fast, but also are agile and seem very able and steady to me, its purely a judgment call on that one. Haven't found any extra difficulties with bigger dogs/puppies, I have found the little ones much more destructive lol :act-up:


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## Marta Elmer (Sep 29, 2012)

Thanks, Lilly, appreciate your answer indeed. Actually, I just measured Woodstock again and he is close to 17 inches. He is not fat at all, just big. No, I don't cut down his meals, especially since he never eats all the quantity that I prepare for him in the morning. 

Thanks for sharing the experience with the stairs. Yes, I have the feeling Woodstock is very stable going up and down. And will think about type of food... my moyen poodle ate meet, veggies and cereal flakes, and so often wold get too soft stool, so I am not sure any more what is better.


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## 24953 (Oct 27, 2013)

Marta Elmer said:


> Thanks, Lilly, appreciate your answer indeed. Actually, I just measured Woodstock again and he is close to 17 inches. He is not fat at all, just big. No, I don't cut down his meals, especially since he never eats all the quantity that I prepare for him in the morning.
> 
> Thanks for sharing the experience with the stairs. Yes, I have the feeling Woodstock is very stable going up and down. And will think about type of food... my moyen poodle ate meet, veggies and cereal flakes, and so often wold get too soft stool, so I am not sure any more what is better.


I have found corn anything can give a soft stool so if the cereal is a corn mix or corn based maybe try without the cereal as some grains can do it with certain dogs. Don't find the veg does anything but they don't get a lot of it. Our male has tummy sensitivities and cannot have any "normal" dog food at all, which we think could be the wheat, can only eat this 1 type of sensitive dog food, a brown rice/potato based one, and has normal brown rice, chicken, fish, veg on top of that particular dog food which is a "natural" one and pretty bland tasting by the looks of the bowl after dinner :act-up:. But the two girls can eat pretty much anything, any dog food, (but corn does cause them problems) we just add in one thing at a time and keep an eye out for any intolerance before adding another, they're just like us with the food really, some of us can't eat certain things, puppies are especially bad and often grow out of it. Our mini used to only be able to tolerate a tablespoon of fish as a puppy, and once she got to around 6-7 months could eat as much of it as she liked so the food is a funny one.


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