Rottweilers Online Forums banner
Cancel

Tiny Little Puppy...Will She Grow??

437 Views 21 Replies 6 Participants Last post by  RottNDave, 
guerrafam6
XTech said:
Hi all, Ive heard so many people claiming what sounds to me as very unsubstantiated weights for their rotti's or past pups. People seem to be obsessed with the weight of a Rottweiler and I feel like the hype causes people to over feed and/or over breed to achieve these unrealistic expectations of what a "huge" rotti is. When I take my guy to dog parks, 90% of the time I will hear "I used to have a huge Rotti! He weighed __!!!" and almost every time, its 150, 160, or 180 pounds. (Im literally keeping track. I have 7 for 150, 4 for 160, and 2 for 180. No one has ever said to me "I had a huge rotti- he was 110 pounds!') When I was a vet tech for 10 years, (and granted, this was a decade ago) but, I never once met a 150# rottweiler and working in internal medicine and cancer treatment- sadly I saw a lot of Rottis. So my question is- did rottis get much larger over the last decade or do people just love to exaggerate their rotti's size? Id love to do a poll to see what the trends are- but it has to be honest. So please, if you have a 140, 150....180 pound rotti you want to share about, please be prepared to offer some proof ; ) My dog is taking his therapy certification soon and we plan on visiting a lot of people and places, I would love to be able to educate about the breed as we go, but if my info is outdated, Id love to get the facts right! = )
Click to expand...
XTech said:
Hi all, Ive heard so many people claiming what sounds to me as very unsubstantiated weights for their rotti's or past pups. People seem to be obsessed with the weight of a Rottweiler and I feel like the hype causes people to over feed and/or over breed to achieve these unrealistic expectations of what a "huge" rotti is. When I take my guy to dog parks, 90% of the time I will hear "I used to have a huge Rotti! He weighed __
Click to expand...
XTech said:
!!!" and almost every time, its 150, 160, or 180 pounds. (Im literally keeping track. I have 7 for 150, 4 for 160, and 2 for 180. No one has ever said to me "I had a huge rotti- he was 110 pounds!') When I was a vet tech for 10 years, (and granted, this was a decade ago) but, I never once met a 150# rottweiler and working in internal medicine and cancer treatment- sadly I saw a lot of Rottis. So my question is- did rottis get much larger over the last decade or do people just love to exaggerate their rotti's size? Id love to do a poll to see what the trends are- but it has to be honest. So please, if you have a 140, 150....180 pound rotti you want to share about, please be prepared to offer some proof ; ) My dog is taking his therapy certification soon and we plan on visiting a lot of people and places, I would love to be able to educate about the breed as we go, but if my info is outdated, Id love to get the facts right! = )
Click to expand...
My rott is a puppy. She is 10 weeks and weighs 3.8 pounds. She was the runt of the litter…. I wonder if she will eventually grow average size
Reply
Save
Like
1 - 20 of 22 Posts
big black dogs
guerrafam6 said:
My rott is a puppy. She is 10 weeks and weighs 3.8 pounds. She was the runt of the litter…. I wonder if she will eventually grow average size
Click to expand...
Welcome to the forums. Are you sure you have a pure bred Rottweiler puppy and not a mix of one? A female Rottweiler puppy at 10 weeks should at the minimum be weighing 20 lbs. Your pup even being a runt is way undersized!!! I would be worried that there are some medical problems with her. Has she been to the vet for a checkup and wormed and vaccinated??
Reply
Save
Like
guerrafam6
big black dogs said:
Welcome to the forums. Are you sure you have a pure bred Rottweiler puppy and not a mix of one? A female Rottweiler puppy at 10 weeks should at the minimum be weighing 20 lbs. Your pup even being a runt is way undersized!!! I would be worried that there are some medical problems with her. Has she been to the vet for a checkup and wormed and vaccinated??
Click to expand...
I have her paperwork’s and her parents registration. I asked the breeder and he says it was a big litter and she was the smallest one. I’m going to buy the generic test for dogs and double check. She has been to the vet and physical wise and fecal she is fine.
Reply
Save
Like
big black dogs
I would be worried about some physical defect like heart or a liver shunt, etc. 3.8 lbs is what a 3 -4 week old Rottweiler puppy would weigh. What is she like otherwise? Active, playful, eating well?? What are you feeding her? and how much are you feeding her and how often??
Reply
Save
Like
rompinronnie_7977
big black dogs said:
This is so common in the breed...and has been for the last 25 year or so. Most people are very bad at guessing either their own dogs weight, or some else's dogs weight. When people start bragging and blowing that their dog is 150 lbs (of solid muscle...lol), or their brother, cousin, aunt, friend has one that weighs that much....I doubt very much that the dog weighs that much. Great Danes weigh that much...not Rottweilers. Either the dog is way overweight, or they are guessing the weight wrong? BYB's and commercial greeders are always bragging about their oversized dogs...and it's very sad to see that the public is uneducated about the standard for the breed.

An ethical breeder that is breeding to improve the breed...will only breed dogs that fit the Rottweiler standard. Females about 70-90 lbs (depending on their height), and males from 90-120 lbs...again depending on their height. Their weight must be in proportion to their height. Rottweilers are a working breed....and cannot run, or jump, or go all day...if they are blobs on 4 legs.
Now I must admit that they are 'easy keepers' and need very little food to keep at a decent weight once they have matured.

It must have something to do with in America/Canada....the bigger is better theory?? Who knows?
I've only had 2 really well bred Rottweilers...and they were in the breed standard. My female was about 82-85 lbs all her life, and my Baxter was about 115-120 lbs. Both had great hips and elbows and lived to a decent old age of 11 1/2 and 12 years respectively . The others Rotties were all foster fails...and most likely came from BYB type of breedings.
Click to expand...
Probably the plus 150 lb Rotties are part Great Dane. My dogs are 80 lb and 112 lbs and solid muscle. And talk about fast...... maybe part greyhound.
Reply
Save
Like
guerrafam6
big black dogs said:
I would be worried about some physical defect like heart or a liver shunt, etc. 3.8 lbs is what a 3 -4 week old Rottweiler puppy would weigh. What is she like otherwise? Active, playful, eating well?? What are you feeding her? and how much are you feeding her and how often??
Click to expand...
She is extremely playful! She loves attention and is a big baby! I am feeding her Victor dry dog food and she is eating 1/2 a cup a day as it says on the label for her weight. She acts like a very normal puppy! She is becoming destructive as well and will bark to get peoples attention and if she doesn’t get it she will whine.
Reply
Save
Like
1bigmw
I rescued Rolo at 11 months. Up to that point, he was kept constantly in a cage for an unknown number of months. I started exercising him regularly, and weighed him at the vet at 86 lbs. I was walking him over 10 km per day, and when he was neutered at 13 months, the vet weighed him at 82 lbs. Most recently he is getting exercised a bit less, but still much more than an average dog. At 14 months he was down to 80 lbs. He seems fit and trim, and is full of energy. He eats at the top end of the recommended amount of Orijen adult formula.
Snow Tire Wheel Dog Car
See less See more
Reply
Save
Like
guerrafam6
this is my Rottie and here at 9 weeks. She is tiny. I bought her from a breeder. About how much is she supposed to be gaining?
Dog Mirror Comfort Carnivore Dog breed
See less See more
Reply
Save
Like
big black dogs
guerrafam6 said:
She is extremely playful! She loves attention and is a big baby! I am feeding her Victor dry dog food and she is eating 1/2 a cup a day as it says on the label for her weight. She acts like a very normal puppy! She is becoming destructive as well and will bark to get peoples attention and if she doesn’t get it she will whine.
Click to expand...
She needs to eat more than 1/2 cup a day!! Start feeding her 1/2 cup three times per day!!! If she is doing well...then 3/4 cup of food three times per day. She is starving...that's not enough for a big breed. The weight means nothing...she is WAY underweight. She should be 20-25 lbs at this age. FEED MORE!!!
Reply
Save
Like
  • Like
Reactions: 1
guerrafam6
big black dogs said:
She needs to eat more than 1/2 cup a day!! Start feeding her 1/2 cup three times per day!!! If she is doing well...then 3/4 cup of food three times per day. She is starving...that's not enough for a big breed. The weight means nothing...she is WAY underweight. She should be 20-25 lbs at this age. FEED MORE!!!
Click to expand...
oh okay I totally understand then!! How can I get her to eat more often then? She eat a little and very slowly.
Reply
Save
Like
guerrafam6
guerrafam6 said:
oh okay I totally understand then!! How can I get her to eat more often then? She eat a little and very slowly.
Click to expand...
Do you recommend any wet food or a certain brand?
Reply
Save
Like
big black dogs
guerrafam6 said:
Do you recommend any wet food or a certain brand?
Click to expand...
Just add a bit of warm water to her dry food, or try adding a teaspoon of wet food mixed into her kibble. Put her food down...give her 15 minutes to eat (stay near her if she wants you around)...then take up the bowl...and try feeding her the next meal. It should be breakfast, lunch and dinner at this age. Timed feedings make house training easier also. Don't leave her food out for more than 15 minutes...grazing is not good for house training.
Reply
Save
Like
guerrafam6
big black dogs said:
Just add a bit of warm water to her dry food, or try adding a teaspoon of wet food mixed into her kibble. Put her food down...give her 15 minutes to eat (stay near her if she wants you around)...then take up the bowl...and try feeding her the next meal. It should be breakfast, lunch and dinner at this age. Timed feedings make house training easier also. Don't leave her food out for more than 15 minutes...grazing is not good for house training.
Click to expand...
I found this food. Would this help her out?
Product Font Magenta Rectangle Gadget
See less See more
Reply
Save
Like
big black dogs
Any canned food would be fine. You just need it to make her kibble a bit more appealing. Just start with a spoonful of canned food added to about 1/2 cup of kibble for each meal. She needs to start eating!!
Reply
Save
Like
  • Like
Reactions: 1
guerrafam6
big black dogs said:
Any canned food would be fine. You just need it to make her kibble a bit more appealing. Just start with a spoonful of canned food added to about 1/2 cup of kibble for each meal. She needs to start eating!!
Click to expand...
After reading the post I took her tray away and waiting till dinner time. I went and bought wet food and gave her about 1/3 of the wet food and she devoured it. And she got so full she went straight to bed. This morning I served her kibble and her wet food and she is stuck at her tray eating instead of grazing her tray! Thank you so much for the help! Now how much time should I wait to see her start to gain weight?
Reply
Save
Like
  • Like
Reactions: 2
big black dogs
That's good! Don't overdo it with the canned food...it can sometimes cause diarrhea in a young puppy. Start slowly with it and don't give her more than a spoonful...just want to get her eating. Canned food is good...the problem is that it can get expensive...feeding a large breed dog canned can really add up. If she starts eating well and her stomach stays good...you can add a spoonful of plain full fat natural yogurt. She needs to eat and to grow...just don't rush it by trying to get her to eat too much now. Three meals per day, and some training treats used throughout the day for housetraining and basic obedience, etc. should have her gaining weight and growing.
Reply
Save
Like
guerrafam6
big black dogs said:
That's good! Don't overdo it with the canned food...it can sometimes cause diarrhea in a young puppy. Start slowly with it and don't give her more than a spoonful...just want to get her eating. Canned food is good...the problem is that it can get expensive...feeding a large breed dog canned can really add up. If she starts eating well and her stomach stays good...you can add a spoonful of plain full fat natural yogurt. She needs to eat and to grow...just don't rush it by trying to get her to eat too much now. Three meals per day, and some training treats used throughout the day for housetraining and basic obedience, etc. should have her gaining weight and growing.
Click to expand...
She has been doing great with the canned food and she get a food coma! I do 1/3 cup of kibble with a spoonful of wet food and a little bit of warm water to soften the kibble. She is having a hard time with the kibble. She ends up licking the wet food and leaving the kibble

guerrafam6 said:
After reading the post I took her tray away and waiting till dinner time. I went and bought wet food and gave her about 1/3 of the wet food and she devoured it. And she got so full she went straight to bed. This morning I served her kibble and her wet food and she is stuck at her tray eating instead of grazing her tray! Thank you so much for the help! Now how much time should I wait to see her start to gain weight?
Click to expand...
Are you a Steelers fan because the uniform is Rotty colors?

rompinronnie_7977 said:
Are you a Steelers fan because the uniform is Rotty colors?
Click to expand...
Yes!!! A big Steelers fan!

guerrafam6 said:
She has been doing great with the canned food and she get a food coma! I do 1/3 cup of kibble with a spoonful of wet food and a little bit of warm water to soften the kibble. She is having a hard time with the kibble. She ends up licking the wet food and leaving the kibble
Click to expand...
How big is the kibble?? A 10 week old pup should not be having a hard time to chew the kibble. I would try softening the kibble with the warm water...and let it sit for a couple of minutes...then add the spoonful of canned food...and mix it in. If the kibble size is really big...she may have a problem with it because she is so tiny?? As I said at that age a normal, healthy Rottweiler puppy should be close to 20-25 lbs. Can she chew on treats? what if you give her a nylabone, or a real bone?

big black dogs said:
How big is the kibble?? A 10 week old pup should not be having a hard time to chew the kibble. I would try softening the kibble with the warm water...and let it sit for a couple of minutes...then add the spoonful of canned food...and mix it in. If the kibble size is really big...she may have a problem with it because she is so tiny?? As I said at that age a normal, healthy Rottweiler puppy should be close to 20-25 lbs. Can she chew on treats? what if you give her a nylabone, or a real bone?
Click to expand...
She is eating Victor Hi-Pro Plus. I give her Blue bits and she eats it pretty well. She is growing and now her tummy looks full too. I bought her a chew toy and I believe it is also big for her mouth.
Dog Carnivore Textile Sleeve Dog breed
See less See more
Reply
Save
Like
big black dogs
guerrafam6 said:
this is my Rottie and here at 9 weeks. She is tiny. I bought her from a breeder. About how much is she supposed to be gaining?
View attachment 19923
Click to expand...
I did not see that picture before. She looks tiny, and does not look like a purebred Rottweiler. The tiny ears going up makes me think she may be a terrier mix or something.
Reply
Save
Like
big black dogs
She is tiny!! Are you sure of the birth date? She looks more like a 3-4 week old puppy...not a 10 week old pup. Did you get registration AKC papers?? She is either a mix, or you were given wrong birth date, or there is something seriously wrong with her medically!!! She almost looks like a dwarf...I know that it happens in German Shepherds sometimes. A 10 week old pup should look like this :
Dog Dog breed Carnivore Grass Companion dog
See less See more
Reply
Save
Like
big black dogs
How is your puppy doing?? I hope she is eating well and gaining weight and growing stronger every day?
Reply
Save
Like
1 - 20 of 22 Posts
Rottweilers Online Forums
A forum community dedicated to Rottweiler owners and enthusiasts. Come join the discussion about breeding, health, behavior, housing, adopting, care, classifieds, and more!
Full Forum Listing
Explore Our Forums
Pictures of Your Rottweilers Rottweiler Discussion Training & Behavior Off Topic Lounge Vet's Corner
Top