runt

[chooch]

i will be getting my new baby in about 7 weeks. she is the runt of the litter (way smaller than her brothers and sister) but it is now because she does not get enough to eat (she is always eating) my question is are their any special problems in the furture that i should be on the lookout for because she is the runt. the Vet has checked her out and has given her a clean bill of health so far.

[targonrotts]

as long as she checks clear at 8 weeks of age, and her parents are healthy and have had all their health clearances, your odds for a healthy pup are good.
of course, as with any puppy, hips, elbows, eyes, heart would have to be checked when older and see if clears or not. but this is the same for any pup. regular or runt.
wait till 8 weeks to get your pup.

[chooch]

i will that's why i said in about 7 weeks (she is 1 week old now) both of her parents are akc reg. and both have all health clearences and are healthy, happy and very good dogs.

[brunie's mom]

Originally Posted by chooch

i will that's why i said in about 7 weeks (she is 1 week old now) both of her parents are akc reg. and both have all health clearences and are healthy, happy and very good dogs.

You say the sire and dam have their health clearances? What are their OFA numbers? Have they got their OFA certification for hips, elbows, eyes and heart? What titles do the sire and dam have?
Being AKC registered does not make them quality. There is more to health clearances then being checked out by the vet.

From another thread you started, I highly doubt this is a COE breeder. Since you have a 1 year old cockapoo and a 5 month old Pitbull already...I would be surprised that any good breeder would allow you to be bringing a well bred Rottweiler puppy into you home.

Please re-think about buy a puppy from this "breeder".

Gina

[frontierrots]

the pups are ONE WEEK OLD and the breeder already knows which one you are getting?

For sure NOT a COE breeder and I would stay far away.

If you already have a dog under a year old NO COE breeder will be selling you a pup either.

[AngelBunny]

Originally Posted by chooch

...both of her parents are akc reg....

You're not headed down a good path.

Any breeder who touts the fact his or her breeding stock are AKC registered isn't top flight.

Dogs being bred must should be registered and for a breeder to tell you his or her dogs are is stating a given. If you were buying a car, I doubt you'd be impressed if the seller told you the car had an engine.

Same with AKC registration. It's a given.

frontierrots is a responsible breeder. Pay heed to what she says--she knows of what she speaks.

[chooch]

i am paying heed this is why i am here in the first place. i am just a dog lover and owner and to tell you the truth i could care less if it is akc or any other initals i just want a healthy and happy dog to love and be loved for as long as it is on this earth. i was just trying to point out that the parents have no hip, eye,leg or any other problems that are common with this breed.

[brunie's mom]

Originally Posted by chooch

i am paying heed this is why i am here in the first place. i am just a dog lover and owner and to tell you the truth i could care less if it is akc or any other initals i just want a healthy and happy dog to love and be loved for as long as it is on this earth. i was just trying to point out that the parents have no hip, eye,leg or any other problems that are common with this breed.

How do you know that the sire and dam do NOT have hip, elbow, eye or heart problems? These problems can often be carried, but do not show up till the genes combine and pups are produced.

Once again, please give us the OFA numbers, this is the only way you know that all of the health certifications have been done on these dogs. You cannot just look at dogs and know that they are healthy. Why were these dogs bred? What makes they worthy of being bred?

If you give us the registered name of the sire and dam, we can look up on OFA and see what is what.

If they have no records there, this mean that the breeder is a BYB. You cannot be assured of getting a healthy puppy. Rottweilers are a breed with many genetic health problems. How would you feel if by 6 months your new puppy was crippled and could not walk because of hip dysplasia? This if a common occurance when buying from a BYB.

Skip getting this puppy. Raise your other two puppies...and when they are fully grown and trained and mature...then start looking for a good breeder, or adopt one from rescue.

Gina

[OnyxGold1]

In terms of your specific question regarding health concerns that a runt may have in the future....I will address that first.

With our first litter we had a very teeny male puppy. Jenna didn't want the pup and kept pushing him away from the rest of the litter. With a LOT of 2 legged assistance we got him strong and healthy and after a little bit Jenna accepted him and allowed him to nurse too. At birth he was 125grams (about 4 ounces). At the time that the litter started heading to their new homes at 8 weeks he was in the vicinity of 16lbs...his male brothers were around 18 lbs......so there was truly little difference between he and his heavier birth brothers when they left. He as well as vet checked and did go to a pet home. The last time his parents swung by with him he was in the vinicity of 26" and around 115lbs......no health concerns.

With our second litter the runt girl again went to a pet home. She again was checked out by the vet when she went home and found to be healthy. Unfortunately with her we received news from her parents that she was poisoned in their yard and while the clinic was able to save her it is believed that she suffers from some type of damage as a result of the poison as to this day she suffers from seizures and is on antiseizure meds.

With our third litter we didn't really have a runt puppy.....we did have one pup that was definitely lighter than the rest however he gained quickly as a puppy and actually went home the heaviest and has turned into the largest boy from the litter.

I have never had or heard of any specific health concerns that relate directly to a pup being the "runt" or not. I have heard it said that the reason that SOME puppies are born smaller is because they may have a defect.....however that should be ruled out first by the puppies first health check before they head to their new homes.

What I would stress to you however is to make sure that you are in fact getting a puppy from a COE breeder. Things I personally find suspicious is that the breeder already knows at 1 week of age which puppy will be yours. The reasons behind this are many ~~ I personally have a fair IDEA at about 5-6 weeks which pup will go to which home, however usually isn't until about 7 weeks after their final structural eval that I know for sure!! Also in terms of temperament how does your breeder KNOW so emphatically that this one week old pup will match your lifestyle & training abilities? Pretty tough to say in a 1 week old still deaf/blind puppy whether or not it may be the most dominant/bold puppy at 8 weeks to go to an experienced home, or a laid back puppy great for most families. How does the breeder know that this puppy may not make huge gains and may structurally be the best pup in the litter at 8 weeks......is the breeder willing to let their best pup go to a pet home? A few too many flags for me.

Make sure that you see OFA hip/elbow/cardiac evaluations & CERF (eye) certifications. If they don't have them or can't show them to you......best to save the heartache and walk away.

JMO
Heather