my 12 month male rott is small for his age?????

[storm_onj]

I have a 12 month male rott which i think is a bit small for his age (i measured him last night and he is about 22 inches). I showed my rott to other dog enthusiast and they agree to what im saying. I both saw the sire and dam and im pretty much satisfied with theri sizes. As of now im feeding him with 6 cups eukanuba lamb and meal rice for puppy with pedigree beef in can (pedigress is a canned dog food her in the Philippines - is this a good combination bcoz he likes it very much) and planning to change to diamond dog food. My question is does the growth of a rott in terms of size would stop once he reaches 1 year or 2 years. Are there any supplements i should use to increase the size of my dog or should i consult a vet. Your suggestions are very well appreciated. Thanks.

[Alaskan]

Hello.:) It does sound small for a male rottie considering the standard but there isn't anything you can do to increase his height since that is in the genetics of the dog and it alone will determine his final height. I'm not sure of the answer to the food question so hopefully someone on here will step foreward and be able to answer that one too.:) I on the other hand feed my rotties a dog food that doesn't have corn in the ingredient list and I've not only noticed that their coats are shinier without the dandruff/dusty look nor the smell of dirty dog to it. My female rottie used to get hot spots too but since the elimination of the corn she doesn't get those either. Maybe this will help you I hope.

[k&s]

I do not think what you or how much will increase his height and overall size at this point, but more experienced people will hopefully give you some input on that.

I have a small male, also. He is muscular, fairly well-proportioned, bright, spirited, and charming. My advice is to not worry about his size and to just make sure he is healthy and happy, and to enjoy your little guy.

[AngelBunny]

storm_onj:

Your dog's genes will dicatate how big he'll get. If you overfeed your puppy, he'll get bigger all right--he'll get FAT. This is one of the worst things to do to a growing puppy because the extra weight can cause problems for his growing skeleton. A leaner puppy is by far & away a healthier puppy than a fat puppy.

There are no supplements you can feed him that will make him get any bigger.

Male Rottie are mature when they're about 3 yo.

I can't understand people's obsession with the size of their Rotties--bigger isn't better.

Please, read both the AKC (http://www.akc.org/breeds/recbreeds/rotty.cfm) and the European (http://www.USRCWEB.org/fcistand.html?) standards. Both say "The ideal Rottweiler is a medium large, robust and powerful dog, black with clearly defined rust markings. His compact and substantial build denotes great strength, agility and endurance."

Also, the food you're feeding him--both the dry & canned foods--aren't very good. In another post you listed foods availabe in your country and there's at least one premium food that would be *much* better for you to feed.