# 5 month old male. Size extra small.



## Emma&Tilly (May 15, 2005)

I think maybe you just have yourself a lanky pup...as you say he is 18 inches so is quite tall...well 18 inches definitely doesnt sound short for a 5 month old pup...my (fully grown) female is 21 inches and males are normally an inch or so taller...35lbs does sound maybe a little light, but I wouldnt think that much to worry about...my female was 29lb at just over 12 weeks but she was a fatty! If he is eating well and doesnt have ribs sticking out then I think he is fine and may well just catch up as he matures, he is still very young...I tell ya, it is MUCH better for them to be lighter at this age than overly bulky...sooo much better for their developing joints...

Maybe get his overall health checked out at the vets to put your mind at rest?

PS, could you post a picture? although you cant REALLY tell from a photo it would be nice to see him!


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## HovawartMom (Aug 10, 2006)

You're better off having a light weight pup until a yr old and then,let him gain the weight.Golden finish bulking up by 2 or 3 yrs.
As for the height,my golden grew an inch,in bet 2 and 3 yr old and added 12 pds,to now weigh 62,5 pds.
Was he the runt of the litter or did he have the normal weight?. 
The parents are quite big so I would wait and see.


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## KatzNK9 (Feb 27, 2007)

My pup went through a gawky stage at about the same age (4-1/2 to 6 months) but then started to fill out quickly into better proportion. I'd worry more about an overweight pup than one who appears a little too tall or a little too lean too.

His mother was an average-sized female & his father was a very large male. He was the 2nd largest pup in his litter and the other littermates were considerably smaller.

He'll be 1 year old in a few days & is now 24" at the shoulder and 67 pounds. He hit a plateau in weight of 63-65 pounds from 10 months until just in the last week or two. He gained another 2 pounds & grew another 1/2" to get to 24" now.


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## AquaClaraCanines (Mar 5, 2006)

totally normal


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## JimS (Jan 2, 2007)

Chase is 16 weeks old now and only 23 pounds, so I imagine he'll be around 30-35 at five months. The little bugger is up to three cups a day of Eagle Pack HSLB Puppy food. That's more cups of food a day than my 70 pound Lab eats. As has been mentioned, it's better on the joints and bones to be a light puppy.


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## Coolcrush (Mar 26, 2007)

yup they have their gawky stage-get a good golden book and u will be amazed at all the stages they go thru before the age of 1


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## Ninde'Gold (Oct 21, 2006)

Tucker was 37lbs at 5 months, so your dog isn't far off  Tucker is 6 months old now and looks nothing like an adult Golden....


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## z&mom (Oct 7, 2006)

Z was only 22 lbs pounds at 4 1/2 months old. She is turning 1 on April 12, and she currently weighs 55 lbs. She is smaller than many male goldens, but bigger than the females we know.


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## Rocky (Dec 28, 2006)

Rocky is 5 months and 1 week old. He is 42 lbs. I am not sure how tall or long. But at a little over 4 months old he was 22 inches long 19 inches in height and weighed 37lbs.

He may be a little on the small side, but in sounds well porportioned. I wouldn't be too concerned.


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## howie (Mar 26, 2007)

I will have to get my calendar out but I am pretty sure Howie was about that size. I figured since he was the runt of the litter he was always going to be small (the breeder named him TINY because he was so small).

To our surprise, he is no longer small. He is 10 months and 65 pounds. He was gaining 2 lbs a week for a while, (4-6 months) then like 5 lbs a week for about 3-4 weeks.

I guess he won't be looking like the runt we thought. Don't worry. As long as you are feeding him well, I think it is normal. He'll grow faster than you'll realize!!  Enjoy it while you can!!


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## FlyingQuizini (Oct 24, 2006)

Sounds normal to me.

Some dogs are just small. 

Here's Quiz. Three-year-old male. Measures 21.5 inches at the withers. Super-fit with a build of solid muscle. Still only weighs 39 lbs soaking wet.


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## DaisyMay's mom (Feb 27, 2007)

My Daisy is 13 weeks and 18 lbs. Her mom was a larger female- 70 lbs and dad was about 90.


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## pfb (Mar 26, 2007)

Update on "5 months, size Extra Small":

He is now 23-1/2 weeks and 41 pounds. Growth is very slow... About 4 pounds gained in almost 3 weeks? On 6 cups a day of premium puppy food? I'm still expecting a big growth spurt, but at this point will not be surprised if he hits 6 months at less than 45 pounds.


No doubt some dogs might just be small, but:
- The parents are all above average in size
- This was not the runt of the litter
- It was from a very reputable breeder that prides themselves on excellent genetics.
- This dog was thought to have show potential

IMHO, if an adult male does not reach breed standard weight without being "fat", he might be a lovely dog and be a wonderful pet, but he would not represent the breed well and likely should not be bred.


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## GoldenShamus (Feb 26, 2007)

*Don't worry!*

Doesn't sound too small to me. I'd have to go back through Shamus's vet records to tell you how big he was at that age, but it really doesn't sound too small at all.

Breed standard says a male golden should be between 65-75 lbs. So, I think your golden sounds like he is on that track. 

My golden weighs about 67 lbs. currently and people are always saying what a big dog he is (I have to laugh b/c in reality goldens are really medium sized dogs--I consider a big dog to be a german shepard, etc.)! And by the way, many people have goldens that are very large for the breed. Thereby, many times people are surprised at the goldens in dog shows, they think they look small. Truth is, many goldens are oversize when you compare it to the original breed standard.

Don't worry about it at all. If he is healthy, that is all that matters. It also makes good sense to me that the heavier they are, the more likely they may develop hip or elbow problems (just simply more weight on their joints).


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