Baby puppy, need advice please :)

[Badgley "Monster" Kopel]

Hi All! My hubby and I just brought our puppy home a few days ago. I was wondering if I could get some input and advice from anyone willing to share.. She will be 10 weeks tomorrow and currently weighs 3- 3.5 pounds, any idea how large she will get? She is an F1B. We were told she would grow to be 25- 35 pounds, but she just seems too tiny to grow that large. Also, we worry about hip dysplasia. Are there signs we should look out for? Is it really that common? Her back legs aren't super strong, and she sometimes walks like she's drunk. She's a puppy so maybe that's totally normal.. We're new parents so we may be a little too cautious! :) 

[Ginny Nightingale]

Yes, she will walk like she is drunk for a while--no worries about hip dysplasia--she is a toddler and has only been walking at all for 6 weeks! You need to double her weight at 16 weeks to get a good idea of her final size--but 3.5 pounds is VERY small for a ten week old pup...my guess would be that she will weigh 7-8 pounds at 16 weeks and 16=20 pounds at maturity. There are often  larger and smaller pups in a litter since some take after the mini-poodle in their background--which I am assuming this pup has--and those that inherit more of the smaller size genes could be quite a bit more petite than their siblings.

[Allyson, Peri & Taquito]

I looked at my page and at 10 weeks, Peri was 7.8 pounds and she is a full-grown mini doodle at 25 pounds now.  So I seriously doubt she will be over 20 pounds - agree with Ginny.

I want a pic!

[Lynda Kamrath]

Wow, she is awfully small.  Kind of like having a premie baby.  It will all work out and you will be able to tell a little more about her adult size in a few months.  Right now just cuddle her a lot and enjoy these special days.

[a.k.a. Rodney]

Not sure what your background profile for the mom and dad are
Derby DOODLEs father was 5 1/2 pounds and her mother was 22 lbs
She is approximately 14 months old and she is fully grown at 10 pounds give or take a couple ounces
She and a littermate were the two smallest of a group of about six
Her parents were bred to have petite DOODLEs
Hope this helps but you should really find out from the breeder

[Ricki and Tara (doodle)]

Wow, she is a tiny girl! Tara who is 20 pounds as an adult was 6.4  pounds at 10 weeks.  I think she will be under 20 pounds unless some genetic anomaly kicks in and she grows like crazy.  Enjoy your baby-it's such a fun age!

[Emily, Bentley, & Maserati]

The puppy drunk walk is always entertaining! Enjoy your little one, even though yours will stay relatively small, there isn't anything like those little puppy kisses! 

[Linda, Charlie Brown and Beau]

When you get a chance post a photo of your new little one.  It sounds like she might be a mini.  BTW ~ Welcome to Doodle Kisses.

[Rose Coward]

I don't believe that hip dysplasia is of as much concern in a smaller dog like yours, it's more a concern for tall long legged dogs if I'm not mistaken.  But here is an article that speaks to the issue of hip dysplasia.  http://www.germanshepherdbreeder.org/Hip-Dysplasia.html

Congratulations on your new family member.  Have fun!

[Nancy, Ned, Clancy, and Charlie]

Are you positive your puppy is 10 weeks old? I haven't found the '16 week guide' to work for minis.  Ned weighs 27 pounds and at 10 weeks probably weighed  9 or 10 pounds.  My bet is that your pup will top out at about 12 pounds, but Ginny has much more experience with doodle puppies.

[Lynn D.]

I recommend taking your new puppy to your vet for it's first check. The vet can reassure you that your puppy is within normal limits and help guide you.

[Badgley "Monster" Kopel]

Thank you so much for the responses! It's a relief to know that the walk is normal. We did take her to the vet and he told us that it's too soon to tell how large she will be. We were told, by the woman we got her from, that her mom is a 25 pound goldendoodle and her dad is a 40 pound poodle. That's why I'm so shocked at her size. She was the last one left in the litter and we were also told that she was not the runt and that there wasn't one small puppy in the litter of five, that they were all similar. Of course, there's a chance she simply told us what she thought we wanted to hear. We love our pup and wouldn't change anything but would like to have an idea as to what we should expect. And yes, nothing better than those sweet little doodle kisses! 

[Badgley "Monster" Kopel]

Photos uploaded! :)