I am planning to purchase a CKC or AKC registered shih tzu puppy soon. However, I want it to be smaller as an adult. Is there anyway to know how large the dog will be as an adult when it’s still a puppy?
This was also a concern of mine prior to adopting my best friend too. What worked for me was tripling my puppy’s weight at three months. I learned if you do this, its adult weight will equal that at three months old X’s 3. She is now over three years old an weighs 10.6 lbs.
I live close to my vet’s office and there is a digital scale I weigh her on each month. I charted her progress through the years to be certain she was/is eating enough.
Good Luck!
Tags: shih-tzu
No – reputable breeder try to breed to the standard. If you want a crappy bred one that is smaller then go to any backyard breeder and waste your money.
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well sometimes you can tell by how large its parents were, it will usually be between them or like the mom or like the dad. But please rescue a dog you could find a rescued shih tzu puppy online maybe
look for shih tzu rescues or even http://www.petfinder.com/index.html they have tons of cute dogs. Have a good time with your new puppy or dog.
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By the size of it’s parents. If you want one smaller than the parents you need to ask for the runt. But most people believe runts are the unhealthiest ones of the litter. I kept our runt because I didn’t want to run the risk that it would be bred and the litter being sold as "tea cups" or run the risk of it dying during whelping. I instead had it spayed myself and kept it and never bred any dog again.
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on runts:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Runt
If the puppy’s parents are on the lighter side, the puppy will likely be smaller too. Just please, don’t buy into the teacup/mini thing, be sure that the parents really are up to the standard (according to the AKC, 9-16 lbs).
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Buy only from an ethical, reputable breeder who knows the sizes of your pup’s ancestors 3 (or more) generations back. Most of the CKC breeders were kicked out of the AKC because they are puppy mills. Go to the Shih Tzu Club of America (a little Yahoo search will find it easily) and find YOUR ethical, reputable breeder there.
If you want a dog that is undersized, according to the breed standard, then maybe you should consider some other, smaller breeds instead.
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Know the breed standard. Develop a relationship with the breeder and know what the adults look like that came from the breeder. That will give you a pretty good idea of the adult size of your puppy.
Be careful about trying to get a puppy from someone producing undersized dogs. Those backyard breeders produce crap.
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By looking at the parents (and grandparents, if you can). Shih Tzus are a toy breed. They have no weight minimum- only a maximum. By purchasing from a responsible AKC breeder (check the national breed club for referrals- AKC registration is not a guarantee of quality) you can be more certain of getting an adult that will fall within the breed standard for weight/height. Avoid anyone selling "teacup" anything. It’s a scam that backyard breeders and puppy mills use to sell pups from parents that responsible breeders wouldn’t touch. If you adopt an adult that is already a year or two old then you will know exactly what you are getting in terms of size. Check http://www.petfinder.com and search by zipcode or contact the national breed club for rescue opportunities.
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Ranging in size from 8 to 11 inches tall at the shoulder and 9 to 16 pounds. It won’t be CKC or AKC
registered iif its under these sizes
Size – Ideally, height at withers is 9 to 10½ inches; but, not less than 8 inches nor more than 11 inches. Ideally, weight of mature dogs, 9 to 16 pounds. Proportion – Length between withers and root of tail is slightly longer than height at withers. The Shih Tzu must never be so high stationed as to appear leggy, nor so low stationed as to appear dumpy or squatty. Substance – Regardless of size, the Shih Tzu is always compact, solid and carries good weight and substance.
References :
http://www.akc.org/breeds/shih_tzu/
This was also a concern of mine prior to adopting my best friend too. What worked for me was tripling my puppy’s weight at three months. I learned if you do this, its adult weight will equal that at three months old X’s 3. She is now over three years old an weighs 10.6 lbs.
I live close to my vet’s office and there is a digital scale I weigh her on each month. I charted her progress through the years to be certain she was/is eating enough.
Good Luck!
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