• Rye is 13 weeks and about 11-12lbs. We do clicker training and trying to balance his meals with the treats he takes in from training. I had some one tell me he should be closer to 18lbs at about 15 weeks. That seems like alot to put on by that time. Can some one offer were he should be about now? In a few weeks? And when Rye should be close to full weight? Thanks


  • Each dog is different and different lines grow at different weights. I have no scale in my house except the one I use for baby puppies which top out at 10 pounds. I gauge what I should be feeding by how the puppy looks and feels. If Rye looks like he is at a good weight and doesn't feel too thin when you run your hands over him, don't worry. You may have to increase food when he goes through a growth spurt and decrease his food when he is between spurts.

    At last week's vet exam Sophie, 11 weeks at the time was 10.5 pounds.


  • Daisy went to Vet last Friday for her 2nd round of vaccination shots. She weighed in at 9.3 lbs @ 10 weeks old. She's rolly-polly around her belly, and I can feel her ribs fine. She also tested negative for worms.


  • If Rye looks like he is at a good weight and doesn't feel too thin when you run your hands over him, don't worry.

    We've been thinking that C3PO started feeling a little on the thin side. My husband insists that he couldn't feel his ribs before & he was more fleshy. I'm worried about over feeding..SO what should we feel for?? Ribs?? Loose skin??


  • Your dog should have a visible waist. The ribs should not be visible but when you have your hands on your dog you should be able to feel their ribs under the thin layer of fat. If you can not feel your dogs ribs under the thin layer of fat then your dog is probably overweight.


  • I feel this is individual to each puppy. I wouldn't have expected my 18 lb adult female B to be 18 lb's when she's only 10 weeks!! Personally I like rolly polly puppies until their about 5-6 mos. Then I start taking the rolly polly off until they are fit. If they're running around and have good muscle tone then I don't worry too much about the roundness. I know others don't feel this way, but I have my own views!


  • I too prefer puppies to carry a little more weight than what is recommended.. if they get sick (and I had this happen) the fact that they were a little fat gave my pup the chance to get over his illness… and it was bad... had he not been a little over weight, I am more the certain that we would have lost him... Of course I am talking about a little fat, not totally over weight....


  • True-as I said, they run, they play, okay! Too fat too run-it's gotta come undone!


  • this is a great thread, and what i was thinking about today…

    I was wondering if Cairo (male) will be a smaller basenji or not....

    at 13 weeks, he weighed 9.4lbs and yesterday at almost 14weeks he weighed 11.6lbs....

    from what i am reading, it sounds like he is growing slower than the average out there....

    feeding a dog more food doesnt increase their growth rate right? Cairo looks like a mini basenji right now, no puppy chub after eating any more. You know what i am talking about? When they look like a bowling ball after they eat?

    he does a lot of running and has had his final shots as of yesterday.

    when he was 8 weeks he weighed around 8lbs....

    anyone want to give me their opinion if that is slow growing?

    if i remember, caesar stopped growing at about 1yr old and then started to build a lot of muscle.....is that right? 1 yr they should be full grown?


  • Hi Mantis - I don't know typical weights, but can share with you Daisy's current weight. Her last vet visit for her final round of vaccinations was Friday March 23 - 13 weeks, weighed 11 lbs. Today she's 15 weeks and just weighed her - 14 lbs. Her body and legs are getting longer. She's an armful. Daisy gets a rolley polley belly after she eats and her skin is still soft and loose. I feed her 1/2 cup dry Canidae 3 times a day. She also gets pea size training treats throughout the day - still potty training, etc.


  • Dogs go through growth spurts just like kids do-sometimes they grow faster than others. As long as they're healthy-the growth will come in genetics. He doesn't sound underweight or overweight to me. Some people feed their puppies high quality dog food only and some feed puppy food. Generally, they achieve height at 1 year-they will still grow a wee bit (maybe half and inch) and put on muscle and their body shape will change a little. I'm of the old school that believes dogs are puppies until they're 3 (mentally) and adolescent until aprox. 5-8 yrs.


  • They all grow different… so it is pretty hard to judge what would be considered "normal"... they can have gorwing spurts at the oddest times.. ggg
    I think you need to judge each pup ..... and me personally, I would rather have a pup just a little over weight if possible... I had an experience with one of my boys years ago and had he not been a rolly polley pup... we would have lost him.. (this was at 4 months).... and he did go to skin and bones...

    Also, people need to develope good "eating habits" with their pups... and that mean Do Not Baby them.... If hungry they will eat... IMO they have a certain amount of time to eat and if they don't, it is gone till the next time. One thing that I found and find very, very important is that I know immediately when any of my B's are not feeling well, if they don't eat I know something is up... and that is because they know that when the food is given, it is time to eat... period... ggg... one trick that I have found with puppies is that if you also have an adult (of course I feed in crates) if the pup is not really that interested in eating, I let one of the adults out, open the pups crate door and let the adult help themselves.... you should see how quick the pup catches on...


  • Keoki is 13 weeks and on my scale at home today weighed 11 lbs.
    I think he's a little thin, as his ribs are barely visible, but then he also has really stretched in the week we've had him. He seems all leg now, so I'm thinking this may be a growth spurt.

    He has his first vet check w/me tomorrow so I'll get his "official" weight then, and see if the vet thinks he's thin or not.

    It's hard for me to know because Jazzy always had the opposite problem and could – like me, LOL -- put on weight by looking at food. We have to watch her weight to keep her from gaining too much.


  • We can re-open this thread if interested. Pups are 5-6 months older and for interest, please grab your last thread and update - or post your puppies age, weight & height. I could do a graph for averages…
    @Duke:

    Hi Mantis - I don't know typical weights, but can share with you Daisy's current weight. Her last vet visit for her final round of vaccinations was Friday March 23 - 13 weeks, weighed 11 lbs. Today she's 15 weeks and just weighed her - 14 lbs. Her body and legs are getting longer. She's an armful. Daisy gets a rolley polley belly after she eats and her skin is still soft and loose. I feed her 1/2 cup dry Canidae 3 times a day. She also gets pea size training treats throughout the day - still potty training, etc.

    Daisy is now 8 mos (35 wks) old and is a whopping 26 lbs and apx. 17 inches to shoulder. She's bigger than Duke who's 1yr 7mos at 25 lbs and apx. 16 inches to shoulder…Amazing changes...;)


  • @Duke:

    We can re-open this thread if interested. Pups are 5-6 months older and for interest, please grab your last thread and update:

    Daisy is now 8 mos (35 wks) old and is a whopping 26 lbs and apx. 17 inches to shoulder. She's bigger than Duke who's 1yr 7mos at 25 lbs and apx. 16 inches to shoulder…Amazing changes...;)

    I need to update my avatar. 😃 But she's so cute looking like a puppy…I LUV puppies!!!


  • HOLY COW, Cairo must be a small basenji?

    He is 8 months and weighs 18lbs.

    How much do the other puppys weight? Please post. Maybe I am not feeding him enough. He eats a cup of food a day. Are you guys still feeding more than a cup of food?


  • Oh yeah, Damisi is small about 14 inches-unsure about weight, but she gets 2 cups of food a day. She is sooooooo active.


  • @Mantis:

    Maybe I am not feeding him enough. He eats a cup of food a day. Are you guys still feeding more than a cup of food?

    When we brought Daisy home, she ate 3/4 cup 3x/day. Then reduced feeding her 3/4 cup 2x/day. Now she eats 2/3 cup morning and 3/4 cup evening. She is 1/2 B mixed with beagle. So - I think beagle explains her porky pig attitude with food. :rolleyes:


  • Well I was feeding 2 cups of dry and Cairo would eat it all, but was looking a bit chubby.


  • Damisi is still very skinny.

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