# Weight



## Dream Brandy (Aug 20, 2017)

I thought it would be fun to have a place to put weights. I just got Echo weighed today and he's a healthy 1.5 pounds to be exact.


----------



## pippersmom (May 21, 2012)

I just have to ask this ........ has he lost weight. When you were first thinking about getting him you said he was 2 lbs at 13 weeks old and now he's only 1.5 lbs????? That seems really tiny.

Pipper weighs 10 lbs.


----------



## Dream Brandy (Aug 20, 2017)

pippersmom said:


> I just have to ask this ........ has he lost weight. When you were first thinking about getting him you said he was 2 lbs at 13 weeks old and now he's only 1.5 lbs????? That seems really tiny.
> 
> Pipper weighs 10 lbs.


 he did lose some weight but he was overweight and thanks to a member here who pointed out that human baby food is high in fat content we stopped feeding him baby food and there was a huge difference not only in his weight but he became more energetic and just playful. His weight right now is perfect you can feel ribs but with padding before you couldn't feel any ribs. I did update a different thread when I got his 4 month weigh in that he was under 2 pounds then but I couldn't remember the exact number. He's tiny period his body is the size of a soda can. He doesn't know he's that tiny though he runs and bounces all over my house with my poodles. My 4 pound 8 in. toy looks like a giant next to him luckily she's super gentle and just an all around sweetheart not like my male who is the king of high energy and rough housing.


----------



## pippersmom (May 21, 2012)

Dream Brandy said:


> he did lose some weight but he was overweight and thanks to a member here who pointed out that human baby food is high in fat content we stopped feeding him baby food and there was a huge difference not only in his weight but he became more energetic and just playful. His weight right now is perfect you can feel ribs but with padding before you couldn't feel any ribs. I did update a different thread when I got his 4 month weigh in that he was under 2 pounds then but I couldn't remember the exact number. He's tiny period his body is the size of a soda can. He doesn't know he's that tiny though he runs and bounces all over my house with my poodles. My 4 pound 8 in. toy looks like a giant next to him luckily she's super gentle and just an all around sweetheart not like my male who is the king of high energy and rough housing.


Ya they don't realize their size. Pipper thinks he's the size of a Great Dane.


----------



## Dream Brandy (Aug 20, 2017)

we forget at times how small he really is with all of his hair he looks big but as soon as we wet him down he's practically nothing. We got really lucky his breeder taught him to not jump off of furniture our poodles leap off things all the time but stoping them from jumping is like stopping a duck from going in water I'm sure if Echo was to try to jump off of anything he would probably break something


----------



## zooeysmom (Aug 1, 2011)

Zooey is a very healthy 9 lbs. When I got her she was 6 lbs. and very malnourished. I have a real appreciation for the larger Malts--much less fragile.


----------



## Dream Brandy (Aug 20, 2017)

Has anyone had pups who finished growing early? How do you know when they are finished growing? I know some members said they thought their dogs were done growing and were surprised when the dogs went through another growth spurt well into adult hood.


----------



## zooeysmom (Aug 1, 2011)

Your breeder should have an idea, based on the puppy's lines. Most small dogs are finished growing by one year old, but they may fill out over the next year.


----------



## Dream Brandy (Aug 20, 2017)

His breeder told me he'll probably be done by 6 months old but he's been the same size structurally for awhile and his 6 month mark is fast approaching.


----------



## Matilda's mommy (Jun 1, 2005)

Wow that's small, the standard for maltese are 4 to 7 lbs. Who is the breeder.My Maddie is a retired show dog she weighs between 4.5 to 5.4. My Matilda weighed 10.5 my Matilda continued to grow until she was a year old. She stayed 7 lbs until she was older.


----------



## Dream Brandy (Aug 20, 2017)

Yeah he's small we originally wanted 4lbs 5 at the max and his breeder pretty much guaranteed as much as you can guarantee a size that he wouldn't get over our weight limit and I can honestly say she didn't lie. On pictures he looks big but in person he's just a tiny bouncing ball of hair. He looks like his dad's mini me he was pretty small himself she said he was done growing around 6 months so if Echo sticks to being his mini me he'll probably finish around that time also. His breeder is a small breeder that I found out about through Malta Angels. She doesn't get tinies often but she does get a litter of tinies once in awhile. Echo's parents weighed 4 pounds each. I'm back on her waiting list for another small puppy 3-4 lbs would be ideal so echo can have buddy close to his size to play with and this time we only want a girl.


----------



## zooeysmom (Aug 1, 2011)

Wow, I'm surprised a breeder recommended by Malta Angels would use such a small female for breeding. Most responsible breeders won't use a female under 5 or 6 lbs.


----------



## Dream Brandy (Aug 20, 2017)

I didn't see a problem with his parents sizes since 4 pounds is in the ideal weight range and his mom handled the pregnancy great and whelped naturally and was a great mom to echo and his brother he nursed until he was 11 almost 12 weeks old. Echo at the most will be 4 pounds like his parents or he'll be 2-3 pounds which is fine with us we've adjusted to his tiny size pretty easily we make sure not to shelter him too much while also ensuring his safety. He has dog friends that he meets with my mom at her job and then at my home he has my poodles to play with.


----------



## Dove's Mommy (Aug 10, 2017)

Dove was 3.5 lbs last week. I bet she is heavier now as her tummy feels bigger this past week (LOL). Can't wait to see how she looks when she's fully grown! I don't care what size she is as long as she is healthy. I'll probably drop by the vet's office at 20 weeks. Or sooner if I get really curious!!


----------



## maggieh (Dec 16, 2007)

zooeysmom said:


> Wow, I'm surprised a breeder recommended by Malta Angels would use such a small female for breeding. Most responsible breeders won't use a female under 5 or 6 lbs.


Agree.


----------



## Steph_L (Jul 20, 2015)

Daisy was 3.8 lbs at her visit in July when she was 2 years and 4 months. I think she's gained a bit of weight since then, maybe 4lbs now. She hit 3.6 lbs by a year old I think and the last bit of weight has been from diet changes. She does better with limited chicken and gets picky about the wet food in her kibble. I even tried the Honest Kitchen and she wouldn't try a bite.


----------



## Dream Brandy (Aug 20, 2017)

Steph_L said:


> Daisy was 3.8 lbs at her visit in July when she was 2 years and 4 months. I think she's gained a bit of weight since then, maybe 4lbs now. She hit 3.6 lbs by a year old I think and the last bit of weight has been from diet changes. She does better with limited chicken and gets picky about the wet food in her kibble. I even tried the Honest Kitchen and she wouldn't try a bite.


 Thankfully Echo isn't a picky eater he loves food and can be quite the pig if we let him be. We love Simply Nourish right now he loves it and it's grain-free so less face staining and eye tearing. They also have other options than chicken. Beef pot roast, lamb and vegetables, and turkey with sweet potatoes were big hits with Echo we tried the chicken and salmon one Echo loved it but it did upset his tummy some so we now avoid anything with salmon. Wellness caused a ton of face staining and eye tearing it seems like a great brand though just not for Echo. Blue and Call of wild looked good but sadly I couldn't find any grain-free can options so can't really say if they're good or not.


----------



## Dream Brandy (Aug 20, 2017)

Dove's Mommy said:


> Dove was 3.5 lbs last week. I bet she is heavier now as her tummy feels bigger this past week (LOL). Can't wait to see how she looks when she's fully grown! I don't care what size she is as long as she is healthy. I'll probably drop by the vet's office at 20 weeks. Or sooner if I get really curious!!


 it's so hard to wait Echo's next appointment isn't until his 6 month check up but I know I'm going to get impatient before then and get him weighed just don't know when lol. Dove is adorable I bet she's a big hit at the vet office.


----------



## pippersmom (May 21, 2012)

Dream Brandy said:


> it's so hard to wait Echo's next appointment isn't until his 6 month check up but I know I'm going to get impatient before then and get him weighed just don't know when lol. Dove is adorable I bet she's a big hit at the vet office.


Please just don't get too fixated on weight. 1.5 lbs is very tiny and personally I would worry if my dog quit growing at that size. It sounds like you're hoping he's pretty much done growing. I also worry that a 4 month old puppy lost 1/2 a lb in the short time you have had him. That's a lot of weight for a tiny puppy to loose in a short period of time. 
It also sounds like you switch foods a lot. That can be very hard on little tummies. 
In another post you mentioned getting eye drops for his tearing. He's probably tearing because he's only 4 months old and teething. I wouldn't be putting drops in his eyes unless you were certain it was allergies but in Echo's case it's probably just teething. Once he's done teething the tearing will probably stop on it's own.


----------



## summergirl1973 (Oct 24, 2016)

Absolutely agree with Pippers Mom. Just try and enjoy having this beautiful blessing in your life and don't give two hoots of energy about weight. Let him grow.


----------



## Dream Brandy (Aug 20, 2017)

pippersmom said:


> Dream Brandy said:
> 
> 
> > it's so hard to wait Echo's next appointment isn't until his 6 month check up but I know I'm going to get impatient before then and get him weighed just don't know when lol. Dove is adorable I bet she's a big hit at the vet office.
> ...


 I'm not fixated just because I'm happy to see how he grows and like to keep track I'm the same with all my dogs when they're puppies. And by no way am I saying he's finished growing he'll probably top out in the 2 pound range 3 at the most. Do we like his size now? of course but we know he's going to get a bit bigger which is fine with us we want him a little bigger. We live a very active life we're not just sitting around so cutting out the baby food and being active helped to get him down to his ideal weight pretty quick. I live on a pretty big property out in the country I take him and my poodles on nature walks on the property and then when he's with my mom he's running around playing with his office friends we also do go to a lot of places with him just yesterday he got to have fun in some dog bakeries and dog boutiques and then we went grocery shopping and stopped to have dinner at a restaurant. Today he's with my mom and she's taking him with her to her Drs. apt., then she's going shopping at the mall and she might go to the casino with him afterwards. I do switch his food a lot which doesn't bother him it's just like if I was feeding him a raw diet like my other dogs his diet would be getting switched constantly today he had lamb tomorrow he'll probably have beef pot roast or turkey I don't know it's whatever I or my mom happen to grab. All my dogs love it and they never get a chance to become bored or picky with their meals. I'm pretty sure the eye tearing isn't because of teething otherwise he would continue to tear even with the eye drops we did it once yesterday and since then he hasn't teared at all and he's not rubbing his eyes anymore. It's most likely allergies I live basically in the woods and mountains with all the trees and wild plants around it's bound to cause problems my miniature dachshund before she passed had the worst allergies and I had to give her Benadryl otherwise she would sneeze non-stop and constantly rub herself on everything.


----------



## Orla (Jul 5, 2009)

Wow, I think Milo was 2.5lbs when I got him and he was tiny! I was so glad when he got bigger - I was so worried he would be stepped on! 

I was a little like you back then - I weighed him every single week and tried to predict what he would end up at. I was pretty fixated on wanting him to be in the 5lb range. I realized it didn't matter. He's a maltese so he'll be small enough anyway. 

He ended up at 6lbs and stayed at that until he was 7 years old. I haven't had him weighed in over a year but I am sure he is heavier now - I'd guess he is at least 7lbs.


----------



## Dream Brandy (Aug 20, 2017)

With him being so small we want to stay on top of everything and since he is on a 100% canned diet I have to be really involved and make sure he's growing at a steady rate and all his meals are balanced plus at some point with him we would like to introduce raw to his diet also. We follow the 80-10-10 rule so I need to know exact weights so I can be sure everyone is properly being fed the right portions. If I fed solely dry then yes I wouldn't have to be so involved I would probably just free feed and let them do their own thing but I like being involved and knowing what my dogs are eating and taking that extra time for them and I know they appreciate it. 

On a different note

I started this thread just so I could have a place to put Echo's weights and for others to have a place, if they wanted, to also keep track of their own puppy's growth, other dog forums have places where people can compare sizes with other members and keep track of their puppy's growth this one doesn't so I thought it would be fun to do that on here now I'm thinking maybe I was mistaking. It was not made so I could brag about my 1 pound fluff that wasn't my intention at all it's almost like some members here see my name and see me mention something about size and automatically go she's obsessed with having a tiny dog and are not even take the time to read what I'm saying. It's almost like talking about size on this forum is wrong unless your puppy is over sized I'm not sorry for wanting what I wanted. Maltese are a toy breed they are supposed to be small I just so happened to prefer mine on the smaller side if that isn't what you prefer then that's fine not everyone can handle dogs 4lbs and under I get that I honestly do but at the same time I don't comment on anyone with an oversized Maltese in an almost passive aggressive manner like I've had some members do to me because technically 10+ lbs Maltese are not toys 4-6 lbs is the ideal if you wanted a dog that big there's other breeds like Tzu's that are that size and breeders that are purposely breeding malts to be oversized don't sound reputable to me. Yes I talk a lot about Echo and his size but I've also talked about other things I can't help that when I give advice about something or ask a question that I might mention his size what I do and use is going to be drastically different than someone with an average size pup and his size does impact a lot of decisions and choices.


----------



## zooeysmom (Aug 1, 2011)

You are obsessed with his size and wanting him small. Just own it. 

There are some larger Malts here, mine included (she's a shelter adoption). But most I would say are within the standard 4-7 lbs.


----------



## Orla (Jul 5, 2009)

Over here in Europe the standard is up to around 9lbs! (I believe it's 6-9)


----------



## maggieh (Dec 16, 2007)

Dream Brandy said:


> Maltese are a toy breed they are supposed to be small I just so happened to prefer mine on the smaller side if that isn't what you prefer then that's fine not everyone can handle dogs 4lbs and under I get that I honestly do but at the same time I don't comment on anyone with an oversized Maltese in an almost passive aggressive manner like I've had some members do to me because technically 10+ lbs Maltese are not toys 4-6 lbs is the ideal if you wanted a dog that big there's other breeds like Tzu's that are that size and breeders that are purposely breeding malts to be oversized don't sound reputable to me.


Buried in that comment is a statement about reputable breeders. Responsible/reputable breeders strive for standard, not over or under. A breeder who intentionally breeds under standard, or even to the low side of standard, is jeopardizing the mother and puppy's health to sell a purse-sized dog.

You've made comments on this forum that are in direct opposition to what a lot of us who are experienced with Maltese would recommend, and you've become defensive when advice is presented to you that contradicts your opinion, and even your experience with other breeds. The ladies and gentlemen on this forum are a fabulous source of information for you. While every dog is unique and not all advice applies universally, it would be worthwhile to listen and learn rather than immediately discount what is offered to you. Advice and information on this forum is provided out of a love for our fluffs and our breed and in the best interest of the fur-babies we have in our lives.


----------



## kilodzul (Oct 7, 2013)

My girl is standard FCI size (we're from Poland) - she's between 3.2 - 3.7 kg, which I believe is 7-8 lbs, depending on how conditioned she is (she weights more if she's more muscled). Of course the weight doesn't change her size. A lot of people thought she's going to end up bigger, because she reached current size - more or less - at 6 months. She was around 3 pounds when I got her at 11 weeks, so she grew very quickly when she was a puppy. Which was fine with me, as I worried about hurting her accidentally when she was so tiny. Personally I wouldn't try to find a dog that stays that small because of too many potential health and care risks and I'm glad our European standard is bigger, although too many breeders breed dogs under size because people now want "miniature" Maltese. 
I'm glad that you're taking precautions and that you don't shelter him too much - tiny dogs still deserve to have full, doggy life, even if we have to be more careful with them.


----------



## Luna&Me (Jul 23, 2016)

zooeysmom said:


> You are obsessed with his size and wanting him small. Just own it.


Respectfully I agree with Zooeysmom. 

Your post represents you as someone obsessed with your little ones size, owning it is an option if it feels true to you but if you do not agree with that representation of yourself then change the tone of your post. 

My little one is a female and on the smaller size of the breed standard - we love her but we will love her regardless of what size she grows to! I do not feel the same tone in your post - it feels like IF your little one grew to 7-8 lbs you would want your money back from the breeder. I am not saying that this is who you are or what you feel but it is the light your post leave you to be perceived as.


----------



## The A Team (Dec 1, 2005)

I like the malts on the smaller side also. Two of mine are between 3 1/2 and 4 lbs. You really should order a digital baby scale on line, then you can keep an eye on his weight daily. 3 1/2 - 4 lbs is perfect for me, small enough to be very portable, but large enough that they won't break if held too tightly.

Once had a tiny at less than 2 lbs, I kept her in a pack n play pen. Brought her out to play... took a few steps away and my husband walked into the room and stepped on her. She died. Not saying a larger pup wouldn't die, but they'd have a better chance...and might be quicker to get out of the way. 

I'm sure you know all this, and I hope you enjoy this tiny ball of fur for years to come. :thumbsup:


----------



## Dream Brandy (Aug 20, 2017)

Luna&Me;4111441 said:


> zooeysmom said:
> 
> 
> > You are obsessed with his size and wanting him small. Just own it.
> ...


 I'm not obsessed at all if he did get to 8lbs I would still love him there's no way I would ever return him to his breeder. Most of the time we forget how small he is with all his hair he always feels and looks bigger so yes it does surprise us when take him to the vet and find out he's not as big as we thought. His brother is a tad bit bigger than him he's most likely going to be in the 4.5-5 pound range. But as I said we wanted a smaller dog because he does get carried around all the time and his smaller size allows him to be with us 24/7.


----------



## Dream Brandy (Aug 20, 2017)

maggieh said:


> Dream Brandy said:
> 
> 
> > Maltese are a toy breed they are supposed to be small I just so happened to prefer mine on the smaller side if that isn't what you prefer then that's fine not everyone can handle dogs 4lbs and under I get that I honestly do but at the same time I don't comment on anyone with an oversized Maltese in an almost passive aggressive manner like I've had some members do to me because technically 10+ lbs Maltese are not toys 4-6 lbs is the ideal if you wanted a dog that big there's other breeds like Tzu's that are that size and breeders that are purposely breeding malts to be oversized don't sound reputable to me.
> ...


 I've never once stated his breeder breeds dogs for the 2-3lbs range. Echo's brother is most likely going to be 4.5-5lbs so in standard. Every breeder no matter how hard they try have gotten puppies who were under or over standard does not mean they purposely bred for that size. Echo was sold to me at a very fair price because of how small he was I didn't pay any crazy teacup price HE WAS MARKED DOWN and has a contract stating I can not breed him at anytime.


----------



## Dream Brandy (Aug 20, 2017)

The A Team said:


> I like the malts on the smaller side also. Two of mine are between 3 1/2 and 4 lbs. You really should order a digital baby scale on line, then you can keep an eye on his weight daily. 3 1/2 - 4 lbs is perfect for me, small enough to be very portable, but large enough that they won't break if held too tightly.
> 
> Once had a tiny at less than 2 lbs, I kept her in a pack n play pen. Brought her out to play... took a few steps away and my husband walked into the room and stepped on her. She died. Not saying a larger pup wouldn't die, but they'd have a better chance...and might be quicker to get out of the way.
> 
> I'm sure you know all this, and I hope you enjoy this tiny ball of fur for years to come.


 thank you finally someone who gets it. We're pretty careful we put bells on all our doors so when you open the door it rings and we've trained Echo to go to his bed or we'll pick him up so he's not in the way of anyone coming in the room. In my moms office everyone knows to look down and watch out there's 3 other office dogs who are the same size as echo and 2 who are very close to his size.


----------



## Snowbody (Jan 3, 2009)

Dream Brandy said:


> I've never once stated his breeder breeds dogs for the 2-3lbs range. Echo's brother is most likely going to be 4.5-5lbs so in standard. Every breeder no matter how hard they try have gotten puppies who were under or over standard does not mean they purposely bred for that size. Echo was sold to me at a very fair price because of how small he was I didn't pay any crazy teacup price HE WAS MARKED DOWN *and has a contract stating I can not breed him at anytime.*


I'm assuming you signed a contract that insists on neutering or spaying not just stating that you won't breed him. That's standard with reputable breeders.


----------



## unicorn1098 (Oct 3, 2017)

My Dolly is 3 months old today and weighs 1lb 8oz. I'm hoping for a larger Maltese but since she was a "rescue" of sorts... I'll just take a happy and healthy pup at any size! Can't wait to watch her grow and see where she ends up.


----------



## Dream Brandy (Aug 20, 2017)

Snowbody said:


> Dream Brandy said:
> 
> 
> > I've never once stated his breeder breeds dogs for the 2-3lbs range. Echo's brother is most likely going to be 4.5-5lbs so in standard. Every breeder no matter how hard they try have gotten puppies who were under or over standard does not mean they purposely bred for that size. Echo was sold to me at a very fair price because of how small he was I didn't pay any crazy teacup price HE WAS MARKED DOWN *and has a contract stating I can not breed him at anytime.*
> ...


 no there was no neuter clause because dogs his size are high risk when being put under for surgery. I have a close family friend who lost her tiny Yorkie when she let her vet talk her into spaying her. I've also researched it and talked with his breeder about my concerns as long as it isn't a life saving procedure Echo will not be enduring any surgies or anesthesia.


----------



## Dream Brandy (Aug 20, 2017)

Just a quick update since I originally made this for me to track Echo's growth he weighed in at his last visit 2.0 lbs but he's also chunky we let him thicken up for winter. He also reached a milestone he finally raises his leg to pee I'm so happy, now hopefully no more pee stains on his belly hair. We also started him on raw he gets a raw breakfast, then a light lunch, and then "canned" food for dinner.


----------



## edelweiss (Apr 23, 2010)

I hope you have done the Bile Acids Test---it is not a normal one---but for pups this size I would definitely have it done.


----------



## unicorn1098 (Oct 3, 2017)

Dream Brandy said:


> Just a quick update since I originally made this for me to track Echo's growth he weighed in at his last visit 2.0 lbs but he's also chunky we let him thicken up for winter. He also reached a milestone he finally raises his leg to pee I'm so happy, now hopefully no more pee stains on his belly hair. We also started him on raw he gets a raw breakfast, then a light lunch, and then "canned" food for dinner.


Awww, what a tiny boy! Can I ask how old he is? I remember seeing a post that he was 2 pounds when you got him, so I was just wondering if he was full grown when you got him? I can't even imagine a full grown pup that small! <3 Dolly's just a smidge over 3 pounds at 5 months and my vet is constantly checking for all the things that can go "wrong" with a dog that small. I feel like I'm constantly willing her to grow to 5 pounds so I can worry less hahaha (and spend less at the vet LOL!)

YAY for Echo! Keep growing and reaching those milestones! I wish Dolly would learn not to walk right through her pee after she goes on the potty pad hahaha!


----------



## Dream Brandy (Aug 20, 2017)

He was 2lbs when we got him from the breeder but he was super chunky probably due to the baby food he was getting with his puppy food but since we have such an active life he slimed down for awhile he was holding at 1.8 lbs but this winter is a lot colder than the last so I've let all my dogs thicken up a bit to help. In the mornings they get a nice broth/gravy over their raw meal to help warm them up from their potty break outside before breakfast. I forget how tiny he is I ordered shirts, jackets, and sweaters for him and for some reason in my mind I was worried a xx-small or x-small would be to small and ended up getting a couple shirts in small and they're giant on him lol I'm hoping a couple washes will shrink them I have to remind myself his harness is literally a hamster harness there's not many clothes that are too small for him.


----------



## CloudClan (Jan 31, 2007)

It is not normal for a puppy to lose that much weight at all at that age even if he is "slimming down." I agree with Sandi that I would have his Bile Acids tested. He should also be checked for PDA. Both conditions can cause weight declines. I am not trying to raise alarms, but as a breeder one of the things I use to gauge the health of my puppies is weight gain and I want to see it throughout their puppyhood. If they are not gaining weight, I see it as a problem and try to resolve it. 

Also, Maltese generally keep growing until 9-12 months, not 6. In the 25+ years I have owned maltese and the 10+ years I have been showing them, I have never seen a puppy stop growing or lose a significant amount of weight at 6 months unless it was ill. Even after a year, they should continue to add muscle and body weight through their adolescence. 

In reading this thread, I see that it has gotten a bit contentious. Understand there is some history with those of us who have belonged to forums such as these for a long time. We have seen dogs that were sold for their tiny size turn out to be from disreputable breeders often selling sick dogs, we have seen people refuse to feed their dogs adequate amounts in order to keep them small, we have seen people fall for paying outrageous prices for puppies because they were more interested in tiny than in healthy. All of that history goes into why any thread about weight can become contentious. 

Sheila Riley of Malt Angels Maltese sold me my Ch. MaltAngel Cascading Starlight RAE TKN CGC who has become my foundation dam. I would hope and expect that whoever she referred you to was a reputable breeder who keeps to the standard.


----------



## maggieh (Dec 16, 2007)

CloudClan said:


> It is not normal for a puppy to lose that much weight at all at that age even if he is "slimming down." I agree with Sandi that I would have his Bile Acids tested. He should also be checked for PDA. Both conditions can cause weight declines. I am not trying to raise alarms, but as a breeder one of the things I use to gauge the health of my puppies is weight gain and I want to see it throughout their puppyhood. If they are not gaining weight, I see it as a problem and try to resolve it.
> 
> Also, Maltese generally keep growing until 9-12 months, not 6. In the 25+ years I have owned maltese and the 10+ years I have been showing them, I have never seen a puppy stop growing or lose a significant amount of weight at 6 months unless it was ill. Even after a year, they should continue to add muscle and body weight through their adolescence.
> 
> ...


Carina, thank you for providing your experience and expertise to what several of us have been concerned about.

To the OP - please take Carina's suggestions to heart. She is one of the best and knows what she's talking about.


----------



## Dgauthier (Jun 3, 2016)

Dream Brandy said:


> His breeder told me he'll probably be done by 6 months old but he's been the same size structurally for awhile and his 6 month mark is fast approaching.




I thought Lucy had stopped
growing at 6 mo’s but went through a growth spurt around 9 mo’s then another around 15 mo. She stopped after that. She’ll be 2 in February. 


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


----------



## Joey18 (Jan 17, 2018)

Wow, my Joey will be a giant then...lol, not that matter to us...
He is already a bit over 4 pounds and only 12 weeks old, we just brought him home, and he is definitely a pure breed maltese, both parents proven champions, but in all honesty I prefer him bigger and healthier, I find so many people on this forum obsessed with small maltese in my humble opinion it's vanity....no disrespect to anyone.


----------



## zooeysmom (Aug 1, 2011)

I looked at Joey's breeder's website--beautiful dogs!! :wub:


----------



## mistletoe (Mar 4, 2018)

My Missy is 3.3lbs at 11 weeks, but she is still too skinny for me despite being in a normal range.


----------



## Joey18 (Jan 17, 2018)

Yes they have very beautiful maltese dogs, Joey's dad was a Canadian Champion in 2017, he comes from Europe, I guess that is why Joey suppose to be about 8 pounds when fully grown. 
I don't mind that at all, I wanted a healthy maltese not a so called teacup (drives me nuts when I hear that)...lol.


----------



## LOVE_BABY (May 5, 2015)

pippersmom said:


> Please just don't get too fixated on weight. 1.5 lbs is very tiny and personally I would worry if my dog quit growing at that size. It sounds like you're hoping he's pretty much done growing. I also worry that a 4 month old puppy lost 1/2 a lb in the short time you have had him. That's a lot of weight for a tiny puppy to loose in a short period of time.
> It also sounds like you switch foods a lot. That can be very hard on little tummies.
> In another post you mentioned getting eye drops for his tearing. He's probably tearing because he's only 4 months old and teething. I wouldn't be putting drops in his eyes unless you were certain it was allergies but in Echo's case it's probably just teething. Once he's done teething the tearing will probably stop on it's own.


I AGREE!:aktion033: His HEALTH is what is important not his_ SIZE_..... And 'ethical' breeders will not breed mothers under 5 or 6 lbs :no2:olice:.


----------

