Paw size being a true indicator of size?

Eletrico · 03-03-2010, 05:55 PM

Hi guys,

Would appreciate some input on sizing of their doodles. When we bought our pup Kona the breeder said she was going to be a standard size Labradoodle. Our breeder was kind of desperate to get rid of his puppies since he had another on the way and from the size of Kona compared to the other pups she was on the larger side. She did have 2 other brothers that were larger than her tho. Her Mother was a standard and father was a medium. The vet said she was kind of on the scrawny size and underweight the first week we got her. She is now much larger and stronger but still doesnt seem like she is going to be a large standard like the breeder told us she would be.

she is 25 lbs and almost 5 1/2 months old . Does this mean she will be more of a medium sized dog? I heard that puppies stop growing in height and weight at 12 months old but their major growth spurts are at 6 months. Also do paws size indicate size of dog? I heard that was just an old wives tale.

kirama · 03-03-2010, 06:03 PM

Well, Beck had some BIG paws and he's turned out to be a big boy 65-68 pounds. Little brother Murphy is 13 weeks and doesn't have really large paws, but he weighs 22.7 pounds lol

magoo · 03-03-2010, 06:28 PM

My little Chip has always had huge paws and now I know why.....at 11 months he is 91 pounds. So I believe the old wives tale. Also he was 25 lbs when he was 3 months old if that helps you.

**KingstonTodd** · 03-03-2010, 06:30 PM

In the ALAA (Australian labradoodle association of america) does not have a weight on their size description, only height. It has a standard at 21" to 24". How tall is your puppy? It is reasonable for a standard of 21" to weigh anywhere from 45 to 70 lbs, depending on the thickness/depth of the chest and length. So you may end up with a dog that fits the category of a standard, but may still be a medium sized dog by general appearance.

Jac · 03-03-2010, 06:42 PM

Well, my first standard Poodle vet visit had my vet saying, "Look at those paws! He is going to be a biiiiiiig boy!" and Poodles do have huge, round paws, compared to Labs who have more "rabbit foot" looking paws...so there is a difference in paw size, just between the breed...but my biiiiiiig boy is tall (27-29 inches) and weighs 70 lbs.
On the other hand, I have one girl who takes after her English Lab daddy...she has quite small feet and she is only about 23 inches tall, but she is sooooo blocky...and she weighs 70 lbs!
Still, when I see a puppy with big feet, I do assume that she/he will be big. I have not seen a small dog with big feet.
I would ask the breeder how tall the parents are and how much they weigh...and if she has any other litters from the same parents...and what were the adult puppies like. You can assume (but not rely on) that the puppies will be between the size of both parents.
That being said, I have some puppies that have reached 80 lbs...from a 70 lb father and a 60 lb mother.
It is a guessing game...and so I always tell my puppy families not to be surprised either way...I can make a guess at the size, but I never promise.
In our case, the pups (at 6 months) are within about 10 lbs of their adult weight but I have known of other dogs that keep growing until they are 18 months...so you just never know!

MaxandMe · 03-06-2010, 02:08 AM

i remember MAX at 16 wks being 35lbs, not very big paws at all
BUT now he's 3.5yrs old , 26in tall at shoulder and 100lbs

he's as tall as the dad but alot heavier with the lab build but poodle personality and prances like a poodle

he's a gentle giant as my friends say

Peanut had HUGE paws but is only 22.5 in tall , weighs 60lbs and is built like a tank (nick name is tank-a-doodle)
she took after the golden retriever build and tad smaller than her mom

ladybird · 03-06-2010, 04:15 AM

Ben has biiiiig paws, the vet commented on them and said 'he is going to be a big boy', he is 12 weeks now and weighs 10kg (22lb) I only have a small house, so fun ahead then. Doesn't bother me really, just need to make sure he is good on the lead before he gets to big and takes me for walks

Jac · 03-06-2010, 04:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ladybird

Ben has biiiiig paws, the vet commented on them and said 'he is going to be a big boy', he is 12 weeks now and weighs 10kg (22lb) I only have a small house, so fun ahead then. Doesn't bother me really, just need to make sure he is good on the lead before he gets to big and takes me for walks

Great attitude!

LucyWhitePaw · 05-20-2010, 10:38 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ladybird

Ben has biiiiig paws, the vet commented on them and said 'he is going to be a big boy', he is 12 weeks now and weighs 10kg (22lb) I only have a small house, so fun ahead then. Doesn't bother me really, just need to make sure he is good on the lead before he gets to big and takes me for walks

Just curious ~ how big is Ben now? Lucy is 12 wks and is 20lbs. and she has big paws too! Everyone always comments on them.

texasheathers · 05-21-2010, 04:14 PM

I love hearing about this sizes... we have found a potential puppy for us - puppies would be ready to go home sometime in September - but the parents are Standard and Medium - but the standard daddy is only 45 lbs... I guess they are going more by height and the ALAA guide... we were hoping for a standard - so I almost wonder if this is too small?? THe parent dogs are amazing - so beautiful - and we have been invited to come and meet them... hmmm... decisions, decisions!

Did you ever see Lilo and Stitch and Lilo's sister takes her to the animal shelter to get a dog and she is telling the lady that works there they need something "sturdy" - ok - that's me! LOL! I want the dog to be bigger than the kids - ha ha!!

LucyWhitePaw · 05-21-2010, 06:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by texasheathers

Did you ever see Lilo and Stitch and Lilo's sister takes her to the animal shelter to get a dog and she is telling the lady that works there they need something "sturdy" - ok - that's me! LOL! I want the dog to be bigger than the kids - ha ha!!

That is totally us! We like bigger dogs, so our kids can't dominate her too much! She needs a fighting chance, lol! Our black lab was 70lbs and her size was perfect. I am almost hoping Lucy is on the even bigger size. I like big dogs! I like little dogs too, but at our puppy party the other day I held a Chihuahua and I thought I was going to break her! She was so small and delicate! Imagine my kids around her!

B_Angel · 05-23-2010, 05:00 AM

Hi, I have puppy labradoodle, and when he was 9 weeks old he was 17 pounds, week later at vet he was already 22 pounds, now he's 3 months old i dont know how much he weight but he get bigger and bigger. His pats are huge and he starting to fight with my older female german shepard for who is the bos??? I just wonder how long this will last, because the breeder told me that he supposed to be submissive and he's never giving up. Im affraid that they will fight all the time for place and if he gets bigger he will be more fighting...dont know what to do....how big he can be???? bigger than german shepard???

deepnite10 · 05-24-2010, 12:56 AM

Toby, I was told..was the runt of the litter..he arrived at 14wks old and weighed in at 27lbs and had big paws..
and as was used to being told..large paws = big dog..

at the beginning of the yr and at 2yrs. 3mos he stood at 26" at the shoulders and weighed in at 85 lbs..fully grown i
thought..last week he had gain d another inch in height and put on another 5 lbs..but, despite his size..he s
a great indoor dog..

CindynEarl · 05-25-2010, 01:33 AM

Here is something I found earlier in this forum:

http://www.dog-names.org.uk/puppy-behav ... opment.htm

It really explains allthose questions on puppy growth.

deepnite10 · 05-26-2010, 01:40 AM

Toby s breeder told me there would nt be any problem who would be the
boss when he met our min-pin and saluki..

today Toby s 90 lbs, the min pin 12lbs and the saluki is just under
30lbs..YUP the min pin is the Alpha

size has no bearing who d be the number 1..after you of course..
you could come between the two and show each just who is the
alpha..or just let them settle it between themselves..as i did with
no lasting damage..

Toby ended up with a couple bloody lips and paw befor he learned, the
min-pin is just a package dinamite..

03-03-2010, 05:55 PM	#1 (permalink)
Eletrico Member Join Date: Feb 2010 Location: Los Angeles Posts: 14	Paw size being a true indicator of size? Hi guys, Would appreciate some input on sizing of their doodles. When we bought our pup Kona the breeder said she was going to be a standard size Labradoodle. Our breeder was kind of desperate to get rid of his puppies since he had another on the way and from the size of Kona compared to the other pups she was on the larger side. She did have 2 other brothers that were larger than her tho. Her Mother was a standard and father was a medium. The vet said she was kind of on the scrawny size and underweight the first week we got her. She is now much larger and stronger but still doesnt seem like she is going to be a large standard like the breeder told us she would be. she is 25 lbs and almost 5 1/2 months old . Does this mean she will be more of a medium sized dog? I heard that puppies stop growing in height and weight at 12 months old but their major growth spurts are at 6 months. Also do paws size indicate size of dog? I heard that was just an old wives tale.

03-03-2010, 06:03 PM	#2 (permalink)
kirama Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2009 Posts: 858	Re: Paw size being a true indicator of size? Well, Beck had some BIG paws and he's turned out to be a big boy 65-68 pounds. Little brother Murphy is 13 weeks and doesn't have really large paws, but he weighs 22.7 pounds lol __________________

03-03-2010, 06:28 PM	#3 (permalink)
magoo Member Join Date: Jun 2009 Posts: 13	Re: Paw size being a true indicator of size? My little Chip has always had huge paws and now I know why.....at 11 months he is 91 pounds. So I believe the old wives tale. Also he was 25 lbs when he was 3 months old if that helps you.

03-03-2010, 06:30 PM	#4 (permalink)
KingstonTodd Super Moderator Join Date: Aug 2006 Posts: 2,005	Re: Paw size being a true indicator of size? In the ALAA (Australian labradoodle association of america) does not have a weight on their size description, only height. It has a standard at 21" to 24". How tall is your puppy? It is reasonable for a standard of 21" to weigh anywhere from 45 to 70 lbs, depending on the thickness/depth of the chest and length. So you may end up with a dog that fits the category of a standard, but may still be a medium sized dog by general appearance.

03-03-2010, 06:42 PM	#5 (permalink)
Jac Senior Member Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: northern California Posts: 9,243	Re: Paw size being a true indicator of size? Well, my first standard Poodle vet visit had my vet saying, "Look at those paws! He is going to be a biiiiiiig boy!" and Poodles do have huge, round paws, compared to Labs who have more "rabbit foot" looking paws...so there is a difference in paw size, just between the breed...but my biiiiiiig boy is tall (27-29 inches) and weighs 70 lbs. On the other hand, I have one girl who takes after her English Lab daddy...she has quite small feet and she is only about 23 inches tall, but she is sooooo blocky...and she weighs 70 lbs! Still, when I see a puppy with big feet, I do assume that she/he will be big. I have not seen a small dog with big feet. I would ask the breeder how tall the parents are and how much they weigh...and if she has any other litters from the same parents...and what were the adult puppies like. You can assume (but not rely on) that the puppies will be between the size of both parents. That being said, I have some puppies that have reached 80 lbs...from a 70 lb father and a 60 lb mother. It is a guessing game...and so I always tell my puppy families not to be surprised either way...I can make a guess at the size, but I never promise. In our case, the pups (at 6 months) are within about 10 lbs of their adult weight but I have known of other dogs that keep growing until they are 18 months...so you just never know!

03-06-2010, 02:08 AM	#6 (permalink)
MaxandMe Senior Member Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Upstate, NY Posts: 15,092	Re: Paw size being a true indicator of size? i remember MAX at 16 wks being 35lbs, not very big paws at all BUT now he's 3.5yrs old , 26in tall at shoulder and 100lbs he's as tall as the dad but alot heavier with the lab build but poodle personality and prances like a poodle he's a gentle giant as my friends say Peanut had HUGE paws but is only 22.5 in tall , weighs 60lbs and is built like a tank (nick name is tank-a-doodle) she took after the golden retriever build and tad smaller than her mom __________________ *Annmarie, Max,& Peanut* "Until one has loved an animal, a part of one's soul remains unawakened." Anatole France uncondtional love: what a dog always does for us and humans strive to do but can we?

03-06-2010, 04:15 AM	#7 (permalink)
ladybird Member Join Date: Dec 2009 Posts: 31	Re: Paw size being a true indicator of size? Ben has biiiiig paws, the vet commented on them and said 'he is going to be a big boy', he is 12 weeks now and weighs 10kg (22lb) I only have a small house, so fun ahead then. Doesn't bother me really, just need to make sure he is good on the lead before he gets to big and takes me for walks

05-21-2010, 04:14 PM	#10 (permalink)
texasheathers Member Join Date: May 2010 Location: Crosby, TX Posts: 42	Re: Paw size being a true indicator of size? I love hearing about this sizes... we have found a potential puppy for us - puppies would be ready to go home sometime in September - but the parents are Standard and Medium - but the standard daddy is only 45 lbs... I guess they are going more by height and the ALAA guide... we were hoping for a standard - so I almost wonder if this is too small?? THe parent dogs are amazing - so beautiful - and we have been invited to come and meet them... hmmm... decisions, decisions! Did you ever see Lilo and Stitch and Lilo's sister takes her to the animal shelter to get a dog and she is telling the lady that works there they need something "sturdy" - ok - that's me! LOL! I want the dog to be bigger than the kids - ha ha!!

05-23-2010, 05:00 AM	#12 (permalink)
B_Angel Junior Member Join Date: May 2010 Posts: 1	Re: Paw size being a true indicator of size? Hi, I have puppy labradoodle, and when he was 9 weeks old he was 17 pounds, week later at vet he was already 22 pounds, now he's 3 months old i dont know how much he weight but he get bigger and bigger. His pats are huge and he starting to fight with my older female german shepard for who is the bos??? I just wonder how long this will last, because the breeder told me that he supposed to be submissive and he's never giving up. Im affraid that they will fight all the time for place and if he gets bigger he will be more fighting...dont know what to do....how big he can be???? bigger than german shepard???

05-24-2010, 12:56 AM	#13 (permalink)
deepnite10 Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Norcal Posts: 1,321	Re: Paw size being a true indicator of size? Toby, I was told..was the runt of the litter..he arrived at 14wks old and weighed in at 27lbs and had big paws.. and as was used to being told..large paws = big dog.. at the beginning of the yr and at 2yrs. 3mos he stood at 26" at the shoulders and weighed in at 85 lbs..fully grown i thought..last week he had gain d another inch in height and put on another 5 lbs..but, despite his size..he s a great indoor dog..

05-25-2010, 01:33 AM	#14 (permalink)
CindynEarl Senior Member Join Date: Feb 2010 Location: WA: Seattle area Posts: 224	Re: Paw size being a true indicator of size? Here is something I found earlier in this forum: http://www.dog-names.org.uk/puppy-behav ... opment.htm It really explains allthose questions on puppy growth.

05-26-2010, 01:40 AM	#15 (permalink)
deepnite10 Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Norcal Posts: 1,321	Re: Paw size being a true indicator of size? Toby s breeder told me there would nt be any problem who would be the boss when he met our min-pin and saluki.. today Toby s 90 lbs, the min pin 12lbs and the saluki is just under 30lbs..YUP the min pin is the Alpha size has no bearing who d be the number 1..after you of course.. you could come between the two and show each just who is the alpha..or just let them settle it between themselves..as i did with no lasting damage.. Toby ended up with a couple bloody lips and paw befor he learned, the min-pin is just a package dinamite..

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