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I have a question relating to this topic. I have always thought of runt being the smallest puppy in the pack.
When we got our dog as a puppy he was the smallest of all his brothers and sisters. However, the owners said that the runt of the littler died after being born. So does that make our dog the new runt, or is the runt the one that died and our puppy just happened to be smaller than the other pups?
If there is a runt...it is the small sickly one. In your litters case, the runt died...yours was just now the smallest of the litter, but not the runt. Like I said...people mis-interpet the word all the time. Some one has to be the smallest.
Not every litter has a "runt".
I will speak for myself and I think the runt makes the better dog of the liter and so did my grandfather . they have to be the toughest to survive if you think about it so they fight tooth and nail for what they have and they most certainly make the most loyal dog . The runts need a secure pack leader as well . My grandfather taught me alot about dogs and he was raised around dogs . yes I have a runt dog a runt chihuahua if there is such a thing with a toy breed . LOL !!!
Yeah, I agree 100%.
I PREFER runts.
Our 2 Poms had pups last year and each litter had a very small runt - both of which we had to bottle feed. One of them we simply could not part with so we kept him.
His name is "Monkey" and he's the most affectionate and loyal little guy you can imagine.
My female was the smallest of her litter, smartness wise I would rather have the smallest of bunch as use for Search and Rescue and they have the spirit and drive in them to make better SAR dogs. Fight from birth to get fed, to not be picked on by litter mates and such.
Well I dont know if its because my dog is the runt but he definitely has an attitude. I love him so much and he is very sweet and affectionate at times but a lot of the time he just wants to be left alone playing with his toys. Sometimes when we pick him up he will try to wiggle out of our hands to break loose. Im not sure if its just because he is a puppy and just wants to play or if this is just the way he is. I wouldnt trade him for the world but I do wish he was a little more calm and would just lay on the couch right by me.
Does anyone hae experience with puppies??? Do you know if this is just a phase?
Well I dont know if its because my dog is the runt but he definitely has an attitude. I love him so much and he is very sweet and affectionate at times but a lot of the time he just wants to be left alone playing with his toys. Sometimes when we pick him up he will try to wiggle out of our hands to break loose. Im not sure if its just because he is a puppy and just wants to play or if this is just the way he is. I wouldnt trade him for the world but I do wish he was a little more calm and would just lay on the couch right by me.
Does anyone hae experience with puppies??? Do you know if this is just a phase?
Hard to say if it's a permanent thing or not. Puppies of course do tend to be much more energetic and restless than mature dogs - of course then again when they crash, they CRASH!
Does he lay with you when he's tired?
That would provide a bit of a clue.
Well I dont know if its because my dog is the runt but he definitely has an attitude. I love him so much and he is very sweet and affectionate at times but a lot of the time he just wants to be left alone playing with his toys. Sometimes when we pick him up he will try to wiggle out of our hands to break loose. Im not sure if its just because he is a puppy and just wants to play or if this is just the way he is. I wouldnt trade him for the world but I do wish he was a little more calm and would just lay on the couch right by me.
Does anyone hae experience with puppies??? Do you know if this is just a phase?
My older dog was like that as a puppy. Too ADD to sit for focused petting.
Now she is crazy for snuggling and loves nothing more in the world than attention from her humans.
Our new puppy is like yours, too. She is crazy for exploring and playing with her toys (and the older dog). Not so much a cuddle in my lap dog. But she is a wired puppy.
I myself have misused the term "runt."
Our Elwood was definitely the smallest of his litter, he has a sister that weighs 20 pounds more than he does, and brothers that dwarf him.
However, Elwood is intelligent, strong and does not display any health issues. At 150 lbs, he is a very small English mastiff but will probably live to a great age. He still lies down with his rear legs flat out behind him.
Enjoy your Havanese! Good things can come in small packages.
Hard to say if it's a permanent thing or not. Puppies of course do tend to be much more energetic and restless than mature dogs - of course then again when they crash, they CRASH!
Does he lay with you when he's tired?
That would provide a bit of a clue.
Ken
It depends on his mood. Sometimes he will lay on the couch with me when hes tired. I guess only time will tell.
My older dog was like that as a puppy. Too ADD to sit for focused petting.
Now she is crazy for snuggling and loves nothing more in the world than attention from her humans.
Our new puppy is like yours, too. She is crazy for exploring and playing with her toys (and the older dog). Not so much a cuddle in my lap dog. But she is a wired puppy.
Glad to know that your puppy changed and became a snuggler. I hope mine does as well.
My Westie was the runt of his litter. I had 2nd choice to the litter, the 1st choice was a breeder looking for show standards. She bypassed my Ninja due to his small size which would be a default in showing. I'm so glad, because he was the one we had our eyes on. He is going on 3 and has had no health issues. He's been on organic/holistic food and distilled water. He is a total love bug and would spend all day on my lap if he could. I was told he may catch up to his littermates, but he just barely hit 10 lbs full grown which is very small for a Westie. Everyone who sees him wants one just like him. I couldn't be happier w/ him.
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I hope mine does as well.
