A better photo would help, the set of his ears doesn't look quite right but the way he's laying makes it impossible to tell. If he's not 100% Golden, he probably is mostly Golden and is maybe not really 8 weeks old yet. Please get him to the vet today for a full check up and he or she can help you evaluate age. Also, if you haven't done so, his toenails need trimmed. I'm surprised the breeder sent him home with such long nails, it's not good for their joints to be long, so check them every few days, it's easier if you stay on top of that chore.
DK on his 'full' heritage, because yes, the ears don't look quite right but maybe post more pics... he's cute no matter what he is.
FWIW- I have NEVER in 40 years sent home an 8 week old pup who weighed only 4 pounds. That's more like a weight you'd see around 3 weeks.. but he's clearly not that 3 weeks old, so health-wise I would worry around a shunt.
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hey guys just want you askif you think my golden is full breed they said he is 8 weeks but only weighs 4 pounds what do you guys think
DK on his 'full' heritage, because yes, the ears don't look quite right but maybe post more pics... he's cute no matter what he is.
FWIW- I have NEVER in 40 years sent home an 8 week old pup who weighed only 4 pounds. That's more like a weight you'd see around 3 weeks.. but he's clearly not that 3 weeks old, so health-wise I would worry around a shunt.
So I took him to the Vet already and Vet said he seems very healthy and thinks he is 7 weeks old. I got told him Mom was a red golden and his dad was a golden
If the vet says he's a healthy 7 week old, I guess I'd just go with that. I honestly don't know if I believe those are both his parents, he doesn't look like what I'd expect they would have been like as a puppy, the ears really and shape of the face. But I guess genetics are interesting and he could take after grandparents etc. Don't worry about his size, feed him proper amount for a puppy his age and don't try to speed his growth. I suspect he will be on the smaller end for a male Golden more like 55 pounds rather than 75 but as long as he's healthy, that's really all that matters.
I wouldn't imagine those dogs were the sire and dam of that pup either but I guess we will all get to watch him grow up!! Enjoy him for whatever he turns out to look like, small or not like either parent. He'll still be a good dog.
Your pup looks adorable! He does look smaller but as long as he is healthy, you should be fine. When we brought Nala home she was a smaller baby. Now she is growing so fast and she is of perfect weight and height. Good luck! And post lot of pics.
My Molly was 10# at 10 weeks.
She is still quite small. I'm not sure of her weight but she is only about 18" tall at her withers at 8 months old. She is a petite gal. She has always been quite small, not as small as yours.
Yours is adorable, if it is not pure golden, it is sure cute anyway
Denver was 10 pounds at 8 weeks. He grew up to be totally normal sized (68 pounds). Addie was 15 pounds at 8 weeks and tested positive for coccidia (we treated it) she’s right on track and gaining weight normally for a puppy her age. Puppies come in all sizes. It is possible that yours is a mix and will stay small or will catch up after any parasites or other issues are treated. In any case, he is a cutie. Good luck with him!
My first dog was a mixed breed - even if he's mixed, he can be a WONDERFUL dog. Still, if you are really curious, you could always DNA test him (and find out a bit about what he carries for certain diseases at the same time). He does sound smaller than I'd expect and looks a bit different than golden puppies I've seen. Still, he can be a great dog!
Enjoy him, and get his health checked as the others have mentioned in case there are some underlying issues. My oldest girl was tiny, 15lbs at 4 months and she grew up to be on the smaller end at 55lbs.
I think he is a Golden Retriever. I'm involved in Golden rescue, and he looks like many of the very poorly bred puppies we take into rescue. I would consider him in that category. We take in many puppies that are Golden Retrievers, and are much smaller than a healthy, well bred Golden puppy would be at the same age. They do fine, grow, and end up growing into normal sized Golden Retriever adults. I would call him what we call rescue puppies, pure bred but poorly bred.
He's adorable, enjoy him!
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