what is a runt?

Question

what does a runt look like and what is it and why

Answer 1

The runt is the smallest dog of the litter. They look just like any of the other pups, they are not deformed or anything like that.

Runts are generally pups that were conceived later than thier littermates. Sperm stays viable in the female for a few days, so lets say most of the litter took on day one, and a runt may have taken on day 4, etc.

Runts do not always stay small, they can often be as big, if not bigger than other pups from the same litter. Most breeders will hold onto the run for a few extra weeks before sending it to its new home.

Answer 2

It is the smallest puppy in the litter. It may not have had all the nutrients it needed when it was inside the mother. Then, once it is born if it has too many siblings it will not be strong enough to compete for one of the mother's nipples. If people interfere runts can turn out to be normal, healthy dogs.

Answer 3

That's a bad term a lot of people don't like to use anymore, but a runt is basically just the smallest puppy in the litter. Generally there will be at least one that is the smallest, weakest and least healthy of them all. It will usually need a little help when feeding to make sure it gets as much as the others since his or her littermates will be bigger and stronger and will get to feed more easily. If taken care of as a baby, they can grown to be just as big and healthy as the litter mates, but if nothing is done, they will usually die, grow slower, be smaller, and/or be less healthy than the litter mates.

Answer 4

The runt if you ask someone who breeds animals is the sickly one the one that looks like he won't make it. Some people call the runt the smallest of the litter. But it doesn't mean they are going to stay small.

Answer 5

Runt is a member of a litter of animals that is smaller than the rest and usually gets pushed away by the mother. It is just the smallest and the weakest of the bunch.
In nature if humans did not intervine, this is the member of the litter that would usually die.

Answer 6

A runt is the smallest of the litter,and sometimes the cutest.

Answer 7

basically a runt is any animal that is the smallest and weakest of the litter. ususally..this little poor animal get bullied by its other siblings, often not getting enoug love or milk from the mother.

When i was getting a puppy...i went to a breeder && i knew i wanted a black/white Papillon girl puppy, and i was so excited that there was a runt that was up to my standards...she was so little...not even one pound. i really wanted to take her home, but she wasnt old enough yet, so we just gave the bredder a down payment. later the breeder called and said that the mother wouldnt give milk anymore, and my little runt was to weak so she died.

That is why its risky to get a runt, beause they are often the weakest and could be unhealthy at birth.

Hope i helped you a little bit, good luck!!!

Answer 8

The smallest and weakest member of the litter, the term is usually applied to piglets, but the term has been adopted for other animals too.

Answer 9

An undersized animal, especially the smallest animal of a litter.
It can also be an offensive word to descibe a short person.

Answer 10

An undersized animal, especially the smallest animal of a litter.
Offensive. A short person.http://www.answers.com/topic/runt
Picture: http://www.thefreedictionary.com/runt
Also computer term:
http://www.webopedia.com/TERM/R/runt.html
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