Question about a "Runt" puppy........?

Question

We have a westie puppy who is now 16 weeks old and he is clearly the runt of the litter. I feel a little cheated as we would never have chosen a runt. Here is what happened: the breeder lives far from us and he was to be in our area coincidently when we were going to choose a puppy. He offered to meet us at a convenient place w/ the male dogs he had left (we wanted a male) The next day he showed up w/ 1 puppy and said the other had sold the night before. The puupy ws tiny but what did I know right? My mom and cousin both have westies and this little dog of ours looks like a joke next to them he is so tiny. He is not house training at all, in fact the idiot uses his kennel as a litter box when what I have read over and over a dog inherantly will not soil his den etc. My question is this: are runts known for being unintelligent and are they slow to develop etc. Also do breeders generally sell a runt for the same price as the other pups in a litter? We wouldn't even be able to stud him!

I don't intend to breed this dog in fact we will neuter him but the point is the breeder doesn't know that and we were charged full price.
Also, we have the adequate size cage and it doesn't matter. We will take him out and as soon as he comes back in the cage he poops or he will pee 5 min. later.

One more thing to add: before another person says we bought this dog from a puppy mill let me say this, we were referred to this breeder by 2 other families. I believe they are real dog breeders. They did offer to let me come to their home but I agreed to meet them as it was more convenient for me.

Answer 1

NONSENSE!! I've had runts and some have been great dogs. One of my hounds yrs. ago was a runt and turned out to be a duel champion. Was an excellent tracker that was hard to beat. Would have to R-E-A-C-H to make low height limit but took best of breed bench over and over again.

Try a different training technique if you're not having any luck with him. I always recommend "house breaking scent" witch you can get on line. Get pads and put a couple drops on it. The little dog will go there. Then as he goes there on his own move it outside.

Answer 2

Honey sounds like you have been conned by a puppy mill or back yard breeder. They are always willing to meet you at the side of the road. Heaven forbid you actually see what the poor animal was born into or the parents it was born to.

As for the housebreaking this is probably all he has known to pee and poop where he lives. He probably never got out of the cage until he came to you. Makes me think more puppy mill than even BYB.

He's not stupid. Just never known anything else.

A runt does not always mean a bad dog. A lot depends on the breeding and the care afterwards both with the breeder and the new owners.

He maybe slower to develope, but he may not even be as old as you think. That maybe another part of the problems. They said 16 weeks. He maybe much, much younger. I know someone who bought a Chihuahua pup that they thought was 12 weeks old and 3 vets all agreed it was not more than 5 weeks at most.

No way must this dog ever be studded. He may well have genetic defects, he may not even be pure bred even if you have papers to say he is.

Sadly runts are often sold for more when it comes to small breed dogs because this is often what people want.

He can be a very loving and wonderful companion, but please don;t even concider more than this. Get him his shots, have him neutered and enjoy him. He can be houseborken and trained. It may just take a little longer. When all you have ever known is living in your own filth you know no different.

Given lots of love and a good, healthy diet he will catch up in all respects. Please don;t hate him for something he had no control over.

Had you of done your research you would have known what to expect. Even when you saw the pup you reserved the right to say no. You obviously liked the puppy at the time or you would not have taken him. Now you just have to work on any/all issues and make him the best dog he can be.

I hope others will learn you DON'T meet a breeder at the side of the road, have a puppy shipped etc. You go to the breeders home. You meet the parents or at least the mother. You see what conditions they have been born into. Any other way you are asking for big trouble

ADDED: I know many people who bought dogs from a certain breeder about the same time. They all throught they had wonderful pure bred pups until a few months later when it became obvious they were not. Now none of them except one or 2 who got lucky and did get a pure bred pup would recommend her.

I'm glad you are having him neutered.

Better to ahve traveled those extra miles and got what you were hoping for. My breeder moved before I got my last pup from him so we did a 7 hour round trip to get the last one as we wanted the best from the best. Bandit did not disappoint.

Answer 3

No, runts are not necessarily not as smart as normal size dogs - what they are is smaller and later to develop - and all too often, not as healthy as they should be.
You got ripped off by a bad breeder, nothing new there, and it's your own fault.

So, now don't take it out on the puppy, just give him time to learn and develop - you need to potty train a puppy anyway, breeders don't do that for you - all breeders want is your money.

As to selling the runt for the same price, a breeder is in it for the money - why don't people get that???? There are very few decent breeders in business for the good of the breed, most are in it to make a buck, never mind the welfare of the poor animals they use as "stock".

Next time adopt a good grown dog, then you see what you get and save a life rather than enriching a puppy mill or back yard breeder.

Your runt may grow into a charming, intelligent dog - give him time. Just means you have more work ahead than you bargained for, but certainly don't be blaming the "idiot" pup, don't compound cluelessness with cruelty .

Answer 4

Runts are not 'known' for being unintelligent. I will venture to guess this was a back yard, breed for profit breeder or mill. You made numerous errors in your purchase (we learn from our mistakes..so let it be a lesson learned):
You should always go to where the puppy is so that you can see the environment that the puppy was born into and living in. You should see at least the mother if not both parents. Reputable/responsible breeders do not meet someone in parking lots or street corners. If the dog is less than show quality, it should have been sold on a contract requiring that you neuter it. Did you get AKC registration papers with the pup? The fact that the puppy potties in it's crate can be an indication of a pup that was raised to this point in a cage and was forced to potty where it slept and ate.

Don't even consider studding this dog. First, anyone that knows anything would not be interested in using him. Second, what you have purchased is a pet and a pet only.

Answer 5

1. You should never buy from a "breeder" without seeing their home/facilities/dogs first, but I'm sure you've figured that out by now.

2. This puppy is 4 months old, and you're comparing his size to adult dogs?

3. How big is his crate? If he feels like he has room in there to eliminate without standing in it, he will. He needs a crate that is only large enough for him to stand and turn around in.

4. I've never seen evidence that a "runt" (if that is, in fact, what he is) will not grow into a normal, healthy dog. Slow development may be due to poor nutrition from his mother/the breeder, but a decent quality dog food should help correct it.

5. A puppy obedience class will also help you learn to appreciate and work with your dog.

6. All puppies from a good quality, well-bred litter will be the same price.

7. Is that your primary concern, whether or not you'll be able to "make your money back" by studding out your dog? How about his health and training? How about the 12-15 years of companionship he's committed to giving you? Isn't that why you got a dog?

Answer 6

Didn't it seem a little strange to you that the breeder was willing to travel with the dog to you....and didn't it also seem strange that he only happened to have one dog.....haven't you seen any other westie puppies before so you had something to compare them to? Why would you stud a dog that you don't know anything about it's breeding history? Do everyone a favor and get the dog fixed and try to train the dog it will be fine just small. Next time be more careful when buying a dog. Backyard breeders call their runts teacups and sell them for the same or more money than the healthy puppies.

Answer 7

The runt isn't necessarily the runt cause something is wrong with him.. It's often cause he didn't have the same room inside to grow as some of the others.. Very often the runt grows up to be much bigger than the others in the litter.. Unless he was born sickly and is small because he was not thriving, it's not likely that he'll have a problem..

If as a young puppy he was raised in poop and pee, he will mess in his crate.. Mom is supposed to be teaching them and showing them to keep things clean.. IF the mom was a bad mom, or the whelping box was not kept immaculate, he was raised in pee and poop and now accepts it as normal.. You will need to reteach this that he should have learned and would have learned if you had bought from a good breeder..

Breeders don't meet people somewhere to sell puppies.. They want you to their house.. When he offered to meet you, it's a red flag.. Unless you had already been to the house and met the parents etc.. and he had already met you and felt you were a good owner.. It's possible that someone might meet you to give you your puppy out of convenience for you, or rather than having the puppy shipped.. But to meet you to let you pick your puppy.. you just don't do that...

If I have a puppy that is a little smaller than the rest.. I sell him for the same price.. he isn't sick, he is just slightly smaller.. Now if he was tiny, I would keep him longer than the rest of the litter and give him a better chance to catch up before he leaves to his new home..
I find if I have a little guy who is a little smaller than the rest, which doesn't happen too often, more often than not they are all very close in size.. People are freaky for the runt and everyone wants him.. I have people write and tell me that they want only a runt and will wait for one to be available.. Nothing wrong with the runt.. I find too that the guy that is smaller gets a whole lot more people time.. people can't resist them and they get picked up more often, held more and played with more.. They get more people social quicker and develop wonderful personalities.. I wouldn't be afraid of a runt normally. But I would be afraid of a small puppy if someone offered to meet me somewhere so that I couldn't see the rest of the litter...

Because of who and where you got your puppy from.. You dog is not breeding quality anyhow runt or not. He should be neutered..

Answer 8

It has been, in my experience, that runts turn out to be the best most hardy dogs. He may even get as big as any other. Some dogs do use their kennels some dogs don't (maybe the kennel is too big). His size should not stop you from breeding, just becuase he is small now doesn't mean his puppies will be little. I'm not sure about the cost for the size. The runts I've been around have been pretty smart. Some dogs just take longer to house train or have more subtle signs that they have to go. They most important thing is to love him no manner what.

Answer 9

I would not purchase the runt of a litter either. You got burned by a BYB or Puppy Mill.

A competent breeder would have culled this pup.
Runts, until they get older & have had a chance to learn with be slow.

Regardless of your disappointment you have two choices. One is to return the dog & get your money back but think about what will happen to the pup if you return it.. Or accept that you are his mama now & do the best you can with him

Personally I am not real sure what I would do. I would not want to keep the pup because he is at the bottom of the of the litter & will have a very submissive behavior. I can't stand a submissive dog that will belly up & pee its self.

I am used to really dominate dogs & prefer that behavior over submissive. I can handle the aggression but I can't tolerate a submissive dog.

This is going to sound really cruel & mean & ugly & inhumane but the pup would be better off dead. The poor thing should have been euthanized at birth. If you cannot accept this pup it is best you return it.

You can accept him the way he is & buy another dog as a companion for him. At least this way you wouldn't worry what happens to the little guy if returned to an incompetent breeder.

Answer 10

ok, runt puppies r like short children, they are capable of the same thing, and can have just as much ir more for that matter intelect. I have a runt sheltie, we love her very much, and we don't care that she's a runt! they develop at the same pace, and r perfectly normal. my puppy's 5 months old. she peed all over the house for the first week. we were just telling her no sternly when she did it, then one time my mom gave her a little pat on the butt when she did it, then when she went outside we brought out a treat and fed it to her. my puppy instantly got the idea, and now only has an accident once a week. I'm only 12 yrs. old and this 5 month yr old pupy was trained over 35 commands by me. little dogs develop just fine. stop worrying! and runts are the same price for most breeders, most breeders sell females for about 250 more, just because they're more popular than males these days. We also met a breeder wh went by the cuteness, we never heard of one that went by size.