[rotwiler]

Hi, I have a Mini Aussie 29lbs that is 6 years old. I had a lab mix(50 pounds) that passed away at 15+ and wanted a female dog my male could play with, like our old dog that passed. So I wanted to get a dog, around 50 pounds full grown. I found a Australian Shepherd/ German Shepherd mix online, decided to get her. Picked her up, she is tiny, wasn't thinking much until I went to petco, the person helping us decided to weigh her, she is 8 weeks old and 1.5 pounds. I got her vaccine records and she seems in good health. She's has endless energy, very alert, plays a lot, has all her teeth and looks good. Has been wormed, by what person showed us on her records. She's a great eater, wants to eat everything you give her, have had her 22 hours now. She looks like a all black Aussie with dark mahogany paws and a little shorter than normal tail that curls. I will post photo. No cough, has not thrown up, runny poop, but today was solid, no odd things in it, didn't see worms, blood etc. So confused, I seen parents photos and dad was aussie black, white, brown and mother was shephard brown with black face, was told father is 45 pounds, mother 60. I can't get appt with vet for over a week. Woman at pet store said she looked maybe 7 weeks old, but was told birthdate was 11/7/20. Any info is appreciated.

 

[rotwiler]

 

[JoanneF]

I seen parents photos

You saw photos. They could have been of any dogs.

If you buy a crossbreed with no papers, you always take a chance on how the dog might develop.

 

[rotwiler]

Normally would see parents, but lately with covid, 90% of places/people I contacted did not allow visits to see dogs/parents, even breeders. Only a few would and most of them where purebred breeders. I seen pictures of the other puppies in the litter and they looked like Australian Shephards with white on face etc. I have a purebred mini aussie now. Might just do a canine dna test on her to get a little more information on her. I did a test at Christmas on my mini aussie mainly to see if he had the mdr1 mutation and he did, so is good to find out before giving him wrong medications. Size wise I don't care, if she is 6 pounds or 60 full grown, but concern is 1.5 pounds at 8 weeks just seems small for almost any breed minus a few toy breeds maybe. A few friends with aussies including myself agreed she looks like a aussie and her litter mates for sale at same time looked just like a typical aussie. I don't think my mini aussie now(turbo) was that small, but was 6 years ago, so can't remember how much he weighed.

 

[agility collie mom]

Puppy Weight Calculator: How Big Will My Puppy Get? - All Things Dogs – All Things Dogs
{According to this which seems pretty accurate to me) 10-12 lbs.

 

[rotwiler]

I bought another dna test to get her generic info. When I did my mini aussie only took around 9 days from time I got sample kit in mail until I had information. I used to only have Rottweilers, but then started going smaller as I get older, my last girl was a black lab/aussie mix and was a perfect dog, but she passed away a couple months ago at 15+ years old. I had her since 8 weeks old. My new puppy, she's tiny, but crazy smart. Right now I have had her 48 hours, first day she pooped in house twice, ever since then she goes to the front door, cries and I take her out. Not one mistake poop wise since first couple hours of her coming home. She random will pee in house, but only been a couple times and she pees so little, is like one drip lol, but I let her out a lot and she goes instantly when I put her on grass. She's been sleeping almost all night too, I get her up every couple hours and take her out, then she goes right back to bed. As long as room is dark. But when she is awake, she's a terror, more active than any dog I ever had, jets around house, hops, attacks toys, then gets tired and sleeps. I think she will be bigger than I am thinking, maybe was runt or not getting enough milk, because in past 2 days she feels like she has put on some weight. Even at this tiny size, she is able to climb my 4 stairs on my deck which took my mini aussie until he was like 3 months old to get up the stairs.

 

[rotwiler]

Other photos were first day, even on 2nd day she's looking different. Just wanting her healthy and happy. Here is today's photo.

 

[BigBlackDog]

Very cute puppy! At 8 wks my german shepherd puppy was 25 pounds! I know Australian Shepherds are smaller, but 1.5 pounds??? Wow!

It would be interesting to see what a dna test has to say, but I'm guessing it won't lean heavily toward either of the breeds you were told she is...

That being said, if she's active and alert and otherwise seems healthy (although a Vet check for any new puppy is really important), enjoy your puppy! And again, Congratulations!

 

[rotwiler]

Thanks, will be interesting for sure. Will post in about 2 weeks when dna results come back.

 

[rotwiler]

So a little update, pretty sure she's german shepherd and aussie. She was super thin when I got her. Took her home Friday at 3, at 6pm that night she was 1.5 pound, Sunday I weighed her and she is now 2.3 pounds, so by Monday she might be a pound heavier, so 3/4 pound weight gain in 2 days. She's also eating slower now, at first she would go food crazy. We been feeding her small amounts about 4-5 times a day. Now I can't feel every bone in her body and even her coat has a nice sheen to it, was dull when we got her. She is a cool dog, need to stop the biting my pants leg when taking her out, but she knows to go to door when she has to go to bathroom. Crazy she learned that so fast. Her name is Bee, since she looks kinda like a bumble bee. When I gave her a bath the first night(she was stinky) she looked so tiny wet, guess 1.5 pounds is tiny, her fur makes her look 3x her size. I think she will grow up a beautiful dog, maybe even more than I think. Since her weight has went up so fast after we got her, thinking she will be much larger than I originally thought, which is good either way. She is all black except each paw is dark brown for a couple inches. No other brown on her. Here is today's pics. Very first pic was first day on ride home, last night she looked like this in last 2 photos. Huge difference in looks in 2 days

 

[rotwiler]

Update, Tue the 12th I weighed her and now is 4 lbs even, wow, 1.5 pounds Friday and now 4 pounds Tue morning, so she gained 2.5 pounds in 87 hours. Now I am worried she's gaining too fast lol. I'm confused

 

[Schnauzaluv]

Was she part of a large litter? My small breed pup was 3.5lbs when we brought him home and he doubled his weight in 3 weeks. I think he didn't get as much food competing with his siblings, so with no competition, he gained a lot of weight at first.

She's so super adorable btw!

 

[rotwiler]

Most likely, I don't know because I seen her and was "that's the one" after looking for 3+ months. She's healthy and wild, so think she will be just fine. With covid nobody wants you to come to house, so is hard now to see conditions. I called vet and they said no worries, but I made appt to do stool sample and get her next vaccines. I forgot how crazy puppies are, she's a terror, but cute lol Not sure how a tiny puppy like that is fearless, only thing she has looked afraid of was a big truck drove by and she ran back to front door. My mini aussie was calm, never wanted to play, only snuggle. Even at 6 years old, he does not play ball or anything, first dog I ever had that didn't wrestle or play catch(but ride in vehicle, he loves that). He still is not accepting the puppy, but he can get a few inches from her now and not show his teeth and growl. My 15+ lab that passed away last year he did play with, so think once he accepts the puppy he will have some fun.

 

[rotwiler]

They will make a cute couple lol He is the laziest, calmest Aussie I ever seen and goes to anybody. His name is (Turbo). When we go camping he is the dog everyone has to pet. He is 11 inches tall at highest point of his back. We shave his top coat in summer to help with heat and he looks like a puppy(he is 6). He's a 1 of a kind little guy, I tried to get another from same breeder, but this year no puppies.

 

[rotwiler]

This is in August and pic before was Dec.

 

[rotwiler]

Now, today she should hit 4.5 pound, is 4.4 now and by Friday, thinking 5 pounds. So in 1 week from 8 weeks old and 1.5 pounds to 9 weeks old and 5 pounds. Guess the approximate weight calculator in this case will be way off.

 

[Schnauzaluv]

Was she

Now, today she should hit 4.5 pound, is 4.4 now and by Friday, thinking 5 pounds. So in 1 week from 8 weeks old and 1.5 pounds to 9 weeks old and 5 pounds. Guess the approximate weight calculator in this case will be way off.

I think she was below weight when you got her and now she is making up for lost time. Probably wasn't as competitive for food with her siblings. It's great she is at 4.5 pounds now. As long as the vet thinks she is on cue, she will be fine.

 

[AngryChihuahua]

Was she

I think she was below weight when you got her and now she is making up for lost time. Probably wasn't as competitive for food with her siblings. It's great she is at 4.5 pounds now. As long as the vet thinks she is on cue, she will be fine.

She could have also maybe been the runt of the litter.

 

[rotwiler]

Ya, I have no worries now, she's a active, healthy terror. Now trying to work on her not biting so hard. Dna test was sent out to the results facility, but pretty sure she will be german shepherd/australian shepherd mix. She looks like a Aussie with more of a German Shepard face just not quite as long as a aussie.

 

[rotwiler]

Today early AM she was 5.3 pounds, so she's been gaining about a 1/2 pound a day, so I am not worried now. Vet told me to wait until Jan 27th to take her in for checkup, so she has not seen a vet. They said unless any issues, her shots are due the 27th, so no need to bring her in early. She's starting to feel a tad skinny now, so increasing her food. She tolerates anything and stools are solid. I make my own dog food and changing from Hills science diet puppy kibble, to homemade chicken dog food to beef, no issues. She's a smart little dog, she can sleep a entire night. We get her up around 3 hours in, but if we didn't she would sleep 7-8 hours. She was peeing like dime size spots first few days, now she is peeing more, so bladder is growing. She's learning her name finally, still trying to get her to not bite so hard playing. I don't play rough at all with her since she bites so hard, but she gets rougher when I say no. My cat puts up with her which I didn't expect, but my mini aussie is a hog and anything she has he bullies her and takes it. He has never bit her though, he shows teeth, barks, lunges at her, but never bites. At times he seems ok with her and other times not so much. If I play with her and she bites me, he gets between me and her to block her. Outside he is not like that, just inside.