[PyrNet-L] size

If size is based on inherited genes Matty then maybe we could expect it to be uniform in a litter but even from birth with those little runty pups I have seen them catch up and even overtake the litter mates later on. The biggest puppy in a litter is not necessarily going to end up the biggest dog and through experience (good and bad) I now look at keeping the middle of the road pup. As owners we can also play a part in the size factor by what we feed and in the last few years I have fed a Large Growth Puppy Food upto 12months to keep the growth rate from accelerating. Vet advice over the years has been to keep the large breed puppies lean for the first year and not carry excess weight. Fine advice but you don't want a lean machine at 2yrs.

Another observation I have made in the last 10months has been having mated 2 bitches (litter sisters) to the same stud dog, I have found that the 21month old was taller than the 11month old at the same age, I think the reason is that the Dam of the 21m dog is taller than the dam of the 11m old?

Yet both boys literally have the same breeding? Confused, I am. Both brought up on the same diet etc (I don't give calcium) so we never know really what is hidden in those genes and what dictates what. The old genotype/phenotype or as my old Dad would have said "What you see is what you get, what you don't see you also get"!!