Hello all! I recently acquired an Irish Wolfhound puppy at 8 weeks of age. I am familiar with the breed, as I have a senior rescue, but have never owned an IW pup before. I had some concerns when she arrived because she seemed slightly under weight, although otherwise healthy--upon further reading, I understand the breeder should NOT have rehomed her until she was 10-12 weeks old. My question is this- She is steadily gaining weigh, but at 9 weeks old, only weighs 20.9 lbs. She doesn't have much interest in food-she eats probably about 2.5 to 3 cups a day, broken into 4 small meals and only that much if I hand feed her. (I have read at this age their appetite is voracious, and she should be about 30 lbs) She is on Gentle Giants dog food, and I have tried mixing wet with the kibble with only slightly better results. Any advice on how to get her to eat more, and is her weight a concern?
It’s best to go by body condition and not focus on a numbers, personally I prefer my pups to be on the lean side rather than too heavy. As long as she is fit and healthy i wouldn't worry to much.
What happens if you do not hand feed her but just put the food in her bowl, put it down and just leave it?
Thank you for the reassurance. My concern is the weight calculator says she will grow to only be 80 lbs, according to her current growth. Are these things inaccurate? She is very healthy and playful otherwise.
I’m not a fan of puppy/adult weight charts,and they make so many people worry needlessly. There is no such thing as an ‘average’ puppy because each puppy is different, and grows at different rates. There are all sorts of things that factor into the eventual size/weight/height, depending on genetics, build, bone structure etc A good breeder should be able to give you a better indication as they will know their lines growth spurts ect:
She is still a baby and you say you have only had her for a week, so she is still getting used to being away from her dam and siblings, getting to know you and getting used to you and her new surroundings. Is the dog food you are giving her the same that the breeder fed?
Have you tried soaking/moisturising her dry food, then add spoonful of canned dog food( butchers tripe )/tuna and mix it in or stuff a Kong with peanut butter /canned food cottage cheese ect:
Home-made bone broth [without any salt] is good for soaking/moisturising dry food, and another idea to add is tinned sardines. Just watch the salt content.
I have used the water that liver has been boiled in to make kibble more attractive. The actual liver pieces can be patted dry and cut into small cubes for training treats. Can be stored frozen into suitably sized portions.
