[TroyM]

Hi there!

A little back story...I purchased a Berner off Craigslist a few weeks ago (at 8 weeks)...I’ve taken him to a vet and seems to be all healthy. I’m writing this of concern if I have a mix breed or maybe he’s just a slow grower?

My Berner just turned 11 weeks today and weighs 11.5lbs. After Googling “average weight” and “photos of 11 week Bernese”...I’m a little discouraged. My little boy is so tiny compared to others. What do you guys think? I’ve read websites that states Berners can continue to grow up to 3 years and they can be slow maturing dogs. Just hoping I didn’t get scammed. Thanks for the help!

 

[FurociousHotdog]

He's cute. He looks purebred to me. A lot of the time with Berners, and other breeds really, they can be below or above the accepted weight and size range. It simply means they will be a tad smaller than average. Most of the time, they are perfectly healthy in every other way. With a giant breed like Berners, being on the smaller side is not a bad thing. Less food . For reference, I know a purebred female Great Dane who is 100 pounds healthy weight.

 

[ClanWorgen]

It does seem a bit small, my Aussie puppy was 13 lbs (2 lbs underweight due to him being transported for a week) at 11 weeks. He will be an average sized Aussie as an adult, probably close to 60 lbs.

Giant breeds grow differently though, and they grow slow. While I'd expect your pup to be larger right now it's possible he will hit a growth spurt soon.

As far as concern for pureness, did you receive his papers? Generally speaking craigslist is not a great place to go looking for a well bred pure dog.

 

[LeoRose]

Did you get his registration papers? if so, check to make sure the birth date is what they told you. He could be younger than you think.