posted 11-14-2003 07:56 PM         

It builds on the replies to my earlier question on this thread...

"I think to double the weight at 4 months would be pretty accurate. But you have to know your line. You can't possibly go by weight alone for every puppy cuz they will not all fall within the same growth range. You must consider the size of the feet, the size of the nose and their body style whether stocky or lean.

But i don't think a 3 mo old puppy that weighs 3 lbs will reach 9 lbs. However, weight can be very deceiving when considering size of a shih tzu. I have many that are the same size as far as measurements but weigh several pounds different than each other. So again....you must consider the body style.

You can't come within a few ounces of guessing like you can with a yorkie or maltese. Those breeds all pretty much have the same bone and muscle density (build). Shih Tzu can take on the heavy pekingese body they are derived from or end up very much leaner from whatever it was the Tibetian monks bred into to produce them. No one really knows for sure what that was. But i do know predicting shih tzu weight is very hard. Predicting their size is much easier.

The tiny type or mini is much like a small loaf of bread with legs...no matter what weight the muscle/bone density is. The imperial are about the size of a siamese cat. Weight can vary....size won't.

So to answer your question....no, there is no cut-and-dried reliable method for predicting shih tzu weight based solely on their weight at a certain age."