Small pup= small adult dog?

Please can someone tell me if, (as I assume), the smallest chubby pup (compared to his 3 siblings) will end up smaller than they are? my husband doesn't want to end up with "the runt" of the litter. As far as I can see, all the 4 pups are very healthy, lively and in good condition (they are 5 weeks old now,) and the breeder will allocate us a pup in 2 weeks time when they are all assessed. Only then will we know which one has been "selected" for us based on whether we want it for showing, breeding, or just as a family pet etc. We want a male, there are only two,what's the best way of guaranteeing we get the bigger pup!!!!! (That is IF he's likely to remain small). They are Dutch Kooikers by the way.
Thanks for your help! Dee

We have 2 Boxers. The sizes of the (male) pups in both our dogs litters have had no bearing, generally speaking, on the size of the adult dog....

Max was a middling-size pup, but is by far the tallest of the litter (but not the largest bulk-wise).

Murphy was the largest pup from his litter, yet at 9 months old, is about the middle sized one (not the largest, but not the smallest).

I think a lot of it depends on the way the pup is fed and exercised, and also the "hidden" bits of the genetics... who knows, our Murphy may have a growth spurt in a month or so which may send him to the top of the pile!

Small or large puppies in a litter can even out by the time they leave the nest...

A friend has just had a litte,r 9 pups some where smaller than others, but by the time they left at 8wks, all where as a muchness.... sometimes a smaller puppy will stay smaller sometimes not.

If you want to know the size it will become, look to the parents... if one is smaller than the average, or larger, pups will be somewhere inbetween.

But did you not say , your breeder will "pick" pup to suit yor lifestyle, so I would`nt worry to much over the size, best go with what the breeder advises.

One has to consider if the bitch was mated 2 or 3 times while receptive, if so some of the pups may be 3 or 4 days behind the others at birth. The first conceived go from egg to live born pup in approx 60 days so 3 or 4 days less development in the womb can make a big difference at birth and the smaller pups normally catch up.

A true runt is sickly, small in bone and build, does not feed well and often has sticky eyes, if the pup you are offered is like that then decline and look elsewhere.

No it has no baring, as said they can even out etc, Angel was the biggest chunkyest puppy in his litter and as an adult is one of the smallest from his litter. Misty's litter sister was half the size of Misty and the rest of the litter at 6 weeks and at 8 weeks old had caught up and was the same size as the rest of them. Dita was half the size of Misty as a pup and at 6 months is the same size as her and still growing.

Thank you everyone. We've just returned from visiting the pups, and, as each prospective owner has favoured a different dog, we have been told we can have the one we originally liked! Result! Lets hope he's still on the bigger side when he grows up!
Dee

A friend of mine bought the runt from a litter of Labs hoping that he'd be a bit smaller and I swear he's the biggest Lab I have ever clapped eyes on!

I've also heard things like that

I know a few people that have had the 'runt' and at adult, they have been bigger than the rest of the litter as adults.

Sometimes that can happen but usually a litter of well bred pups finish more or less the same size unless the dam and sire were of very different size, some people think putting an undersize bitch to a oversize dog will produce correct size pups - that is not what happens you get some normal size pups, some oversize and some undersize.

Of course, some pups grow too big because they are neutered before they are mature the hormones that have been removed are those that are involved in controlling the growth of the individual.