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Originally Posted by gemy  This is a good question. But what I feel is more important than overall height/size/weight, is the density of the bone, and the integrity of the joints.
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So I would look to the thickness of the bones as more of an indicator of fragility. Although lets face it a 3-4 lb Yorkie can have challenges irrespective of bone width/density.
"Matchstick type legs" at any age are of a concern, And puppies by definition all have growing bones, and ligaments that are soft. Their structure is very plastic in youth.
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In our breed to get an idea about "good bone" which is one of the criterias we breed for, we actually do measurements at the ankle joint, when they are pups. We also do chest measurements, for breadth of chest. |
Great point!
I wish I knew or thought about this while I was breeder shopping, luckily since we did our homework our baby turned out to have great bone structure. I couldn't stop her from jumping off things and god knows I've tried. Even when she's going down stairs, she'll jump from the 2nd last step to the bottom in a flash. She's so solidly built now that she's 7 months everyone's surprised when they pick her up and not feeling what they expect!