Weight weight weight weight weight
 

There is no doubt that many Yorkie owners are obsessed with their puppy's weight. Look at the number of posts about weight. You can't dispute the fact that it is the most common topic on YT. If you disagree with this - tell me what topics are discussed more....

It is always in the title of a thread - but before you finish reading - you'll find weight being mentioned.....

I can't think of any other breed of dog where weight (and wondering what a pup will end up weighing) is such an issue. Can you?

I'm afraid it's here to stay.

Carol Jean

I am fairly new to the Yorkie world and have frankly been somewhat perplexed by this emphasis on size. While it is one thing to maintain the breed standards on size I would think that there many other characteristics of the breed that deserve much more emphasis.

Actually the one gets me the most is "breed standard". It puts such heavy emphasis on the outward appearance of our cute, spunky and fiesty little babies who deserve to be known for their addicting personalities.

All dogs are great! So don't get me wrong with this statement. Most people in general are very attracted to the smaller version of EVERYTHING these days...including dogs. If you were walking down the street with the tiniest yorkie, you would have ooogles of people coming up to you all ooohing and ahhhing and "omg! it's sooo cute! sooo tiny!" As with a very large dog (like a shepard, lab, etc.) most people just walk by. Don't get me wrong, there is always the occaisional "wow, your dog is beautiful" comment, but you can't compare the attention you get with the smaller ones. so many of these people wouldn't even want a dog so small, but still think "it's the just the cutest little thing". Generally the people that want a Yorkie want a small dog. So considering how the smallest EVERYTHING is so popular these days, well...
I totally agree, there are so many other characteristics in the Yorkie that are soooo wonderful!! I think that people should concentrate on that more than anything else, because... :yorkiesar

i actually see that with other toy breeds as well. like maltese, pugs, chihuahuas, toy poodles for example. i actually wonder if it's a "woman thing" since most members here are women. i'm stereotyping, but i think women obsess about weight a lot more than men. women are also more conscience about health, diet, and nutrition too, hence the abundance of another hot topic here: what do you feed your yorkie? kibbles? dry? treats?

and i don't know about everyone else, and feel free to call me shallow, but when i made my choices of breeds based on documented breed standards and outward appearances FIRST.... then a buncha other criteria (like temperament, health issues, exercise needs, grooming, personality, price). But what finally sold me was my little baby's personality. I've seen several litters of yorkies with an array of personalities and he was exactly what i wanted.

and it's true, we do get a lot more attention with a small cute little dog than with a big dog. :D

I dont think most are obsessed with their puppy's weight. I think it's just a common question...........weight, color, eye color, age, sex..............

Well, I cant speak for anyone else, but I just love my little Mitzi. I didn't get her for her weight, or her breed standard. She is simply a lovable little dog, who is full of character. I really dont care if she grows "big" by yorkie standards, and I don't care if her ears are floppy or if her coat is long. I just love to play with her, and have yorkie hugs. She is my little angel :D

i do have to agree with you to an extent. i here it all the time. i wish it wasn't so, but i think it's going to be an issue for a long time. education on the breed is the key.

I think people are not so obsessed with weight,but more worried about it sometimes.We all know that the yorkie standard is at 7lbs,so of course we try to calculate what they will weigh from day 1 and most people are worried if they think their yorkie will be over that weight,some even hope that they wont.
I remember when I first had Lady,everyone kept saying that to be in the standard,she was going to HAVE to weigh 7lbs..So of course her weight obsessed me for a while because I actually thought that she would be less special if she didnt weigh that,I thought people would say she wasnt purebred etc and being my first ever yorkie,I had NO idea!
Of course I joined a yorkieforum and found out later on that it wasnt absolutely neccesary for them to weigh 7lbs,that yorkies came in lots of different sizes,so I stopped worrying:).
I think talking about weight is more common when someone has a tiny yorkie..Iv seen very few posts where owners say "hey,my yorkie weighs 12lbs"..but Iv seen TONS of posts like "my yorkie is SO tiny" or "look how tiny she/he is" etc.
I actually like to know a yorkies weight because sometimes with photos you dont get a good idea of how big it is:)

I think weight is an issue only for those who aren't well educated or show breeders who must meet the standard. Other than the previous mentioned yorkies make great pets regardless of their weight. As for weight being the biggest topic I don't feel that way and if so i really haven't noticed it and I've been on here for awhile now. :thumbup:

I believe it is one of the most talked about issues. However, I feel it is totally normal and not shallow to mention your Yorkie's weight (whether fitting in the standard or not). You can't tell exactly how big a Yorkie is in a photo and I think it just helps describe the dog. Some people are obsessed with the weight...some people are obsessed with many different things....but most on here are just obsessed with Yorkies in general. I don't judge a Yorkie by its size but I do tend to ask that question along with many other questions. If a dog is a very large breed or a toy breed I think people tend to ask how much it weighs. If I saw someone with a Newfoundland (one of my favorites :D !) I'd ask how much it weighed.

Weight? No uh uh
 

:eek: Sure weight gets talked about a LOT but if I see one more thread about POTTY TRAINING I am gonna SCREAM!!! :eek:

:mad: People PLEASE use the SEARCH FUNCTION!!!!!!! :mad:

OK, thanks, I feel better now!!!!!!!!!! :D

Just think, if our Yorkies knew how much we talked about their weight issues on here, they would all become anorexic or have bulemia because they would be so worried about what other people think!!! :eek:

Lolololol!!!!!!!!!!
 

:lol tears :lol tears :lol tears :lol tears

Poor little ones , if peoples talk too much about their weight , they will have to bring scales with them . :eek:

Hmmm, I am obsessed about Mignon GAINING weight I know. I want her to gain another lb and I work hard at it.
BUT this is what I have learned when I go out. I have more MEN asking me how much my GSD weighs and more women asking how much my yorkies weigh. And in all honesty when I take my German shepherd and yorkies to the dog mall I am asked by far more men about my dogs weight than women. He IS a big boy at 125 but he isn't a freak.
When I went to a dog parade last year I went with a gf last year, she got ALOT of attention with her HUGE mastiff.

As far as the breed standard Kim, go on any purebred dog forum, you will find the same thing. When you buy a dog you would like for it to have some physical characteristics of the breed, that is what you paid for and what originally attracted you to that dog. You could not possibly know all the charming things about a dogs personality etc before living with them.

I do see alot of posts about weight - I for one have never worried about either of my girls....Chanel is larger than standard but I never cared.

Once I got them home and fell in love - what does it matter ? To me they're wonderful just as they are :) IF I were thinking about showing or breeding it would matter more... but for an addition to the family - why obsess over it ?

HAHAHAHA, Amen sister!!!! I feel the saaaame way about that! :rolleyes:

I agree with hunniebunnie that the obsession with weight is a toy breeds thing. I don't like it, but it is here to stay, I'm afraid, just as you said. If weight were stated solely to identify and help describe a dog, that's one thing.....but it seems that mentioning weight has become a way to either brag on or put down a dog. While in showing, that is understandable, but when our dogs are just for love, there should be no judgments passed there.

I agree~ I was concerned about it when he was a pup.. I think its because you have a set weight that you are told they should be,, I was always aware of the 5-7 pound standard, and the fact that I saw his parents and how big they were,, So it was a concern the bigger he got, Not that it mattered, I just think I was More aware, than with any other animal I have had. Then he ended up weighing 11-13 pounds , and I don't care anymore, it was more of a concern when he was growing. THe thought did cross my mind of , Oh boy is he gonna end up 20+ pounds.. That is why I think it is a concern of some, especially when they are growing puppies. You are told what they will be and how much they should weigh,,so it makes you aware and curious.

I'm new to YT and Yorkie ownership, but my Tootie has a hard time GAINING weight. Is that what people are concerned with? She only weighs 3.5 lbs and if I don't give her lots of treats, she gets even skinnier. I wish she would gain a little weight!

If you look at the posts on this thread - Diva Pup is having the same concerns - you may want to talk to her cause I think her little Mignon just gained a half ounce... and she's pretty happy

Not ours - they are just eating healthy! We'll never have to put ours on a "diet "! :thumbup:

:lol tears :lol tears :lol tears :lol tears

I agree with Julz. :thumbup:

Weight isn't a big issue to me. I'm concerned about Tia's weight right now for a few reasons, which are:

1. She's being spayed next Friday (the 17th) and I want to make sure she's big enough so that the operation will go smoothly and safely

2. And I've been buying her a lot of clothes for when she's full grown. So I had to estimate how big she'd grow to be so that I could but the right size in advance (rather then buy clothes that are either too big or too small and then I'd have to give them away and buy more new clothes -- which would be a waste of time and money for me).

But other then that, I could care less how much my babies weigh (as long as they're not over or under weight for health reasons).

Vivi on a hunger strike
 

Well, Vivi is on a hunger strike because I am slowly switching foods.... just think maybe she will be able to squeeze her little butt into the smaller teacup sizes.......Just joking. Seriously, I think weight is a national obsession with humans and therefore dogs. :eek: Personally I don't care what size a dog is as long as they're healthy.

Villette! A half a POUND not ounce LOL!! It may not be QUITE that but I am still very happy:). I limit her treats tho because every meal has chicken and vitamins mixed in with her dog food. She is very finicky and I will do whatever works.

{People PLEASE use the SEARCH FUNCTION!!!!!!!}

Funny, I started using this function recently and LOVE it! I think that sometimes people think it is faster to post a new thread then to do research first.....but that is how it works sometimes.

I don't think I ever had an issue with Mojos weight.....I did see the parents, their papers, how much they weighed, etc. I think it was more to see what was expected then to make sure he was a certain weight or size.

In the past, I have had dogs of all different breeds (and some several breeds) and sizes.....I never onced cared....BUT if you go to an animal shelter....the first pets to get adopted are generally the small ones! (So sad really)

I know lots of people (guys and gals) that prefer big dogs....it isn't a macho thing, I don't think, just a preference....it's like anything else.....some people like SUV's and others like compacts.

I honestly don't care about the weight....as long as they are healthy and happy!

I admit, I wouldn't sell my puppies to anyone if the first question that they asked was "how much will they weigh when they are grown"... I would tell them, that since I wouldn't be there to see how much and what they ate, I have no idea... Just like i have no idea how much my own kids will weigh when they are grown.

If a person is that concerned about weight- before health/personality ect... they are not someone I wanted my pups to go to... ie:status symbol.

I do roll my eyes at those who go on about how only a "special" person can have a tiny, because they need more care, more money to raise, or when they seem to brag about the small size of their pup... basically their dog seems to increase their status in life.

I realize that size is important for breeding, and showing... I am not talking about those types of situations.

Anyways, I love my pups regardless of their size, I get plenty of ohhs and ahhs because they are beautiful, and have never gotten a comment about what their weight is from anyone except a neighbor who feels the need to have the smallest dog in the area, and wants to make sure she still does... (that status thing I guess)

It would be a perfect world I guess when health/behavior came first, but I don't think I will see that in my lifetime....

that's my reason for being concerned about weight too. i see something on sale and i want to do some "pre-emptive shopping". bunjee has a nice wardrobe of clothes as well as carriers for his anticipated full grown weight and size of 7 to 8 lbs. i just hope he meets it.

besides, everytime we go to the vet. at the time of check in, bunjee is weighed and his weight recorded. so i know how much he weighs every 2 weeks. weight is also needed for me to determine which box of flea/tick medication i should get. see, so there's functional reasons why to be weight conscience.

meanwhile i haven't weighed myself in ages. i have a fear of the scale. hahaha.

People talk about it because the small size is a special feature to toy breeds, Yorkies, Maltese and Chi? Everyone is curious about their size.

People that are into Great Danes and other large breeds want their dogs to be BIG. A small Great Dane would not be as desirable.

I think this subject gets talked about on YT so much b/c people like to bring up this hot button issue. The negative remarks and statements like anyone looking for a smaller dog only want it for status. That is ridiculous and that is what gets old.

New people sharing the size of their dog or asking how big we think it will be is only normal. Even the original poster on this thread has started threads talking about the size of her dog. We all do it.

Thanks for all your replies.

I think mentioning your dogs weight is absolutely fine. I just hate to see so many people "concerned" about their dog getting "huge" when it weighs 3 1/2 pounds (or less) at 4 months, etc.

I personally got a Yorkie because I wanted a small dog. I really want a dog that weighs 10 pounds or less because of my back. Believe me, I have a 21- pound dog that I can hardly bath or take care of. For sure, he's hard for me to lift or carry around.

I think my pup weighs about 6 1/2 pounds and is about 6 months old. To date, he is totally easy for me to lift and carry -- I think he'll probably gain a few more pounds -- and this will still be easy for me.

Thanks again - Carol Jean