My yellow lab recently had a litter of 5 puppies. They are almost 3 weeks old. All are growing well and seem to be progressing normally except the runt. He seems lethargic and does not want to play or interact with the rest of the puppies. He sleeps most of the time. In fact he is only really active when it's feeding time. I am getting concerned that there may be a problem. Is this normal? Should I look for other signs that there is a problem?

My first instinct is to be really mad that you bred your dog even though you obviously have no idea what you're doing, but it's too late for that.

What did the vet say when you took them in for their first exam? Is this something that's just recently started occurring or has the puppy been lethargic from birth? Has the vet done any tests on the puppy to determine if he has any health problems or birth defects?

If you haven't taken him to the vet then I suggest doing so. It could be that he just doesn't have as much energy as the rest, or it could be something serious. A vet appointment is definitely called for.

On a side note, please don't breed your dog, have her spayed, there are enough unwanted dogs in the world already. Leave the breeding to experienced licensed breeders.

Good luck.

All of these puppies need to be taken to the vet. As I said above, I will never understand why people who aren't licensed and knowledgeable about all aspects of breeding, do it anyway for profit! Even if you say it wasn't for profit, it doesn't matter.

Do you know how many dogs are going to die, some by inhumane methods in shelters, because you wanted to breed more unwanted dogs? For just the five pups that you have alone, hundreds will die. It doesn't stop at just your puppies. It's their puppies, and their puppies, puppies!

There are millions of unwanted dogs in shelters, just begging for a home, before they see that big needle come at them! I have a Yellow Lab. I got her from the shelter ONE DAY before certain death! I know that she knows that I saved her, and she is the most well behaved and loving dog, I could ever wish for. I wonder what those sweet little faces of yours would think, if you told them that they are so cute that you killed a bunch of their friends to have them, and then wave them off when you send them to another home.

Did you do the required genetic testing before you bred your dog? Have you made arrangements to take care of this little "runt" should he have defects? Do you have any knowledge of the cost involved before they go to their new homes? Their checkups, shots, etc. Are you going to require, as a responsible breeder would, that the new family must have the puppy spayed or neutered at 8 months? Do you of the health risks involved, and her life expectancy if your dog isn't spayed? Have you written up a contract for the new families to sign, and return the puppy to you if they can't keep it, or don't follow the stipulations made in the contract?

Those are just a few things. If you don't know any of those things, you shouldn't have been breeding. But the fact remains that you have. Get your dog and her puppies to the vet, and have them all checked.

First of all, I asked a question on here for an answer, not to be berated as if I am ignorant. I did not breed my dog. I actually received her when she was about 4 months old because someone was getting ready to take her to the pound. She was to young to be spayed at the time. We had her put up so she would not unexpectantly get pregnant. She got loose while we were gone one day and the rest is apparently history. I would never plan to breed my dog especially being that young.

How dare anyone make judgments on someone that was ASKING a question? These puppies and her mother have been well taken care of. If I haden't taken her when I did, she would have been the one taken to the pound. I know about all the animals that are abused and put to sleep in shelters. I would never wish that on any animal. This was an accident. It definitely was not planned. The puppies are here, that cannot be changed. They are going to very good homes, FREE of charge, for those who think I am trying to make profit off these precious little puppies.

I am a well educated and intellgent person and do not appreciate being called stupid. If I had known that asking a question would lead to this I would have never done it. You should know the whole story before you make judgements on a person. People like you are the reason this world is the way it is today. You are judgemental and rude. From now on, if you can't just answer a question, ignore it. If the only thing you CAN do is put someone down, go to the next question.








My first instinct is to be really mad that you bred your dog even though you obviously have no idea what you're doing, but it's too late for that.

What did the vet say when you took them in for their first exam? Is this something that's just recently started occurring or has the puppy been lethargic from birth? Has the vet done any tests on the puppy to determine if he has any health problems or birth defects?

If you haven't taken him to the vet then I suggest doing so. It could be that he just doesn't have as much energy as the rest, or it could be something serious. A vet appointment is definitely called for.

On a side note, please don't breed your dog, have her spayed, there are enough unwanted dogs in the world already. Leave the breeding to experienced licensed breeders.

Good luck.

You did a good thing by adopting a dog, but you must realize this accident has now doomed more then you saved. On this site we constantly get people who are looking to or have purposely bred their dogs ignorantly for fun or profit, so its natural to get upset over seeing what seems to be another backyard breeding board. People like Alty and Starbuck truly care about dogs, and are passionate against backyard breeders. If there were more people like them, the world would be a much better place for people and dogs alike. Now to the question at hand, How is the puppy's health other then the lethargy? Have you tried checking his gums? Are there any other signs of illness? How much is he getting in comparison to his siblings? Often runts have a hard time feeding with their larger, stronger siblings. It would be a good idea to get them checked out by a vet anyway.