is my newfie mix on target

[arkydo]

Hello in the summer me and my wife got a newfie mix we called him Arkyd (our kid) his dad was an AKC 150lb newfie and his mum was a black lab st Bernard mix she weighed 110lbs and was bout 27 inches tall.
To be honest unless i told you, you wouldn't have a clue he was mixed.
but any way i was wondering if he sounds like hes gonna be big, i browsed the net and not found any weight guide for the breed hes just turned 5 months weighs 74lbs and stands 23 inches tall at the shoulders. does this sound right?

[Nina]

Aww he is super cute. I am no newfie expert but I think that sounds about right. You don't want him to grow too fast though or he may end up having hip and joint problems. If you are feeding him puppy food I would switch to adult food now. Puppy food is not good for giant breed dogs, they grow too fast on it. Can't wait to see more pictures.

Nina

[newflvr]

Nina has it right!  He sounds like he's going to be a big boy but be careful about his growing too fast.  His joints won't be strong enough to support such a big boy!  He should be on an adult food with low protein (preferably under 22%) and low fat until he's at least 18 months.  Slow growth is far better than fast.

The picture of him is adorable!!

[arkydo]

When we got Arkyd the breeder told us to feed him on large breed formula for puppies, and our vet and the humane society said that was a good choice

The dog himself his amazing housebroke in a day and a half
He picks up on tricks so quick and we had him around 2 and 3 year olds and even as the big clumbsy puppy he is he was so gentle

[Nina]

Large breed puppy is a good choice, that is what I feed my pyr mix until the age of 5 months then I slowly switched him over to adult food. That is just a suggestion.

Your pup looks great! And he is going to be a BIG boy.  :)I would just watch out that he isn't growing to fast and gaing weght too fast.

Nina 

[galaxybears]

From personal experience I wouldn't use large breed puppy food again!

We fed that to our younger two, and the male (Kitten) grew so quickly he ended up with OCD and elbow dysplacia.

The breeder I had my first two Newfs from recommends going onto adult food when the pups are 3-4 months old, as it makes sure they don't grow too quickly. It might not sound good, but it is what she does and her dogs are all healthy, non have joint problems, so I guess there must be something in it.

[arkydo]

ur by adult do you mean the adult large breed formula or just adult food?

I'm thinking when his current bag is up we'll switch

[migrandl]

A good quality ADULT food should be ok.  Everyone is right, you don't want to end up with joint problems.  Since Newfs and Saints are GIANT breeds, there isn't enough of what they need in a large breed food.  In my past experience, many of the breeders I've known have actually had their puppies on adult food when they go to their new homes to keep bones growing at a slower, steadier rate.  Arkyd sounds just about right for his age. 

[bluskygirl]

What a cutie pie!!! I just want to squeeze him.   I have a 5 month old Saint, and I currently feed her adult food, as I have since about three months of age.  I think she is a bit smaller for her age, but that was what I was hoping to achieve. THey say that even though you may slow the growth down, your puppy will still achieve his/her full size.  There is a post here on good quality foods to feed, that you can find by searching.  The biggest thing is to look for an adult food with no more than 22-23% protein.  Best of luck with your litle angel.