ANSWERS: 55
  • I would buy it! We have 2 sister cats, one of them was the runt in the litter and we love her to death. She may be the smallest and most deformed one, but she is the sweetest cat that I have ever met. The same probably goes for dogs.
  • There's an old wife's tale about runt's not bieng good and healthy dog's.I've seen more positive things than negative things when it comes to runt's.My dog shadow was a runt of his litter.He's a yr ald now and his bigger and better behaved than his siblings.
  • I two runts from different litters and yes they are smaller than the run of the mill for their breed, but that's all. They are healthy dogs, eat like horses, run like the clappers and sleep like the dead. Still, a lot depends on why the runt is the runt, if it is just because they are smaller in size, then no problem unless you want show quality or racing quality, then they just need a fair go at feed time to improve in weight. You do have to be careful sometimes and with some animals because being the runt may also be from health problems and you have to consider what the animals life will be, will it cope, can it's problems be fixed or lived with...how much will it's care cost - and sometimes it just doesn't matter you love them and look after them anyway. But keep your eyes open and beware, okay.
  • I think that If you are after just a pet and the pup is just getting pushed around by the others and is a bit of a shy feeder, I find that they are easier to train because they tend to be slightly more timid as they get older. The pick of the litter is usually boistrous and hard to train.
  • Crush it into powder and drink it.
  • BUY IT! I would. :D It would be the unique puppy out of all of them. It's a special puppy. :D
  • it would depends upon the health of the puppy. If it were so sickly, I'd advise not buying it. However, if it's just a runt and perhaps being pushed away by the others, it just needs care and nurture. You never really know what will happen. If you really fall in love with a sickly little thing and want it, buy it and be prepared that it may not live too long.
  • The runts, in litters that my female Chihuahua has had, have never had any problems. In my experience, they have all been very healthy, and great companions. I don't see any problems with buying a runt.
  • Most runts need a bit of special attention to help them thrive. We had a runt in one of our litters years ago that had these poor, deformed, splayed-out legs and couldn't walk. Well, it was because the poor thing was always getting trampled at mealtimes by the bigger puppies so he never learned to stand on his own. After working with him a bit and feeding him seperately from the litter, his legs stregthened up and he started to catch up with the rest of the pups in size and development. In no time flat he was every bit as healthy looking as the rest of the puppies. Anyways, just goes to show you that because the runt may look "sickly" or "deformed", doesn't mean that with a little extra TLC they won't grow up to be the best dog around.
  • Im new here, so sorry if this is an old question. I grew up around alot of dogs, I dont remember alot about all the processes, but i do have a soft spot for the runts. I have had alot of runts as pets and have had better luck with them. (smarter, nicer, ect...)
  • All three of my dogs were runts. In my experience, runts make the best pets and have lots personality. It has been almost a month since you posted this question... Well, how has it worked out? Is she the greatest and what have you named her?
  • It depends ultimately upon what you want the puppy for. If you are looking with an eye towards Showing and Breeding or for a companion animal. There's really no telling how a runt may turn out. Once off the teat, they can often be physically outstanding animals when as they grow they often catch up. Personality wise...there is NO REASON at all that the runt would not become 10 of the most wonderfully tempered dogs ever born! Breeding and raising animals is not completely unlike choosing to have children. All the stars may be in alignment...the genetics might be sterling for two "parents" of any creature to theoretically reproduce the most awesome offspring to be imagined...yet...they don't. The Look, the personality, the physical health, the levels of responsibility or temperament, the self-motivation of the individual may simply be lacking in some way that was never foreseen by those who decided that creating this offspring would be the best idea since milk in a jug. And of course the exact opposite exists as well. A person who doesn't appear to be all that "pretty" or mentally brilliant in an obvious way can turn out to be one of the biggest contributers to creating positive changes that have profound impacts on humanity as a whole. They might be less impactful than that, but sill turn out to be the type of person who saves a life, or gives a heartfelt comfort to any who need, or just be generally kind, thoughtful and productive in positive ways every single day. Look at Seabiscuit, the legendary race horse. Physically he didn't have the right, EXPECTED look. He was unwanted, unappreciated, and used as a training aid, forced to loose to build the ego and racing edge of more brilliant stars. But under the right opportunity he proved to be ONE OF THE BRIGHTEST STARS EVER BORN. He also was a RUNT that never did grow to the "normal" size for his breed. A Runt is just a creature that hasn't showed you everything they've really GOT TO SHOW YOU...YET.
  • I would get it. There have been many stories made about the "runt" of the litter...Charlotte's Web is one. I know its a pig but this book sends out an important message. Sometimes the runt of the bunch can grow up to be the strongest one of them.
  • It depends how much time you have they need lots of care and attention
  • I have always found the runts to be the sweetest of the bunch.
  • Yes id buy one if i liked it,but im a soft touch for animals anyway
  • My rottweiler was the runt of the litter. We picked her because the litter was 15 weeks old or so and all her brothers and sisters we really big and I wanted one that still looked like a puppy and she was the smallest one so I took her home. She did get worms (however I later found that he didnt deworm the pups aka had no reason for her being a runt) and she did get an skin infection. Shes all grown up now and shes bigger (Taller/muscular etc) then most rottweilers; being a runt did not mean that shed be stunted in growth. She has a great personality, shes a good dog and I never had any other health problems other then the worms and the skin infection. Shes expecting her first litter and shes a happy healthy dog.
  • don't pick it BECAUSE it's the runt! get to know all the puppies! the runt will probably grow to be about the same size as the rest anyway.
  • I prefer runts. And I know alot of breeders and show people who when choosing the "pick of litter" just say I want the runt of the litter.
  • I have a thing for the runt... They're just cuties! :D
  • I always pick the runt. They are the pick of the litter in my book. They have been the most loyal loving pets I've ever had.
  • If you are talking a puppy from a reputable breeder, buy the runt. If you are talking a mixed breed litter, or accidental breeding, a dog sold in the newspaper, then avoid the runt.
  • If you like it and you feel comfortable about that choice than you should go with you feeling about it.Most of the time your pet should reflect your personality type if it is outgoing then yes if you are out going if it is laidback and just likes to take it easy then you should get it if you are a laidback person that likes to relax.
  • buy it that is the best ones out of dogsssssssssssssssssss in dog is my fav.
  • My dog that I got when I was 6 was a runt. She was so sweet and never had any real health problems except at the very end. She lived for 15 years and I loved every minute of it. I would not have traded her for a million other dogs. The only thing about her that might have been related to being the runt was that she would gobble down her food as fast as she could, which might have been a behavior she learned from being fed with the bigger puppies.
  • If the dog's for pulling- buy it. If it's for protection- don't.
  • It doesn't matter. Sometimes runts are caused by a lack of oxygen reaching the fetus in vitro - in which case the pup may or may not be healthy. Sometimes they are stunted in growth due to genetics, and are otherwise healthy. You really have no way of knowing, just pick the pup based on what you see there. Does it look normal, healthy, eating ok? Clear eyes? Smooth, silky fur? It's just as much of a bargain as any of the other pups, in my opinion.
  • I had a blue merle collie bitch and she was supposed to be the runt of the litter. She turned out to be the best of the bunch and was eventually put down at 15 years old, due to failing kidneys.
  • I bought the runt of a litter, she was a tiny weeny little jack russel that they were going to drown because no one wanted her. She had no health problems throughout her life and I thought she was perfect. I say go for it.
  • Runts are great! I have not had a bad experience with them at all. They have been healthy and lived nice long lives..:)
  • i prefer to get the runt.i have a 4yr old rat terrier that was the runt now hes 15 lb of all muscle.my daughter has a miniture dauchund,when he was born the mother refused to feed him he was raised by hand.full grown he weighs 7 1/2 lbs.but he's 10 ft tall and bulletproof.sweetest dog ever but he is absolutley fearless.
  • I got my mutt as the runt of the litter. Now hes all muscle, extremy loyal and very protective of anyone hes known since he was a puppy. Id rather have the runt of any litter.
  • Love it.
  • I've always had a soft spot in my heart for the runt of the litter. That's the one I go for!
  • Depends on what you want out of the dog and in what way it is the runt. Is it small and puny, deformed? Or is it just a little smaller and great personality and you have no interest in showing or breeding? Is it just a pet or will it need to do a job, be a working dog?
  • The runt of the litter is normally the one who turns out the best. All three of mine were the runts, they are big,strong and healthy with oodles of character! Def by the runt,but make sure they are healthy first,vet checked etc.
  • We bought a runt and he is very smart. I think it can run both ways. Just because he is small doesn't mean he is stupid. We have had our dog for over a year and he has learned alot of tricks in a short time.
  • Being a Runt only means that the pup didn't get 1st dibs on feeding time. Most runts if feed properly will grow just as big as the rest of the litter. Ask your vet about vitamins or supplements to ensure the pup has adequate growing capability.
  • I've had the runt of the litter several times, and they've all been very healthy. I would never hesitate to buy a puppy just because it was the runt.
  • I'd say people who sell living creatures for a profit should be ashamed.
  • runts are the best to get cause they actually live a longer live i have a boston terrior that was a runt and she is eight years old and just fine and has puppies
  • Sometimes the runt of the litter ends up being the pick of the litter. Just because they are small doesn't automatically mean that they will have health problems or be small their entire lives. While some runts do remain small, others (once they are away from their littermates) grow larger and turn out to be better than their littermates.
  • i would always choose the runt..there's just something about the underdog!
  • I would say buy the poor little thing. If the puppy needs a home that badly maybe you could give it a good home or help find it a great forever home. But I would say buy it!
  • If its a small breed dog, chihuahua etc, and u want a small one, go for the runt everytime, provided it is vetted and healthy! I got 2 runt chi`s, and they are what everyone has been searching for, T-Cups DONT exsist, they are RUNT`S !
  • I say discount.
  • I would say buy it. The runts are usually the most fun anyway. =P
  • i think i would buy it depending on what kind of dog it was? as i could be a cool small version of whatever breed it is. but saying that we had a rotty and he was the runt of the litter and turned out to be the biggest out of the dogs we know.
  • Depends. If the 'runt' looks extremely sickly and weak it will only cause problems and heart ache. But sometimes the 'runt' is just smaller than the other dogs and has no health problems what so ever :)
  • go for it...
  • buy it they in my oppinion are the best. They are more loving loyal and playful
  • of corse buy it they all need a home and you will come to love it
  • Actually, the runt usually ends up the biggest. Many people spend more time taking care of the runts, because of this they are healthier and bigger, normally.
  • I have a runt and she is now the same size as the rest of the litter. she was probbaly the last to have been fertilized and implanted and thusher smaller size. a true runt, one that recieved less nutriants is rare to find.
  • buy it

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