I don't disagree with any of that Donna. My point has been to watch pushing growth. Too often with this breed, and I don't put you in this camp, people brag about their dog's weight and wear it as a badge of honor. As long as the calcium, calories, and weight are being monitored in a growing pup, the chances of ending up with a healthy adult are increased.
I agree again! When we bred Goldens, over the years we kept "sizing down" the pups, by feeding them better food for slower growth. They also have fast growth-related joint problems, and slower is always better.
Over a decade or two, we went from having litters with pano, to little pano, to no pano at all. Plus they went from 16 lbs at 8 weeks, to 13 lbs at 8 weeks, to around 10-11 lbs at 8 weeks, which we much preferred. All was diet related.
As more quality food and breed-appropriate diet information became available, we noticed a huge change in the puppy growth stages. Plus we noticed not only a lack of pano, but better coats, ears and overall health.
So diet does matter....a great deal!
And no, I don't want a huge Newf. Never did. I want a "normal" standard Newf. I just think Frankie is going to be big, but we shall see. You never know. He's really right "in there" in comparison to Cole's growth at the same ages, but he does come from larger lines, and as I said, his feet are HUGE, and back on topic, his tail was LONG! I don't think he'll be a lot bigger than Cole, but I do suspect he'll be a bit larger.
I, too, cringe when I hear people talking about wanting a "big Newf". Big to them is WAY too big for me.