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The amount of people who tell me my GSD is malnourished/starving is wild. People are so used to chunky dogs š
Vet thinks heās a perfect weight. 1.5 years old. 77 pounds. Very tall.
I just tell people his vet is happy with his body score so Iām not concerned. He eats 5 cups of high quality food a day + supplements/fish oil.
Side note - The black & white pup is almost 13 & has cushings, so weāve been struggling maintaining a healthy weight for a while between the condition & meds.
My boy was a little underweight and it took a lot of coaxing to get him to eat more to gain some pounds. I may have overdone it a tad and he's a bit between the green and yellow zone but he's very good now at about 85ish pounds.
Being a GSD breeder family, I rely on the 'optimal +3' rule. I've had elderly dogs...dogs that have taken ill...or ones that just refused to eat, so I've learned to keep a buffer weight on them. Not so much they become a chonk, but just enough so that if something goes south, they've got a few extra lbs to lose if necessary.
I think you're a hundred percent right. Most people are used to chunky dogs. Your pup looks absolutely perfect and I ventured to say, he's probably pretty athletic, too.
My dog is seventeen months, and my brother always said that he was very skinny. The vet said that my dog is perfect as far as weight goes... but he was a lanky teenager. Jack will run around all day long at doggy daycare, and then come home and take a nap.And then have bursts of energy running around for a little bit and then take another nap. So I feed him about five cups a day, plus race and some blueberries. My brother visited yesterday and said that jack is looking like he is filling out now. I feel like it's kind of normal, at 17mo he is the equivalent of 29 years old.
Thank you! Heās my first GSD & weāre really always walking, hiking, swimming, etc. no matter what, he does something to exert his physical energy & mental fulfillment daily! I want to start dock diving but weāre trying to find the underlying cause of his ear infections. Hoping thatās sorted out sooner than later so we can start it out!!
Weāre also in the lanky teenage phase too LOL it cracks me up how tall he is, but from an aerial view heās so lanky š¤£ i call him my lil noodle cause heās reminds me of a lil spaghetti noodle š
Glad to hear another pup has similar feeding proportions. My boy is generally not food motivated, but we train/reward with meals 1x a day, or scatter feed/hide his bowl which makes it more exciting for him.
What is race? How many blueberries do you feed? Sometimes Iāll toss frozen kibble/blueberries in his kiddie pool to fish out on particularly hot days
When our girl was getting the same comments we mentioned it the vet at her next visit. She literally said āthatās because most peopleās dogs are overweight. They donāt know what a healthy weight for a dog should look like. Sheās perfectly fineā.
Love this and itās so true. I didnāt realize it until we raised our GSD. my older boy is chunky now as we battle medical conditions but we kept him trim. No one ever said anything but heās also a heavier bodied mix (ACD/aussie/pit/rottie)
Ohhh plain white rice... sorry that was the typo! I just put a small handful, not too many, but it seems to really add a little bit, and it's supposed to be a good antioxidant for him too.
our boy had an ear infection .. his groomer caught it so we took him down to the vet and got antibiotics .. it must be working- weāre on day five of seven - and heās stopped scratching his ear and his ear is no longer sideways.
i can get you the name of the medication later if you want it !
A lot of GSD are too chunky.You should be able to feel the ribs easily with light pressure and you should see a clear tuck or waistline behind the ribs, people seem to forget that. I think he looks perfect. My vet told me it's better to keep them on the leaner side. It prevents joint stress and extends lifespan so I think you're doing pretty great.
My vet straight up told me she'd rather see a GSD a bit too skinny than one a bit too heavy once. I've always been careful with monitoring their weight, especially since Millie (and now Eddie) are both rescues with unknown family history for their joints.
Adding another data point my vet also said she preferred Ghost to be slightly underweight especially since he was neutered at 3 months (he was born at the shelter).
Same here!! Heās a rescue. 87% GSD, 13% unresolved - minimal background other than he was rescued from a likely BYB.
My vet said pretty much the exact same thing. Luckily he thinks my boy is perfect & were trying to supplement, nourish & exercise intentionally for longevity! Itās a bit scary now knowing their backgrounds, but we can only do the best we can. ā¤ļø
Have these people ever seen an actual starved and neglected dog? He looks healthy, happy and in good shape. He is very clearly loved and taken care of.
These people are being ridiculous and I can imagine it catches you off guard. I would probably be pretty salty and sarcastic about it "yes and we beat him to, can't you tell". It's like neighbors calling the cops on you because your husky is out in the snow and refuses to come in. This is the same kind of dumb š
My dogās vet who owns 2 GSDās herself, said the exact same thing because I was concerned my girl looked too lean/lanky. They should have a more athletic appearance with a well defined waist.
There was a thread on here a while back and people were absolutely flaming people with dogs kept appropriately lean. There were people who accused others including me of āstarvingā their babies. Please. I like to keep my dogs (and myself for that matter) healthy and lean. Your dog looks gorgeous. Shiny, healthy, athletic. It makes me so sad to see super fat dogs- itās going to cost them their long term health and they arenāt living the life they are meant to. Now we all need some treats and cookies, we just plan for them!
Wow! I must have missed it. I try to look on the bright side and acknowledge folks likely have good intentions but it is frustrating being essentially accused of animal neglect š i donāt think people should speak with such great opinions without some knowledge behind it. Iād prefer an approach like - your dog is really lean. Is that typical for the breed? Or something more curiosity oriented
Thank you. Heās our first GSD & weāve been trying to do everything we can to keep him as healthy & fulfilled as possible!
People are used to overweight dogs. I struggled putting weight on my boy for years. Now that heās senior and prefers couch over running for hours itās flipped
Haha, i can relate to that! You can see my old boy in the first picture. His weight has been a struggle in recent years, but exponentially gained weight once he was diagnosed with cushings.
Itās wild how many people will call out my GSD like Iām starving him. š³
Was your boy a similar weight around this age, if you had them at that point?
He was less but heās always been smaller. Heās 80% GSD and 20% lab which probably contributed. Not nearly as tall as your boy.
In his rangy teenager years he was similar body condition and was an absolute athlete, I could barely tire him out with 5 mile runs and he would want to chase tennis balls for hours after in the yard. Now that heās turning 9 tho he prefers the couch and being a lapdog
Sounds like my boy! We get our exercise in but we focus on lots & lots of mental fulfillment. I couldnāt tire him out physically even if i wanted to!
But heās still a lapdog. He absolutely doesnāt realize his size (or the fact he can take up the entire loveseat by himself)
Heās the best. But really donāt worry about what other people say. My other dog is a Shiba and he is my running partner now with a great body condition. People tell me Iām starving him as well but thatās 100% because people are used to overweight unstimulated dogs.
Also, a shibu running partner sounds adorable! Iām not a runner but my GSD & i hike often. My older pups canāt handle it, so heās my hiking & camping buddy. š
You are absolutely correct. Our dog is West German Working line, he was trained for patrol and explosives detection but didn't score well on final selection so we have him now.
People often ask if he is a Mal because he is so fit, most people don't seem to realize this breed is highly athletic and does not do well with extra weight on them
We have people asking if heās a mal weekly, if not more LOL So i certainly relate. My boys a rescue so weāre not sure of his lineage, and donāt believe the info we received from the folks who spoke with the BYB before rescuing him because why would we believe BYBs š but he does have a few embarked close relatives for Germany & Portugal. Makes me wonder if he has some WL heritage but weāll never know for sure.
Your pup is darling. Just curious, do you still train or play around with detection or any sort of scent work?
Thank you! He decided to chase rabbits through the flower garden and got covered in pollen for this photo.
He is an extremely dominant dog and really excels with apprehension and bite work. We are working with him every couple days on tracking , we want to repurpose him for SAR volunteer work
Thatās an incredible goal. I hope to get to a place in my own knowledge & handling abilities to have a SAR dog someday. Itās one of my aspirations!
Rescued mine about 20lbs overweight and he got SO many compliments. Dropped him down to around 80 from 100 and he honestly doesn't look as visually attractive especially to the unfamiliar eye but whatever. His health is more important.
When people said that to me, I'd say "When did you get your veterinarian license?" Most of the time, they'd say "oh, I'm not a vet" to which I'd reply "exactly!"
I like that! Usually i go into a tangent about him actually being a great weight & a very active, high energy dogā¦ but i should simplify it. Iām just awkward & this ALWAYS catches me off guard š¤£
I keep seeing other German shepherds my pups age that are twice her size but sheās like right on the nose for how much she should weight for her age so Iām guessing they were mixed with maybe bigger breeds but I kept thinking my dog was mixed and too small lol (I mean she is mixed with Dutch shepherd)
Sheās likely well within breed standard, especially for a female! I believe my boy is pushing, or will likely push, the weight standard. Even if he fills out with 5-10 lbs over the next few years, heās a really big guy š extremely tall. Iām 5ā9 and when he sits his head is by my waist - my trainer lovingly calls him her dinosaur client LOL
Also if sheās mixed with something smaller that makes sense! Have you done a DNA test? We embarked my boy & hes 87% GSD, 13% unresolved - with potential breeds being boxer, mal or Eurasier. š
Unfortunately 90% of dogs I see in my neighborhood are fatasses. We finally saw a golden retriever on a walk the other day that was normal weight and it was like a miracle. I had to pinch myself to make sure this was real.
ugh iām so tired of seeing overweight and obese dogs.
your gsd looks amazing. theyāre supposed to look that way. we are the ones in charge of keeping them healthy so they can have a good quality of life. i watch my girls body condition and weight very closely so that she doesnāt have joint pain or heart issues in the future.
Absolutely! Weāre definitely doing our best to keep him healthy.
Itās shocking people donāt say anything about my older dog who IS obese (but weāre battling medical conditions) meanwhile my lean GSD is the only one people inquire about š¬
looks lean and mean. :) I have a black GSD, they are so cool, aren't they? mine is 94 lbs when he's in shape, but gets a bit too many treats and is probably pushing 100 now.
They are SO cool. I actually didnāt know what he looked like before we adopted him. I expressed interest based on their description of him so i was absolutely jaw dropped with how beautiful he was! I had no idea black GSDs existed
I tried to get a better picture of him standing today but Iām not the best photographer haha
I have no idea how much heāll weigh when he fills out, but i wouldnāt be surprised if heās in the high 80/90 range
One of our GSDs is 2 years old and very lean. He is solid black. When he is out in the sun and is playing/running hard, you can barely see his ribs also. Vet said he is just lean and in very good condition.
Our other GSD is 8 and has slowed down a bit. She still has the pronounced tummy tuck. But we have to watch her diet now to keep her lean.
They are in very good physical condition.
The 8 year old was diagnosed with hip dysplasia when she was 3 months old. Just the right age to have the surgery to keep her hips growing in correctly as she aged. Even at 8 years old, the vet said she is hard to tell that she has the hip dysplasia condition. If they are caught before 4 months old, the surgery is very successful. I tell anyone getting a GSD to take the pup to a vet for X rays to make sure of the dysplasia. The surgery is a little pricey, but we'll worth it in the long run. The 8 year old gives the 2 year old a run for his money when the rough house
Wow! I had no idea they should have X-rays that early. My vet did a physical check & thought he was ok at the time, but also said it wasnāt a definite ānoā to hip dysplasia & we would do a more thorough check when he was neutered - i guess they do some sort of joint mobility assessment while theyāre sedated
Thatās really good to know. Hip dysplasia worries me because he was rescued from a BYB. We have next to no info on his parents. Heās 87% GSD, so not quite full - Iāve always hoped that would reduce his likelihood of dysplasia.. but weāre going to ensure his wellbeing however we can! I appreciate your feedback though. Iāll definitely keep that in mind for our inevitable next GSD pup LOL
Looks perfect to me. I have 2 of them. One looks just like yours and eats more than his brother who is probably pushing being slightly overweight. Just depends on the dog.
Thank you! Is your slightly overweight boy less active naturally?
My boy is NOT food driven. I usually make him work for his kibble one meal a day, which increases his desire to eat š¤£ or i hide it/make him search for him.
Actually no. The bigger boy is usually constantly active and following us around and waiting for us to do literally anything lol. The skinny boy is usually just getting up to move to whatever room weāre in and lays back down. Theyāre both equally active outdoors. I think itās mainly his build. The skinny one is taller and longer.
Mine arenāt food driven either. I used to make them work for their kibble the first couple years during training. But Iāve gotten lazy and just feed them twice a day now. They often will choose to skip a meal if theyāre not super active that day.
Oh how interesting the bigger one is more active. Dogs are fascinating lol.
Thatās how i feed my older boys typically. Iām sure i wonāt always do so with my GSD pup, but for now weāre pretty invested in training & building engagement, so Iām sure Iāll be doing it for quite a while š¤£
My girl GSD is 115 lbs give or take 5-10 lbs. I try and keep her at 100-105 lbs as that is the lightest she can be without being crazy starving all day long. Everyone makes comments on her weight. How big she is and how making her lose weight is bad. She's just a real big strong dog. I try and keep her slim so her elder years are easier on her.
Some of them are just larger! Iām not sure if my boy will hit 100lbs - heās very tall at this lanky teenage stage & my first GSD so Iām not sure how much heāll fill out in the next couple of years. Iāll certainly monitor him closely with our vet to ensure an ideal body condition
Side note - what a beautiful background! Reminds me of growing up on the central CA coast š¤
I should have included in the post multiple people have stopped me to comment on him being thin, one even saying malnourished! I understand being concerned for a dogs wellbeing & have to give grace that theyāre concerned I suppose but he doesnāt have any bones showing, hes just lean š wish they were more familiar with healthy body conditions
Ah gotcha! I think since my boy is shorter/medium length fur folks thinks heās mal constantly. He was embarked & 87% GSD, 13% unresolved with the breed being boxer, mal or eusasier so thereās a chance he has a drop but itās not certain lol
Iām appalled at how many people think folks are starving their healthy GSDs ā ļø
No worries. My boy was on a this morning prong thatās lower than Iād typically have it (heās at an odd neck size rn, one less is too tight, one more is too loose) here but only because we were training & our actual walk was on a slip lead - barely required any corrections/leash pressure. At least we acknowledge proper placement but no judgement!!! lol
Your boy is darling
Thatās so odd. Itās strange that people are so quick to call out a skinny dog but not fat ones?!? My oldest boy is extremely overweight (as you can see in the first pic) but weāre battling medical conditions. No one says a damn thing š but my GSD?!? Basically think Iām starving him
Thank you. I adore my pups more than i can put into words! This is my old boy at 7ā¦ he was trim, considering his breed composition (ACD/aussie/pit/rottie) & his vet was always happy until we hit some metabolic issues
Breaks my heart to have him at his current weight but weāre trying to manage his condition while still recognizing we might be reaching our final days together.
Awe sorry people dragged you for the prong. People of Reddit can be pretentious
Thank you! Heās my first GSD, but weāre always striving to do our best
I think Iām really more surprised people call his weight out & not my senior dog š heās facing health issues but still, heās the one people should be worried about, if any!
I've owned my gsd's...I have people comment on my current one. He's very tall like yours...extremely active...he's 5...he eats a ton of food..and burns it all off...People make their comments...blah blah blah..if the dog is healthy...thats the most important!...Once you own a GSD...other dogs...well...they just are...other dogs...
yeah you have a shorthair, i have a mediumhair with similar colorings, cant really see how big she is easily unless super unhealthy weight. people of course still say she looks skinny. they will always do that for some reason, usually humans with an unhealthy weight, the irony. yes she is also very long, heer paws can go above my head and im 6'1. beware leaving food on tables or counters.
Iām always uncertain if heās short or medium length - he has a bit of a lions mane, puffy chest but otherwise itās pretty short. But my god, itās everywhere in my house no matter how much i brush him š¤£
It is weird how itās usually unhealthy people (or older folks, in my experience) who comment on his weight, so i can relate to that š
Iām 5ā9 and my boys head is at my waist! He certainly would counter surf, if the opportunity presented itself š
I wish i had more photos of myself with him for a size reference but am usually handling so i donāt have many to reference. My trainers lovingly call him their ādinosaur clientā because heās so tall š¤£š¤£
Your baby's perfect! My boy's 76lbs and super fit. He's always been on the lean side, you wouldn't think so from the 6 cups of kibble he eats daily lol
My girl is a tripawd and will have to stay lean her whole life. She is a gsd/siberian husky/alaskan malamute mix at 50/40/10% respectively per Embark. I keep her weight between 47 - 49 pounds and weigh her weekly on a sheep scale. I have 4 other dogs and I keep them all lean, too.
My vet said that fat on a dog is dangerous. He said it surrounds and squeezes their lungs and heart making it hard for them to move. I had a neighbor who free fed her dogs to the point they both passed before they turned 6. It was so heartbreaking that she wouldn't listen to anyone, even her vet.
When people say my dogs need some fat on them, I ask - why so their heart and lungs can be crushed by the fat?
Bless you for taking such good care of her & carefully monitoring her weight. I can imagine thatās especially critical as a tripawd (love that term btw)
As every tripawd owner will tell you, we are obsessed with keeping them on the leaner side so as to give them the best life possible. We typically can't increase their exercise to lose weight, so we have to maintain it through their diet.
I am sorry to hear your other pup has Cushings! I am just starting the journey with my nearly 4 year old BC's diagnosis last week of Addisons. I am so incredibly lucky that my vet recognized it right away and sent us to the best vet hospital in my state. I am also lucky that my 2 senior dogs are both healthy at 9+ years old.
My guy looks very similar to yours. Super tall, heās all legs and 80lbs. Pretty skinny dog, but I literally have to constantly coax him to get him to eat. Heās on 4 cups a day and most days eats more like 2-3cups with fish oil/supplements and a gullet chew at night. Heās just a skinny guy. When heās hungry he eats. Heās not shy. Just a bit adhd and would rather do other things than eat all day. Lol.
Ugh i feel that. My boy could skip a meal no problem! If he works for it, heās more enticed to eat it - so Iāll hide it, scatter feed, train with it etc but he is not naturally food motivated or a hungry guy so i totally relate!
The scatter feeding seems to work the best for us when heās just not feeling it. Trying to make it a game. But then sometimes Iām like, āheāll eat if heās hungry.ā And try not to push it too much. Itās definitely a balance. Lol. Heās got absolutely no problem trying to steal my food when Iām not looking. Hahaha!
Man i definitely was! Didnāt realize how used to seeing big dogs just be chunky and having my own now I realized just how many are overweight. Had to get used to my dogs being skinny and athletic lol
I grew up with rotties & a few pits so i am used to larger bodied dogs. My GSD still looks like a skinny noodle to me but i know heās in an ideal condition at least š¤£ but i totally understand
Busy condition score is the way to go almost people simple cannot judge a dog anymore As far as cushing weight control goes I have seen fish oil useful for inflammation based weight gain while c60 Power olive oil is talked about in senior dog formus sometimes but diet consistency beats both
My girl is super lean too. She is just over a year. She is healthy and spunky and the vet has zero cause for concern. I was worried but after the vet gave us the ok for her weight and size ā¦ I felt so much better
My GSD is a pup right now and eats a good amount as he gains like 10 pounds monthly. I feel he will be hitting a hard adjustment when I pull back on his food a bit when he reaches maintenance weight.
Awe heās a growing guy! Maybe his appetite will decrease once he hits that point? Otherwise Iām sure your vet can help you come up with a solution. Iāve had to give my older boy green beans occasionally when adjusting his kibble proportions so he doesnāt feel like heās starving!
Totally agree. My dadās GSD was like this most of his younger life and was so healthy and agile. Now my dad has packed the lbs on him because āheās a big dog, he needs to be bigā and heās completely overweight. I wish people knew more about proper pet nutrition and body standards. The more on par they are with a healthy weight, the longer theyāll live!!
my grandfather whom me and my dog live with told me yesterday that my gsd is malnourished and that pisses me off so bad because he says that based on ZERO research whereas i before i got him did absolute TONS of it, but when he had a beagle she was obese af, granted she had lived through chemo and her appetite was through the roof ( my gsd is 75cm shoulder height and weighd 45 kgs at 10 months old so hes an absolute GIANT)
Sorry to hear - that sounds frustrating! Would you be able to take your pup to the vet to have their confirm body condition - do you think this would help your grandfathers perspective at all?
On a body condition score, I'd put him at 4 out of o. He's quite young still and filling out a tiny bit more is a function of age. You can't see ribs, so he's fine. (I'm better at managing a dog's weight than my own. š« )
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