It's working so far!! Normal weight?

[TrickyShepherd]

So far our switch to Pro Plan Sensitive Stomach and Skin has been perfect! I think we FINALLY found a food that will work well for Zira! We may not need the Tylan powder after all! This has taken 6 months (and a few different types of food) to figure out! So excited to get her on the right track to being normal and healthy!! (Thanks everyone for all the food suggestions btw!)

Also... Zira was with family over night and through today. When I came home and was playing with her I noticed she has gained a LOT of weight . She was eating decent on the last food, and she is eating REALLY well on this one (plus the probiotics and pumpkin to help her tummy), so she *should* have a few more pounds on her! Though, It's so hard to tell since I'm around her 24/7. Just the day and a half away from her and I really notice the difference. I can't wait to get her weighed at the groomers next week!!

This, however, brings up a question ...... How much should a healthy female GSD weigh at 9 1/2 months? She's 26in tall (up to shoulders) and approx. 30in long (chest to base of tail). I do not want her getting too heavy since her hips I think are kind of weak, and I don't want to add any strain to her bones. My Golden was about her height (little shorter) and was perfect at 72-74 lbs. If your GSD was her size, what weight would you be happy with? (last time I weighed her, about 3 weeks ago... she was only 54lbs, way too thin for her). My guess would be 70lbs...

I know what all the books and online articles say (already looked it up)... but, that's only the 'norm' and based on the average GSD... I wanted to see what everyone says that owns and knows the breed well, and also those that have been around both normal and abnormal, not just the generic scale.

Thanks in advance for any suggestions! This board has really been a blessing, especially since Zira is far from normal!! She's definitely been a learning experience so far!

[BlackGSD]

At that age, Siren weighed 63lbs. She too is 26 inches tall. I don't measure length, but she is pretty compact.

I haven't weighed her for a long time but I would guess her to weigh MAYBE 75lbs (she is 3 1/2 yo now.) or a little less. She weighed 70 lbs at 14 monhs.

[TrickyShepherd]

Originally Posted by BlackGSD

At that age, Siren weighed 63lbs. She too is 26 inches tall. I don't measure length, but she is pretty compact.

I haven't weighed her for a long time but I would guess her to weigh MAYBE 75lbs (she is 3 1/2 yo now.) or a little less. She weighed 70 lbs at 14 monhs.

Ah, ok... then she may not have too far to go then. She's probably 58lbs now (give or take a pound or two). Thanks!

Zira's very strange, not compact at all! She's very long and tall... all legs, paws, ears, and tail! We still haven't gotten past the "awkward stage".... I hope she grows a bit more so everything looks normal! lol

a month ago.... except for a bit bigger and thicker, she still looks just as awkward! lol

[Cassidy's Mom]

Originally Posted by TrickyShepherd

This, however, brings up a question ...... How much should a healthy female GSD weigh at 9 1/2 months? She's 26in tall (up to shoulders) and approx. 30in long (chest to base of tail). I do not want her getting too heavy since her hips I think are kind of weak, and I don't want to add any strain to her bones. My Golden was about her height (little shorter) and was perfect at 72-74 lbs. If your GSD was her size, what weight would you be happy with? (last time I weighed her, about 3 weeks ago... she was only 54lbs, way too thin for her). My guess would be 70lbs...

I know what all the books and online articles say (already looked it up)... but, that's only the 'norm' and based on the average GSD... I wanted to see what everyone says that owns and knows the breed well, and also those that have been around both normal and abnormal, not just the generic scale.

But that's exactly the point - average doesn't tell you what your dog should weigh, but neither can anyone else. The best way to know the ideal weight for HER is to look at her condition. Does she have a noticeable tuck up at the abdomen when viewed from the side? Does she have a visible waist when looking down on her from above? Can you easily feel all her ribs and maybe see the last one or two (depending on the thickness of her coat)? If so, then no matter what the number on the scale is, she's the perfect weight. If there's a little padding over those ribs, I'd cut back her food a bit. If she's really skinny and you can see all or most of her ribs, you could increase her food a bit.

People get really caught up in how much they should feed their dog and how much their dog should weigh, but there is no perfect formula that's going to work for every dog. There is a 22 pound difference between the high and low end of the breed standard for a female adult GSD, so obviously there's going to be quite a bit of variation of "normal" at every stage of development along the way.

[TrickyShepherd]

Originally Posted by Cassidy's Mom

But that's exactly the point - average doesn't tell you what your dog should weigh, but neither can anyone else. The best way to know the ideal weight for HER is to look at her condition. Does she have a noticeable tuck up at the abdomen when viewed from the side? Does she have a visible waist when looking down on her from above? Can you easily feel all her ribs and maybe see the last one or two (depending on the thickness of her coat)? If so, then no matter what the number on the scale is, she's the perfect weight. If there's a little padding over those ribs, I'd cut back her food a bit. If she's really skinny and you can see all or most of her ribs, you could increase her food a bit.

People get really caught up in how much they should feed their dog and how much their dog should weigh, but there is no perfect formula that's going to work for every dog. There is a 22 pound difference between the high and low end of the breed standard for a female adult GSD, so obviously there's going to be quite a bit of variation of "normal" at every stage of development along the way.

Thank you for the advice, I will definitely use that to gauge her weight! Much appreciated!

Though, I do understand that all dogs are individual. I'm not going to get her to an exact weight and stop her there regardless of how she looks. That's silly. As a first time GSD owner from a previous ALL golden retriever (and a few pitbulls) home for over 15 years.... it's very different to judge what's normal on her, especially since their build is nothing like a golden. We've had lots of digestive issues over the past months and she's never been able to see "normal weight". I posted on here just to see what everyone else has experienced at this age.... even with a bit taller GSD. Just for curiousity sake. One of my fears with her is getting her too heavy and putting too much strain on her hips.... I would feel horrible if my dog developed a severe problem partly due to my negligence. Just trying to raise her right.... with all her issues, I've turned into a bit of a worry wart.. Guess it was just a stupid question, I apologize.