Does she *look* thin to you?

[AgilityPup]

http://i92.photobucket.com/albums/l14/Shay_356/skinny.jpg

Does she look thin to you?

[sisco16]

koda looks that way from the top to she goes in a little there to i asked at her last vet appointment and he said she was a perfect weight. So your dog should be fine as long as you caint see ribs or anything im guessing that she is long haired they are always harder to tell.

[Toller_08]

I don't think so... I don't really know what a healthy GSD should look like weight wise, but she looks healthy to me. Morgan (our Rottie) looks the same way from that angle and she's at a perfect weight.

[vanillasugar]

Hmmm, maybe from that angle... but it's hard to tell if her ribs are visible or not.

Does she *feel* thin?

[Sweet72947]

She could probably put on a pound or two, but she doesn't look too thin to me.

[AgilityPup]

I agree, she could put on some weight, because I can feel her ribs, and her backbone, but it's getting better. :)

[Dekka]

If she is an active dog you want to feel ribs but not backbone. Agility dogs and other active dogs are like athletes and children. Most dogs you see on the street are too fat. I get people coming to agility class with dogs where you have to press to feel ribs. I tell them the dog needs to lose some weight for their own safety. They say "but my vet says he is good" All that means is your dog is not obese.
In the winter I let my dogs get a bit heavier. But even so I can still easily feel ribs. (but the don't go bonk bonk bonk on my fingers either..if that makes sense..?)

[GlassOnion]

The rule of thumb is that you should be able to feel the last two ribs, but none of the others, by just poking (not pressing hard or anything, just a casual touch).

If you can see/feel her back bone readily, I'd say yes, she's too thin. But she does look good just from the picture.

[Beth82]

The rule of thumb that I was taught is that you should be able to feel the last few ribs, but not see them, and the dog should have a noticeable "waist" when seen from above as in your photo.

[Dekka]

Hmm by that definition most agility dogs will be too thin then. I think it depends on the dogs activity level. A 'thin' athletic dog with great muscle tone and a gleaming coat is a different picture than a 'thin' scrawny dog with a dull coat.

[DanL]

She doesn't look thin. You definitely want to see a taper at the waist and then back out again at the hips. I agree with the ribs- feel them under the skin, maybe see one, though on a GSD that's not so easy.

[Dekka]

lol try seeing them on a very hairy JRT.. I just imagine what it would look like if you were to shave them, so they had a coat like a dobe, or dal. Kaiden could be starving and you wouldn't see his ribs lol

[DanL]

That's how Gunnar is too, his coat prevents you from really seeing his body tone. Daisy, on the other hand, leaves no doubt to the eye! I am downloading some new pics right now, I'll post them later and you can see if you think she's too thin.

[showdawgz]

She looks like she's at a good weight for her age (correct me if I'm wrong but isnt she about 7-8 months). GSD puppies are usually naturally thin and its always best to allow them to fill out naturally. I wouldnt try to put weight on her, she'll naturally do that when she matures.

[AgilityPup]

Showdawgz, she's 11 months now...

She's fed free choice, so she has the option to eat all day... She's getting better...

I can feel most of her ribs, so she does need some weight... We're working on it.

[Dekka]

How hard do you have to press to feel them (when dekka or Zo are in agility weight you can feel most of their ribs too..but no spine) How is her coat, her energy etc etc? Some dogs are naturally thinner than others (not saying she doesn't need weight..but that maybe you don't need to be stressed about it) Also she will still be growing, so I wouldn't worry too much if she is otherwise in great health.

(interestingly studies have shown that mice, and other animals live much longer, healthier lives when kept quite thin vs what is considered ideal...man I am going to die early ;) but my dogs will live decently long lives)

[AgilityPup]

How hard do you have to press to feel them (when dekka or Zo are in agility weight you can feel most of their ribs too..but no spine) How is her coat, her energy etc etc? Some dogs are naturally thinner than others (not saying she doesn't need weight..but that maybe you don't need to be stressed about it) Also she will still be growing, so I wouldn't worry too much if she is otherwise in great health.

(interestingly studies have shown that mice, and other animals live much longer, healthier lives when kept quite thin vs what is considered ideal...man I am going to die early ;) but my dogs will live decently long lives)

I don't really have to press hard at all. Like, when petting her, I can feel them, no problem...
Her coat has gotten a lot healthier in the past little while. Soft, smooth...
And her energy is that of what any puppy I have seen is. She's hyper, goofy, and always on the go! (okay, I lie, she's sleeping now)...

[Miakoda]

Hmm by that definition most agility dogs will be too thin then. I think it depends on the dogs activity level. A 'thin' athletic dog with great muscle tone and a gleaming coat is a different picture than a 'thin' scrawny dog with a dull coat.

One of my former APBTs:
http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y4/Miakoda15/oldrexpic.jpg

I can't tell you how many times I got a lecture from someone about how I'm starving my dog to death. :rolleyes: This was a well-conditioned dog that was also a catch dog in training. He was fed a proper diet and an amount necessary to sustain his energy level and work output.

As for your dog, you do want to have a tuck in at the flanks. When looking from above, if your dog is a straight line on both sides with no indentation, then he/she is overweight. Same as if the dog has no tuck when looking from the side. People often forget that the fat we see on the outisde, doesn't compare to the fat on the inside....and too much internal fat can be fatal.

However, seeing ribs and vertebrae and hip points on a dog that has absolutely no muscle tone whatsoever (muscle atrophy) is a different story.

Here is a pic of my Shar Pei/Cane Corso mix. Notice the obvious tuck in on the sides:
http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y4/Miakoda15/doghouse.jpg

[showdawgz]

Most of my pups where thin like that, and they were eating about 8-9 cups of food a day. GSD's have very high metabolisms, so it is beyond me how people can make them so fat.

[Dekka]

Miakoda that first pic is EXACTLY how I like to keep my dogs when competing (but you can't see the definition cause they are to hairy) That is a great pic of a fit dog well a bit blurry but you know what I mean :D. A fit dog's ribs will just cause the skin to ripple as they trot. Most of the ribs are covered my muscle not squishy fat. If you put your hands on a fit dog they feel 'hard' An under weight dog will feel toneless, unless it is a bag of bones.

[DanL]

I agree, that pic of the pit is a dog in great condition. That's how Daisy looks too. Not as muscular obviously due to the breed difference, but the general tone of the body.

[RD]

That APBT is exactly the condition I try to keep my Border Collies in, and the Shar Pei mix is the shape I'd like Zaphod to be in when all is said and done.

It's very interesting that everyone says you shouldn't be able to feel a dog's backbone. I can easily feel the backbone on every one of my BCs, but they're all in nearly peak condition (in fact, Dakota and Eve are a little too chubby right now!). They just don't have a lot of fat and muscle on their backs, and their structure gives them a prominent backbone.

[SizzleDog]

Ronin is that way - very trim and fit, not a spare bit of fat on his body anywhere. A lot of people tell me he's skinny, but even if he was underweight there would be no helping him. He simply wont' gain weight, no matter what I feed him. He's just like his father - muscular and extremely hard-bodied.

Ronin standing still:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v107/lhartlep/Ronin/Roninstack2.jpg

You can't tell me this is an unhealthily thin dog...
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v107/lhartlep/Ronin/september2007931.jpg

And for comparison, his daddy Hunter. It's clear where Ronin got his body type and mega-muscles... as well as his head/face!
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v107/lhartlep/Other%20Dogs/IMG_7553.jpg

[ihartgonzo]

I think she looks perfect, especially for a growing large breed puppy!

I can feel Gonzo's ribs, and his spine. Neither are poking out, but you can easily feel them by running your hands over them. I think that is ideal for his breed, though, and he is super muscular. I totally agree with you, Grace.

I also have to say that Ronin looks awesome! To me, if a dog is that muscular and well-built, he obviously isn't underweight or undernourished, at all. When a dog is underweight, it greatly effects the muscles.

[Miakoda]

Ronin, good job!

A fellow vet tech, and friend of mine, has a Doberman that she put into one AKC show. Now Morgan looks like your dog, slim-n-trim, but OMG all those others at the show looked like fat barrels! And the worst part is that the owners thought it was "muscle"....umm, thos ripples are fat, not muscle definition. Even the judge that day told Heather to put more weight onto Morgan and never bring an underweight dog in again.

Needless to say, that was the end of Morgan's show career.

[Danegirl2208]

She looks great to me!

[SizzleDog]

A fellow vet tech, and friend of mine, has a Doberman that she put into one AKC show. Now Morgan looks like your dog, slim-n-trim, but OMG all those others at the show looked like fat barrels! And the worst part is that the owners thought it was "muscle"....umm, thos ripples are fat, not muscle definition. Even the judge that day told Heather to put more weight onto Morgan and never bring an underweight dog in again.

Yep. Every one of my show friends and mentors keeps telling me to put 5-7 more pounds on him to "smooth him out". Nope, sorry - he's happy the way he is. His breeder understands the situation, thank goodness - she understands that putting weight on this dog ins impossible - and healthwise, he doesn't need any more weight!

[GlassOnion]

Hmm by that definition most agility dogs will be too thin then. I think it depends on the dogs activity level. A 'thin' athletic dog with great muscle tone and a gleaming coat is a different picture than a 'thin' scrawny dog with a dull coat.

We're talking about normal pets here. Obviously agility dogs, work dogs, etc will have more muscle tone and thus you will see their ribs more easily than a dog who's just a pet.

It's the same way our six pack works. Trim the fat and you can see the definition beneath.