# Does she look overweight?



## SocalGSDLover (Jun 4, 2019)

Hey all,

This is my 4 year old girl Maisie who sits at about 25 inches in height. When we adopted her she was 60 pounds and all skin and bone. After 6 months she definitely is at a much healthier weight.

These aren’t the best photos, but my family keeps telling me how fat she looks and how she’s “5 pounds from being overweight” which I don’t see at all. I think she’s finally at a really good healthy weight for her size. She could DEFINITELY gain some more muscle in her backside, but I don’t think she’s anywhere near being overweight.

Taking her to the vet this weekend to get weighed, but wanted your opinions.

_took these 10 minutes ago right after she ate dinner_


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## GSDchoice (Jul 26, 2016)

So I have seen charts that show that your dog should have a 'tuck-up' when seen from the side, and a 'waist' when seen from the top. ( There's one tacked up in my vet's office, so I stare at it while waiting for her to come in.) 

I keep my eye on my dog's waist (that's my easiest view of him, the top view, because he's so furry) to monitor his weight. The top view of your dog looks like she should have a bit more of a waist? But that may also just be the way she's built or the photo angle. Hmm, she basically looks like a healthy dog at a good weight to me, maybe could use more conditioning/exercise/running. But, so could mine! 

(And I have seen dogs that look like furry barrels with legs sticking out the bottom...
_those_ are the owners that I would be talking to!)


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## tim_s_adams (Aug 9, 2017)

For a 4 yr old, to me she's right on the cusp. I certainly wouldn't want her to put on any more weight, and if it were my dog I'd probably bring her weight down a bit...but just a bit ☺


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## Chip Blasiole (May 3, 2013)

She is overweight.


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## Sunflowers (Feb 17, 2012)

Your family is correct.


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## Jax08 (Feb 13, 2009)

She's fat. And I think she lacks muscle tone. You might want to look into core exercises for her.


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## GSDchoice (Jul 26, 2016)

Wow...ok, I think my dog must be a bit overweight too! 

OP's dog looked like a healthy weight to me...maybe needing some exercise/conditioning but I didn't think she needed to actually be thinner than that. She looks just a tad heavier than my dog.

Actually with mine, when he's wet or blowing coat, he looks a lot smaller/thinner. With all that fur it gets hard to tell!?


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## Fodder (Oct 21, 2007)

her body condition is not ideal (which you’re aware of).
the angle of the photos are not ideal either, but i can see that you were trying... (should be level / parallel)
a 4yr old dog can stand to be a bit trimmer, but i personally would not cut her food back any if you can accomplish this through exercise - which i believe you can.
my first thought was that she looks as if she’s been recently bathed as her coat looks quite plush.
no one here can feel the coverage over her ribs, etc, from a photo, so keep that in mind when considering their opinions.
using the science diet body condition score (bcs) chart with 4-5 being ideal... i’d put her at a 5.5
would love to see better photos.


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## SocalGSDLover (Jun 4, 2019)

Fodder said:


> her body condition is not ideal (which you’re aware of).
> the angle of the photos are not ideal either, but i can see that you were trying... (should be level / parallel)
> a 4yr old dog can stand to be a bit trimmer, but i personally would not cut her food back any if you can accomplish this through exercise - which i believe you can.
> my first thought was that she looks as if she’s been recently bathed as her coat looks quite plush.
> ...


thank you! I appreciate the actual response instead of just telling me my dog is fat. Definitely need to get more muscle on her 100%. Ill take some better pics of her that I’ll probably post to get some better responses.

thanks again!


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## SocalGSDLover (Jun 4, 2019)

GSDchoice said:


> Wow...ok, I think my dog must be a bit overweight too!
> 
> OP's dog looked like a healthy weight to me...maybe needing some exercise/conditioning but I didn't think she needed to actually be thinner than that. She looks just a tad heavier than my dog.
> 
> Actually with mine, when he's wet or blowing coat, he looks a lot smaller/thinner. With all that fur it gets hard to tell!?


she is definitely a healthy weight according to my vet (took her in yesterday) but she lacks muscle and definition. Vet said she shouldn’t lose any weight but add a lot more exercise to turn the fat into more muscle.

thanks for the response!!


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## SocalGSDLover (Jun 4, 2019)

Jax08 said:


> She's fat. And I think she lacks muscle tone. You might want to look into core exercises for her.


Near overweight sure but fat... that’s a stretch. I took her to the vet yesterday and she told me that she’s at a perfect weight for her size and considering how malnourished she was before but that some of the fat needs to turn into muscle.
going to start taking her on daily hikes versus daily walks to get some more muscle and I’m looking into agility training.

she definitely isn’t fat though I think my pictures were a little deceiving.


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## SocalGSDLover (Jun 4, 2019)

Chip Blasiole said:


> She is overweight.


Super helpful thank you


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## SocalGSDLover (Jun 4, 2019)

Sunflowers said:


> Your family is correct.


Appreciate the help


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## Jax08 (Feb 13, 2009)

SocalGSDLover said:


> Near overweight sure but fat... that’s a stretch. I took her to the vet yesterday and she told me that she’s at a perfect weight for her size and considering how malnourished she was before but that some of the fat needs to turn into muscle.
> going to start taking her on daily hikes versus daily walks to get some more muscle and I’m looking into agility training.
> 
> she definitely isn’t fat though I think my pictures were a little deceiving.


Wait...you posted your family said she's fat. "telling me how fat she looks " So I agree with your family and you get mad at me? If your vet said she's perfect it must be so. I can't even take people anymore.


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## Sabis mom (Mar 20, 2014)

SocalGSDLover said:


> Hey all,
> 
> This is my 4 year old girl Maisie who sits at about 25 inches in height. When we adopted her she was 60 pounds and all skin and bone. After 6 months she definitely is at a much healthier weight.
> 
> ...


You asked if she looks overweight. Yes she does. I am really not clear why you felt a need to be offended.
Vets for some strange reason like overweight dogs.
Ideal body condition is a noticeable tuck at the abdomen viewed from the side and a defined waist viewed from the top. I like to be able to see the last rib but you should easily feel the ribs at least.


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## SocalGSDLover (Jun 4, 2019)

Jax08 said:


> Wait...you posted your family said she's fat. "telling me how fat she looks " So I agree with your family and you get mad at me? If your vet said she's perfect it must be so. I can't even take people anymore.


I said my family thought she was overweight. And I never said I was offended but said the word fat seemed to be a stretch and that my photos were likely deceiving.
my vet simply said good weight but fat should be more muscle never said anything about perfect.


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## SocalGSDLover (Jun 4, 2019)

Sabis mom said:


> You asked if she looks overweight. Yes she does. I am really not clear why you felt a need to be offended.
> Vets for some strange reason like overweight dogs.
> Ideal body condition is a noticeable tuck at the abdomen viewed from the side and a defined waist viewed from the top. I like to be able to see the last rib but you should easily feel the ribs at least.


I never said I was offended and I am not. Like I said in some comments I think my photos were deceiving and I’m sure she is overweight but rather nearing it. My vet agreed that she is at a perfect weight but that her fat needs to turn to muscle.

I simply found it annoying that people
Commented “she’s fat” or “she’s overweight” rather than the comments that elaborates and explained their answer which is the advice I was looking for.


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## dogfaeries (Feb 22, 2010)

I just went through a fat shaming at a dog show with Scarlet in September, lol. Hadn’t shown in months, and hadn’t planned to show then, but got talked into it. Apparently I let Scarlet’s weight creep up over the summer, and I hadn’t been in the show building 5 minutes when everyone told me she was fat. Not overweight, but fat. Geez. It was kind of embarrassing. She won on the last day she was shown, and when I saw the photos from the photographer, yikes! They were right. 

Just exercise your dog. She’ll be fine.


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## Jax08 (Feb 13, 2009)

SocalGSDLover said:


> I said my family thought she was overweight. And I never said I was offended but said the word fat seemed to be a stretch and that my photos were likely deceiving.
> my vet simply said good weight but fat should be more muscle never said anything about perfect.


here is where all the confusion is coming from. In your original post, you asked if for opinions on her weight because your family told you she looked fat (your words). And that's what you got.

your reply quoted here says "never said anything about perfect."
But what I responded to was this "she told me that she’s at a perfect weight for her size " in your post above.

I don't think anyone is really trying to argue with you but you are stating things and then saying something else so nobody really knows what you want.

I stand by what I said - she's chunky and needs muscle mass. 5# overweight on a dog IS fat when you consider how much stress that extra 5# puts on their frame. It's not an insult. It just is what it is. My dogs have gotten chunky and they've gotten to skinny. It's just a management thing. So while her weight might be fine for her size, her body condition isn't. Sounds like you have a plan to help her gain muscle. Expect her weight to go up when you do. When I was doing agility with Jax, she weighed 72# at 24.5" tall. When I stopped, she stayed the same size but she weighed 62# because she lost her muscle.


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## Sabis mom (Mar 20, 2014)

The dog in this picture is overweight, not fat, and lacking in muscle tone. I attached it so you could see the difference. This is an 8 year old female, so technically a senior. Your dog is just 4, still young. She needs to build muscle yes, but you do not turn fat into muscle, you keep your dog at a healthy weight and build from there.


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## Sunflowers (Feb 17, 2012)

SocalGSDLover said:


> Appreciate the help


Anytime. A pair of eyeballs, not our own, will see things we often can’t. 
It’s hard to be critical of our own dogs, and these days you see so many fat ones out and about that many have forgotten what a “normal-weight” dog should look like.
That includes vets.
My own vet told me my dog is too thin. I purposely keep him slim because he has severe dysplasia, both elbow and hip, and another vet who X-rayed him was in shock when she saw the films. “By how nicely he moves, I would have never guessed that his hips are such a mess. It is because you keep him so slim. Keep doing it.”
Take a look at vintage photos of GSDs. You will see they were much, much thinner than what we see today. Part of the reason is that those dogs did not eat kibble, which is high in calories and in carbs, and just a couple of cups extra can pack on the fat.
It’s simple math. No matter that you call it, fat, chunky, fluffy, overweight, it all means the same thing: what doesn’t get burned by exercise gets deposited as fat. Fat will never “turn into muscle.” 
Feed less, exercise more. That’s all.


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## CometDog (Aug 22, 2017)

American vets are notorious for not judging "overweight" properly. I suspect it is a relative thing. The are so used to seeing obese pets, that anything less is fine.

From the first pictures you posted, from a working breed standard, she is overweight. She is slightly over what a lot would call "pet weight". 

You will do her a good service trimming her down and doing some core workout stuff. Which can be fun anyway.

I just took a good 5 to 8 lbs off each of my dogs. The difference in definition and in movement is pronounced even for that relatively small amount. I went to a seminar with a high profile trainer/competitor from Finland. She said "your dogs, they are fat". They would have looked great to most vets. But, she was right.


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## GSDchoice (Jul 26, 2016)

Agh, ok, then I think my dog is overweight. 
He looks more like the OP's dog, and he is definitely heavier than that photo Sabismom posted! 
He gets a lot of exercise (2h / day of walking and running) but he always acts like he's STARVING...|he loves food so much, it's hard to deny those soft brown eyes. We already measure out his kibble carefully (1.5 cups per meal) and I hate to cut it down anymore...I just wonder, does he feel Hungry all the time? What a horrible state of existence...


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## Dunkirk (May 7, 2015)

You could add grated carrot to his kibble to bulk it up. Feeding out of a slow feed dog bowl, taking longer to eat his food, could help him feel satiated. 



Amazon.com : slow feed dog bowl


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## Sabis mom (Mar 20, 2014)

GSDchoice said:


> Agh, ok, then I think my dog is overweight.
> He looks more like the OP's dog, and he is definitely heavier than that photo Sabismom posted!
> He gets a lot of exercise (2h / day of walking and running) but he always acts like he's STARVING...|he loves food so much, it's hard to deny those soft brown eyes. We already measure out his kibble carefully (1.5 cups per meal) and I hate to cut it down anymore...I just wonder, does he feel Hungry all the time? What a horrible state of existence...


Lol. Sabi lived for food and she was a big boned girl to start with! According to her I starved her for her whole life. Pics taken about a year after she was retired showed a fat dog. Pics just before she died showed an obese dog. But when I realized her death was imminent I threw the diet she had spent all her life on out the window and fed her everything I had denied her. 
Shadow sort of self regulates so I cannot see her getting fat but she is definitely overweight and with a bad heart she cannot be worked hard. I can keep her lean and active but no shot at real muscle tone. 
The OPs dog looks like a fairly thick boned type anyway so keeping her lean and fit will be a challenge as these girls seem to hide a fair bit of weight pretty easily.
A good trainer or a breeder might be better help then a vet
Carrots and snap peas raw are fabulous treats and fillers. So are green beans.


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## Scoobdue2 (Dec 3, 2019)

I think she looks great. If her stomach was parallel with her chest, I'd say yes. It doesn't at all though, the people saying she looks fat are just remembering her being skin and bones as you said


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## Sabis mom (Mar 20, 2014)

So I went back to the photos of when you first got her. You described her as skin and bone when she actually looked a bit thin, but more lacking in muscle. Now, with people telling you she is overweight you are saying she is a perfect weight. My guess is that you just don't understand a healthy weight. 
Maybe if you are on Facebook check out Weberhaus or Blackthorn pages as both have numerous pictures of fit dogs. Vom Wolfstraum would be another.
As I said in your original thread, your dog is roughly the size of mine and at 70lbs she would be obese.


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## LuvShepherds (May 27, 2012)

Is she purebred? If not, it is possible she is at a good weight for her build. My female who looks purebred but might be a mix has never had a tiny waist but her weight is good for her size. She was also spayed young which affected her shape. I would exercise her and keep her food about the same or cut back a tiny bit, literally only a few mouthfuls a day and take comparison pictures in a month.


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## Dunkirk (May 7, 2015)

Walking on uneven ground/natural surface, built up Nitro's muscle tone, and mine. Changing from a flat, smooth surface made a difference.


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## Stevenzachsmom (Mar 3, 2008)

My 4.5 year old shepherd had put on weight, so I put her on a diet. She lost nothing. My vet tested her thyroid. After the thyroid medication and continued diet, she was down to 62lbs. from 70lbs. I thought she looked skinny. My vet is a shepherd guy. He was thrilled with her weight, body condition, and muscle tone. He finally said I could feed her a 'little' more. She has a lot of energy. Never walks, always runs. Yes, IMO, your dog is overweight. Your vet is wrong. 

Research shows that, on average, lean dogs have a longer life span than fat dogs. To me, that's a pretty good incentive.


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## Stevenzachsmom (Mar 3, 2008)

Wanted to add... I had also put my beagle mix on a diet. Soon after, I got an update from his 'Embark' results. They now test for the CDDY/IVDD mutation. It showed my hound is at risk for Type 1 IVDD (Intervertebral disc disease). I brought the news to my vets' attention. She immediately responded - "Don't let him get fat." I won't be letting him gain that weight back.

We all care about the health of our dogs. Lets face it - a lot of us could stand to lose a few pounds and so could our dogs. I admit it. (It's the first step.) LOL!


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## Femfa (May 29, 2016)

My girl is lanky as all get out, but she’s 26” at the shoulder and averages at 70lbs. This is what she looks like when she is around 67 (we were trying to keep her lighter to keep spay costs down, lol! 70lbs+ was $100 more!):










She’s breathing in while huffing at the neighbour’s dogs. 

This is my partner’s WGSL at 12 years old:










Which looks more akin to your dog. She was overweight at that point.


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## Damicodric (Apr 13, 2013)

She could lose 7 - 10 lbs and at least a 1/4” off those toe nails. Just sayin..... She does look healthy overall. I wouldn’t call her fat by any stretch, but yes, she needs to drop some lbs. Continued success with her.


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## atomic (Mar 28, 2016)

She’s a little overweight but nothing extreme, as others have voiced some more muscle. I’ve found GSDs to run a little slimmer than other breeds. It also depends upon lines, my boy who is a great weight for him looked big compared to a straight working line dog. She was taller and more lanky.


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## SocalGSDLover (Jun 4, 2019)

Sunflowers said:


> Anytime. A pair of eyeballs, not our own, will see things we often can’t.
> It’s hard to be critical of our own dogs, and these days you see so many fat ones out and about that many have forgotten what a “normal-weight” dog should look like.
> That includes vets.
> My own vet told me my dog is too thin. I purposely keep him slim because he has severe dysplasia, both elbow and hip, and another vet who X-rayed him was in shock when she saw the films. “By how nicely he moves, I would have never guessed that his hips are such a mess. It is because you keep him so slim. Keep doing it.”
> ...


Thank you! This is good insight and good advice. We’ve been working on exercising since I posted and today conquered a 2hour hike with her and a 30 minute walk up hill back home.

Got told she looked very strong and muscular today as well! She’s getting there.


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## SocalGSDLover (Jun 4, 2019)

Sabis mom said:


> So I went back to the photos of when you first got her. You described her as skin and bone when she actually looked a bit thin, but more lacking in muscle. Now, with people telling you she is overweight you are saying she is a perfect weight. My guess is that you just don't understand a healthy weight.
> Maybe if you are on Facebook check out Weberhaus or Blackthorn pages as both have numerous pictures of fit dogs. Vom Wolfstraum would be another.
> As I said in your original thread, your dog is roughly the size of mine and at 70lbs she would be obese.


No I’m sorry I have to disagree with that. And I know photos are deceiving and I’m taking no offense but she was sickly. She could barely stand and she shook when she did, you could go down her whole back and feel nothing but sharp spine. She was just under 60 pounds at 24 1/2 inches. She was very thin when I got her. And while I understand our dogs may be similar height her build is very different. Even when she was 60 pounds she still had a very built and large/muscular upper body while her back half was truly skin and bone.

Since I posted this we’ve been going on daily 2hour + hikes and got told today she looked muscular and strong! I agree that she looked a little overweight and definitely agreed she needed more muscle. I was wrong to say she was at a “perfect” weight. I relate overweight and fat to mean unhealthy and I worked several months and spend several thousands to get her from near death to healthy.

I appreciate the response and advice! I’ll look into those FB pages.


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## SocalGSDLover (Jun 4, 2019)

Scoobdue2 said:


> I think she looks great. If her stomach was parallel with her chest, I'd say yes. It doesn't at all though, the people saying she looks fat are just remembering her being skin and bones as you said


Thanks so much appreciate the response.


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## SocalGSDLover (Jun 4, 2019)

Femfa said:


> My girl is lanky as all get out, but she’s 26” at the shoulder and averages at 70lbs. This is what she looks like when she is around 67 (we were trying to keep her lighter to keep spay costs down, lol! 70lbs+ was $100 more!):
> 
> 
> 
> ...


If I took the same photo as the second in the same lighting youd be able to clearly see all my dogs ribs. I agree in my initial post she looked/was overweight and need to lose a few while bulking muscle.

which we have been since posting and she’s doing great!
I appreciate the response


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## SocalGSDLover (Jun 4, 2019)

Damicodric said:


> She could lose 7 - 10 lbs and at least a 1/4” off those toe nails. Just sayin..... She does look healthy overall. I wouldn’t call her fat by any stretch, but yes, she needs to drop some lbs. Continued success with her.


I appreciate it about the nails! I take her to PetSmart because it’s what I can afford at the moment and I thought they looked awful long (and poorly trimmed) but they assured me it was appropriate and I just forgot about it. Will note that next time.

Since posting she’s down ~approx 4 pounds but I think she’s gained some muscle so that plays into it.
Thank you!


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## SocalGSDLover (Jun 4, 2019)

Here she is 3 And 5 weeks after being home at about 70-75 pounds.


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## SocalGSDLover (Jun 4, 2019)

One more around the same time and weight


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## SocalGSDLover (Jun 4, 2019)

SocalGSDLover said:


> Here she is 3 And 5 weeks after being home at about 70-75 pounds.
> View attachment 556293
> View attachment 556294


The noticeable white spots of fur leading down her back is her spine jetting out. You can’t see that anymore on her back.


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## SocalGSDLover (Jun 4, 2019)

Also I apologize if I’m posting a lot or responding to messages incorrectly (quoting vs note quoting?) I use this on my phone and also don’t know how to navigate the site very well yet.


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## Sabis mom (Mar 20, 2014)

SocalGSDLover said:


> No I’m sorry I have to disagree with that. And I know photos are deceiving and I’m taking no offense but she was sickly. She could barely stand and she shook when she did, you could go down her whole back and feel nothing but sharp spine. She was just under 60 pounds at 24 1/2 inches. She was very thin when I got her. And while I understand our dogs may be similar height her build is very different. Even when she was 60 pounds she still had a very built and large/muscular upper body while her back half was truly skin and bone.
> 
> Since I posted this we’ve been going on daily 2hour + hikes and got told today she looked muscular and strong! I agree that she looked a little overweight and definitely agreed she needed more muscle. I was wrong to say she was at a “perfect” weight. I relate overweight and fat to mean unhealthy and I worked several months and spend several thousands to get her from near death to healthy.
> 
> I appreciate the response and advice! I’ll look into those FB pages.


Look, clearly you love your dog. I have pulled rescues that were in fact "skin and bone" . Your girl was thin, underweight. The spine is one of the things that becomes easily visible when muscle mass is lost. Or with chronic dehydration. Common in old or sick dogs. Shaking when standing would indicate to me a lot of time confined. 
I feel like I am talking to an old world mother. Lol. Too skinny! Eat, eat!
Recent photos would be lovely. Sounds like you are doing good with her. 
Oh! And her nails. I would bet will wear down with exercise. They aren't that long. She needs her nails.


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## Elisabeth Ann Parent (Dec 1, 2016)

Definitely fat and lacks tone. 

A photo of my 9 year old for comparison... She has spine and other health issues but I still keep her toned.


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## SocalGSDLover (Jun 4, 2019)

Elisabeth Ann Parent said:


> Definitely fat and lacks tone.
> 
> A photo of my 9 year old for comparison... She has spine and other health issues but I still keep her toned.


In my original photos yes she lacked tone and needed to shave a few pounds which she has since I posted. Going to take some shots today in the light to post.

I went to two different vets when I first brought her home and both were horrified at her condition and her spine protruding. It may be good for your dog but just not for mine. She is a very big girl in person just structure wise.

Definitely gonna keep working on toning her up and adding some more muscle where it needs to be.

thank you for the response!


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## Elisabeth Ann Parent (Dec 1, 2016)

Not sure why you posted asking for opinions then? 

I still stand by my response. 

My vet likes my dogs on the heavier size, which is actually more painful for my dog who has a spine and knee injury. I trust my vet but we do not see eye-to-eye on a few things. Weight being one of them.


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## jarn (Jul 18, 2007)

SocalGSDLover said:


> View attachment 556295
> One more around the same time and weight


I tend to get accused of keeping my dogs too thin - by strangers, by vets ('he needs insurance weight!'...we don't use that vet anymore), by friends...so take it for what it's worth, but I like the level of tuck in this picture (conceding that some muscle could be gained). I'm glad you've upped her exercise and it sounds like she's already dropped a decent amount of weight which is great! 

For me, having had a GSD with hip dysplasia (kept her thin) and Luc who lived to 15.5 (made him thin) - there's a lot at risk in dogs, particularly a breed disposed to joint problems, who are overweight. 

My non-GSDs...well. Xerxes is a beagle but has like 4% body fat, extreme tuck, but he's also very broad in the chest - he's beautiful to behold (compared to the quoted picture, he's proportionally broader with a far more extreme tuck). Neb varies in weight, I also think he's a chubster but our vet and my husband strongly disagree. He's not overweight and is slim by most standards, I just think he could be even thinner. He's 38.6lbs and I remember when he was 36lbs (admittedly as a young adult) and he looked great then. I suspect 37.5-38lbs is his sweet spot from a 'where I want him to be' and 'from where my husband and vet will stage an intervention'. He's a senior now so I feel like keeping him slender is important. With Agis (GSD mix pup), I am letting him be a bit round because he's 4.5 mos old and he's also part Rottie and I feel like will not have a naturally slender build...he's got a certain tank thing going on. Even he has a tuck though, I just don't fuss about it like I do with the adults.


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## tim_s_adams (Aug 9, 2017)

OP, do with your dog as you will, but you asked for opinions. Mine, like so many others is that she's over weight now.

Take that, and let it guide you, or don't.


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## Jax08 (Feb 13, 2009)

She looks very barrel chested which would give the illusion of being muscular in the front while weak in the rear. I think she looks good in those pictures there as far as weight. Have you looked at the Fitpaws or Totofit equipment? These really help build core and overall fitness. And they are easy to do inside whenever.


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## SocalGSDLover (Jun 4, 2019)

I asked for opinions on the photos I posted initially. And I took all of the advice and opinions and have been using them since I posted. 


Elisabeth Ann Parent said:


> Not sure why you posted asking for opinions then?
> 
> I still stand by my response.
> 
> My vet likes my dogs on the heavier size, which is actually more painful for my dog who has a spine and knee injury. I trust my vet but we do not see eye-to-eye on a few things. Weight being one of them.


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## SocalGSDLover (Jun 4, 2019)

tim_s_adams said:


> OP, do with your dog as you will, but you asked for opinions. Mine, like so many others is that she's over weight now.
> 
> Take that, and let it guide you, or don't.


I have responded saying that I used every single opinion and advice given to me... don’t see how I’ve exhibited that I didn’t want opinions.


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## SocalGSDLover (Jun 4, 2019)

I asked for opinions on if she was overweight and posted photos. You all gave me advice and responses and I stated later that I was wrong in saying she was a perfect weight and that I was using the advice given and also said that I’ve been working on her losing a few and toning her up. I defended the photos I posted later because she was truly sick and near death and was still losing weight the first week she was home. You are all very hostile with your responses and choose to see things only your way. I came asking for advice because I’m new to owning German Shepherds and clearly didn’t know much. 

I appreciate those who gave me great advice and we’re kind while doing so and know that I’ve used and seen great results!


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## Nigel (Jul 10, 2012)

I see some "bluntness" that text alone can can bring, but nothing hostile. Whether it's kids or dogs I think we can become a tad defensive when our perspective bubble gets popped by others sharing theirs, especially in text. One of the first things said to me when joining this forum was that my gsds were over weight and I'm thankful that it was. My girls are fast approaching 10 and both are healthier today in part because I was made aware of what ideal weight should look like.


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## wm97 (Dec 13, 2018)

SocalGSDLover said:


> Hey all,
> 
> This is my 4 year old girl Maisie who sits at about 25 inches in height. When we adopted her she was 60 pounds and all skin and bone. After 6 months she definitely is at a much healthier weight.
> 
> ...


Every normal animal is ten percent of their body weight from being overweight. Can you feel her ribs?


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