# The dog "weight critics"



## gsdhistorian4 (Nov 30, 2016)

I am posting this because i like this forum and think there is a lot of cool people here, but something i noticed a few people do and should stop is the people who jump on the "your dog is overweight" bandwagon and criticize others if they post a pic or video of their dogs or another dog. Don't get me wrong.. i like most sensible dog lovers find it irritating when people get their dog as big as possible for bragging rights, but at the same time, mind your own business.. i personally would rather see a dog that has an extra 5-10lbs on it then a dog who is skin and bones. Not every dog posted here will fall in the "correct" weight category of the breed, but as long as the dog is not severely obese or severely underweight, then keep your opinions to yourself and lighten up a little. Forums like this should be about fun and sharing a common interest, not trolling others because you think you are perfect when your aren't. Think about it


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## LuvShepherds (May 27, 2012)

Sharing experience and opinions is trolling? When someone asks for an opinion, they get it.


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## Jax08 (Feb 13, 2009)

I just can't stop laughing. What a great post!!! It has humor, misinformation, irony and hypocrisy all rolled into 6 sentence.


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## LuvShepherds (May 27, 2012)

Jax08 said:


> I just can't stop laughing. What a great post!!! It has humor, misinformation, irony and hypocrisy all rolled into 6 sentence.


http://www.germanshepherds.com/foru...pherds-eating-rib-eye-steak-dinner-sides.html


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## gsdsar (May 21, 2002)

Sorry you felt someone picked on your dogs for being overweight. 

But overweight dogs are a very big problem. And it makes sense to point it out. Sometimes we see our dogs everyday and we don't realize how thick or thin they have gotten. 

I have had he same thing happen to me, on the opposite spectrum. Allowing my dogs to get too thin. 

When it's pointed out, it's not to make me feel bad, it's in the best interest of my dogs. We all get a bit "kennel blind"


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## Bramble (Oct 23, 2011)

Those few extra pounds can reduce a dog's life span by 2 years or more, make them more prone to arthritis, diabetes, heart problems, difficulty breathing, just to name a few. Being politically correct and ignoring a ever growing issue may prevent some hurt feelings, but it won't help to educate the public about how to keep their pet at the correct and healthy weight. A dog can't get on a scale and decide to loose some weight, it is the owner who needs to notice and make it happen. Someone has to speak up for those dogs who even it they look happy are not living the best lives they could be. 

I see so many over weight pets and so many owners simply refuse to take the fact that their pet is obese seriously. "Oh we love her so much that is why she is fat." "He looks cute a little bit chubby." "Oh I do feed her less, but it isn't working." "Well I just have to give him a treat when he seems so hungry." And on and on and these pets are the ones who suffer the most. I have two recently diagnosed with diabetes and they are both young dogs, the one is totally blind and the other is nearly there. I have a number of dogs 6 or a few years older with sever arthritis because they are fat or huff and puff and pant constantly from the slightest exertion. 

So no I don't think we should "be polite" and not point out when someone's dog is a "little" over weight. Kudos to those who care more about the dog and their well being than hurting and owner's feelings.

Yes I feel VERY strongly about this because I see first hand EVERY day dogs that are suffering because their owners don't know or don't care to put a little effort in to feeding them correctly.


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## Jack's Dad (Jun 7, 2011)

The fat dog thing is mild. Suggest you want to breed your dog and see what happens.


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## LuvShepherds (May 27, 2012)

Jack's Dad said:


> The fat dog thing is mild. Suggest you want to breed your dog and see what happens.


It's called being a responsible dog owner. If someone here doesn't want to be fine, it's their dog. If they are giving advice that stays up on this board for years, it needs to be sound advice whether everyone agrees or not.


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## gsdhistorian4 (Nov 30, 2016)

lol, and the trolls have arrived! What's the matter, truth hurts? I bet each and every one of you who is trolling is fat.. but hey, lets troll other' on their dogs weight right?? lol


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## MineAreWorkingline (May 2, 2015)

gsdhistorian4 said:


> lol, and the trolls have arrived! What's the matter, truth hurts? I bet each and every one of you who is trolling is fat.. but hey, lets troll other' on their dogs weight right?? lol


Please don't think everybody on this forum is like that.


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## gsdhistorian4 (Nov 30, 2016)

Right, but if they don't ask for your opinion, keep your mouth shut. Do you walk up to strange people and tell them their obesity is a problem?? Probably not.. because you are a typical coward who insults people behind the safety of a keyboard.


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## MineAreWorkingline (May 2, 2015)

gsdhistorian4 said:


> Right, but if they don't ask for your opinion, keep your mouth shut. Do you walk up to strange people and tell them their obesity is a problem?? Probably not.. because you are a typical coward who insults people behind the safety of a keyboard.


There are many on here that take unsolicited advice very personal and as a criticism.

The irony of it all.


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## gsdhistorian4 (Nov 30, 2016)

Thank you! Nice to see there are good people here that are on here for fun and not criticism  


MineAreWorkingline said:


> There are many on here that take unsolicited advice very personal and as a criticism.





MineAreWorkingline said:


> The irony of it all.


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## Nigel (Jul 10, 2012)

Slightly over weight is still overweight and can have negative impact on health and longevity. There are studies out there that demonstrate this.


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## Jax08 (Feb 13, 2009)

I didn't see the other post that started this. 10# on a dog IS obese. 5# is definitely overweight and if you work your dogs, you will see a huge difference that 5# makes. 

But to start a post just to pick a fight? Well...come on now. LOL


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## Dunkirk (May 7, 2015)

My dog is lean, I am overweight. I wish people would tell me I looked cuter because I'm chubby. :-D


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## selzer (May 7, 2005)

I think gsdsar said it best. We don't always see how our dog has gotten thicker or thinner, and when someone points it out, it isn't to hurt our feelings but to help the critter. 

And there are people out there that have seen overweight dogs as normal. And they need to know, especially because a lot of vets have no testicles because they may lose a customer and won't tell you that your dog needs to lose some weight. 

I had a dog until it was four when I sold it to a judge. Nice dog. Great match between him and the judge and he had the dog for 3 years, but he died, and I got the dog back. 

Rushie was never over 80 pounds with me. I got him back at 105 pounds. He looked like a coffee table. I took him to the vet, quite embarrassed, to get his shots, because I was placing him with my contractor. 

The vet was like, "he's fine." I said, "he looks like a coffee table!" I gave him to my contractor and told him to take some weight off of him. He should lose at least 15 pounds. 

A few months later, my contractor told me that his hips were having trouble, because he wasn't getting up and down the steps. I asked about his weight. He weighed the dog and told me he was over 100. I told him to take 10-15 pounds off the dog and he will do better. The guy listened to me. And the dog started zooming up and down steps. 

Rushie passed away a few months ago. He was about 6 months younger than Babsy and Jenna. Babs and Jenna were fitter for a larger portion of their lives. But now that they are over 11, I am not as militant about it, and Jenna is on the upper side of fit, and Babs is on the lower side of fat. They aren't going to live forever, but they will have a better quality of life if they are fit, and that includes Babsy. The thing is, her whole life, she has been more of a couch potato and food freak, where Jenna was more athletic naturally. Right now, I would probably knock Babsy's quality of life, if I don't let her share my dinners. So, I limit how much kibble she gets, and I feed Quinnie separate so that she isn't eating the pup's food. 

Some people are so accustomed to seeing fat labs jumping about, that when they see a shepherd in that shape it doesn't make them cringe. And some of us see a cute video of a nice shepherd doing a fat-lab look alike, and we can't keep our mouths shut. 

A young man had a beautiful shepherd here and told us his weight, and showed videos, and several told him his dog was fat and he should take weight off of him. He could have been all butt-hurt about it and could have left here in a huff. Instead, he looked at his dog with a new eye, and put him on a diet. He let us watch the process and transformation. He was happy that we told him a hard truth, and did not mind our own business. Maybe his dog will live longer for it. For sure, his dog will live better for it.


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## MineAreWorkingline (May 2, 2015)

Dunkirk said:


> My dog is lean, I am overweight. I wish people would tell me I looked cuter because I'm chubby. :-D


Okay, you look cuter because you are chubby.


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## LuvShepherds (May 27, 2012)

gsdhistorian4 said:


> Right, but if they don't ask for your opinion, keep your mouth shut. Do you walk up to strange people and tell them their obesity is a problem?? Probably not.. because you are a typical coward who insults people behind the safety of a keyboard.


I'm sorry if people on this forum hurt your feelings. I try not to. Sometimes I am blunt. That was a cute video of your dogs eating. Technically, though, we are not trolls. Trolls are people who don't belong to a forum and come in just to try to disrupt it or shut it down. What you are seeing in the other thread are forum members with strong opinions who found it necessary to speak out with advice you didn't want. It happens. It took me years to become a member of this forum after opening this account because of one member who didn't like what I had to say about rescues and needled me every time I posted. So I stopped until I needed information and then I came back. Funny that person was banned and is no longer here. If you want to become comfortable with this forum, just ignore people who are rude. Calling us all fat is doing just what you didn't like being done to you. Saying that people offended you and hurt your feelings and were rude would be Ok though, sometimes some of us are.


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## Jax08 (Feb 13, 2009)

selzer said:


> I think gsdsar said it best. We don't always see how our dog has gotten thicker or thinner, and when someone points it out, it isn't to hurt our feelings but to help the critter.


Exactly! When Seger was a puppy, I had a terrible time figuring out his weight. My breeder bluntly told me, in front of everyone, 'your puppy is OBESE!' Excuse me while I go crawl in a hole and cry for a bit.

Then, all proud of myself, I went to far the other way! And then he was to skinny!

Ugh!

That extra 5# on one of our fittest dogs in the club totally gassed her in less than 5 minutes in protection on a hot summer day. Extra weight on a puppy could affect the growth and formation of their joints. Weight management is actually a very important thing.

Now..as far as Dunkirk..who doesn't love a chubby Aussie?!!:wink2:


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## lhczth (Apr 5, 2000)

I think this thread has run its course. 

ADMIN Lisa


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