# Bulk Him UP!



## cpepper5702 (Dec 19, 2012)

Hello everyone!

This is my very first post on on this website. I have a 8 month old shephard who is very active and loves to run run run. We feed him 3 scoops of Canidae All Stages of Life and have been VERY pleased with it. He has been on that even when he was a teeny tiny puppy. His mom and dad are both on this and they thrive on the food. When we are at the dog park, there is another GSD that comes out a lot who is his age too but more stocky and seems to be more full. My GSD's dad is HUGE and Diesel (my pup) seems to be behind the growth curve in comparison to the other shephard. The first picture is of Diesels father. The other picture his a comparison. Diesel is on the left and the other dog who is about a week older than him, is on the left.

The owner says that she feeds him kibbles along with food that she prepares. Any tips on how to bulk my little guy up?? Thanks.


- Colton


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## NancyJ (Jun 15, 2003)

Give him the time to grow up.
My dog is 17 months old and has only recently started to enter a bulking phase.
Think about all those beanpole guys you went to high school with who turned into buff thirty-somethings most without a lot of extra work.


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## qbchottu (Jul 10, 2011)

Puppy is still quite young. You must keep him lean and active to prevent unnecessary stress on joints. German Shepherds can take 2+ years to mature and develop properly. Most males I've seen really come into their own physically and mentally at about 3-4 years of age. You don't need to bulk him up - he is fine. Excess nutrition, calories and weight at this age is going to predispose him and put him at risk for hip, elbow, joint, and general health problems. Keep him lean and trim. He will be what size he is genetically determined to be - feeding him more at this stage is not going to change that. Slow and sustained growth is best.


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## carmspack (Feb 2, 2011)

there is nothing wrong with your dog . The other dog is not "bulkier" (in the right way) , his frame is larger - looks like an oversize dog to me ...which is genetic, which a lot of show line GSD are so much so that there is an article which I recently read about cheating and misrepresenting true measurements (SV) and a law suit from a party of Canadian owners who had their multi $$$$ GSD dismissed from an SV style show in Canada for oversize , which he was in a big way ! but not unusual 

also met a person in GSD's since the late 50's who had an "American bred" show line dog from Woodside , very well known in show GSD, who was 140 on the vet's scale , not fat , and 31 inches at the shoulder. This dog was not bred for size , all littermates were within range , and this dog was not bred to create some supersize group of dogs.


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## cpepper5702 (Dec 19, 2012)

The other pictures are just of him in general so you get an idea of his size and for fun ...


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## cpepper5702 (Dec 19, 2012)

I know that my dog is healthy and that there is nothing wrong. I just wasn't sure if there was something I should be feeding him in conjunction to what I am feeding him now. He comes from a successful show line and Schutzhund background. In comparison, he is a little smaller than his peers in his age group. I am perfectly fine with the way he is but again, I don't want to cheat him out of any nutrients. Thank you for your reassurance. lol. I feel better as a "Dad"


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## doggiedad (Dec 2, 2007)

wow, i didn't know Shehards were that nice looking. he looks like a Shepherd.


cpepper5702 said:


> Hello everyone!
> 
> 
> This is my very first post on on this website. >>>> I have a 8 month old shephard


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## martemchik (Nov 23, 2010)

My boy was a late bloomer...but not as late as some of these other ones. Still, my club is full of American lines that look fully grown at 8 months old (and bigger than my 2.5 year old). It was only at about two years old that people started to notice how my boy was filling out and growing his chest out. He now probably has one of the bigger chests at the club. So don't worry about size, enjoy the cuteness of the adolscent stage.


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## Liesje (Mar 4, 2007)

Smaller does not mean malnourished. If he were malnourished he might have a dry or faded coat, smell, smelly and goopy ears, lack muscle definition, really weak pasterns or hocks, etc. The GSD on the left looks better because it's an adult, mature GSD. Male showlines develop VERY slowly. Mine is 4.5 years old and still changed pretty significantly (as far as filling out, broadening of the head) from 3-4 years of age.


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## Jafar M (Dec 17, 2012)

Iam worry about my 2 month puppy...I feed him with puppy pellet twice a day...but he still not bulk...what is the problem? Should I mix the pellet with some meat or something? Help me guys...


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