# Almost 4 months, we love pictures



## JenniferAaron (Jun 25, 2017)

Big puppy


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## dogfaeries (Feb 22, 2010)

That _is_ a big puppy!


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## JenniferAaron (Jun 25, 2017)

dogfaeries said:


> That _is_ a big puppy!


Can you tell me then. I thought all shepherds are about the same in a group as far as size goes. Should i expect him to be bigger than typical 75 pounds ish? My vet was not too informative. He seems big to me. Compared to my last one years ago.


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## dogfaeries (Feb 22, 2010)

How big were his parents? My bitches are all the same size of their mothers, but my boy is bigger than either parent, more the size of his grandfather. So, the answer is who knows, lol.


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## Femfa (May 29, 2016)

Males are hard to predict sometimes! I know my girl looks huge in pictures when she's held. My vet says that generally around the 4 month mark is about half of what their adult weight should be, give or take.


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## JenniferAaron (Jun 25, 2017)

Femfa said:


> Males are hard to predict sometimes! I know my girl looks huge in pictures when she's held. My vet says that generally around the 4 month mark is about half of what their adult weight should be, give or take.


 Really?? He's 29 pounds...i can't see him topping out around 60 pounds lol...no offense of course ;-) interesting to think about though...his father was between 90-95 we were told...

I guess its all speculation for now. I am curious about it all. I constantly compare him to my other dog in some ways...my last gsd was a little smaller boned...this puppy is filling out faster than the last did...he just looks healthier in my opinion. My last dog was a picky eater and never ate all of his food..this puppy eats the entire bowl and is still hungry. All dogs are different lol.


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## Aly (May 26, 2011)

Yes, but your handsome baby also seems to have lovely bone. I sometimes wonder if that isn't a better predictor of adult size/mass than height alone. Keep the pics coming!


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## Femfa (May 29, 2016)

Then perhaps I just have a monster of a dog and my vet is out for lunch, haha, though I do think she's a great vet. My girl was 38 at four months and just under 21" at the shoulder, so perhaps that's why my vet said it. He'll probably have a big growth spurt near that 6 month range, though it can happen at any time and take you by surprise. I wouldn't be surprised if my girl slows down in growth around the 7-8 month mark. My girl's sire was also just under the 90lb range, dam was 70lb. I'm seriously hoping for the 70lb range...


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## Sunsilver (Apr 8, 2014)

Males have much bigger bone than females. Yes, he does look like he's going to be big!


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## wolfy dog (Aug 1, 2012)

That's going to be a hunk of a dog! Hope you are making sure that he won't grow too fast and keeping him skinny to prevent bone growth issues. And he is not beng spoiled......" Also I would hold off on neutering at least for the first two years or forever. 
Enjoy him. Keep the pictures coming.


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## JenniferAaron (Jun 25, 2017)

wolfy dog said:


> That's going to be a hunk of a dog! Hope you are making sure that he won't grow too fast and keeping him skinny to prevent bone growth issues. And he is not beng spoiled......" Also I would hold off on neutering at least for the first two years or forever.
> Enjoy him. Keep the pictures coming.


Can I give you his diet info ..and give me your feedback please??


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## wolfy dog (Aug 1, 2012)

Can you ask your breeder for advice as well? My next GSD pup will be fed large breed puppy formula like Fromm and I wil keep him skinny. I had a male with bone issues while growing up (the dog!) and on raw. Not sure if that did it but my next pup will be transitioned to partially raw only after most growth has stopped around nine months and kibble in the AM like I do with Deja


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## Femfa (May 29, 2016)

I always go by feel of the ribs, JenniferAaron. A good comparison is feeling along the top of your hand below the knuckles. You can feel the bone, but it's not protruding nor does it feel sharp to the touch. On puppies, you'll likely feel a bit of "flab" even when they're a good weight. Ideally, you can see a slope from the chest into the abdominal area ventrally, and from the top you should see a nicely defined thoracic region (chest), inlay to the hips, which then goes into a soft flare back out into the actual hip. Nothing should look sharp or completely straight. Here's a side comparison of my girl if it helps:










I feed LBP Acana, as it was what my breeder fed. I also feed raw 2-3 times a week for her night time feeding, as she was on both at the breeder's. She's currently on 3 1/2 cups of kibble, if that guideline helps. Each cup of my kibble is approximately 400 kcal** (edited for value)


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## JenniferAaron (Jun 25, 2017)

Femfa said:


> I always go by feel of the ribs, JenniferAaron. A good comparison is feeling along the top of your hand below the knuckles. You can feel the bone, but it's not protruding nor does it feel sharp to the touch. On puppies, you'll likely feel a bit of "flab" even when they're a good weight. Ideally, you can see an inverse slope from the chest into the abdominal area ventrally, and from the top you should see a nicely defined thoracic region (chest), inlay to the hips, which then goes into a soft flare back out into the actual hip. Nothing should look sharp or completely straight. Here's a side comparison of my girl if it helps:
> 
> 
> 
> ...



That is a gorgeous dog!!!!
Wow


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## JenniferAaron (Jun 25, 2017)

Okay ...this is what i feed him. ( please take it easy on me lol...I am so new to the correct way to build him up and make him healthy) haha. My first gsd Duncan..he ate natural balance. Don't know if it was him or the dog food..but he always hadvery loose stools...never finished his food...sp I decided against that brand this time around.



I feed him Totw. 1 cup in the morning...one cup for dinner...

He LOVES his dog food. I heard it was a good brand...so i bought and he loves. Luckily. 

I went to the grocery store and bought packages of chicken hearts and gizzards...boiled them all and put them into 2-3 ounce packages that i froze. I feed him the chicken every other day. 


Could i feed more of the chicken since he's growing bigger... how does his diet sound to yall. 



Also, Wolf..

I have contacted my breeder on lots of things...but i feel like I'm being annoying. They are always nice to me but i don't think they want me badgering all the time. Maybe that's just me thinking that. Who knows.


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## JenniferAaron (Jun 25, 2017)

wolfy dog said:


> Can you ask your breeder for advice as well? My next GSD pup will be fed large breed puppy formula like Fromm and I wil keep him skinny. I had a male with bone issues while growing up (the dog!) and on raw. Not sure if that did it but my next pup will be transitioned to partially raw only after most growth has stopped around nine months and kibble in the AM like I do with Deja


Oh also...when I asked about food ....I was told by my breeder "as long as he's eating whatever is fine. " they did say if I can i need to chose a good brand like blue buffalo or totw. He was fed 4 grain when i got him at 8 weeks. Plus they were giving him chicken.


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## Femfa (May 29, 2016)

I think raw is great as a supplement, but nailing ratios can be hard for growing puppies if it's an every day meal. This is a great article to read about what to feed and how to feed when it comes to raw meals: How To Make Raw Dog Food. I think around his weight you might want to up the amount of cups you're giving him to maybe 3 (1 1/2 each serving) if he's also getting the chicken hearts and gizzards. But it's hard to tell without feeling him. Try feeling his ribs and maybe try taking a picture of him from the side and from directly above. That'll help us help you more.


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## JenniferAaron (Jun 25, 2017)

Femfa said:


> I think raw is great as a supplement, but nailing ratios can be hard for growing puppies if it's an every day meal. This is a great article to read about what to feed and how to feed when it comes to raw meals: How To Make Raw Dog Food. I think around his weight you might want to up the amount of cups you're giving him to maybe 3 (1 1/2 each serving) if he's also getting the chicken hearts and gizzards. But it's hard to tell without feeling him. Try feeling his ribs and maybe try taking a picture of him from the side and from directly above. That'll help us help you more.



Is it still considered raw feeding if I cook it..??I boil the chicken.


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## wolfy dog (Aug 1, 2012)

You don't have to cook it. Cooking removes many nutrients. In the wild they don't cook it either. Never had a problem with raw. Make sure you NEVER cook bones.


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## RZZNSTR (Jan 24, 2015)

Femfa said:


> I always go by feel of the ribs, JenniferAaron. A good comparison is feeling along the top of your hand below the knuckles. You can feel the bone, but it's not protruding nor does it feel sharp to the touch. On puppies, you'll likely feel a bit of "flab" even when they're a good weight. Ideally, you can see a slope from the chest into the abdominal area ventrally, and from the top you should see a nicely defined thoracic region (chest), inlay to the hips, which then goes into a soft flare back out into the actual hip. Nothing should look sharp or completely straight. Here's a side comparison of my girl if it helps:
> 
> 
> 
> ...





She's a beauty! Gorgeous pup! You're doing very good by her! Well done!


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