# Your dog is fat. Sorry.



## x0emiroxy0x

I am a member of a facebook group about german shepherds and atleast once every other day someone posts about how awesome their *135* pound german shepherd is.

Sorry, but your dog is fat. Not strong. It is not cool to be a fat dog. It is sad.

Maybe I just imagined this fact, but doesnt more weight hurt a dogs hips more as they get older??

By the pictures these people post, their dogs are normal heights, just extremely obese.

I recommended to several people to join this forum to learn about NILF and dog obesity lol so hopefully they do!!

((IMHO, I just wanted to say that morbidly obese dogs are in just as much peril as morbidly obese children. They arent in control of their diets. Their mom or owner should make sure they have a healthy diet, just like they should make sure they exercise. My boyfriends mother said that her beagle cant poop without stimulation because he is too old, not because he is a 67 pound beagle. He is only 4!!!))


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## BGSD

Can someone post a picture of what's fat and what's the right weight. Are you supposed to feel the ribs?


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## sagelfn

We must be on the same FB page.


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## CaseysGSD

wish I could hit "like" on your post! lol


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## Franksmom

I always feel so sad for overweight dogs. Even if a GSD is taller then average it doesn't equal weighing that much more.


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## Kris10




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## BlackPuppy

135 pounds is crazy! 

Balto is fat. He's 70 pounds at 23 inches tall. I think he should lose about 10 pounds, but he doesn't agree. He wants food and thinks I'm starving him at 2 cups a day. Even if I supplement him with green beans he still thinks he's starving. And I left him at a kennel for 11 days with a strict 2 cups a day diet and he lost 1.5 pounds. I guess I just have to do it and tell him its for his own good. 

My other two dogs get 4 cups a day.


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## DCluver33

BGSD said:


> Can someone post a picture of what's fat and what's the right weight. Are you supposed to feel the ribs?


yes, you are supposed to be able to feel the ribs very easily, I, personally, like to see some ribs or at least the last two ribs. when you look at a dog from above you're supposed to see a nice indent after the ribs and before the hips, when viewed from the side you're supposed to see a nice tuck, where it goes up after the bottom of the sternum to between the legs. if you can not see any of those and can't feel ribs easily, then your dog is over weight. hope that helped.


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## fuzzybunny

BGSD said:


> Can someone post a picture of what's fat and what's the right weight. Are you supposed to feel the ribs?


This is my dog Bunny. I think she's a good weight. Very obvious tuck and when looking straight down at her there is a noticeable waist where it goes in after her ribs. She's 25 inches tall and 67 pounds. If she's fat then someone please let me know because I've always thought her to be a good weight.


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## Germanshepherdlova

If anybody tells you that Bunny is fat-don't believe them. She looks beautiful.


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## fuzzybunny

Germanshepherdlova said:


> If anybody tells you that Bunny is fat-don't believe them. She looks beautiful.


My vet likes them very very thin so she's always telling me don't let her gain any weight. I think she's giving me a complex, lol. Thanks, I think she's a pretty girl too!


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## High5

Lol I see those posts too and think to myself.... Why? Id be embarrassed to post about my dog if he was overweight let alone brag about it.


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## King&Skylar

135 pounds is insane!! My mom's boy is 85 pounds, and I think he is chubby, Skylar is tall, but only weighs 65 pounds, she'll max out at 75... how is 135 even possible


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## x0emiroxy0x

I told the lady that no offense but her dog was a little overweight and it could hurt her hips. I asked how tall the dog was, but havent recieved a reply from her. However, I got this reply from someone else:

*" Working lines standard is 106 lbs. My working line male is 126lbs he is 20 lbs above standard, but he was weighing in at 106 at one year. As for an AKC standard , that could be different since they are bred for show and not work. ...But the 're some pretty big working GSD's that are huge. To me if your just above or just below your standard, who cares. The standard is basically for breeding show dogs. A working dog could wiegh more just by the fact it is working, more muscle . My male is not fat. He is perfect. I tend to like my dogs more on the leaner side , but his meds tend to make him eat more and gain weight. but he is far from fat. LOL"*


Can someone please tell me if what this person posted is complete BS or if Im just an idiot ? lol


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## crackem

i'm going to bet on both, an idiot and full of bs


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## x0emiroxy0x

Hoping that was a joke! 

But yeah, I am definitely no expert on germanshepherds after having one for 10 months...I learn new stuff off this site every day.


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## DCluver33

x0emiroxy0x said:


> *" Working lines standard is 106 lbs. My working line male is 126lbs he is 20 lbs above standard, but he was weighing in at 106 at one year. As for an AKC standard , that could be different since they are bred for show and not work. ...But the 're some pretty big working GSD's that are huge. To me if your just above or just below your standard, who cares. The standard is basically for breeding show dogs. A working dog could wiegh more just by the fact it is working, more muscle . My male is not fat. He is perfect. I tend to like my dogs more on the leaner side , but his meds tend to make him eat more and gain weight. but he is far from fat. LOL"*


:spittingcoffee: :rofl:


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## sagelfn

oh boy! That person is an idiot and full of BS

Could you PM me the FB page, if I'm on it I will find that post.


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## e.rigby

Fat dog:










Not so fat dog










Both are Virgil, the first is when I first got him (about 3 months ago) and the second is him now (well, it was taken a week or two ago)

At his top weight he was 126ish lbs. He's currently 94ish lbs!


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## CookieTN

Most dogs are overweight these days, unfortunately. I see overweight dogs everyfreakingwhere. Cookie used to be nearly 100 lbs, then we put her on a diet which eventually brought her down to 75. Then her former owner (a relative) was concerned about her being underweight and malnourished, and just didn't understand what the right weight looks like. Even after I told them again and again, and made Cookie take a special trip to the vet's office to prove it. I know they still loved Cookie and truly wanted the best for her, but it was a hugely annoying conflict. Especially since they'd try to make my dad force me to feed her more, among other things. =/
Anyway, obviously done and way over with now. Thank goodness. (No disrespect for the relative, either. They're a great person, actually.)

I really think people need to be more educated about this, though, and apparently those weight charts at the vet's office aren't hint enough.


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## GSD84

Could it also be that people are following the information on the back of the food packaging and overfeeding them based on it? Thanks for posting that before and after pic of your dog. Never seen a "fat" dog before lol. But in the second pic the dog looks so much healthier!


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## malinois_16

This is a perfect weight.










Hes gained a couple pounds since then but hes not over weight yet. My thinks this pic was underweight as well as everyone in the neighbourhood. Everyone in the neighbourhood has fat dogs...


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## elisabeth_00117

This is Stark.

2 years old
89 lbs
26" at the withers

Stark is in my opinion, an excellent weight.


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## LukasGSD

It's become the norm for people to expect dogs to be full and fat. I've had several people tell me my dogs are too skinny. Usually when they are still growing! My brothers best friend, CONSTANTLY bugs the crap out of me because when I first got Lukas he said he was not full because he was black (and his ears had not yet gone up) Then said to feed him....food for cattle to "build muscle". I died a little inside.

I stress and stress how annoying it is when people push pounds just to make their dog seem more impressive. 
I know, a little off topic but it all runs together for me.


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## e.rigby

My biggest peeve is not when people think my dogs are too thin, but when I ask them why they won't cut back on the amount of food they feed and they reply "But I don't want him to starve" -- this coming from people with dogs that are severely overweight! Um, do people not understand what 'starving' really means???


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## fuzzybunny

> =I stress and stress how annoying it is when people push pounds just to make their dog seem more impressive. I know, a little off topic but it all runs together for me.


The funny thing is these people who make their dogs fat to seem more impressive are actually taking away from their impressiveness because all you notice is the fat. It the dog was not overweight their already impressive size would stand out more. I thing a sleek and stealth looking dog is way more impressive than a rolly polly dog who waddles.


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## 4TheDawgies

Good Weights

















even though shes a pitty


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## 4TheDawgies

fuzzybunny said:


> The funny thing is these people who make their dogs fat to seem more impressive are actually taking away from their impressiveness because all you notice is the fat. It the dog was not overweight their already impressive size would stand out more. I thing a sleek and stealth looking dog is way more impressive than a rolly polly dog who waddles.


SAME HERE!!
I am always way more impressed by an athletic dog with built muscles. It makes me sad and mad when I see overweight dogs.


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## LukasGSD

Lukas is a pretty good weight for his size. I think he is about 90. His weight can fluctuate within one meal. So he's pretty steady on 4 cups a day. *You can easily see his waist.*
My moms dog became fat after I moved out. Hmmm I wonder why. :sarcasm:


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## elisabeth_00117

Nice looking pup!

My older female, Beau (who passed last year) was a great weight until I moved out as well... hmm... I think some conspiracy is going on here!


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## carmspack

foods that include undigestible fibres, cellulose or replace good protein with carbohydrate such as grains to reduce calories and make the dog feel full are successful in making the dog loose weight essentially through starvation. 

The same is true of senior diets with the false assumption that they need less protein--- wrong they need just as much and higher quality protein than when in their prime for the mere fact that their digestive system is aged and running at less than top performance. The better the quality the less hard the system needs to work to digest and absorb.

just went over this topic with my research buddy --- dogs have very short intestines , Comparison Between the Digestive Tracts of a Carnivore, a Herbivore and Man. Part 2: The gut of a carnivore — the Dog, UK . 
He was telling me , as a quiz , what is the byproduct in the urine of a dog that has high carbohydrate diet (as many kibbles are) -- answer formaldehyde -- wow.

I have been working on something which is being field tested at the moment and results are coming in with pretty interesting results -- we do have weight loss . The subject volunteer dogs have had weight issues that are stubborn --- 

"The digestion of protein and fat, with very little or no carbohydrate , in the carnivore's gut is remarkably efficient".

Carmen
Carmspack Working German Shepherd Dogs


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## BGSD

DCluver33 said:


> yes, you are supposed to be able to feel the ribs very easily, I, personally, like to see some ribs or at least the last two ribs. when you look at a dog from above you're supposed to see a nice indent after the ribs and before the hips, when viewed from the side you're supposed to see a nice tuck, where it goes up after the bottom of the sternum to between the legs. if you can not see any of those and can't feel ribs easily, then your dog is over weight. hope that helped.


That's helpful, thanks. Mine is relatively lean, just wanted to be able to recognize when and if he starts getting overweight.


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## CookieTN

I had a cat eventually die as a result of being obese (she had liver dysfunction and later on I found out that obesity can lead to liver problems, if I remember correctly), so I'm a bit of afraid of my pets being overweight.


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## x0emiroxy0x

I'm in Cancun and don't know how to copy and paste in their computers but the name of the fb. Group is everything German shepherds


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## LaRen616

Sinister is almost 2.5 years old, 28' at the shoulders and 75-80 pounds​


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## Liesje

I like my dogs lean, not just slim but also well toned/muscled. Nikon has a congenital problem (some bone spurs in his pelvic structures) so he *must* be kept lean, the vet said this is the most important thing (his issue cannot be helped with supplements, chiro, or other things that work for actual joint problems). In May he weighed 70lbs. Last weekend I weighed him at the pet store and it said 78 but I'm not sure that's accurate, as they had a lot of trouble getting the scale to work.









Pan is still a growing puppy. He's slightly taller than Nikon already (maybe 1/2") and weighs 67 lbs. He will be 1 year on the 30th. He has a tad less bone than Nikon but I think will end up a bit bigger overall. Being a gangly adolescent male, he also does not have the same muscle tone yet.


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## LaRen616

People always tell me that I am starving my dog and that he's way too skinny.

He eats 4.5 cups of TOTW a day. 

Trust me, he eats.


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## LaRen616

Liesje said:


> I like my dogs lean, not just slim but also well toned/muscled. Nikon has a congenital problem (some bone spurs in his pelvic structures) so he *must* be kept lean, the vet said this is the most important thing (his issue cannot be helped with supplements, chiro, or other things that work for actual joint problems). In May he weighed 70lbs. Last weekend I weighed him at the pet store and it said 78 but I'm not sure that's accurate, as they had a lot of trouble getting the scale to work.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Pan is still a growing puppy. He's slightly taller than Nikon already (maybe 1/2") and weighs 67 lbs. He will be 1 year on the 30th. He has a tad less bone than Nikon but I think will end up a bit bigger overall. Being a gangly adolescent male, he also does not have the same muscle tone yet.


Both Nikon and Pan are gorgeous!

Pan :wub:


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## fuzzybunny

LaRen616 said:


> People always tell me that I am starving my dog and that he's way too skinny.
> 
> He eats 4.5 cups of TOTW a day.
> 
> Trust me, he eats.


That's crazy! Sinister looks perfect. People don't know what's normal anymore because we've become a fat society with fat pets.


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## CassandGunnar

LaRen616 said:


> People always tell me that I am starving my dog and that he's way too skinny.
> 
> He eats 4.5 cups of TOTW a day.
> 
> Trust me, he eats.


I get that about Gunnar a lot. He eats 4.5 cups of 4Health and he is in great shape. Lean with muscle, has a tuck and always "scores" well from our vet on his body condition. All of our dogs are like that.
I mostly hear how skinny our dogs are from one lady who has a black lab that looks like a sausage with legs.


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## LaRen616

fuzzybunny said:


> That's crazy! Sinister looks perfect. People don't know what's normal anymore because we've become a fat society with fat pets.


Thanks. 

He is very tall and IMO very long but it always surprises people when they ask how much he weighs and I tell them 75-80 pounds, they never believe me, they always think he weighs around 100 pounds but yet they ask why he is so skinny? 

I dont get it. 

The vet said he looks great but she thinks he should be between 85-95 pounds. 

How does he look great but he should weigh more?


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## gsdraven

LaRen616 said:


> How does he look great but he should weigh more?


No. Once he fills out more, they won't think that.

It's crazy what people think dogs should look like. I had one very rude person once petting Raven and say "Such a pretty dog, but too skinny". Raven was actually a little heavy at the time! I don't get it as much since she's filled out.

Most people don't know that dogs should have a waist (and people too!). We know our dogs are the right weight and we can try to educate nicely but it shouldn't matter what people say.


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## elisabeth_00117

Carmen, very interesting stuff. I am a raw feeder but I would like to read your research and see the results when you are finished. 

Lies, Pan looks great and the one thing about Nikon that I really, really like is how muscled he is. Stark is just a bit over two and the muscle is starting to really tone up now that he is filled out a bit. He wasn't doing much for the past few months but now that he is herding I am hoping this will help, along with our normal daily routine/training.


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## elisabeth_00117

Like Lies, I think a well toned/muscled dog is a beautiful thing... 

*Stark playing ball at about 21ish months old.


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## Liesje

Stark is a fan fave for me!

I try to keep Nikon well muscled, especially in the rear b/c of that problem. You can't really see in pics but his thighs are like 6 inches thick of muscle. He's a bit trim right now b/c he had that foot infection for two months and also it's been so blasted hot I haven't felt it was really safe to be jogging and biking him like we normally do. I swim him whenever possible since he loves it and it's great exercise.


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## martemchik

It seems like everytime I go to a dog park I get told of an amazing german shepherd that goes there/person had/someone they knew had that was 120+ pounds. I even had one guy tell me his uncle was a breeder in England (the guy was english) and his stud dog was 160lbs!!! I let the exageration go by, but also explained to him the standard calls for no bigger than about 90. I'm not saying that dogs over 90 are fat, but when looking at the standard size, carrying more than that can get iffy depending on the dog's structure. There's definately a correlation in people's minds that the heavier the dog, the more powerful it is. They don't realize the agility and speed they begin to lose when they hit the higher weights. I usually point out that there is rarely a police/military dog that weighs over 80 lbs and most of them look "malnourished" even though they are perfectly healthy.


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## elisabeth_00117

Same goes for us Lies, hard to do some hard training/exercise when the heat has been so bad. We just started biking again in the morning and evenings to help with stamina for herding as well. I am also training for the AD which we started last year, he's pretty much good to go for that, just got to get my nerves together and enter him and DO IT.. lol. I train all these venues but am too chicken to enter the trials.... lol.

Nikon looks amazing = all the time!


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## Liesje

martemchik said:


> It seems like everytime I go to a dog park I get told of an amazing german shepherd that goes there/person had/someone they knew had that was 120+ pounds. I even had one guy tell me his uncle was a breeder in England (the guy was english) and his stud dog was 160lbs!!! I let the exageration go by, but also explained to him the standard calls for no bigger than about 90. I'm not saying that dogs over 90 are fat, but when looking at the standard size, carrying more than that can get iffy depending on the dog's structure. There's definately a correlation in people's minds that the heavier the dog, the more powerful it is. They don't realize the agility and speed they begin to lose when they hit the higher weights. I usually point out that there is rarely a police/military dog that weighs over 80 lbs and most of them look "malnourished" even though they are perfectly healthy.


That's funny, when I take my 50lbs girl out I get the same except the people come over and say "now THAT is a German Shepherd" and then have a story about their war dog in 'Nam or their grandpa's police dog.... She's a good looking dog, all working line shepherd and can pack a punch.
















I think a lot of people misjudge size. People often guess Nikon's weight about 15-20lbs more than what he really is. I guess my own dog (Coke) weight at 80 and he was 62!! He's taller/bigger than my GSDs and tons of coat but skinny and leggy underneath.


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## selzer

Ok, fat person chiming in here.

Most of my dogs are skinny. And it is embarrassing really, walking past people who you know are thinking "doesn't forget to feed herself!"

And then there is Heidi. Heidi eats less than the others but puts on weight. I bred her and fed her for pregnancy, but she was not pregnant, and so I put her on a diet. I weighed her on Friday, 77 pounds! She should weigh between 66 and 70 in my opinion. 

On Friday I took her to the show. We jumped in and out of the car several times. But when I put her in the SUV so I could do the walk-through, she yelped. I decided I was hearing things and ignored it and took her into the excellent ring anyway. She attempted the first jump and squeeled, hit the bar and knocked it over. I did a few walking exercises, and then a sit down sit, and she squeeled again. I told the judge we could not go on. She was hurt. I did not want her to even attempt the second jump. I lifted her into my car and took her home. 77 pounds is nothing to sneeze at with lifting either. 

But I feel that if she did not need to lose a few pounds she may not have hurt herself. Now she is out of commission for four to six months. Done. And even then, I may choose to not jump her again.


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## LukasGSD

selzer said:


> Ok, fat person chiming in here.
> 
> Most of my dogs are skinny. And it is embarrassing really, walking past people who you know are thinking "doesn't forget to feed herself!"



Oi, I know how that is.


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## malinois_16

LukasGSD said:


> Oi, I know how that is.



Me too...


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## trish07

What about the "Geant German Shepherd"? I heard about it once or twice. Seems to be a "special" bloodline which gives +/-120lbs German Shepherds? I've heard about this a few times here, in Canada. I'm not sure if its true or not.

Anyways, people are crazy. My boy weights 100lbs. The vet told us he is in a PERFECT SHAPE: no fat, a lot of muscle, nothing to say. Even if I think my boy is not part of the "breed standards" (which are around 80lbs for a male), people frenquently tell me that my dog is skinny! WTF! lol


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## malinois_16

lol Gunner was 80 pounds when he died. He was going to be a big boy. He was skinny and lanky...but perfect.

I will admit my Rottie was over weight because I didnt know any better. He was fed Science Diet his whole life and I totally regret that now considering cancer killed him young. 

I had a lady sitting the vets office with a severely over weight Retriever. I mean...Picture a hamburger with toothpicks as legs..it was so sad. I was paying and she made a comment to her husband how she wanted to feed my dog a nice big bowl of ice cream and I turned around and said "So he ends up looking like yours? No thanks".

This happened a way while back but still. People with fat dogs think they are just built that way. My neighbours have a 15 month old PUPPY who weighs 70lbs and should only weigh 60 at most. They claim the vet thinks the dog is fine but you cannot feel any ribs. 

It bothers me when I see people who have over weight dogs and they do nothing other then expect a food to correct it. Lincoln was over weight and I upted his activity at the same time put him on raw. Hes getting plump now because I have been lazy, *I* will fix that by walking him more. 

Ruby is over weight, but my grandmother cannot walk her because her back. So I have to now start walking her with Lincoln, im not going to decrease her food when shes already getting under what she ideally should be. 

I swear, I am not sure if any of you notice it. But EVERY TIME I go to the vet I see not ONE ideal weighted dog. Not one. Most of the ones I see can barely walk and need help...


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## BestK9GSD

When I see someone with an overweight dog (or horrible teeth), I immediately think it's because they are feeding them table scraps! And sure enough, they let their dog eat everything they are eating. I tell them to put away the people food and feed your dog 'dog food' (novel concept huh?). 

A friend of mine that we camp with often kept trying to give my dogs 'treats' - meaning little bites of people food (hot dogs, hamburgers, chips, crackers, etc...). I have had to get very serious with her and tell her that it's her prerogative to feed her dogs whatever she wants to feed them, but please DO NOT give my dogs that crap! They get treats, but they are treats made for dogs - so she now has a box of little dog biscuits to share with them, but I just have to watch how many she is sneaking to them now - aarrggghhh!!!


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## fuzzybunny

malinois_16 said:


> I had a lady sitting the vets office with a severely over weight Retriever. I mean...Picture a hamburger with toothpicks as legs..it was so sad. I was paying and she made a comment to her husband how she wanted to feed my dog a nice big bowl of ice cream and I turned around and said "So he ends up looking like yours? No thanks".


:rofl:

Good for you for saying that!


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## Thru the Viewfinder

elisabeth_00117 said:


> This is Stark.
> 
> 2 years old
> 89 lbs
> 26" at the withers
> 
> Stark is in my opinion, an excellent weight.


I have a dog crush on Stark! LOL He's gorgeous!!


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## Thru the Viewfinder

I used to work at a boarding facility. A lot of the dogs were overweight but there was one in particular that takes the cake. (Pun intended...)

He was SO overweight he couldn't walk on his own. You had to put a large towel under his belly and help him get up and walk. I consider myself to have decent strength for a girl my size... but there was no way I could move him myself. I HAD to get help. When we got outside, he wouldn't go to the bathroom with you standing over him. So he'd pee and it would get all over him. He would poop and there was just no way to do it without it getting smeared into the fur on his hind end.  It was pitiful. 

The only good news was that he was a rescue, and the people that owned him really had his best interest in heart, had him on a diet, and had saved him from being PTS. 

It was so sad to see. He looked miserable. He'd stare at balls and toys, and you could tell he was dying to romp around with the other dogs....


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## suzzyq01

It makes me cringe when I see overweight dogs. I mean I'm not exactly skinny but it's not that hard to regulate what my dogs eat, It's a lot harder to regulate what I eat. I have the options, cravings, wants and needs haha and they don't.

This is a fat dog, hope it isn't anyones on here...if it is, your dog needs to get on better food and more exercise. FB post.


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## malinois_16

fuzzybunny said:


> :rofl:
> 
> Good for you for saying that!


I usually try to ignore peoples rude comments about my dogs weight but sometimes my internal filter takes a coffee break ya know lol


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## Chicagocanine

DCluver33 said:


> yes, you are supposed to be able to feel the ribs very easily, I, personally, like to see some ribs or at least the last two ribs. when you look at a dog from above you're supposed to see a nice indent after the ribs and before the hips, when viewed from the side you're supposed to see a nice tuck, where it goes up after the bottom of the sternum to between the legs. if you can not see any of those and can't feel ribs easily, then your dog is over weight. hope that helped.


I don't think Bianca's ribs would be visible unless she was emaciated... Even when I got her and she weighed 60 pounds and was underweight you could not see any ribs. It just doesn't show because of her coat, even though she's not a long coat or anything (she's between regular and plush, I'd say.)

There are also reasons a dog may not have a tuck-up. For example my Golden Retriever developed severe bridging spondylosis and she lost her tuck-up, due to the loss of muscle mass in her stomach (since the spine was partially immobile, the stomach muscles were not used as much). Looking from the side you might think she was overweight because her stomach went straight from her chest to her groin with no tuck, even when she was quite underweight... She had a lot of trouble keeping weight on as a senior although all sorts of diagnostic testing never revealed the reason (possibly immune issues.) I had to keep upping her food intake and switching to higher-calorie foods to keep weight on her.

Here's a photo when she was 2-3 years old, before the spondylosis (very noticeable tuck):








(you can see the stomach tuck even through her feathering)


Here's a senior pic when she was thin, you can kinda see the hollow behind her rib cage but as you can see there is not much stomach tuck-up:










(She also got more coat as she got older and some 'spay coat' so her fur is thicker/fuzzier in the second pic.)

A view from above as a senior (not sure what age this was), as you can see she was not overweight:


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## Daisy&Lucky's Mom

Ok I've read the thread and waited but time to bite the bullet. Daisy if you look at her picture Im sure is noticably overwight she weighs 90lbs She has lost 6lbs in the last year .She has cataracts in both eyes which makes her unwilling to run much unless we are with her,I hope to get cataract surgery for her but at 2500 an eye and a husband out of work its going to take awhile.I found that cooking for her and avoiding most fats seems to help her however by the standards Im hearing about she may have a ways to go.Daisy is deep chested for a female as was her dad . My vet says she is in good body condition and if she is between 88 and ninety lbs she is good . Her mobility is a product of muscle loss due to her poor vision.Lucky weighs between 85 and 88 most of time. I realize my dogs are not examples of good breeding and some may doubt they have the right to be called a GSD but as a first time dog owner who made mistakes to write a book about I'm trying. I would never comment on a dog I thought was to skinny cause I know I'm a bad judge but I've had some people say stuff as "experts " I didnt ask for that were beyond rude.the other thing no one talks about when getting a puppy (breed general) is if you dont train them you will have a tough time excercising them as they get older. Daisy's lack of obedience and reactivity also lent to her isolation and thus weight issues.Just some stuff from those of us who try but still have overweight dogs.


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## Thru the Viewfinder

The way I see it (to Daisy and Lucky's Mom) the difference between the type of owners discussed in this thread and owners like you, is that YOU are aware, and concerned, and doing what you can to remedy it.

I personally hope you take no offense in this thread.


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## Thru the Viewfinder

LaRen616 said:


> People always tell me that I am starving my dog and that he's way too skinny.
> 
> He eats 4.5 cups of TOTW a day.
> 
> Trust me, he eats.


With my GSD, it was less "she's too skinny" and more, "she looks too leggy". Hello, she was an adolescent dog at the time! 

With my Dane, EVERYONE gave me heat for him being too thin. I really did tire of telling people he was healthy, and that it was also advisable to keep them a bit on the leaner side while still growing. Less stress on their rapidly growing bones.


----------



## Stevenzachsmom

Daisy&Lucky'sMom, I understand circumstances sometimes arise, when our dogs get overweight - kind of like their owners. (Speaking for myself.) There was a time I had to put my dog on a diet. I think, however, there is a great difference between overweight and morbidly obese. Our church organist used to have the fattest dog I have ever seen. The dog was a golden and she actually waddled. What I found so sad was that the dog had already had hip surgery on both hips. That excess weight did the dog no good. My vet once said that, on average, a lean dog lives 5 years longer than a fat dog. The golden should have lived a few year longer than she did. While it isn't my business to tell someone their dog is too fat, it is sad to see.


----------



## paulag1955

Shasta weighs 75 pounds and I think she's just right. I can easily feel her ribs but the only comment we've ever had about her weight came from another GSD owner who called her fat and fluffy. I wanted to say, "Yeah, _fluffly,_ you moron, not _fat!_" Shasta's coat is gorgeous and people stop their cars to look at and ask about her (makes a dog-mom proud!) but she doesn't have the same sleek look as a dog with a short coat.


----------



## Daisy&Lucky's Mom

Through the Viewfinder No offense taken . Sometimes I feel the need to talk about those of us who have GSDs ,who have issues and who as owners made mistakes. I am serious though about people getting Labs.goldens Boxers ,huskies,if you dont train for them to listen and obey they suffer,particularly w/ their tendency to be overweight.


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## elisabeth_00117

Thru the Viewfinder said:


> I have a dog crush on Stark! LOL He's gorgeous!!


Stark says, "well shucks!"


----------



## shilohsmom

Daisy&Lucky's Mom said:


> Ok I've read the thread and waited but time to bite the bullet. Daisy if you look at her picture Im sure is noticably overwight she weighs 90lbs She has lost 6lbs in the last year .She has cataracts in both eyes which makes her unwilling to run much unless we are with her,I hope to get cataract surgery for her but at 2500 an eye and a husband out of work its going to take awhile.I found that cooking for her and avoiding most fats seems to help her however by the standards Im hearing about she may have a ways to go.Daisy is deep chested for a female as was her dad . My vet says she is in good body condition and if she is between 88 and ninety lbs she is good . Her mobility is a product of muscle loss due to her poor vision.Lucky weighs between 85 and 88 most of time. I realize my dogs are not examples of good breeding and some may doubt they have the right to be called a GSD but as a first time dog owner who made mistakes to write a book about I'm trying. I would never comment on a dog I thought was to skinny cause I know I'm a bad judge but I've had some people say stuff as "experts " I didnt ask for that were beyond rude.the other thing no one talks about when getting a puppy (breed general) is if you dont train them you will have a tough time excercising them as they get older. Daisy's lack of obedience and reactivity also lent to her isolation and thus weight issues.Just some stuff from those of us who try but still have overweight dogs.


(((Hugs to my friend and her beautiful dogs))) We all make mistakes. I have to run right now but I know you love your dogs. Many people make the mistake of overfeeding their dogs out of 'love' in their eyes. Its really not good for the dogs but I understand where you are comming from. Its not easy to take weight off dogs, esp when there are special challanges, but I just know you are doing the best you can and again, that you love your dogs.


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## Good_Karma

Both my dogs are on diets.  Hard to believe Niko can run six miles a day and still be a bit heavy. I can feel his ribs, but I gotta dig for them.  So no more treats, cutting back on the kibble, short dinner rations. The weight sure comes off slower than it goes on.


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## neiltus

I have not been on that group, but I see posts all over this forum of fat dogs. Call me a snob, but your GSD that is 4 months should not weigh 55 pounds. It's not strength, it's overfeeding and underworking and it disgusts me.

I know full grown dogs that barely weigh that....sans hip issues.


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## idahospud49

Thru the Viewfinder said:


> I have a dog crush on Stark! LOL He's gorgeous!!


So do I!!!


----------



## Xeph

Strauss back at proper weight...87 lbs



























Mirada at approximately 55 lbs:


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## brembo

My sister has two Huskies that she loves with every fiber of her soul. Fat and happy was here theme, those dogs were rolly-polly and the female was having elbow issues due to weight. It took me several years and whining and moaning but I FINALLY got through to her and she quit feeding them scraps and put them on Solid Gold. Now her two dogs are lean and mean, feisty and playful as puppies again. Sis mentioned that they were more mischievous these days as they are more athletic. I hope I added some quality years to their lives, they really are neat dogs.


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## onyx'girl

Both Karlo and Onyx(female) weigh 90 and are 26" tall at the wither and long in body. 
Onyx at 4 has filled out, Karlo hasn't yet. I see/feel ribs on them both and they are muscled. 
I wish they didn't weigh so much, but it is what it is.
Onyx could lose a bit, IMO. I feed raw/ about 2# per day to each.
Karlo:








Onyx:








Kacie is round, barrel ribbed, large boned and looks oversize. Her legs are too short for her body, a conformation mess, she is!
25" and high 70's. 
Her muscle tone isn't what I like, (she has an elbow that has arthritis due to injury), I try to keep her on the lean side, she eats about 1.5# per day.
When I got her she was skeletal at 63#. 63 sounds great for most females, but she was completely skin and bone.


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## Liesje

It's not just table scraps that make a dog fat. I've seen dogs that only eat dog food and are just plain obese. I feed my dogs table scraps all the time, almost every day. I think variety is good for them. As I type this I'm giving Nikon the wheat chex out of my chex mix, lol, talk about nasty for dogs. I let them lick our dishes and give them leftovers about to go bad (of course nothing that's toxic for dogs). But I adjust their kibble accordingly.


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## dogsnkiddos

Beast came to us at 7.5/8 months old...he was so tall I was shocked. I took him to the vet and he weighed 105 pounds! I got him down to 95 in the course of 6 months. Despite exercise and a healthy diet (of which he gets about 2 cups- spread out every eight hours- so about 2/3 of a cup per serving) over the years since I have only gotten him down to 90. I consider him FAT...but I keep working at it. I wish he had the same interest in his slim down program as I do. Maybe i need to get him the weight watchers app...


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## Thru the Viewfinder

idahospud49 said:


> So do I!!!



I saw him first! He's mine! :tongue:


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## paulag1955

I <3 Karlo.


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## Cassidy's Mom

You're not going to see any of Halo's ribs unless she's dripping wet! And once she shakes off the excess water, oops - no ribs again. Her coat is very thick and plush and does not lay tight to her body, she's very fluffy. So while I can easily FEEL her ribs, I can't see them. She does have a nice tuck up at the abdomen though. She's right around 60 pounds, which is a good weight for her.


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## Jessiewessie99

OK, I admit, I know I was admant about Tanner not being overweight, but eventually I noticed it.lol. We took him and Molly to the vet. Tanner weighed in at 101 lbs, adn Molly is 56lbs. Molly is lean, not skinny, and very agile and fast! She is a picky eater!lol. 

Tanner has always had a thick coat and big boned, but I never really thought he was overweight, because I would see my friend's dog who was clearly obese, and other people's dog, but compared to Tanner, he didn't look or seem fat. We do not overfeed our dogs, nor do we under feed them. I am going to tell my mom to cut back on the bones though, she gives both dogs one each morning. I bet if we cut that back, he would loose a few. 

But 135 lbs!!OMG!! That is just too much!


----------



## carmspack

Daisy's Mom , could I make a suggestion or two for your dog with the cataracts .

Consider some nutritional additions to her diet .

I feed my dogs sheep heads . The eyeballs are a rich source of glutathione . So are eggs. So is garlic , some is good , too much is bad (blood thinner). You can buy glutathione at the health food store.

Omega 3 , is beneficial for eye, brain, nerve, joint lubrication.

Fish oil . Bilberries, blueberries , burdock , rosemary , rosehips (vitamin c) . Turmeric (curcurmin) another benefit over and above the ones mentioned on the topic started by Nancy . Here you are reducing fats yet increasing saturated fats , including coconut oil is recommended . These are all ingredients I use in my supplements. 

If you have a Russian , Polish, middle - european deli or grocery near by you can buy rosehip juice , or you can buy rosehip tea bags . This is a drink the dogs enjoy or you can spike their water. 

You can buy bilberries in capsules at the health food store . They are related to blueberries but are intensely blue black. The greater the pigment , the better for eye health.

Speaking of water , make sure the dog is hydrated. This is something I have to be cognizant of for myself. I am guilty of working long stretches without water so tend to dehydrate a bit . My eye specialist said that this would increase the pressure on the eye , not good ! 

You would want sources rich with selenium , and vitamin E , vitamin C .

It would be interesting to see if you can affect a change for the better or at least hold the disease where it is now. You do have a starting point from which to guage a result from.

As far as surgery , dogs can get around fairly well with minimal vision. Something to think about. Of course if there is pain from the pressure than that should be taken into consideration.

good luck
Carmen
Carmspack Working German Shepherd Dogs


----------



## carmspack

glucoma -- dogs can't smoke so don't be asking for medical marijuana -
Carmen


----------



## sagelfn

Sage is 2yrs old. Neutered early at 10months. Still very lanky, not sure if it is genetics, neuter or both.

28" and 80lbs
He is difficult to keep weight on in the summer


----------



## Daisy&Lucky's Mom

Thanks Carmen. Ive been meaning to start fishoil,never heard of sheepseyes but daisy and I will try anything,Daisy is drinking more water .Lucky has alwys been a horse w/water.


----------



## carmspack

you don't need sheeps eyes -- which are a natural source for glutathione -- go to the store and get glutathione in a capsule . Bilberries -- same thing , available in capsule.

Carmen
Carmspack Working German Shepherd Dogs


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## TheNamesNelson

I get comments about how skinny my dog is quite a bit, and they all come from owners of fat dogs. My parents rott puppy is 7 months and weights like 70-80lbs, she is like 20" tall and her back sags and her ribs are much wider than her shoulders or hips. Then my in-laws dog is another dog with a super wide ribcage, fat dog and they will say how my boy is so skinny and needs some food.

I either ignore it or fire back with how fat their dog is and that ends it.


----------



## x0emiroxy0x

My boyfriends mother's dog, as previously stated, is a 65+ pound beagle. Rocky is 11 months and weighs in around 61-65 pounds, depending if we take our 3 walks a day or miss a couple. 

The beagle is 1/3 of his heighth, but morbidly obese. I walked down early one morning and saw my boyfriends mother massaging her dogs butt until it pooped all over the floor and her hand. It is so fat it cannot poop. They have gone through 3-4 vets because every time a vet tells her that her beagle is fat, that vet is HISTORY !

The beagle's poop is yellow and green because it eats biscuits and jelly and bacon for breakfast, steaks for dinner, and leftovers for lunch. If he ever manages to poop by himself, he poops on the CONCRETE around the pool. It is so nasty, I hate going out to the pool.

For my boyfriends graduation his mom kenneled the beagle because she didnt want people to hurt his feelings and call him fat.

Now, this woman is PERFECTLY sane and normal, and the nicest, sweetest person I have ever met. But she is in denial about her dog.

WHen I visit her house, Rocky is crazy and out of control because every time I try to take him for a walk, she asks me to take her beagle. We walk as slow as possible, because I dont want him to have a heart attack and die on my watch, but he only makes it 3-4 houses down before we have to rest 10 minutes then walk back!! I'm not kidding!! The only way I can walk Rocky there is if I sneak out the front door lol

She loves me to death, but if I ever suggested she put that dog on a diet, she would stop hinting about marriage and grandchildren immedietely and i would be out of the family!!

She babysat Rockt for a week and he gained EIGHT pounds!! His stomach was the fattest ball I have ever seen. He farted for a week after I brought him home and had diarhea every day! I no longer ask her to babysit lol... I am nervous Rocky could bloat if she feeds him all that human food and excessive treats.


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## fuzzybunny

Does she think her dog is a good weight? How could anyone possibly think that? That's animal abuse IMO and the dog should be removed from the home. Sorry if that offends, it's not directed at you, but she's killing the dog. It's one thing to have an overweight dog, but a 65 pound Beagle is just insane.



x0emiroxy0x said:


> My boyfriends mother's dog, as previously stated, is a 65+ pound beagle. Rocky is 11 months and weighs in around 61-65 pounds, depending if we take our 3 walks a day or miss a couple.
> 
> The beagle is 1/3 of his heighth, but morbidly obese. I walked down early one morning and saw my boyfriends mother massaging her dogs butt until it pooped all over the floor and her hand. It is so fat it cannot poop. They have gone through 3-4 vets because every time a vet tells her that her beagle is fat, that vet is HISTORY !
> 
> The beagle's poop is yellow and green because it eats biscuits and jelly and bacon for breakfast, steaks for dinner, and leftovers for lunch. If he ever manages to poop by himself, he poops on the CONCRETE around the pool. It is so nasty, I hate going out to the pool.
> 
> For my boyfriends graduation his mom kenneled the beagle because she didnt want people to hurt his feelings and call him fat.
> 
> Now, this woman is PERFECTLY sane and normal, and the nicest, sweetest person I have ever met. But she is in denial about her dog.
> 
> WHen I visit her house, Rocky is crazy and out of control because every time I try to take him for a walk, she asks me to take her beagle. We walk as slow as possible, because I dont want him to have a heart attack and die on my watch, but he only makes it 3-4 houses down before we have to rest 10 minutes then walk back!! I'm not kidding!! The only way I can walk Rocky there is if I sneak out the front door lol
> 
> She loves me to death, but if I ever suggested she put that dog on a diet, she would stop hinting about marriage and grandchildren immedietely and i would be out of the family!!
> 
> She babysat Rockt for a week and he gained EIGHT pounds!! His stomach was the fattest ball I have ever seen. He farted for a week after I brought him home and had diarhea every day! I no longer ask her to babysit lol... I am nervous Rocky could bloat if she feeds him all that human food and excessive treats.


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## beaderdog

My late Molly beagle was morbidly obese - at 15" tall & 68 pounds, she weighed only 7 pounds less than my Doberman when we adopted her. The first thing we did was start slimming her down, though we could never seem to get her below 40 pounds. Although she did live to be 15, her health was permanently affected. I know that her first owners loved her very much, but they didn't do her any favors by over-feeding & under-exercising. I was shocked a couple of weeks ago to see a friend's dog, who had been a slim, active, beautiful little guy - now a fat, doddering, short-of-breath 2-year -old. His wife warned me not to say anything or I'd have shot my mouth off. She's been fighting a quiet, uphill battle trying to get her husband to see what he's doing to the poor thing, but he gets his back up every time anyone says anything about the dog's weight. She's very frustrated. I just don't get it - how do people not see how unhealthy their obese pets are? I get especially aggravated by those who blame the dog for being a "pig" or for not exercising enough. Hello - why aren't you controlling the food? And if your dog isn't getting enough exercise, why aren't you taking him/her out for a walk?


----------



## LaRen616

sagelfn said:


> Sage is 2yrs old. Neutered early at 10months. Still very lanky, not sure if it is genetics, neuter or both.
> 
> 28" and 80lbs
> He is difficult to keep weight on in the summer












Our males are alot alike. 

2 years old
28"
About 80 pounds


----------



## suzzyq01

x0emiroxy0x said:


> My boyfriends mother's dog, as previously stated, is a 65+ pound beagle. Rocky is 11 months and weighs in around 61-65 pounds, depending if we take our 3 walks a day or miss a couple.
> 
> The beagle is 1/3 of his heighth, but morbidly obese. I walked down early one morning and saw my boyfriends mother massaging her dogs butt until it pooped all over the floor and her hand. It is so fat it cannot poop. They have gone through 3-4 vets because every time a vet tells her that her beagle is fat, that vet is HISTORY !
> 
> The beagle's poop is yellow and green because it eats biscuits and jelly and bacon for breakfast, steaks for dinner, and leftovers for lunch. If he ever manages to poop by himself, he poops on the CONCRETE around the pool. It is so nasty, I hate going out to the pool.
> 
> For my boyfriends graduation his mom kenneled the beagle because she didnt want people to hurt his feelings and call him fat.
> 
> Now, this woman is PERFECTLY sane and normal, and the nicest, sweetest person I have ever met. But she is in denial about her dog.
> 
> WHen I visit her house, Rocky is crazy and out of control because every time I try to take him for a walk, she asks me to take her beagle. We walk as slow as possible, because I dont want him to have a heart attack and die on my watch, but he only makes it 3-4 houses down before we have to rest 10 minutes then walk back!! I'm not kidding!! The only way I can walk Rocky there is if I sneak out the front door lol
> 
> She loves me to death, but if I ever suggested she put that dog on a diet, she would stop hinting about marriage and grandchildren immedietely and i would be out of the family!!
> 
> She babysat Rockt for a week and he gained EIGHT pounds!! His stomach was the fattest ball I have ever seen. He farted for a week after I brought him home and had diarhea every day! I no longer ask her to babysit lol... I am nervous Rocky could bloat if she feeds him all that human food and excessive treats.


That does not sound like a perfectly sane person to me. I would NEVER manually express my dogs bowels unless he was very sick/old. This is a puppy! Does she expect to do this for the life of the dog. God forbid she takes the dog to be boarded somewhere and has to tell the people they have to help the puppy poop!

There are other ways around telling people things that aren't easy to come right out and say. Buy her a Beagle book. Let her see that her dog looks NOTHING like the breed standard and read about the dog. Tell her that she is contributing to serious health issues that could cost her serious amounts of money and maybe the dogs life if she doesn't get it together now. Do they feed the dog dog food or just table scraps? 

She sounds like she is using the dog as a emotional crutch. She is babying the dog and spoiling the dog to emotionally make herself feel better. She is not a stable/sane person. No sane person would do this. So your choice is to stand by and watch this happen and be there to support her when the dog dies or suck it up and tell her that she is killing her dog and have documentation to back it up. She is only going to be mad for a little while and evetually she will get over it. Trust me I have an insane/sane mother-to-be-in-law. She only owns cats thank god but they are extreamly fat and she doesn't have a clue about dogs. Neither of my dogs listen to her when she ask them to do something. I do not take them over to be baby sat because they would walk all over her and Onyx would most likely peace out and run away.


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## Franksmom

Frank at 15 mos. is 28 inches and 86 pounds, He's tall but I still can't imagine him 40 pounds heavier.


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## suzzyq01

Sonar is 16 months old and about 80ish pounds. He is quite skinny, the fur is incredibly deceiving. When he is wet I call him my wet rat. I expect by the time he is an adult (3 yo) he will top off around 90-95lbs, that's what his father weighs. 

I would rather keep him slightly on the skinny side than on the heavy side.


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## x0emiroxy0x

There are MANY MANY MANY people who feel happiest when feeding their children/dogs WAY too much food just because it tastes good.

To her, overweight children and dogs are the happiest. To her, food is happiness. 

When her two sons (my boyfriend and his younger brother) lost tons of weight, going from 300+ pounds to about 200lbs in 1 year at 6" height, she grew VERY angry at them and even tried to ban the boys from working out. 

When I go to her house, I don't dare go to the gym....she thinks me and my boyfriend are 'addicted' to the gym, and insists on fattening me up every time I go to her home. I'm 5'6 and usually weigh around 125 pounds with a 6 pack, but she thinks having abs means you care more about working out then 'living'

I am not offended in any way, but if I bought her a beagle book or a book about dog weight, I am not kidding when I say she would be offended beyond belief. She says almost every day that her dog "is the happiest dog in the world"...despite the fact that he has to roll back and forth 5-6 times to get on his feet to stand up after lying down. 

It makes her HAPPY to over feed the dog. My boyfriend's brother even said that she would rather have the dog die at age 6 of obesity then live until 13 or 14 skinny. SHe also says every time I visit that her dog is old and that is why he won't play with Rocky...no...it is because he is so fat that he can't get the energy to play.

I wish I could educate her better, but honestly, I appreciate that my boyfriends mother likes me, which is rare. When my boyfriend told her the dog needed to go on a diet, she did not speak to him for THREE days. I'm thinking it would be much worse if I said it!!

Obesity is a growing problem and because it is such a sensitive topic, it is hard to combat it.  Over this summer I have gained 13 pounds, going from 125 to 138 due to working an internship 40 hours a week and a job 40 hours a week (Working weekdays and weekends leaves me no energy or time for exercise except walking rocky) No one said anything to me, as I am usually in perfect shape...until my dad, who has no social skills, blatantly said at dinner infront of my whole family "Did you stop working out? Your face looks really fat". He said that the day before we left for cancun, and for the week I have been here I have lost 6 pounds taking walks on the beach every morning and cutting down on alcohol. It really takes *someone blatantly telling you* for you to realize it...but some people just get mad instead of changing their eating/exercise habits.


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## Liesje

Wow that Beagle is FIFTEEN POUNDS MORE than my adult 7 year old German Shepherd!


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## suzzyq01

x0emiroxy0x said:


> There are MANY MANY MANY people who feel happiest when feeding their children/dogs WAY too much food just because it tastes good.
> 
> To her, overweight children and dogs are the happiest. To her, food is happiness.
> 
> When her two sons (my boyfriend and his younger brother) lost tons of weight, going from 300+ pounds to about 200lbs in 1 year at 6" height, she grew VERY angry at them and even tried to ban the boys from working out.
> 
> When I go to her house, I don't dare go to the gym....she thinks me and my boyfriend are 'addicted' to the gym, and insists on fattening me up every time I go to her home. I'm 5'6 and usually weigh around 125 pounds with a 6 pack, but she thinks having abs means you care more about working out then 'living'
> 
> I am not offended in any way, but if I bought her a beagle book or a book about dog weight, I am not kidding when I say she would be offended beyond belief. She says almost every day that her dog "is the happiest dog in the world"...despite the fact that he has to roll back and forth 5-6 times to get on his feet to stand up after lying down.
> 
> It makes her HAPPY to over feed the dog. My boyfriend's brother even said that she would rather have the dog die at age 6 of obesity then live until 13 or 14 skinny. SHe also says every time I visit that her dog is old and that is why he won't play with Rocky...no...it is because he is so fat that he can't get the energy to play.
> 
> I wish I could educate her better, but honestly, I appreciate that my boyfriends mother likes me, which is rare. When my boyfriend told her the dog needed to go on a diet, she did not speak to him for THREE days. I'm thinking it would be much worse if I said it!!
> 
> Obesity is a growing problem and because it is such a sensitive topic, it is hard to combat it.  Over this summer I have gained 13 pounds, going from 125 to 138 due to working an internship 40 hours a week and a job 40 hours a week (Working weekdays and weekends leaves me no energy or time for exercise except walking rocky) No one said anything to me, as I am usually in perfect shape...until my dad, who has no social skills, blatantly said at dinner infront of my whole family "Did you stop working out? Your face looks really fat". He said that the day before we left for cancun, and for the week I have been here I have lost 6 pounds taking walks on the beach every morning and cutting down on alcohol. It really takes *someone blatantly telling you* for you to realize it...but some people just get mad instead of changing their eating/exercise habits.


I do understand and if she treated her own children that way she is not going to change the behavior because it's a dog. Some people are just raised that way or create the idea at some point. I am sure this woman is not skinny either. I am not skinny, I could run if my life depended on it but it wouldn't be far and I might have an asthma attack lol. I am about 50lbs overweight and I know it. It's harder for me because I lack consistent will power not to eat the things I know are bad for me. I really don't have a choice now, I am on a Gluten Free medically required diet, so it's been a roller coaster. I have finally evened out and am starting to loose weight that was put on because my body was not absorbing the correct nutrients. 

With a dog, you can regulate quite easily what the consume. I give them bones and treats but I make sure that I keep an eye on their waist line. In the winter I don't mind them gaining 5lbs because I know it will come right off in the summer. I am lucky or smart....not sure which, that both of my dogs have a good metabolism or are getting the proper nutrition and exercise they are a very good weight. Maybe it's a combination of them all. Sonar needs to gain some weight, he is a lean mean fuzzy machine! :wub:


----------



## selzer

I understand you like dogs. But I cannot see what you can do in this situation. If you are not that interested in your BF, you might try to call AC on her, but _that_ would most likely get you laughed at. It _is_ abusive to let your dog be obese. But sometimes you just need to pray on it. Your in a lose-lose situation. 

Beagles tend to be a hard breed anyway to keep thin. And this will be an issue for life. 

The thing is, your MILTB is aware that her dog is obese. She knows it is dangerous/bad for his health. She is ignoring that because she would rather give in to the pestering and begging for table scraps. In my opinion, you really have to give this one up to your higher power, because you are in between a rock and a hard place.


----------



## JakodaCD OA

Masi is 3, 26" at the shoulders and a lean mean 74# She's long legged and long bodied


----------



## Thru the Viewfinder

selzer said:


> I understand you like dogs. But I cannot see what you can do in this situation. If you are not that interested in your BF, you might try to call AC on her, but _that_ would most likely get you laughed at. It _is_ abusive to let your dog be obese. But sometimes you just need to pray on it. Your in a lose-lose situation.
> 
> Beagles tend to be a hard breed anyway to keep thin. And this will be an issue for life.
> 
> The thing is, your MILTB is aware that her dog is obese. She knows it is dangerous/bad for his health. She is ignoring that because she would rather give in to the pestering and begging for table scraps. In my opinion, you really have to give this one up to your higher power, because you are in between a rock and a hard place.



I agree with this. I know what it is like to wish you could get across to someone who is so thick-headed and its no way or the highway with them. And for it to be something you feel so passionate about. I'm sure it either makes your heart bleed or your blood boil (or both) every time you see her dog and hear her yapping about fat means happy blah blah blah. 

BUT - Not to say "its just a dog", but I can relate to having to pick your battles. And if thus far, you two have been getting along, I don't seem to think the first big blow up (its bound to happen eventually) should be over something you full well know you can't change, given the history and track record given.

It sucks. A lot. And that poor dog! What a shame.


----------



## Dlilly

I've met a fat Boxer and Doberman.... It was very depressing.

Delilah isn't fat, but she needs to loose a few pounds. Shiloh is a good weight, but I want her to be a but leaner. I'll find a picture of them later.


----------



## Dlilly

Sorry these aren't the best pictures.They are from December......

Delilah









Shiloh


----------



## ChancetheGSD

BestK9GSD said:


> When I see someone with an overweight dog (or horrible teeth), I immediately think it's because they are feeding them table scraps! And sure enough, they let their dog eat everything they are eating. I tell them to put away the people food and feed your dog 'dog food' (novel concept huh?).


Calories make dogs fat. Regardless of what they are fed. (Unless of course there is a health problem which can contribute to easy weight gain but again...it's about MANAGEMENT!!!)

Chance ate table scraps from the day I brought him home. He cleaned my plates and each week cleaned out the leftovers in the fridge. Almost nightly he got fat trimmings when we cooked dinner. I also threw all kinds of things into his kibble meals; yogurt, raw meats, bones, baby foods, pumpkin, oils, ect. He even got bites of things like potato chips and ice cream on certain occasions.

....This was my boy....


















He was 50lb of pure muscle and could out run all other dogs. I'd run him beside my bike and he could run for miles (he ran 6-10 DAILY. If *I* could have done more, he'd have been totally willing to!), put him out in the field and he could herd anything all day long, toss a toy into the pond and he'd retrieve it for hours, take him out with a chuck-it and you'd tire just from having to pop the ball back into the launcher before he even broke a sweat. A dog of poor health or weight would NOT be able to do that.

As for teeth, I doubt he'd have ever needed a dental in his life. His teeth were absolutely beautiful until the day he died. (From a car accident mind you, it had NOTHING to do with health)










On the other hand, I have many many many clients come through who's dogs are fat and their teeth are disgusting and guess what....They're not allowed any "human" food. Strictly kibble or canned. No food will keep a dogs teeth clean, you need to brush and care for them yourself. And table scraps in moderation are FINE. Especially healthy extras such as meats. (And bones will help keep those teeth clean too!) Yeah, I fed my dog a little bit of junk food here and there but I'm also typing this while drinking Cheerwine and munching on Cheeto Puffcorn. Doesn't mean my main diet consist of this crap, nor did it mean my dogs did.

Zoey I have to be careful about feeding her certain things because she has a low thyroid. (Diagnosed a year ago this month) Therefore even kibble packs on pounds VERY easily. I do give her raw green tripe though each day and now and again she'll get bites of my food. Before that, she was fed table scraps and things along with her regular kibble. She's 13 years old and besides the low thyroid, completely healthy. She still goes running and biking with me, wrestles with other dogs, can chase down Eevee, ect. Obviously they haven't killed her yet. She also has nice teeth, a little discolored from her early years of neglect but no build up on them. Never had a dental! Just bones, additives to the water and brushing what I can. The vet actually thought her records were a typo and that she was only 2-3 years old because her health, weight, coat, skin, activity, teeth, ect are in SUCH good condition. Even with her thyroid out of wack (Meds help keep it stable though) I'm able to keep her at a healthy weight through watching what? CALORIES.

Eevee was started on table scraps when I got her too at 6 weeks old. Just the other day my boyfriend was feeding her fries and bites of burger from BK.  She is still around to be his best friend for it. I'll put $100 down that my continuing how I'm feeding her will NOT pack on pounds and that by 3 years old (When statistic say over 80% of pets have dental disease) that her teeth will still be white and free of any buildup. Add another $100 that she will be fit, muscular and HEALTHY!!






...As for the morbidly obese Beagle.... is all I can really get out. That's such a horrible situation.  Sadly, one I see often through work. It really sucks. My grandma is one of those people too, I had two BEAUTIFUL Chihuahuas. Healthy, clean teeth, good weights, good coat, good stools, ect. I gave them to my brother who lives with my grandma who feeds the dogs and wow....A diet of Beneful has done them no good. The dogs teeth are actually so bad they're being held in by the build up. :/ They're very overweight too, Nicole more so than Jocko but Jocko is still quite pudgy. My grandmas dog Bandit and her cat are both fat fat fat too. Kiah is the only skinny dog there and that's only because she lives outdoors in a small fenced in area and just runs it...All.Day.Long. It's an OCD problem from pure boredom. :/ She's an Australian Cattle Dog. My brother insisted he knew what he was getting into when he got her...But no telling him that it's no joke about needing work/exercise!


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## ChancetheGSD

Oh and Chance's favorite food (just like his momma!! Who also is NOT overweight thanks to calorie management and exercise) was biscuits and gravy.  Though he preferred it with sausage, I'm a vegetarian so obviously I didn't. LOL!


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## sagelfn

sagelfn said:


> Sage is 2yrs old. Neutered early at 10months. Still very lanky, not sure if it is genetics, neuter or both.
> 
> 28" and 80lbs
> He is difficult to keep weight on in the summer


Forgot to ask... Is there anything I can do to help him fill out?
We are biking, swimming, walks, hiking, fetch, etc.. He is very strong but doesn't look it compared to many dogs his age.

He is fed about 3 1/2 cups of Orijen a day plus treats/scraps


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## onyx'girl

I would give him digestive enzymes and probiotics. Maybe Orijen isn't a good food for him. At his age, he may not fill out until 3 but muscle tone is important...does he feel muscled? Can't tell in the shots, his hips and chest look thin/narrow, not real muscled from the side view. Though if he's swimming, etc he must be all toned. His structure just looks smaller and taller, vs wide.
Karlo has always had loose skin on his neck, I think he'll fill it in, but I don't really want him gaining more to do so!


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## malinois_16

If hes neutered I doubt he will fill in anymore  Lincoln was neutered at 11 months and he hasnt filled in and hes almost 4...


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## Rodeo.

Rodeo is a tad overweight IMO. I have no problem admitting it but I'm also fixing it. She swims at least once a week, in the river so she has the added work of fighting the current. I have gotten lazy about going for walks with the heat though. She does tag along on trail rides so that makes up for some of it Plus we play fetch daily. I cut her food down to 12 oz per meal but she still managed to get up to 44.4 pounds. I'm going to start giving her a smaller dinner, walking more, and cutting back on the treats during training. Her petsmart class is on Sunday so for the past... 2-3 months worth of Sundays she only gets one meal (lots of treats). I don't mind cutting back her food if need be but I'd like to try adding exercise first. 










From the side









On a ride today


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## sagelfn

onyx'girl said:


> I would give him digestive enzymes and probiotics. Maybe Orijen isn't a good food for him. At his age, he may not fill out until 3 but muscle tone is important...does he feel muscled? Can't tell in the shots, his hips and chest look thin/narrow, not real muscled from the side view. Though if he's swimming, etc he must be all toned. His structure just looks smaller and taller, vs wide.
> Karlo has always had loose skin on his neck, I think he'll fill it in, but I don't really want him gaining more to do so!


Jane- I am going to start a new thread later.


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## LisaT

malinois_16 said:


> If hes neutered I doubt he will fill in anymore  Lincoln was neutered at 11 months and he hasnt filled in and hes almost 4...


This is not true, and typically neutering doesn't have anything to do with this. If it does, they tend to gain more weight because they don't have that nervous energy and some aren't quite as active (they pace less, etc.). Many dogs don't fill in because of medical issues, some just regular growth stuff. 

Because a dog is neuter, and because a dog doesn't fill in, does not mean they are related, and if they are, it also doesnt' mean that there is a cause and effect there. It's much more complicated than that.

I would listen to onyx' girl on this.


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## sagelfn

Lisa, I am typing up a new thread right now about this. I'm at work and keep getting distracted (lol kind of opposite) but will have it up soon. I think I selected "breed standard" section


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