# My first gsd, Lobo 5 1/2 months



## Lobo dog

This is Lobo, my first pure bred GSD. Lobo is a blend of East and west German working line. I do not know how tall he is, but at 5 1/2 months he is 63 lbs of awesomeness  I really love this guy, so goofy and yet so brilliant! I would really like to compete with him next year in junior showmanship in the obedience and conformation categories. I would love critiques on his structure, what's great and whats not so great about him. Also want to know how these stacks are and which one is the best, what am I doing right and wrong ect. Critique away  and don't worry I am not super sensitive I will love him no matter what


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## Lobo dog

One more, sorry I know I am going a little photo crazy, I just want to make sure that you get some great pictures so you can critique  this was from today when he decided to dig a muddy hole halfway to China lol but he is so cute, how can you be mad at that face?


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## gsdsar

What a gorgeous boy!!!!


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## Skywalkers Mom

A very kissable soul guy. I do not show dogs. My family showed horses until we realized it was ridiculous and had no true purpose except for the people involved. love is good and doesnt require a ribbon or medal.


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## Skywalkers Mom

oops. someone will take offense at my response. just care more for your family member then accolades.


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## Jax08

Handsome boy! 

Working line dogs don't typically do welll in AKC conformation rings. Definitely do obedience with him! How about an IPO club near you? You could look that up on
germanshepherddog.com


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## Lobo dog

Thank you all  well I am under 18 so I was told doing the junior handling would be great experience for us  I researched it and it said they judge the handler more then the dog but I wasn't sure how reliable that information was. I have looked into doing IPO with him but the closest group i could find is about an hour away. My parents said that it is fine if I do IPO with him, but that I need to wait until I have my own car and can drive him up there myself.


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## janr

Very nice dog. I'm a bit biased because he looks a lot like mine.


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## ChouMaKen

He looks a lot like Neo (my pup) but Neo is only 4 months in 2 days. So I hope he will turn out that nice 

Thanks for sharing


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## JakodaCD OA

he's gorgeous! and altho they may not do well in the akc ring..I highly recommend going for it ! 

It's a great 'learning' experience for you and the dog..

My first gsd that was my own when I was growing up was named Lobo Good luck with him


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## MaggieRoseLee

I say go to the shows and see how you do! So much fun and I think your dog is a stunner. I'm so impressed you got so many stacked photos, I can't do that by myself (actually or with help) at all!

And remember there is conformation but also other trials like obedience and rally and the best thing of all (agility  ) as well as so many other opportunities to get out and challenge both yourself AND your pup!


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## Lobo dog

Thank you all so much! Your comments made my day, or rather my last few days ;P I think I am going to give showing him (in the junior category at least) a shot  JakodaCDOA that's so cool! I have never met another dog named Lobo, I guess great minds think alike! And the fact that he was also your first GSD growing up, that's so awesome! Can anyone give me a critique of his structure and/or how I stacked him? I am crazy curious! Thank you in advance


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## Lobo dog

Thank you MaggieRoseLee, he is actually pretty tolerant of being stacked, but he usually only holds it for about 20 seconds, so I have to be fast with the camera. Those are some great activities! Although rally doesn't really appeal to me much. I had looked at maybe doing agility but I wasn't sure if that was something that a GSD would excel at. The training place that we are taking him has agility classes but your dog has to graduate through their basic, intermediate, and novice classes first before they can participate. Also i only ever see small breed dogs in the class. He past his 10 weeks of puppy class and he starts basic next Wednesday. I plan on going all of the way through novice 2, he is going to be a very well behaved dog (that's the plan anyway lol).


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## Susan_GSD_mom

Skywalkers Mom said:


> oops. someone will take offense at my response. just care more for your family member then accolades.


No offense here, lol. I trained and showed horses until I got tired of all the politics, it started creeping even into dressage. I just never wanted to go through the same thing with dogs. They're worth more to me being invaluable companions and friends. I would have liked to get into SAR, but by the time I decided that I was too old to even think seriously about it, lol.

Susan


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## Sabis mom

Susan_GSD_mom said:


> No offense here, lol. I trained and showed horses until I got tired of all the politics, it started creeping even into dressage. I just never wanted to go through the same thing with dogs. They're worth more to me being invaluable companions and friends. I would have liked to get into SAR, but by the time I decided that I was too old to even think seriously about it, lol.
> 
> Susan


Did Hunter/Jumper for years, always wanted to try Dressage. Still may. Loved Eventing, hated the politics. Found a lot the same thing when I tried Obedience, and evidence points to the same in the local Schutzhund circle. I love my dogs, not in need of validation from strangers too much.


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## Castlemaid

I can't really critique, except to say that I like lot of things about him! Love how manly, sturdy, and muscled he looks already at this young age.

I say give the show ring a try if you are interested - just don't take it too personally because the show ring favors the American type of dog, and the hunky working lines just don't normally get any recognition, but you never know. 

I have a West German/Czech working line also, and I was told by a friend of mine whose mother is a GSD breeder and CKC conformation judge (Canadian), that I could show Gryffon and finish him. She came to our training club one day when she was visiting my friend and though I did not notice it myself, the others in my club said that she never took her eyes of Gryffon the whole time she were there. \

You should try Agility too if you are interested - a working line should do quite well. One of Gryffon's littermate's just got her MACH at the GSD nationals, and MaggieRoseLee who posted above has a multi MACH GSD, and two upcoming younger dogs that she plans on burying in Agility titles.


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## lhczth

Very nice puppy. 

Masculine puppy with excellent bone, very good color, good withers, topline and croup. Very good angulation in the rear. Good to very good in front. You can see in the moving photo that right now he is a bit over balanced (more rear than front to deal with it). His shoulder is opening up well, but he is falling a bit on his forehand. Good pasterns, nice thick feet. He does appear to stand a bit east west in front mainly on his right. 

I like the 4th picture (going from left to right) on the top. You did a good job in stacking him for the photos.


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## Lobo dog

I thought I would give ya’ll an update on Lobo and his journey into manhood  He is now a little over 6 ½ months and he weighs 85 lbs!!! I am becoming a tinge bit concerned about his weight. He is by no means over weight (you can still see an outline of every rib) but he is very thick and stalky. We weighed him 3 weeks ago and he was 75 lbs, then exactly a week later he was 80 pounds and then two days ago we weighed him yet again and he was 85 lbs! At this rate he will weigh over 100 lbs by the end of next month! He has been consistently growing 4-5 pounds bigger every week since we picked him up at 9 weeks of age, but I would have thought that he would have slowed down by now? We were hoping that switching him from a large breed puppy food to an all life’s stages food, would allow him to take his time growing; however he has not slowed down and that was 2 months ago. Lobo’s father was 95 pounds and his mother was 92 pounds. 
So a few questions: do you think he will weigh more than his father? How much do you believe he will weigh full grown? How much bigger have your dogs gotten between the age of 6 months to 1 year?


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## Lobo dog

And a few recent photos


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## Hineni7

Most likely he will start to slow his weight gain within the next month or so, however, as his bones solidify and he muscles up (muscle weighs more than fat), I wouldn't be surprised if he kept a 2 to 2.5lb weekly gain for another couple of months... But every pup is different and is a sturdy, masculine heavy boned boy (which I really like  ). How tall is he? Just wondering if his height is growing in conjunction with his weight, or if his weight is the primary source of growth right now. 

Just my guess, but I would say, yes, he will top out around 100-110lbs when fully mature... Of course if kept very lean (which is best) he might hover around 105lbs,but this is just my opinion  
He is handsome!! This is my girl, Areli. She is 7mos 1wk today and 76lbs and 25.75"


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## Lobo dog

A couple more. The one with the red collar on his muzzle, was taken today  it's the collar he was wearing when we picked him up. Don't worry he had it on for a total of maybe 10 seconds. It's so hard to believe how much he has grown


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## d4mmo

That is way to heavy regardless of his size, he does look like a big boy and h may be well over 100 by the time he is fully grown. 
However thinking of his still developing joints here I would say reduce his food a little

He is very handsome


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## Hineni7

It is heavy, but my female is 76lbs at a little over 7mos and if I reduced her food anymore she wouldn't be eating, lol... Some dogs just wear their weight well (imperceptibly heavy). People assume my girl weighs about 60lbs and her gsd/malamute brother weighs alot more. In actuality, he weighs 4lbs less than her but he actually could go a bit lighter (he isn't overweight in the least, but if he lost anything it wouldn't be over noticed, where if she lost weight she would look sick or starving). 

He is very handsome! And it is amazing how fast they grow. I a constantly adjusting collars, lol


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## Lobo dog

Ok so I watched a YouTube video and measured him for the first time; he is 25 inches at the withers. d4mmo: we cut almost a full cup of food out of his diet starting last week, but we may consider cutting back more. he is currently getting 3 to 4 cups a day. 1 in the morning, one at lunch time, and one at dinner (depending on his activity level, he might get an extra cup). He gets no table scraps. 

Hineni7: your girl is beautiful! I love the photo of her standing  

thank you both for your input and advice


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## Hineni7

Thank you  She hasn't really matured in her coat yet; she is a slow maturing pup in a lot of ways, which is good but frustrating, lol. 25" is still well within breed standards and it seems like Lobo' growth has currently been focused on muscle, coat, and solidifying his frame. Every pup is different in how they grow and mature, I think it is really fun to see the changes (some are like overnight, lol). 

Areli is outside of standard, but since she will be a sar dog I'm not worried (her talent on the scent is amazing and she has only just learned the game).. Have fun with your boy


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## sehrgutcsg

I looked at both threads. Personally, let the dog eat as much as he wants. His rear leg in a later picture looks better, because the hock is higher then before, jmo.. I cannot compare my dog, but he's looking great at that age the parents were in the mid 90s, so let him grow. Increase the activity level if you wish to do so. That is one handsome Sable male with a great head, dark beautiful eyes and the red muzzle was puzzling until I read the sentence... Best of Luck... SGCSG


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## Muskeg

I wouldn't cut back on food. As long as they are lean, I feed my puppies when they are hungry. Think of how hungry an adolescent boy human gets. I feed my 7 month old morning/evening but if he's hungry he gets more. 

It's important to look not just at the parents but at the pedigree and lines. My boy comes out of a 60 lb dam and a 62 lb sire but his grand-sires on both sides were big 88- 90 lb males. He's around 75 lbs now, big boy, huge head, huge feet, solid bones.

You don't want the pup growing too fast, but I'd be careful about limiting his food too much. You're not going to change his final weight that way. Unless you really restrict/starve him. 

He looks great to me. Nothing overweight or unbalanced about him. I am a bit more conservative about exercise when they are such big boys and I also have found, at least with my big guy, that he seems to be maturing a bit slower mentally as well. I give him a bit of a break with training because he really is dealing with a lot at this age- adolescence, huge growth spurts, and coming into mental maturity. It's time to dial back and give him a chance to grow up. I don't have the same expectations for him as I would for a more physically and mentally mature puppy of the same age. They are all different! 

That said, this is a fun age, for sure. Enjoy!


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## Lobo dog

thank you  i was considering cutting back on his food because like someone had said on this thread, the weight might be to much on his joints. i had also heard that it was better for your puppy to be to light then it would be for them to be even a little bit to heavy. i realize that it wouldn't change his end weight, but i wasn't sure if it would be healthier for him to be lighter while he is still growing (if that makes any sense); However i think that he is doing well on the amount that we are feeding him, so i will keep it up 

It really isn't an option to increase his exercise, but we could certainly change its form. Right now he walks with me usually 6 miles a day; 2 miles in the morning, 2 before lunch, and the last 2 before bed. Nothing major, we just walk at a nice even pace, no jogging or running. I also take him to a big park down the road about once a week. It has several fenced in baseball fields and one enclosed football field, so he gets off leash time to go chase his ball to his hearts content  We do have a fenced in backyard that we use in throughout the day also. If i was as muscular as he is after all of our walks and play sessions, then i would look like a body builder hehe (not really, but pretty darn close). 

And in case someone is confused when it was said "I looked at both threads." i figured i would post the link to Lobo's other thread  http://www.germanshepherds.com/forum/development-socialization/508041-lobo-85-lbs-6-1-2-months.html


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## Liesje

I agree with Muskeg. I'm usually the first to call a puppy overweight but IMO your boy is not overweight, he's just a BIG boy. My pup was half that weight at that age but still eating 4-6 cups of food a day. They eat a lot as youngsters. Genetically, he is what he is. Just keep him lean and healthy and avoid exercise that involves a lot of repetition on hard surfaces, or pounding.


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## Lobo dog

Liesje said:


> I agree with Muskeg. I'm usually the first to call a puppy overweight but IMO your boy is not overweight, he's just a BIG boy. My pup was half that weight at that age but still eating 4-6 cups of food a day. They eat a lot as youngsters. Genetically, he is what he is. Just keep him lean and healthy and avoid exercise that involves a lot of repetition on hard surfaces, or pounding.


I was hoping that he would be my jogging partner next year. My neighborhood is a 3 1/2 mile circle. I love to jog the Parkway but my parents didn't like me jogging alone, so we got Lobo. Will jogging on the concrete sidewalks be to much for him even after his growth plates close?


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## Hineni7

I see know problem with it... Exercise is good for Shepherds ;in fact, needed. He would be ok for short jogs now, although you want to be savvy about how he is handling it (loyal dogs will suck up any discomfort they may be having just to please us). Maybe jog a half mile, walk the next and continue to alternate. I would put him on a joint supplement, vitamin C as well for joint health. Just good for growing and working dogs/pups


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## Liesje

Should be fine. My 13 month old jogs with my husband once or twice a week, 2-3 miles. Though I've seen his elbows, hips, and spine on x-ray so I know he doesn't have any problems that could be made worse.


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## Lobo dog

Hard to believe but Lobo is 11 months old today! Here are some photos I took yesterday  it is actually more difficult to get him into a stack now then when he was 5 months lol he is such a booger.


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## McWeagle

He looks great - so manly! And I love his coat. You can tell by the exression in his eyes that he loves you very much. Lol, and it looks like he finally stopped gaining 5 lbs a week! How much does he weigh now? I'm going to have to start teaching Nox to stack so I can do some pics of him, too.


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## Lobo dog

McWeagle said:


> He looks great - so manly! And I love his coat. You can tell by the exression in his eyes that he loves you very much. Lol, and it looks like he finally stopped gaining 5 lbs a week! How much does he weigh now? I'm going to have to start teaching Nox to stack so I can do some pics of him, too.


Hehe thank you so much! <3  He has been hovering around 90lbs for 2 months now  he has definitely stopped rapidly growing and is starting to fill out rather nicely. I love how expressive his face and eyes are  I use a tennis ball to keep Lobo's attention, I put it on the outside table to try and get him to look straight ahead but he kept looking at me, it must be love <3 hehe. Hope that helps you when you go to stack Nox


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## lorihd

beautiful dog!


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## MadLab

Who cares how the dog stands. He looks great.

To me stacking is so pretentious. Forget about trying to impose it on the dog.

A dog should be judged on temperament, function and structure rather than how it stands in an artificially contrived pose.


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## Lobo dog

MadLab said:


> Who cares how the dog stands. He looks great.
> 
> To me stacking is so pretentious. Forget about trying to impose it on the dog.
> 
> A dog should be judged on temperament, function and structure rather than how it stands in an artificially contrived pose.


Thank you







Stacking just makes it easy to judge the structure of the dog from an image







they most definitely should be judged on temperament as well and our trainer assures me that Lobo has one of the best


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## WNGD

I know this is an old thread and mods closed the other one but I just wanted to say, this is what we mean when describing "good bone" or heavy bone. Look at that foreleg, gorgeous dog.


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