# Is My Male GSD Too Small for his Age?



## design.mhuff (Nov 11, 2013)

I feel like my puppy is way too small for his age. Maybe I'm just paranoid, but I feel like he should be bigger.

He is 8, almost 9 months old and he is only in the 50lb range and he's been there for months without much change. People are always commenting on how small he is. He is a thin shepherd, but not skinny. He's got muscle and meat, just very lean. He eats everyday. I don't measure, but he's not an over-eater.

He get's exercise, though right now It's winter where I live so he doesn't get outside as much as I'd like. 

His mother is a very small shepherd and hi







s dad is above average in size. I'm not sure what to think. He was taken off puppy food at 7 months (and please don't everyone start screaming at me all at once!). I had to, because the my other senior dog was constantly stealing his food and gaining an unhealthy amount of weight and because my puppy doesn't eat his food all at once it was just too hard to supervise the food dish 24/7. The senior dog would even eat the food if we put the dish on the counter, it just became impossible to manage. However, they are on very high quality food. Oh, and don't bring up how my senior dog needs senior dog food either please, he gets senior vitamins to make up for that fact.

I know a big dog can take up to 2 years to reach full size and weight, but I just feel like maybe he's too small? He is also unfixed and has not started lifting his leg...idk if that's normal either..I've only had one other un-fixed male dog, but it was a small dog of another breed. 

Is any of this normal?

This is the best picture I could do that was recent.


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## onyx'girl (May 18, 2007)

genetics play into his size, can you post his pedigree? 
Quality nutrition helps with growth, and slow growth is best as long as the dog is healthy(no parasites or digestive issues).
No need to pack on added weight if his structure is muscled and healthy.


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## design.mhuff (Nov 11, 2013)

He is not a registered dog. He came from a one-off litter of a friend. Both parents are purebred, but I was looking for a companion, not a show quality dog, so pedigree was not something I cared about. He is very healthy and has all the proper checks. He is also on Trifexis.


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## zyppi (Jun 2, 2006)

wouldn't worry. He'll fill out and gain muscle mass as he gets older.

My female is 20 lbs lighter than my male, but she can outrun and out tussle him.


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## Liz&Anna (Oct 29, 2013)

This is sorta off topic but he looks just like my female!!


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## Carriesue (Aug 13, 2012)

That is about the weight my male was as that age, now he is 16 months and 65lbs... Small end for a male but still normal and I imagine he might eventually hit 70-75 around 2 or 3 years old. Since I am only 5'1 myself and we do sports I prefer him smaller.


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## xtramile (May 21, 2013)

design.mhuff said:


> He is not a registered dog. He came from a one-off litter of a friend. Both parents are purebred, but* I was looking for a companion*, not a show quality dog, so pedigree was not something I cared about. *He is very healthy and has all the proper checks. *He is also on Trifexis.


Wonderful! You have yourself a healthy happy friend . Outside of that what can be said. Drago was 57 pounds at 9 months and has not put on too much weight since then from looking at him.


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## Harry and Lola (Oct 26, 2013)

At 50 pounds, he is the average weight for a 5 month old GSD male, being 9 months you would want to see him around 63 to 70 pounds. 

I don't see anything wrong with putting him on adult food at 7 months, mine were put on adult food at around 16 to 18 weeks. Many professionals are recommending to put GSD puppies on adult food whilst still young as there is plenty of evidence on the benefits of growing a GSD puppy slowly for health reasons. 

He is only 9 months old and is yet to reach his height, which he should achieve at around 12 months and still has plenty of filling out to do (by about 3 years old) so if it were me, I would continue with everything you are doing and just monitor him. 

Also, keep an eye on the amount of food he is eating and whether or not he is continuing to gain weight. If at any stage you feel he is eating lots but not gaining weight, then consider testing him for EPI.


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## Freestep (May 1, 2011)

If he's healthy, has energy and good muscle tone, his coat is shiny, he eats well, and he's having normal bowel movements, I wouldn't worry about a thing. Genetics control both the size and growth rate of puppies, and the slower they grow, the better. He may not reach his full size and weight for 3 years. So be patient, don't worry, and let him grow at his own pace. I don't think there is a thing wrong with him, he's just on the smaller side of the standard. Don't let him get overweight.

Here in the US, for some reason, there's a belief that "bigger is better", and everyone wants their GSDs to be HUGE. Don't buy into that. The smaller dogs are generally healthier, more agile, and longer-lived than their oversize brethren.


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## design.mhuff (Nov 11, 2013)

Xtramile & Liz&Anna you both have very beautiful dogs! Also, thank you for all the advice, it does help alleviate some worries. I never expected him to be huge and I do like a more agile dog myself, I just got a bit worried. Honestly, I like his breeding a lot and the people I got him from took their time matching their female to a good a stud. The woman's husband is very into German Shepherd history and they wanted to breed for more original body type (working and not show). Roman looks a lot like his mother, but he is very much his father in personality.

I also did have a dog once that had EPI and she unfortunately had to be put to sleep young (though she had other disorders on top of that). So yes that is something I keep an eye on, but he has showed no symptoms of it, he is just a light eater.

Today i just contacted a facility to possibly start training him in agility. So, I hope in the coming months I can start getting him out and working him properly. He is a very special dog to me and I'll love him no matter how big or small he is


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## Nigel (Jul 10, 2012)

design.mhuff said:


> Xtramile & Liz&Anna you both have very beautiful dogs! Also, thank you for all the advice, it does help alleviate some worries. I never expected him to be huge and I do like a more agile dog myself, I just got a bit worried. Honestly, I like his breeding a lot and the people I got him from took their time matching their female to a good a stud. The woman's husband is very into German Shepherd history and they wanted to breed for more original body type (working and not show). Roman looks a lot like his mother, but he is very much his father in personality.
> 
> I also did have a dog once that had EPI and she unfortunately had to be put to sleep young (though she had other disorders on top of that). So yes that is something I keep an eye on, but he has showed no symptoms of it, he is just a light eater.
> 
> Today i just contacted a facility to possibly start training him in agility. So, I hope in the coming months I can start getting him out and working him properly. He is a very special dog to me and I'll love him no matter how big or small he is


Lots of advantages to having a GSD on the smaller end of the standard. Try having to pick up a 92 lb-er repeatedly  ours is injured and now my wife is too trying to get him safely to the vet and the physical therapist. Hopefully your pup lives a long, healthy, & trouble free life, but accidents happen and with rangers long recovery, there have been plenty of times I wish I had a shrink ray! I would set it on chihuahua for the next few months. I'm no expert, but be careful with the agility, I think most wait a bit before starting jumps while pups are still growing. someone with more experience could tell you if I've got that wrong, which is possible.


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## halo2013 (Jan 6, 2014)

design.mhuff said:


> I feel like my puppy is way too small for his age. Maybe I'm just paranoid, but I feel like he should be bigger.
> 
> He is 8, almost 9 months old and he is only in the 50lb range and he's been there for months without much change. People are always commenting on how small he is. He is a thin shepherd, but not skinny. He's got muscle and meat, just very lean. He eats everyday. I don't measure, but he's not an over-eater.
> 
> ...


My halo will be 1 march 30th and she's small petite and lanky she might weigh 45-50 lbs. Her dad was big and bulky had a lot to throw around. Her mom was a tad smaller then the dad. Halos just a fun sized gsd. Which makes it nice for my 2br place 

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## halo2013 (Jan 6, 2014)

halo2013 said:


> My halo will be 1 march 30th and she's small petite and lanky she might weigh 45-50 lbs. Her dad was big and bulky had a lot to throw around. Her mom was a tad smaller then the dad. Halos just a fun sized gsd. Which makes it nice for my 2br place
> 
> Sent from Petguide.com Free App


Hes beautiful. Don't feel concerned my halo is the same size. It looks like. 

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## xtramile (May 21, 2013)

Thanks design.mhuff! Your boy is growing into a handsome GSD. We had a lot of the same concerns you had when we just were not seeing much growth in him for a few months. That paired with most people pointing it out did not help. But shoot, most people were asking if he was a puppy when he was 4 months even, so it shows what the general public knows. We are in a one bedroom apartment right now, so no complaints.


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## halo2013 (Jan 6, 2014)

xtramile said:


> Thanks design.mhuff! Your boy is growing into a handsome GSD. We had a lot of the same concerns you had when we just were not seeing much growth in him for a few months. That paired with most people pointing it out did not help. But shoot, most people were asking if he was a puppy when he was 4 months even, so it shows what the general public knows. We are in a one bedroom apartment right now, so no complaints.


Kudos! 

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## doggiedad (Dec 2, 2007)

make sure it's nothing medical. some GSD's are smaller.
is your dog pure bred? don't worry about taking him off
puppy food. i've never fed puppy food to my dogs.


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## LaRen616 (Mar 4, 2010)

Once he stops growing and starts filling out I wouldn't be surprised if he ends up being 65-75 pounds. 

There are some benefits to having a smaller GSD, they are better for agility, easier to pick up, they take up less room and they eat less.  

I have a 90 pound GSD, he is not agile, I can't lift him, he takes up a lot of room, but he doesn't really eat that much just 4 cups of kibble a day.


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## halo2013 (Jan 6, 2014)

LaRen616 said:


> Once he stops growing and starts filling out I wouldn't be surprised if he ends up being 65-75 pounds.
> 
> There are some benefits to having a smaller GSD, they are better for agility, easier to pick up, they take up less room and they eat less.
> 
> I have a 90 pound GSD, he is not agile, I can't lift him, he takes up a lot of room, but he doesn't really eat that much just 4 cups of kibble a day.


I don't remember where I read it..it.may have even been on this forum site. But I read that German Shepherd puppys and adolence are usually lenky and after 11/2 - 2 years old they start filling out. Idk how true that is. I know dog is different. 

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## LaRen616 (Mar 4, 2010)

halo2013 said:


> I don't remember where I read it..it.may have even been on this forum site. But I read that German Shepherd puppys and adolence are usually lenky and after 11/2 - 2 years old they start filling out. Idk how true that is. I know dog is different.
> 
> Sent from Petguide.com Free App


My male didn't really fill out until he was 4 years old.


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## halo2013 (Jan 6, 2014)

LaRen616 said:


> My male didn't really fill out until he was 4 years old.


Really?? Wow. 

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## LaRen616 (Mar 4, 2010)

halo2013 said:


> Really?? Wow.
> 
> Sent from Petguide.com Free App


Yup. He was always long, lanky and slim and now he looks manly, he's oversized in height but he is lean and seems larger. He looks great now. :wub:

He also takes his guard dog duty more serious now. I think he is finally mature.


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## halo2013 (Jan 6, 2014)

LaRen616 said:


> Yup. He was always long, lanky and slim and now he looks manly, he's oversized in height but he is lean and seems larger. He looks great now. :wub:
> 
> He also takes his guard dog duty more serious now. I think he is finally mature.


Lol. Halo is all guard dog. But if someone saw her size Lol they might just laugh. She's just not a big girl yet. I was always told. Even by dvms that dogs are finished growing by 1. 
When halo was a baby she had elephant feet compared to her body. She was all feet and ears. Not Shes grown into that and my husband goes. I wanted a big Shepherd. I said well stop complaining its a two bedroom place. She's a fun sized shepherd she's not to big for the apartment.

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## onyx'girl (May 18, 2007)

My male is almost 5 yrs old and still hasn't really filled out. I keep him lean and he's very agile at 90# and 27". 
I don't *see* him as large, but get comments all the time on his size. He curls up nice and doesn't get in the way!
I took this a few days ago, told him to shtay and he self stacked, so I took a pic! I was proud of him for holding his footing for so long, as there were dogs and handlers surrounding us and we never go to the place we were training.


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