just curious where people define dogs as being:

-too thin
-thin
-just right
-pudgy
-overweight

luc got a bit too thin (in my eyes) this summer after (while i was still injured) he got taken on some hikes w/my family - his metabolism kicked up and caught me by surprise (i'd given him extra post-hike, but didn't change his non-hiking day amounts). he is slimmer now than he was last year, but i think that's because he lost muscle mass over our 5-month layoff....which we are already fixing

anyways, just curious, as i get different comments about my dog's sizes depending on the source.

IMO, "thin" IS "just right". LOL

I like to feel a little bit of rib when I run my hand along a dog, and perhaps see the last rib (depending on coat).

actually, me too....i want luc to be thin, b/c of our running. i can usually see his last two ribs, lately sometimes the third, which i'm not a huge fan of, but i think is more related to muscle lack than anything, b/c he is thin even when muscled.

(i would say he weighs between 50-55lbs right now. when running, he weighed closer to 55lbs. when i adopted him, end of june 2007, he was 68lbs and still within standard. i took him to the vet the next day, who sternly told me he was 'perfect' and shouldn't lose ANY weight. in january 2008 he weighed 55lbs. the vet raved about how he was 'perfect' and when i asked if i should have him gain some weight, insisted that he not, since we do run and less weight is better for him.)

i'm actually hoping that he will gain weight to a 'normal' (or my 'just right' in the list) for the winter, since while he's fine hiking, isn't a good late fall/winter camper once we stop, since he has almost no body fat. so i'm going to try to muscle him back up, and also try to put on a bit a fat through november and see how he does. i think. i worry b/c i'll still be running w/him, but he'd still be within all guidelines of normal. we'll see i guess.

teagan always looks a bit pudgy to me until i toss her in the water (long coat), then she transforms to a thin, which is what i want with her hip dysplasia.

ETA: i don't want to make it sound like i let luc waste away or something. here he is in his 'too thin' stage in august: http://picasaweb.google.com/nuneons/KillarneyAugust2008#5238241705009581058

it is strange this discussion came up, I was going to ask a similar question re: what is the right weight for a dog. My dog bindi, I believe, has put on a little too much weight. I will find out today when I take her to the vet how much she has gained. She is 18 lbs normally, but to me it looks like she has put on a bit of weight. (too hot to do much this summer) Did walk her every day and play with her and she has the other dogs to play with and she runs back and forth on our property.
But I was wondering if there is a scale or chart somewhere where I could find out the good weight for a dog to be.

My preference is seeing a rib or two when not working and then seeing the ribs when the dog is working hard. (depending on coat as Alyssa stated earlier)

I like to be able to feel ribs without a thick layer of fat, basically when I run my fingers down their ribcage, I do not want to feel washboard, but I definitely do not want to have to apply pressure in order to feel ribs.

carol, how low-body fat are your dogs when they're working?

do you have issues w/them w/the cold if you're searching and stopped for awhile in the winter? (i'm assuming you get some pretty cold winters)

sharon, i've always gone w/how the dogs look rather than what their weights are. how wide is bindi at the hips?

i was looking for this for sharon....it's up at my vet's office:

http://www.placervillevet.com/canine%20body%20condition.htm

luc is normally at their 'thin'.

 Quote: jennifer mullen

carol, how low-body fat are your dogs when they're working?

geesh, put me on the spot...I am not sure.

I do bulk them up a bit in winter by adding more food as well as ground beef fat as well as leaving all the skin on chicken and turkey.

I do not let them fall into an overweight category though.

They also have heavier vests and boots for when it is super cold. Jesea is the only one that has "issues" with winter so she has a crate in the house all winter. She spends time outside as well but not near as much as the others.

 Quote: Carol Boche

 Quote: Jennifer Mullen

carol, how low-body fat are your dogs when they're working?

geesh, put me on the spot...I am not sure.

i try

that's basically what i'm planning to do with luc. i'm a little concerned, as since i'm running again that's when my mileage and long runs will also get into higher distances, but since i will be very busy training and taking neb to FR, i may keep the backpack/camping trips to november/december. so i could bulk him up for then and then trim him back down for running the rest of winter. and i did get him one of these: http://katahdinms.com/product/b3ddabbc-1e8a-4599-b1d5-f1b798cdf905.aspx
which hopefully will help. i'm still trying to figure out how to put it on
....anyways, slightly off-topic, but thought i'd take the chance to ask

I like to feel rib and see a waistline