Amy VandeWeerd wrote 07/12/2011 11:19 PM Proper Body Condition of an Aust. Shepherd? #338413 - 07/12/2011 11:19 PM
Amy VandeWeerd Webboard User Reg: 03-14-2011 Posts: 723 Loc: South Dakota Offline	I tried looking for past posts on this subject, but the search function wasn't working. Is Hazard too thin?? He is 2yrs, 5mo old, 41 inches at the top of his shoulder and about 44 lbs. I can feel each rib if he is stretched and I put moderate pressure, no visible spine, but has a boney butt. He has no deformities or health conditions. He is fed 3.5% of his body weight in raw chicken, venison, beef and fowl with some veggies and fish oil as well. If he is too skinny, what can I add to help him gain a little? I have been feeding raw less than a year, so I am still learning. Volume-wise he isn't able to consume much more food. He'll leave it sit. This is my first go at photo bucket, so I hope it works. http://s1215.photobucket.com/albums/cc517/amy_vandeweerd/
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Kelly Byrd wrote 07/12/2011 11:29 PM Re: Proper Body Condition of an Aust. Shepherd? [Re: Amy VandeWeerd ] #338414 - 07/12/2011 11:29 PM
Kelly Byrd Webboard User Reg: 07-28-2010 Posts: 2249 Loc: Tacoma, WA Offline	What a cute boy! (both of them!) You must mean 14'' at the shoulder... not 41. Heck, my 80lbs DS is only 17''! I love typos. Aussie's should be judged the same as any other breed- you want to be able to feel ribs, but they should not be prominent. (Depending on what you like, and what your dog is doing. Personally, I keep mine very thin). He looks to be in good condition, but it's hard to tell with all the Aussie fluff. I can't help diet wise, as I'm just learning the intricate details of raw myself... but to me, Hazard looks great!
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Amy VandeWeerd wrote 07/12/2011 11:39 PM Re: Proper Body Condition of an Aust. Shepherd? [Re: Kelly Byrd ] #338415 - 07/12/2011 11:39 PM
Amy VandeWeerd Webboard User Reg: 03-14-2011 Posts: 723 Loc: South Dakota Offline	Thanks Kelly! I have no idea where that 41/shoulder thing came from! He is 21 at the top of his back, in line with his front legs. That is a bit more like it! I just don't get the boney pelvis and butt. The rest seems ok, but that throws me off.
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Kelly Byrd wrote 07/13/2011 12:26 AM Re: Proper Body Condition of an Aust. Shepherd? [Re: Amy VandeWeerd ] #338417 - 07/13/2011 12:26 AM
Kelly Byrd Webboard User Reg: 07-28-2010 Posts: 2249 Loc: Tacoma, WA Offline	ROFL. And I said 17''. Koenig is 27''. Looks like we're both having one of 'those' nights! How in shape is he? (how much exercise does he get?) It could be a lack of muscle that makes his hip/butt bones stick out.
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Amy VandeWeerd wrote 07/13/2011 12:36 AM Re: Proper Body Condition of an Aust. Shepherd? [Re: Kelly Byrd ] #338419 - 07/13/2011 12:36 AM
Amy VandeWeerd Webboard User Reg: 03-14-2011 Posts: 723 Loc: South Dakota Offline	He gets 1- 1 hr structured walk per day as well as hours of ball play, walks with the kids, biking, beginning agility (just dipping our toes into a little home-made course for fun) farm runs, etc. He is tireless and only rests when I am sitting down (so with 3 kids, farm, 2 dogs etc, he doesn't rest a whole lot) If we are not engaged, he is running from room to room trying to get a head count on his herd, so he is in good physical shape. Very strong and agile. He loves to ricochet (sp?) off of everything propelling himself with his hind end. Could that be a factor IYO?
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Cheri Grissom wrote 07/13/2011 12:43 AM Re: Proper Body Condition of an Aust. Shepherd? [Re: Kelly Byrd ] #338420 - 07/13/2011 12:43 AM
Cheri Grissom Webboard User Reg: 09-30-2010 Posts: 2609 Loc: Michigan Offline	Quote: Kelly Byrd ROFL. And I said 17''. Koenig is 27''. Looks like we're both having one of 'those' nights! Oh, thank goodness! Speaking of one of those nights, I'm having a bad case of insomnia. It's very late here and I've just gotten up, turned on my computer and decided to visit the board. All of a sudden, I'm reading about 41-inch, 44-pound Australian Shepherds and 17-inch, 80-pound Dutch Shepherds. I was afraid for a minute I had somehow awakened into some strange kind of alternate universe with mutant canines. Back on topic, Amy, it is hard to tell from the photos because of his thick coat, but from what I can see, he doesn't look noticeably underweight.
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Amy VandeWeerd wrote 07/13/2011 01:01 AM Re: Proper Body Condition of an Aust. Shepherd? [Re: Cheri Grissom ] #338422 - 07/13/2011 01:01 AM
Amy VandeWeerd Webboard User Reg: 03-14-2011 Posts: 723 Loc: South Dakota Offline	Thanks for the response Cheri! Is it 1 am in Michigan too? I have been a terrible sleeper this week I guess none of us are very "on the ball" with our measurements tonight lol! Hazard's coat is not show quality thick, but it is a little hard to tell just how big he is under there. I probably a little sensitive to the weight issue following a "Do you feed your dogs EVER!?" Comment from a stranger with a 90 lb cocker spaniel. (there's that mutant canine line but he was really obese!) I always try to err on the thinner side to avoid joint harm. But don't want to go too far that way.
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Jenny Arntzen wrote 07/13/2011 07:25 AM Re: Proper Body Condition of an Aust. Shepherd? [Re: Amy VandeWeerd ] #338432 - 07/13/2011 07:25 AM
Jenny Arntzen Webboard User Reg: 12-06-2010 Posts: 721 Loc: British Columbia, Canada Offline	I wonder how he would look soaking wet? If his coat would plaster down and we could see his frame a little better. I'm no expert, but if he is eating well, his diet is healthy, and he has lots of energy, he might just be an 'ectomorph' body type dog and that is his healthy weight.
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Mara Jessup wrote 07/13/2011 08:10 AM Re: Proper Body Condition of an Aust. Shepherd? [Re: Jenny Arntzen ] #338438 - 07/13/2011 08:10 AM
Mara Jessup Webboard User Reg: 12-28-2005 Posts: 2316 Loc: Offline	Depending on his bone structure, that isn't too skinny. Missy is 21 inches and has always weighed 37-41# Kenzi is 20.5 inches and weighs 34-36#. For a while I was having trouble keeping her above 32-33# so I'm happy with where she is at now. She is light boned and scrawny but otherwise healthy and active so it's just *her* weight. I don't let others "skinny dog" comments bother me. Most dogs out there are pudgy to obese. Skinny dogs stay healthier than the overweight ones! K-9 Knitter
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Jessica Foster wrote 07/13/2011 11:19 AM Re: Proper Body Condition of an Aust. Shepherd? [Re: Mara Jessup ] #338453 - 07/13/2011 11:19 AM
Jessica Foster Webboard User Reg: 06-20-2010 Posts: 34 Loc: Eternal Chaos Offline	Most of us are too used to seeing fat dogs. ) When your family and friends start saying your dog is too skinny, you know he's at the right weight.
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