My youngest dog is quite skinny. But she did finally get past the walking skeleton stage at about 2.5 years old. Thankfully she is rough coated so I avoided the random "helpful" comments! Like the others, I look for a dog that is otherwise healthy and active. Those tend to be more indicative of health in a high energy breed.

FWIW, another healthy fat that you can add to his kibble is salmon oil.

lol well thank you all it was more for my benefit(the people thinking i dont feed him) but i guess i can handle the annoyance i've had young skinny shepherds but not this skinny and it is just the tip of the hip bones unless hes stretching then he looks a bit sickly from the top view

Niomi, isn't it funny that folks are so quick to comment about how SKINNY someone's dog is but you never hear folks comment on how FAT so many dogs are.

 Quote: Anne Jones

Niomi, isn't it funny that folks are so quick to comment about how SKINNY someone's dog is but you never hear folks comment on how FAT so many dogs are.

yep most people who get upset with me over his weight have little chunky misbehaved dogs

As a raw feeder....I am not a promoter of feeding kibble...but if you feed kibble...there are some kibbles that have a bit of 'better' quality grains,like oats or barley (much better then corn or rice) & for some dogs that are 'hard keepers'(horse term)... they do a bit better, weight wise, on a kibble with some 'quality' grains. Even if you feed it only a few times a week it might do the trick. Just another thought.

Did I say that with my out loud voice?!! (hiding my head)

this is what hes on now

28%protein
17% fat
5% fiber
10% moisture
150mg zinc
.4mg selenium
175 IU/kg vitamin e
Omega6 fatty acids 2.8%
omega 3 fatty acids .3%
DHA .05%

ingredients: Bison, lamb meal, sweet potatoes, egg product, pea protein, peas, potatoes, canola oil, tomato pomace, roasted venison, roasted bison, flaxseed, potato fiber, natural flavor, ocean fish meal, salmon oil (a source of DHA), salt, choline chloride, dried chicory root, yucca schidigera extract, tomatoes, blueberries, raspberries, dried Enterococcus faecium fermentation product, dried Lactobacillus acidophilus fermentation product, dried Lactobacillus casei fermentation product, dried Lactobacillus plantarum fermentation product, dried Trichoderma longibrachiatum fermentation extract, vitamin E supplement, iron proteinate, zinc proteinate, copper proteinate, ferrous sulfate, zinc sulfate, copper sulfate, potassium iodide, thiamine mononitrate (vitamin B1), manganese proteinate, manganous oxide, ascorbic acid, vitamin A supplement, biotin, niacin, calcium pantothenate, manganese sulfate, sodium selenite, pyridoxine hydrochloride (vitamin B6), vitamin B12 supplement, riboflavin (vitamin B2), vitamin D supplement, folic acid.

Taste of the Wild High Prairie?

high prairie puppy version

Carbs are not good for dog esp skinny ones...I wish I could think of a grain and carb free kibble for you. I'm another raw feeder. Have you tried enzymes or probiotics? (mercola.com has some good stuff, but might be pricey)

BTW your shepherd looks very healthy to me...if the coat is good and they have good muscle mass its just the factor of age and activity level.

Logan was a little on the thin side until he was 5 (and even now a 6, depending on his activity). I add butter to Logan's meals, he tolerates that very well. He also gets scraps of fat and gets to lick the sour cream containers.

 Quote: Tresa Hendrix

Carbs are not good for dog esp skinny ones...I wish I could think of a grain and carb free kibble for you.

I'm pretty sure that there is no such thing as a carb free kibble - the starches/carbs are needed to bind the food together so it can be formed into kibble.

I'm a little curious as to the statement that carbs are not good for skinny dogs. Can you expound on that? I haven't had any luck with carb free for my skinny dog, though she dose great on a mixture of raw and The Honest Kitchen Embark of Thrive (potatoes or quinoa as carbs in those) . I know a few people that swear by carbs to help keep weight on a skinny dog - they're not talking a carb laden diet, but a quality kibble or a bowl of oatmeal a few times a week in addition to raw.