My pretty GSD Jessie - 7 months and 65 pounds

by K Clark
(Texas)

My girl Jessie is 7 months old and larger than the average pup her age - male or female - and is a little larger than the average female that is a year old. Wow! The calculators I've found online guess she'll exceed 100 pounds. She's got a stocky build - not the long, sleek build I see on some GSDs. But she's not overweight. The vet says she's a healthy weight - and she is very active.

I have read GSDs tend to have hip issues. I'm concerned that she may be prone to health issues even more due to her large size. Has anyone out there experienced any health issues with their larger-than-average GSDs that appear to be related to their size?

If yes, when did they become noticeable? I want to be able to address any issues as soon as I become aware of them. I want her to live the longest, healthiest life she can!

Total German Shepherd: Hi K.

Thanks so much for sharing your beautiful Jessie with us. She is gorgeous! Nice colors, marking and ears too.

If I were you I would just try your best to keep her on the slim side. Extra weight is very hard on the joints especially in larger breeds and the more active, and lighter she is, the better she will be when she gets a lot older.

Also, down the line when she is about 6 or so you can start giving her human grade glucosamine supplements and these work like a champ! But you still have a few years before she'll need those.

Continued success with her - she is one beautiful example of a female German Shepherd Dog.