Is this an indication of a very small German Shepherd?

by PC Egan
(alexandria, va)






I have a 5 month old male German Shepherd who weight 48.8 lbs. Is that small for a male shepherd puppy?


Comments for Is this an indication of a very small German Shepherd?

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May 11, 2010
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starstarstarstarstar 		Your GSD
by: Anonymous

GSD's have bone growth until they are 18 months.(not 8 months) You can even verify that through the internet. The rule of thumb is 5 months-50lbs = large dog. I had a female that was 48 lbs at 5 months and she turned out to be 93 lbs-fit not fat. Another female was 65 at 6 months and she is 98 lbs and almost 30 inches tall.

You may think your dog is not growing in hght after a year, but they do, and in general you can expect another 1-2 inches in hgt. You just can't see it with the naked eye because its so gradual. If you measure your dog floor to shoulder at 8 months and again at 18 months, you will see the difference. He will then grow another 1/2' to inch in muscle in each direction. GSD dogs grow in bones first and in body mass 2nd.

After 18 months you will see the dog start in body mass. Some dogs take longer than others depending on genetics and activity level. Your dogs looks quite stocky so you're looking at a good solid boy. Just remember even with healthy hips, with age, large dogs still get arthritis, so keep his wght normal. Alot of people want that over-sized dog, which is so nice, but the larger the dog, usually, comes with a shorter life and more medical problems.

GSD's are not suppose to be at large as mine. According to AKC, females are suppose to be 22-24 inches tall and males 24-26. Thats the confirmation standing. Your dog is gorgeous, not an easy color to find! And YES I know what I am talking about, I have raised shown and bred shepherds for 34 years.
Apr 01, 2010
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starstarstarstarstar 		PUPPY FEEDING
by: Anonymous

MY PUPPY WILL BE A YEAR OLD, ONLY EATS ABOUT 3 CUPS OF INNOVA LARGE BRED PUPPY FOOD WITH A SMALL AMOUNT OF BEFORE GRAIN CAN FOOD. AT THE VET LAST NIGHT HE WEIGHED 75 POUNDS. HE IS MUCH SMALLER THAN MY 11 YEAR OLD BUT A SERIOUSLY SOLID DOG.
Mar 08, 2010
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starstarstarstarstar 		Completely normal
by: Randi87

At 5 months and 50 pounds, he's not even half grown yet. He will continue to grow height-wise until he's around 8 months old, but he'll keep putting on weight for another year. Judging by your picture, he's going to be a very big boy
Jan 31, 2010
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starstarstarstarstar 		Very Small GSD?
by: Anonymous

Relax, your GSD puppy will continue to gain weight and grow until he reaches the age of 18 months. The more he exercises and plays the more he will eat. You might be surprised as to how big he will get.
Jan 26, 2010
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starstarstarstarstar 		German Shepherd Weight Concern
by: SAM

Hello, My male shepherd will be 6 months old on August 7 and he weighs just over 40 pounds. He was ill (two bowel obstructions)a couple of weeks ago, but is back on the road to a complete recovery.

Prior to illness he was not a big eater and he's still not now. No competition for him to eat anymore (8 puppies), so he eats when he is hungry. I have spoken to my vet about his weight as I was concerned also, but all tests come back negative for any issues other than what we dealt with as described previously.

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