My dog is 50 lbs, but his breed should be 70. Is he underweight?

Dogs can vary quite a bit in size, even if they are the same breed - so it's more important to look at your dog's body condition to determine if he is under (or over) his ideal weight rather than comparing to averages for the breed. Ideally, you should be able to feel his ribs easily with your hands when you run them down his sides, and he should have a visible "waistline" or abdominal tuck just behind the ribcage. The ribs and hipbones should not be visibly jutting out of his fur, as this would be a sign that he is too thin. If his body condition is normal, I would not recommend increasing his food or trying to make him gain weight, as it's not good for growing dogs to be overweight at this age - it's very hard on their joints and can predispose them to orthopedic problems such as hip dysplasia later in life. If you're unsure if he is the correct weight for his size, you're welcome to request a consultation with one of us and share some photos of him - we would be glad to try and help :)

Hi there and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to address your concern. If Shera is only 4kg at this age, I would suspect something is preventing him from gaining weight. I would recommend having him examined by a veterinarian and have him checked for intestinal parasites and treated for parasites. He may have a congenital disease such as a liver shunt or some other systemic disease going on that needs to be treated. The sooner he is seen the better. I hope this helps guide you in the right direction. Please let me know if you have any other questions or concerns and I would be more than happy to help you further.

Hi there. Thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. I think that based on the photos Bruno looks very characteristic of a 5 month old GSD. I am not really sure what you are worried about. I would not be overly concerned about anything related to his looks until he is full grown (about 18 months of age). You absolutely don't want a large breed puppy to grow too fast as that can cause joint abnormalities so be careful of this. He should be eating a large breed puppy food so I hope the Royal Canin you are feeding is this type of diet and not just a general puppy food. If you have specific concerns I suggest you take him to your vet for an exam. Again, I think he looks just fine from the photos. Best wishes.

At this weight your puppy will have an approximate adult weight of about 54lbs. This would be relatively small. The average weight of adult German Shepherds by gender are: Males: 66 – 88 pounds (30 – 40 kg) Females: 48 – 70 pounds (22 – 32 kg). Your GSD may be a smaller type, or it may not be growing like it should. I suggest you take Mike to a vet for a wellness exam assessing his growth rate. Make sure you feed good quality puppy food for large dogs and his age bracket to ensure optimum growth.

Dodo's weight is well within the range of normal weights for male GSDs. They should be between 30-40kg, and are typically a lean dog. Unless the vet specifically says that he needs to gain weight, I would not advise trying to put weight onto him. If he's too heavy, that can lead to many health problems, including joint issues and diabetes.

As a breed, German Shepherd‘s tend to be thin dogs and some lines are more thin than others. Continue feeding him a high-quality, high protein diet. I recommend the brand Royal Canin. Be careful with exercise and make sure to follow your veterinarian’s recommendations. Lastly, Colt is not done growing yet. The first year of life is devoted to upward growth and the second year of life is when pets fill out so he is still developing. I hope this helps. You may speak with your veterinarian about sending off a blood sample for analysis to find out if the platelet count is truly abnormal or if any blood parasites or seen. Best of luck.

Tyson looks fine weight-wise for his age, although he is not the best quality German Shepherd Dog, which is why his head is so narrow and he is fine-boned and small. There is a good likelhood that he may not be a purebred GSD also. As for his greeting people, this is exactly what you want in your dog. I have done protection training with GSDs for 26 years, and one of the most important things potential trainees are tested for is their ability to tell threat from non-threat. The average person on the street is not a threat to you, so your dog should act exactly like a Labrador towards him. If someone were to attack you, it would be a good bet that you would see the reaction you are looking for. A dog who is mean all the time is a danger to his owner as well as others, and a lawsuit waiting to happen as well.