Is my mixed-breed dog underweight? How to tell ideal weight?

This really depends on the size and build of the dog - with mixed-breed dogs like this, genetics can be very unpredictable! :) Instead of focusing so much on how many pounds he weighs, I would recommend looking at his body condition. Ideally, you should be able to feel his ribs fairly easily when you run your hands down his sides, and he should have a visible waistline or "abdominal tuck" just behind the rib cage. If you can't feel his ribs or he doesn't have a waistline, he probably needs to lose some weight. If his ribs and hip bones are visibly sticking out, he's probably a bit too thin and should gain a bit.

Hello! In an ideal situation, you can feel the ribs, but not see them, so that sounds pretty good! When you look at him from above, there should be an "hourglass" shape, just behind his ribs, in an ideal body condition.

I don't tend to judge their body condition on weight as every dog is different even within a breed. I look at their body instead. They should nip in behind the ribs with a definite waist, you should be able to feel but not see the ribs, and there should not be a fat rolls at the tail. From your photo I can see Chloe has a nice waist. What you feed her sounds fine and you are well aware of what she eats.

Thanks for the question. The ideal weight for every dog is different, and unfortunately, obesity in pets is a big problem. We see so many overweight dogs that sometimes healthy dogs look too skinny! You should be able to lightly run your fingers across the body and feel Bubbs's ribs, but not be able to see them. He should have a waist when viewed from above, and his belly should be tucked up when viewed from the side. In your pictures I do not see any ribs, so he is definitely not underweight. I hope this helps.

Rather than a particular weight, we want to go for an ideal body condition score. Now with young puppies (just like kids) they are growing and the body condition scoring doesn't matter as much, but we still don't want her to be very overweight. Here is a helpful guide to checking body condition at home : https://www.aaha.org/public_documents/professional/guidelines/weightmgmt_bodyconditionscoring.pdf and your vet can also weigh in on this.

Thank you for your question. From the photo of Joshie it does not appear that she is overweight. It can definitely be difficult to evaluate based on a photo though, especially in a furry dog like Joshie. Putting your hands onto her body can help you determine her body condition. You should feel a waist/area where he trunk slenders around her abdomen. You should be able to feel her ribs when you run your hands over her chest but they should have a small/thin layer of fat over them. When you run your hands under her, her belly should narrow/have a tuck. You can read this article for more information on proper body condition scoring: https://www.petcoach.co/article/how-to-tell-if-your-pet-is-overweight/ If you are still concerned, a vet can examine Joshie and let you know for certain!

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 :)