Does she *look* thin to you?
- Thread starter AgilityPup
- Start date
If she is an active dog you want to feel ribs but not backbone. Agility dogs and other active dogs are like athletes and children. Most dogs you see on the street are too fat. I get people coming to agility class with dogs where you have to press to feel ribs. I tell them the dog needs to lose some weight for their own safety. They say "but my vet says he is good" All that means is your dog is not obese.
In the winter I let my dogs get a bit heavier. But even so I can still easily feel ribs. (but the don't go bonk bonk bonk on my fingers either..if that makes sense..?)
In the winter I let my dogs get a bit heavier. But even so I can still easily feel ribs. (but the don't go bonk bonk bonk on my fingers either..if that makes sense..?)
How hard do you have to press to feel them (when dekka or Zo are in agility weight you can feel most of their ribs too..but no spine) How is her coat, her energy etc etc? Some dogs are naturally thinner than others (not saying she doesn't need weight..but that maybe you don't need to be stressed about it) Also she will still be growing, so I wouldn't worry too much if she is otherwise in great health.
(interestingly studies have shown that mice, and other animals live much longer, healthier lives when kept quite thin vs what is considered ideal...man I am going to die early
but my dogs will live decently long lives)
(interestingly studies have shown that mice, and other animals live much longer, healthier lives when kept quite thin vs what is considered ideal...man I am going to die early
but my dogs will live decently long lives)
How hard do you have to press to feel them (when dekka or Zo are in agility weight you can feel most of their ribs too..but no spine) How is her coat, her energy etc etc? Some dogs are naturally thinner than others (not saying she doesn't need weight..but that maybe you don't need to be stressed about it) Also she will still be growing, so I wouldn't worry too much if she is otherwise in great health.
(interestingly studies have shown that mice, and other animals live much longer, healthier lives when kept quite thin vs what is considered ideal...man I am going to die early but my dogs will live decently long lives)
(interestingly studies have shown that mice, and other animals live much longer, healthier lives when kept quite thin vs what is considered ideal...man I am going to die early
but my dogs will live decently long lives)
Her coat has gotten a lot healthier in the past little while. Soft, smooth...
And her energy is that of what any puppy I have seen is. She's hyper, goofy, and always on the go! (okay, I lie, she's sleeping now)...
One of my former APBTs:
I can't tell you how many times I got a lecture from someone about how I'm starving my dog to death. This was a well-conditioned dog that was also a catch dog in training. He was fed a proper diet and an amount necessary to sustain his energy level and work output.
As for your dog, you do want to have a tuck in at the flanks. When looking from above, if your dog is a straight line on both sides with no indentation, then he/she is overweight. Same as if the dog has no tuck when looking from the side. People often forget that the fat we see on the outisde, doesn't compare to the fat on the inside....and too much internal fat can be fatal.
However, seeing ribs and vertebrae and hip points on a dog that has absolutely no muscle tone whatsoever (muscle atrophy) is a different story.
Here is a pic of my Shar Pei/Cane Corso mix. Notice the obvious tuck in on the sides:
I can't tell you how many times I got a lecture from someone about how I'm starving my dog to death.
This was a well-conditioned dog that was also a catch dog in training. He was fed a proper diet and an amount necessary to sustain his energy level and work output.As for your dog, you do want to have a tuck in at the flanks. When looking from above, if your dog is a straight line on both sides with no indentation, then he/she is overweight. Same as if the dog has no tuck when looking from the side. People often forget that the fat we see on the outisde, doesn't compare to the fat on the inside....and too much internal fat can be fatal.
However, seeing ribs and vertebrae and hip points on a dog that has absolutely no muscle tone whatsoever (muscle atrophy) is a different story.
Here is a pic of my Shar Pei/Cane Corso mix. Notice the obvious tuck in on the sides:
Miakoda that first pic is EXACTLY how I like to keep my dogs when competing (but you can't see the definition cause they are to hairy) That is a great pic of a fit dog well a bit blurry but you know what I mean . A fit dog's ribs will just cause the skin to ripple as they trot. Most of the ribs are covered my muscle not squishy fat. If you put your hands on a fit dog they feel 'hard' An under weight dog will feel toneless, unless it is a bag of bones.
. A fit dog's ribs will just cause the skin to ripple as they trot. Most of the ribs are covered my muscle not squishy fat. If you put your hands on a fit dog they feel 'hard' An under weight dog will feel toneless, unless it is a bag of bones.