• Houston

    So I just read another thread about heavy B's and weight. I have a similar question regarding my almost 8 mo old Otis ( will be 8 mo on Sept 5th). He weighs 25 lbs and he measures right over 17" tall. I posted a picture taken last week as help. Is he a little chunky or should I let him be this weight seeing that he is still a puppy? He is fed a raw diet.


  • He looks OK from the side angle. Does he have a waist when you look down at him?

  • Houston

    Yes he does, if I look at him his ribcage area is larger than his stomach area..= waist right?


  • @Basenjimamma:

    Yes he does, if I look at him his ribcage area is larger than his stomach area..= waist right?

    Correct. So after all that bacon he's still in shape! 😃

  • Houston

    oh and this morning he "stole/borrowed" half a stick of butter from the counter when I was making pancakes for the kiddos…he did share it though with our other dogs..lol.
    I swear it sounds like I am the biggest id--t, but I can not believe how fast and quiet he is when he is in "borrowing mode", I was right there and he still managed to get it, right in front of my eyes..and then he runs..fast to get away..If I catch up with him he will let go of the goods, but only if I am right there.. He even had a chicken by the neck two days ago, not hard, only tight enough to keep it from escaping, but once I got there, screaming like a complete id--t he let go once I had the chicken in my hands.
    FYI ,no chickens were harmed during this stunt.


  • @Basenjimamma:

    oh and this morning he "stole/borrowed" half a stick of butter from the counter when I was making pancakes for the kiddos…he did share it though with our other dogs..lol.

    Oh my God!! LOL!!! That brindle beast is going to get pancreatitis from all that fat.


  • See, to me he looks a little heavy (sorry :o). But maybe he just has a thicker body than what I'm used to seeing.

    My pup is 8 months old but doesn't really carry any extra puppy weight at this stage.

    I've attached pics of my girl Ruby (Aaliyah's on the road or else I would take some pics of her with my phone). She is on the lean side, but the pic that is from the side was while she was walking (you see some ribs and clear tuck up). The other pic shows what is meant by a waist - note the difference in the rib width to the rest of her hind quarters. If you look down from above, there is a clear waist.

    With my pup Aaliyah, she still has a very clear waist. And you definitely see her ribs when she moves.

    Just my .02. I'm sure others will pipe in.
    attachment_p_83123_0_dsc_0025.jpg
    attachment_p_83123_1_dsc_0041.jpg

  • Houston

    I appreciate that Renault1, he used to be leaner a month or two ago, but I think since it has been so hot, none of the dogs have been running as usual, so therefor he has gotten larger. I will try to get him down a little bit since I like the leaner look as well, but the main thing for me is that he is healthy. Is 8 mo considered adulthood?, What I mean is does he not need the puppy chub anymore? He is definitely a large B, I have only seen a handful, those all being adult dogs. He has been as large if not larger then most of them, in height that is.


  • No, 8 mo. definitely isn't adulthood.

    I was always told from day 1 of bringing Aaliyah home (from my breeder and from the breeders on here when I posted the question) that I shouldn't let my pup be rolly, polly - they need a little extra weight when they are very young (in case they get sick), but generally you measure their weight the same way - by being able to find the ribs when you feel for them.

    But back to the 8 mo. age, Liyah's body is starting to look like an adult now, and her breeder thinks she is the perfect weight for her size, and although she isn't as lean as my adults, she definitely has clear waist definition, clear tuck-up and you can find her ribs easily - but again, Liyah is being shown.

    Hopefully Pat, Lisa or Andrea will see this thread and chime in…they know a lot more about it than I do - especially from a breeder standpoint.


  • Take a pic of Otis from the top and let's have a look.


  • Oh, and also, I'm not really used to seeing bigger b's - I've seen a couple, but they are show dogs…so Otis could just have a different body type and bigger bones than what I'm used to seeing. IDK. 😉

  • Houston

    Thanks all, I will take a pic from above and post as soon as I can..later, the pool is calling and my kids are screaming..nice right?


  • For a dog that eats cinnamon rolls, bacon and butter he looks pretty good. LOL

  • Houston

    Just realized that our camera is in my hubby's car so I have to take pics later today..

    but yes, doesn't he look good for being a junkie..LOL


  • I would agree that he looks a bit overweight. There is no "tuckup" (underline) from the ribcage through the loins.

    While 8 months is not fully mature, it is usually the age that you should have basic body structure with "waist" and "tuck up"…

    Renaultf1 is spot on with her descriptions and I would agree that her pup is a bit to the lean side right now... but you see what we are talking about with the waist.

  • Houston

    I feel his ribs easily, right under the skin, but I too thinks he should be a little leaner..


  • It's all that people food he's stealing! LOL


  • @Basenjimamma:

    oh and this morning he "stole/borrowed" half a stick of butter from the counter when I was making pancakes for the kiddos…he did share it though with our other dogs..lol.
    I swear it sounds like I am the biggest id--t, but I can not believe how fast and quiet he is when he is in "borrowing mode", I was right there and he still managed to get it, right in front of my eyes..and then he runs..fast to get away..If I catch up with him he will let go of the goods, but only if I am right there.. He even had a chicken by the neck two days ago, not hard, only tight enough to keep it from escaping, but once I got there, screaming like a complete id--t he let go once I had the chicken in my hands.
    FYI ,no chickens were harmed during this stunt.

    Oh they are sneaky.

    I was getting out of bed the other morning and Kananga was over by my nightstand. I turned away for a second, looked back and he was gone. I thought "Did he go under the bed?" because I never saw him run past me.

    I look over at the door after looking under the bed and I see him sitting there with a smirk on his face, probably thinking "What are you doing?".


  • @renaultf1:

    No, 8 mo. definitely isn't adulthood.

    I was always told from day 1 of bringing Aaliyah home (from my breeder and from the breeders on here when I posted the question) that I shouldn't let my pup be rolly, polly - they need a little extra weight when they are very young (in case they get sick), but generally you measure their weight the same way - by being able to find the ribs when you feel for them.

    But back to the 8 mo. age, Liyah's body is starting to look like an adult now, and her breeder thinks she is the perfect weight for her size, and although she isn't as lean as my adults, she definitely has clear waist definition, clear tuck-up and you can find her ribs easily - but again, Liyah is being shown.

    Hopefully Pat, Lisa or Andrea will see this thread and chime in…they know a lot more about it than I do - especially from a breeder standpoint.

    If Liyah is anything like Zoni, she may gain a little weight when she comes into season. I've been trying like heck to get the extra weight off of her.


  • I would not go by weight as to being "too heavy" nor comparing to other Bs.

    IMO he is a very heavy-boned dog [i.e., lots of substance] and he could lose a hair of weight, but not too much… and hopefully it would leave his waist. Everywhere lese loose fine to me.

    Don't compare him to Aaliyah as she does not have a lot of substance, so you wouldn't want to compare a dog with lots of substance to her. IT is apples and oranges.

    If you see a waist from above, he should be fine. If you are going to course him, you'll want to be keeping him a bit more on the lean side, as it isn't fair to run him with extra weight on his body.

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