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Post by junosbionictale on Feb 20, 2013 20:47:59 GMT -5
Okay, here's one for everyone, and hopefully after my treat thread no one is jumping to conclusions about Juno, but I have a question about dobes and weight.
When we first got Juno she was just finished weaning a litter (R) and she was a little underweight and such from the whole process... She has gradually filled back out since then, but I was wondering, and I have followed the discussions here about weight.
What is a good weight for a dobe. I know it depends on the specific dog and their build, but are there any visual indicators on when a dog is getting past optimum weight. I was always told, maybe rightly or wrongly that you should be able to see the ribs on a dobe and when you can't then they are overweight. Another thing I was told was that when they sit where the back leg joins the haunch there shouldn't be any roll there, just skin. if there is a roll no matter how small they are getting overweight. Is there any truth to either of these. I always went by the rib one with Isi, but that meant that she had a slight roll when she sat, the vet always said Isi was a good weight and she says the same about Juno, but Isi wasn't as large a dog as Juno and I'm just not sure. Is there anything set out in the standards that helps? Does a dog being shown have a different weight situation? Are they the anorexic models of the dog world? I just don't know.
Juno is around 74 lbs now. Monica could probably tell me from owning her and showing her if that is good, but there must be a quick and easy way to look at a dobe and say that dobe is carrying too much weight. I have also heard, and this might be a different question completely, that it is better for a dobe in winters like ours to carry just a little extra to help keep them warm if you don't put a coat on them every time they are out, which with Juno I don't always do.
So fellow doberman owners what do you think?
Martin
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Post by Lisa on Feb 20, 2013 21:07:22 GMT -5
Martin if Juno is 74 lbs and 26 1/2"tall and her bone is not fine she is totally normal. Asha is 76lbs and she is a bit taller... approx. 27" - 27 1/4" I am trying to keep my dogs as point #3. Ribs are not seen but easily felt. I can see their ribs when they are playing and don't allow any fat over the ribs. Dobermans should have waist and tuck-up. Here are some pictures that may help you to determine if a dog is overweight
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Post by Lisa on Feb 20, 2013 21:26:20 GMT -5
Gino and Asha When they stand still ...and in movement. You can see muscles and not much fat.
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Post by Andreina on Feb 20, 2013 22:55:02 GMT -5
Hey Martin. I can easily tell by Scarlet's "roll" on her hips when she sits if she's gained a few.... This is usually when she is around her heat cycle though and It drops back off when she is done... Mainly I can tell by her tuck up, hips, and her butt. She gained a few too many last year, and had some "dimples" just above her tail... Her weight sits usually at 67-ish, even 3 pounds more can make her look like a chunky monkey! As for showing, we would carefully watched her the week or so before she had a show... No extra treats and careful measuring food portions out. Just making sure she was not going to gain anywhere and would look her best!
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Post by dobermoms on Feb 20, 2013 23:40:09 GMT -5
Martin, you remember seeing Kazi when she was around 88lb mark....she was a little "chunky"....now, you will be impressed with her "svelte" body. On Kazi, she had a little sausage roll when she sat down. Now, she has a waist, has slimmed down her sausage roll, and just generally looks good. There are no ribs showing, but she also doesn't look overweight.
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Post by ladydon on Feb 22, 2013 0:24:38 GMT -5
Talk about definition with Asha and Gino. Not to say Diesel is fat but Diesel did gain a few inches when Monica saw him last. I've brought his food down to 5 cups but he's so damn active...he can eat for days! LOL.
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Post by Lisa on Feb 23, 2013 23:20:29 GMT -5
I have never looked at "roll" at hips before. Asha has a skin hanging when she sits. Is it OK?
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Post by dobermoms on Feb 24, 2013 0:10:37 GMT -5
Asha looks perfect! I wouldn't worry about her weight.....
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Post by junosbionictale on Feb 24, 2013 0:18:03 GMT -5
I have never looked at "roll" at hips before. Asha has a skin hanging when she sits. Is it OK? My question exactly I think. I would say Asha and Gino to me look the way a "fit" dobe should look. I have never owned a bred dobe before and Juno is not tight up underneath like Asha in your photo, I don't even know if she can be after breeding, but I believe she should be so I am leaning towards her being overweight / under exercised something. Isi who died a year ago today, has been on my mind a lot, and she had a roll of skin when she sat, but our vet always said she felt Isi was in good shape. I want to make sure with Juno I keep her at a good weight, as she doesn't get the exercise Isi did because her playmate Sophie is now 14 years old. And until the baby is older and able to handle the cold days the kinds of run free in the crown land walks I used to do with Isi can't really happen. I do not remember who it was or where it was that I heard that at roll at the haunches when a Dobe or Rotty sits indicates the dog is overweight. That's why I asked if anyone knew if it was true or a myth. I think I am feeding Juno too much and need to cut back as she is not active enough. (entirely my fault not hers she tries to play with Sophie when she is out but Sophie refuses and goes in) On weekends she gets a long walk and most weekdays, not all, I also take her, but she is on leash and doesn't run free, partly because I don't want her to blow a knee and mostly because it isn't allowed. I think Asha and Gino are beautiful and in great shape. I would just like to do right by Juno. Martin
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Post by Lisa on Feb 24, 2013 10:20:06 GMT -5
I am watching Gino closely. He is not far from being a bit overweight. Asha is a pistol. I doubt she has any risk to gain weight. Females that had babies don't have a perfect tuck-up. Don't worry about it. Do you want Juno to earn for her food? Buy treat balls and fill it with her kibble. That's a good exercise. Gino and Asha have three treat balls. They love to roll it! Here are balls that so popular in our house: Green ball is good for kibble leerburg.com/Photos/FunBall_004.jpgEarth ball similar to one in the picture but different shape is their favorite. I use larger treats to fill it. www.bigappleherp.com/core/media/media.nl?id=5714&c=583636&h=252d0ea0306485ad5daaThe ball our dog walker brought for Gino's birthday. I don't see treats coming out. So my dogs are bit confused with a ball. Maybe I should find smaller pieces. ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/312w8VJGPkL._SY300_.jpg
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Post by dobermoms on Feb 24, 2013 20:22:41 GMT -5
Martin, have you spoken to Monica about your questions? How much are you feeding Juno daily? Kazi is on a 4 1/2 cup per day limit. She is 1/2 & 1/2 Acana's Lean and Light, and Chicken and Burbank Potato. It has helped her to lose 4-5 lbs safely, while not decreasing her food intake.
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Post by junosbionictale on Feb 25, 2013 23:21:58 GMT -5
Hey Lisa thanks for the links. Juno has destroyed all of Isi's old treat balls. Isi used to love them and we had plenty originally. I stopped buying them because Juno chews them to pieces and I am afraid she will either swallow some, or the baby will swallow a piece that somehow gets left on the floor, heck I am afraid he'd take the piece right out of her mouth, he's that kind of baby and she's that kind of dog. I had bought an oddly bone shaped made in China no name food dispensing toy on clearance at petsmart for cheap which she initially loved and didn't chew up, but then one day she pulled it off the shelf and destroyed the rubber end ... should have bought all 3 they had at the time I haven't seen one since. Good to know about the tuck up, because when I look at the beautiful photos of Asha and Gino I always think to myself why doesn't Juno look like that. Barb and Kerrie I feed Juno 3 - 3 1/2 cups of Chicken and Burbank Potato a day. My wife throws in the uneaten bits of apple and toast from our baby every day and once in a while (every two weeks or so, when the eggs get close to the due date) will cook an egg to share between Sophie and Juno. I have a littany of questions for Monica when I see her next, was hoping that would have been family day, it is not that I don't trust my vet, I do, but Monica knows Juno's health and history better and some of my questions are specific to Juno, Monica's advice could be vastly different from what my vet's might be or exactly the same. I was just wondering if there is any validity to the ideas in my original post about idicators for weight. Lisa's body chart is great, but I was wondering if there is anything specific for dobes any quick look fors that say the dog is carrying too much weight. Martin
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Post by dobermoms on Feb 26, 2013 6:24:01 GMT -5
I was watching Kazi on Sunday, and when she was standing...breathing in and out, I could see the outline of her ribs on her side while standing just off to the side but in front of her. And I said "just". She is at a great weight now....and it's from mixing her origiinal kibble ( chicken and burbank ) with the lite and lean.
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Post by Lisa on Feb 28, 2013 20:38:14 GMT -5
Hey Lisa thanks for the links. Juno has destroyed all of Isi's old treat balls. Isi used to love them and we had plenty originally. I stopped buying them because Juno chews them to pieces and I am afraid she will either swallow some, or the baby will swallow a piece that somehow gets left on the floor, heck I am afraid he'd take the piece right out of her mouth, he's that kind of baby and she's that kind of dog.... Martin you may try everlasting fun ball. Asha is like her mom Juno. She is a strong chewer but she can not destroy the ball I talked to many Doberman owners who had experience with the ball and never heard it was destroyed. It's soft and not really chewable.
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Post by junosbionictale on Mar 1, 2013 20:38:24 GMT -5
Thanks Lisa, I will look into that and see if someone locally sells them...I have my doubts though Juno continues to surprise me, if I don't watch even for a second she will "cut" a hole with her back teeth... On a completely unrelated topic I bought her a Jolly Ball last week, because everyone here has had great sucess with them as toys that their dobes can't destroy. Juno couldn't care less about it...the baby, on the other hand, loves playing with it! It's now his second favourite toy...you snooze you loose Juno! Martin
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