I have an 11 week old GSD and he's enjoying Arden Grange puppy large breed food. I am feeding him 2 handfulls 3 times daily - dry - no added water. His weight as of yesterday was 5.2kg. I am unable to contact the breeder (on holiday) but seem to recall her saying feed 4 times daily and mix the food with water. Any advice please ... am I doing the right thing? He seems to be enjoying his food and of course given the chance would eat 100 times as much! Also, should I be feeding him anything else or providing any suplements of any sort. Any suggestions or advice would be very much appreciated.

i would still have him on 4 meals a day, soaked for about 10-15minutes before hand. with my pup i moved him onto 3 meals at 12-14 weeks, then onto 2 around 7months.
5.2KG sounds quite small, i cant remember what my gsds were at that age, but my ridgeback was 9.5 kg at 8 weeks when i got him.
shouldnt need any supplements added to food, its a completete diet. you can give him titbits for training etc, very small pieces, and i used to give my puppy bits of carrot to chew on several times a week for help with teething and the occ large bone to gnaw on.
good luck!

My breed is lighter built than your own but my puppy was on 4 meals a day for a looooong time just to keep up with his growth.  Have you been increasing the quantity of his meals also - he is now at a stage where fairly rapid growth takes over and this of course necessitates that he has sufficient food to provide for this. 

I'd suggest spreading his meals further apart so you can add an extra meal and when established gradually increase the quantity per portion, especially when dropping back down to 3 x daily :)

I don't feed only dry completes but a mixture of raw, moist (such as Nature Diet/N Harvest/N Menu) and also puppy kibble.

You should not need to supplement a complete diet :)

HTH, Teri

Just to echo what others have said -weight seems VERY low. My breed Malinois is like a lean GSD (adult weight 20-27 kg roughly so quite a lot less than a GSD) and at 8 weeks of age I'd expect a pup to weigh 7 or 8 kgs at least.

Thank you all very much. I will increase to 4 times daily from today.

My GSD would still be on four feeds a day at eleven weeks.
I,d feed a good quality dry food as you are doing soaked in hot water and allowed to cool add a little cooked mince or cooked white fish if you want to but not essential as the food you are feeding is a very good one.
I make one of the meals usually the supper one a milky porridge or egg meal and gradually increase the amount of the other three meals then space out the three meals before dropping the supper one.
Then by the time they get out of puppy about twelve months old they are in two meals a day and stay on two for ever always soaked before feeding to help reduce the risk of their stomach bloating.
Arden Grange have a feeding guide pn the back of the bag and if you have any questions they are very good on their helpline they are GSD people who manufacture it and are always helpful.

5.2 seems very light at that age for a GSD, but if you are going to increase his food DON'T suddenly double it, do it slowly.

I got my GSD at 13 weeks and he weighed just over 14kg, he was on 4 feeds of about 100g puppy kibble and about 1-2 dessert spns of butchers tripe just as an incentive to eat, he lost interest in the 3rd feed  after a few weeks so I spread the qty into the other feeds. at this age he was gaining about 1 - 1.5kg per week and always looked good but lean. He is now nearly 14 mths and is about 39kg, he is on 2 feeds daily ( lunch time & early evening) and will stay on 2 for the rest of his natural.
Chris

Just checked back on my lots vets cards and the smallest shep weighed in at 7.6 kgs at 8 weeks old so yes the weight does seem very low. I would also be giving 4 meals per day soaked in some water, go by the feeding amount on the bag for rough guide. Good luck with your pup x

> I am feeding him 2 handfulls 3 times daily - dry - no added water. His weight as of yesterday was 5.2kg

You need to either get a measuring cup or weigh the food accurately & feed @ least 4 times a day, you may need to feed him more meals but of smaller amounts to gradually increase his weight. I would have a word with AG helpline(they are owned by GSD people) as he does seems very unweight.

I rescued 3 GSD bitches aged 8 weeks many many years ago & they were literally skin & bone & they weighed half what your dog does & a 1/3 of what I would have expected @ 8 weeks(ie 7kg or about a stone in old money)so your puppy weighs less than my small Cavalier who weighs 7 kg !

With each reply I receive I'm becoming more and more concerned. He was approching 9 weeks when collected from breeder and is a long coat (very fluffy and looks a good size) and though he did feel on the thin side he didn't seem especially under weight, but going off what others are saying here I'm now very worried indeed. I have taken on board all the suggestions, am following advice and thank all of you for all your comments and suggestions. He's actually 11 weeks old today and was weighed by the vet yesterday whilst attending for his 2nd jab. He's also being wormed by the book! Just hope he progresses properly from here on. Thanks again.

> With each reply I receive I'm becoming more and more concerned.

My Mastiff puppy weighed only 10KG at 11 weeks old, a lot less than he 'should' have, according to the weight chart I had from the vet he was in the middle range of a large breed - not a giant breed, but he was a good weight for his build and at 13 months old was 68KG - in the 'right' weight range for his breed & age- his lower starting weight has not impared his (growth).

did the vet mention his weight at all? i know all puppies develop at different rates so please dont think we are trying to worry you, its just something to be aware of. i would maybe phone and voice your concern to your vet and maybe get him back next week for a weigh in. on the other hand, make sure the scales are working, i work in a vets and the cat ward scales started playing up, and added about 2kg onto each weight, took me a few cats to notice! haha, just thought we had had a lot of fatties in, so maybe just double check.
my gsds are long coats, and as i said before i cant remember their puppy weights (my mum has vacc cards) they were def bigger than that weight, and as adults weigh in at 40 and 43 kgs respectively.
keep us posted.

At 9 weeks my pups weigh in at 9 kilos i to am feeding mine arden grange large breed with a little minced lamb i am feeding 4 small meals a day at about 30 grams per pup per meal.

It is true some breeds and lines of a breed will mature and grow at different rates.
My friend got her GSD at 7 weeks and he weighed in at 5kg. He is by no means a big boy even now at 16 months old. Though he still has growing to do. I don't know her lines or your lines but some can take a long time to mature.

I would check with the vets when you go back for your 2nd jab, though i'm sure if they were concerned they would of mentioned it.

I would heed advice from other GSD owners on here and also contact AG direct as well. They breed and show their GSD. Was in there head office a few months ago and people were coming in to view their pups.
They are very friendly and helpful in there and one of my Bernese friends works there as well. Can't wait to see her new pup, just picked her up from the breeder last weekend.

Thanks all ... well I've increased his feeds - and am hoping all works out. The 5.2kg weight was registered at time of 2nd jab. Vet seemed shocked at weight but only in relation to his appearance - he looks bigger! Just need to work on his nipping me and constant attempts to chew my clothes whilst I'm wearing them! Am starting puppy classes a week on Monday and hope these may help me control him. When he's not nipping and having mad 30 minute episodes, he's well behaved  in every other respect. Could anyone advise when teething problems really kick in? Could his obsessive chewing (of me) be teething? I do all I can to deter him during these episodes - he sleeps in a crate at night and didn't want to put him in there as a punishment, want him to perceive his crate as a good place to be.

Long coated Shepherd puppies can look deceptively heavier than they actually are especially if they have a really heavy or fluffy looking coat.
Have you had a good feel of him he should feel quite plump still at this age
I don,t like to feel ribs on a puppy  I prefer them to be well covered in case of any illness so that they have reserves to fall back on.
Your vet doesn,t seem unduly worried and you,ve already said his worming programme is up to date so I,m thinking if you increase his food and have a chat with Arden Grange he,ll do fine.
Try not to worry to much and good luck with him.

re chewing, keep a bunch of 'yes chew this' stuff around and every time he tries to gnaw you, a quick 'aaah' or 'no' and give him a 'yes' item and tell him 'good boy'
worked with my hairy hooligan so its got a chance :-)
Chris

Hi JP,

Yes, I second what everyone else has said in the respect that he does seem light for his age and that a fluffy coat will make them seem a lot heavier than they are. However if he is running around and is playful then I wouldn't worry about him too much. As other posters have said, increase his food gradually and do feed four times per day. A/G have a lovely nutritionist by the name of Vanessa and she will be able to offer superb advice on the food and amount to feed him. I have GSD's and feed them on the A/G too. My youngest is nearly 6 months and he loves the food and has always licked his bowl clean and looks for more afterwards. I would always mix with water at this age as it is easier for them to eat. I wouldn't say your pup is teething at this age, I think it is usually around four months. My pup has only just finished losing his baby teeth. With mine, I leave plenty of toys throughout the house to keep their interest ranging from nylabones to squeaky toys etc. Some pups can be aggressive chewers so when buying the nylabones I always buy the largest size possible. But keep checking the toys intermittently for signs of wear and throw them away and replace them with new when they are starting to wear. Touch wood my pup has not chewed anything that he shouldnt as there is plenty to keep him occupied as well as my other 2 dogs. Try not to worry too much though. It's hard when they are so young as you want to do the best you can for them and it is easy to worry, but with increasing the food gradually he will soon put on a bit of weight. Let us know how you get on.

Thanks again for all your excellent help. Yes chews are a godsend and he does have plenty. Thank goodness for this site and all the priceless help you have all given. I did contact AG and as many of you rightly pointed out, their detailed advice was excellent. I am begining to feel much happier re his diet, he certainly loves his food, is full of energy and is learning at the speed of light! I'm now enjoying the 5th consecutive day of him being 100% clean in the house, he sits when told and is walking well on his lead around the garden etc. His thick and fluffy coat certainly hides a thin frame and with hindsight I feel quite angry with myself and the breeder. Myself for not detecting this prior to collecting buying him and thereafter collecting him from the breeder and towards the breeder for not ensuring he ate properly. I adore him and would not swap him for the world.

> with hindsight I feel quite angry with myself and the breeder. Myself for not detecting this prior to collecting buying him and thereafter collecting him from the breeder and towards the breeder for not ensuring he ate properly.

Being the owner of a puppy is a bit like being a parent - there are all sorts of things to beat yourself up about :)

You sound very sensible though and you've had some great advice and it would seem there is no harm done.  AG are great aren't they, we've been really pleased with them and our dogs love their Lamb & Rice?  Can I give you 2 bits of advice?

One - make sure you weigh each portion of food.  I think in your first post you mentioned that the breeder told you to feed 4 times a day and that you were only feeding 3 times.  That's quite a difference, particularly when measured in handfuls.  If you weighed 10 handfuls for instance you'll probably find the weights vary quite a lot which can have quite an impact on a growing puppy.  I made small adjustments on a regular basis when my pup was your age and just a few grammes per meal can make the difference between ribby and roly - it's a bit of a balancing act!!

Two - stay friends with your breeder, however annoyed you may feel about their feeding regime or lack of advice.  CD is littered with posts about people who've fallen out with the breeder and experienced problems later with endorsements, late registrations etc.   There will be plenty of times over the next few months that you may need or want their advice so I'd suggest caution.

Finally, I know it's not quite the same but one of my dogs is a mongrel of very mixed parentage - his coat hides a very skinny boy - and people are always shocked at how light he is.  I know you have others in your breed you can compare against but even when your boy has filled out a bit he may just be lighter than most.  Good luck with him, it sounds as if you and your dog have made a perfect match. xx

Don't beat yourself up about him. It is clear from your post how much you love him. If he is your first GSD then you would not have any experience in weights as a pup etc. Owning a dog I think is always a learning curve. We learn more and more about them each day and get to read their expressions and funny quirks and vice versa. Its all the joys of owning a pup.

It sounds like you are doing fabulously that he is clean for the 5th day. Thats brilliant. And it shows you are spending lots of quality time with him in training him so well already. Its amazing how much love they give and how much joy they can bring. Like you, I could never be without my 3 either.

I am pleased that you feel much happier with his diet and that you found their nutritionist helpful. Are you going to enrol him in puppy classes once he is old enough? With GSD's it's a good idea to socialise them as early on as you possibly can with different positive experiences. Puppy classes will help with socialisation with other dogs.

I agree that owning dogs is a learning curve, no matter how many you have, you continue learning from them, they are all so different! I find my long coats more difficult to assess with weight as you have to go by how they "feel", its not so obvious as to their condition by looking at them.  I am sure you will do just great with him, you have the right approach. 

I have never encountered such a lovely group of people! Thank you all. Must be something to do with being animal lovers! Yes, as mentioned I have learnt a lot and yes we are starting puppy classes next Monday. I am so pleased to have been given so much good advice from you all, and he is enjoying 4 measured meals a day and appears to be growing by the hour. He is still clean in tyhe house, I think today is his 8th consecutive day! I work from home and as you would imagine given the present state of the housing market, I have plenty time on my hands due to being an estate agent! Good tip for any other novice, long coat GSD buyer is to have a good feel of the pups frame as opposed to judging by the plump appearance. I did hold him but was so taken by him didn't think to examine him closely. Stupid of me really.On the other hand, had I detected that he was underweight from the outset I may have thought twice about having him so fortunately I'm glad I was daft!
Thank you all again.

hi jp ive been reading all posts and im so glad hes doing well now ,we have a gsd med coat , she is 19months and its not till now that shes started filling out ,our vet said it was good to keep her on the lean side so as she grow her bones dont take to much strane , but she did have good amount of fat over ribs xx
:) joanne

Thanks Joanne, this lttle guy hasn't got much in the way of rib padding -  but is definitely improving. Such a shame, can't understand why the breeder didn't ensure he was eating. Certainly not a case of him being a poor eater, he's eaten enthusistically from day one so it would seem that they must have been doing something wrong. Going to take him for a short walk around the local lake now! Thanks, Jan

bless him !!! i wonder if he was pushed out by the stronger ones in the litter ? if thay didnt watch them eating thay wouldnt know ,every1 that breeds should watch there pups eating to see what intake thay are having ....so sad ,but hes got a good home now :) and its not going to be long before hes a good weight with the sounds of it !!x x x x;)