I'm feeding my 2 young Shelties (6 and 7 months) on the same food that the breeder was giving them, a mixture of Pedigree Complete and tinned mainly because I've not had a single bad tummy and they like it. The thing is it's difficult to gauge if I'm giving enough because the bags of complete show food amounts for the eventual adult weight, I can choose between 5kg or 10kg. I think adult weight for a female Sheltie should be somewhere around 6 to 8kg (please advise if I'm wrong).  So I am feeding 100grams of dry and 75 grams of wet split into 2 meals a day, they are extremely active, bright eyed and responsive, but I can feel spine and ribs and a hint of hip. Am I starving the poor b****rs, I didn't have this concern with my older Sheltie, she always had a small appetite and was not as manic as these two.

I ignore the bag and feed what the dog needs to have a thin covering of fat but still able to feel ribs, some tuck at the waist - basically lean but not skinny - I go by eye and feel and adjust accordingly. :-) I'm afraid I can't help you re weights of Shelties.

same here i go by how there ribs feel and a small tuck in at the waist ,but i do like smaller breed of pups to have a good amount of fat on the ribs just incase of any sickness ,(its harder to have a large breed pup on the fatter side because of hips ) just my op x :)

Hi Nicola,

if stools are firm and regular and you're concerned they are a little too lightly covered then perhaps add either a small extra meal per day or a little extra to each portion - but not too much more, in case excess food causes soft/more frequent stools

Weights for Shelties are outwith my remit and in any event bone / substance etc will vary.  As mentioned by another poster, feeding guidelines are only that - just tweak things slightly and see if it makes a difference and don't concentrate to much on scales - for dogs or food ;)

HTH, Teri

Thanks girls

As the stools are fine, formed and regular (and tasty too as one of them likes to eat them :), and they both have nice little muscles around fore and hind quarters with a little fat covering I reckon they are OK then, but I shall do as you suggest and add a tough more to each meal.