My youngest bitch will be 1 year old at the end of next month and I'm concerned about her general size amongst other things.

Just a little background:
She is from a litter of two and I took mum and pups on at the age of 2 weeks. The owner was diagnosed as terminally ill and found homes for all her animals. I knew her through my boy's breeder. I never met dad but from pictures and pedigree, I can gauge that he was a good size and weight. Looking online, I have checked out ancestors and they too seem similar in height and weight.

Mum is an average sized bitch and has perfect health tests.

The other pup in the litter was a male. Having seen him 2 weeks ago, he is atleast 26 inches at the whithers and weighing in at 32kgs. He was homed at 8 weeks old and at a 2kg disadvantage to his sister. She was always hefty, first to the teat and i had to feed them separately from weaning because she had it all. I know bitches are usually smaller but this just doesn't feel right.

Now, she is barely 22 inches at the whithers and not food interested. The vet isn't concerned because she has gained weight steadily and gained 4 kgs in 3 months but I'm not convinced. She hasn't had a season yet either - definitely not a silent one as my boy would have still shown interest.

I think her coat is coarse as a result and her temperament is varied. Usually untrusting when outside. We are working on this and she is doing the good citizen scheme to help her confidence.  She was weaned on arden grange and now eats millies wolfheart.

My other bitch is taller but built like the pup's mum. I just can't put my finger on it. Is there anything I can do?

There could be smaller dogs in the background etc. I have 3 Malinois litter sisters. Two are greedy and medium size and weigh in at around 24 kilos both. The third is MUCH smaller, weighs 17 kilos, is very fine boned, totally different type and different temperament, and is very picky with food indeed. There's nothing wrong with her, she's just ended up with different genetics to her sisters. The sire was a total outcross (import) and often you then get a much wider variation in type etc than when you mate together individuals with some common background.

My youngest champion bitch is just on standard for size.  She was one of the largest pups in a litter that I have reared.

Her double grandmother is built like a Brick outhouse, and one of her grandfathers was inclined to produce tall, so I expected to get size.

She is not much bigger than her great grandmother though has more bone.

You are bound to find some smaller specimens back in the pedigree to account for her size, which is still, within acceptable range.

(UK breed standard:  Size: Ideal height (from withers and just touching elbows): dogs: 63 cms (25 ins); bitches: 58 cms (23 ins). 2.5 cms (1 in) either above or below ideal permissible.)

Also at only a year old I would expect her to grow on some more for at least another 6 months if not a year were she of my won breed which is smaller.

My own bitches have usually come in season at 8 - 10 months, but my youngest was over 11 months, and there is a lot of variation even within the same litter.

if there are other symptoms such as poor coat and lack of appetite I would be wanting the vet to run bloods to check for any irregularities. 22inches is just about within standard (lower size 23 but allowing 1 inch either way)and at 1 year and not yet having had a season she may well still  have some growing to do. I bred GSD's years ago and would not consider 1 yr late for a first season. I would expect her to grow untill she has had her first season so she may go another 1/2 inch yet.
Aileen

I too, would expect her to grow until she had her first season, and also she will fill out/muscle up as she gets older, which could also add a little to her height  :-)

Regarding her coat, the breed standard on the KC website says :-

"Outer coat consisting of straight, hard, close-lying hair as dense as possible; thick undercoat. Hair on head, ears, front of legs, paws and toes short; on back, longer and thicker; in some males forming slight ruff. Hair longer on back of legs as far down as pasterns and stifles and forming fairly thick trousers on hindquarters. No hard and fast rule for length of hair; mole-type coats undesirable."

One person's hard, close lying and dense is another person's coarse coat ;-)

Thank you for the reassurance.  To be honest, when she stands next to mum she looks smaller. Its more the comments of others that make me second guess myself. I know they start to fill out once they reach a year and 6 months and that she is still in her leggy stage but her petiteness makes me worry over her seasons and her growth mentally as well as physically. She seems to be becoming more and more like a child with adhd and slower to learn than other girls I have come across.

Well I think your expecting a bit much, :) I certainly consider them puppies until two years of age.  Of course she should look small and immature next to her mother.  the fact she hasn't had a season yets shows she has still not finished growing physically as puberty signals growth plates to close.

My two youngest, now almost two (who has just chewed the rubber head off the doorstop), would fit the ADHD moniker,  and her cousin just over three was more so, but has calmed and grown up a lot (she had a litter in September at 2yrs 8 months on her 4th season).

I repeat my breed is of smaller size (only 20kg as adult bitches, and when hip scored my well grown youngster weighed in at just over 17kg.  My smallest bitch at present was only 18kg before her first litter, but at nearly six has filled out and got more substance, even though I make sure she doesn't get fat.

Its more the comments of others that make me second guess myself

Well, unless those 'others' have extensive knowledge of the lines your girls come from, and their development, in addition to gsd's,  and dogs/bitches in general, I wouldn't be listening to them ;-)

Much of your bitches behaviour could be down to approaching puberty.   I normally see behavioural changes months before I see any signs of a first season ;-)     Although a much smaller breed,  non eof mine have had a first season before about 9 months.

I guess they are what they are, depends on their lines.  If I stand my 1 year old silver sable GSD next to my 7 year old they could be different breeds! The young one is at present a lot smaller and finer all through and because of her breeding (outcrossed) and has a lot more drive so I don't think she'll ever carry any weight despite her healthy appetite. She's just had her first season.

Thanks guys.

I guess I just needed reassurance.  She's perfectly healthy, just smaller and deinty and a little bit potty. I am hoping she will continue to grow and eventually fill out as most gsds do after 18 months or so. As for her season.... will keep an eye on her and fingers crossed. That said, she has been enrolled into an evening class course and this (as usually is the case) should bring her in!