I have a GSD bitch and a boerboel dog, both just over 3 months old, the boerboel eats at least
3 times as fast as the GSD does, and he's ready to have more like most other dogs
I suppose.
I haven't really been concerned about it, since he's always been this way, well the last 7
weeks I've had him anyway.
Its just that when he eats you see the back half of his body shrink, while he vacuums
everything in his bowl, whatever fell out of the bowl, he then licks the bowl clean,
and sits still watching and waiting for the GSD to finish in case there's some left over, even though
I don't allow him to eat from her bowl, especially since in the beginning he'd eat her food if she took her
eye off it, but I do take whatever she hasn't eaten occasionaly and move it to his bowl, its never much,
but I guess thats what he waits for.

Am I feeding him too little, I can see his ribs, but he's definately not skinny, but neither fat,
I picked him up at 7 weeks old weighing 3.5kg's, its 7 weeks later and yesterday he weighed in
at 15.6 kg's.

Hi

This might sound daft but does he need wormed or do you think he is being over exercised!!

Hope this helps

Hi Embo
he's regularly de-wormed, only the vets stuff so I assume its good,
and he's not nearly as energetic as my GSD,
so while they both have the run of the property all day, nights excluded,
he shouldn't be over-exercised, since he tells the GSD off once in a while so he can sleep.
he's due back at the vet tomorrow for another de-wormer and vacc so I'll see after that.
then again he's been this way since I bought him, and I've just found out his weight is perfectly normal
for his age, in fact 22kg's for that age is not unheard of, provided he doesn't pick up
excess fat I'll feed him a little more and take it from there.

As he is one of the larger breeds it is probably better, healthwise, for him to grow slowly and steadily rather than put on a lot of weight at once

How many times a day do you feed him? Perhaps you should split his meals up more? Having said, that I have a bitch (much smaller breed) who always eats as you describe! some dogs just have no manners!

Mmmmmm,

Split his meals up into smaller portions, and my other idea, dont feed him in front of your other dog. Less competition, since from what you describe, he is scarfing down his own in the hopes of getting extras, so id probably stop letting him do that.

Does the breed carry the risk of bloat at all? If so id definately stop him doing it.

His weight/condition sounds good though, from your description, so he is probably getting enough, he just enjoys eating!

Em

>How many times a day do you feed him?

thrice

>Perhaps you should split his meals up more?
>Split his meals up into smaller portions

I could try that

>dont feed him in front of your other dog. Less competition

makes sense, I could do that as well, or maybe just stop him getting anything at all
after she's eaten, even if she hasn't finished, that way he'll grow up
knowing he gets what I put in his bowl and thats it.

thanks for the input, he was at the vet again this weekend, and the vet thinks he's in great shape,
so I'll continue feeding the same amounts, increasing slowly to compensate for growth,
and consider splitting meals up to 4 or 5

hope it goes well...

I had to stop the gobbling of food as i changed to feeding a raw diet. Kibble doesnt pose that much of a risk when practically inhaled in a dogs usual 'swallow without chewing' method of eating, however chicken wings DO! so i had to teach mine to chew again! (oh such fun, holding a chicken wing with a pair of pliers trying to persuade each dog that teeth were there for a reason!)

The only other thing i would say is dont forget, the dogs first year /18 months is growing upwards, after that they then put on the muscle, so dont be tempted to over feed, they wont develop that condition adn muscle tone before they have finished growing, they just get fat, and that damages joints.

Em

My girl was a gobbler too till she went on kibble, but i really suspect your problem may be in feeding both dogs together.
Try feeding them in different rooms and see how you get on.

Sarah