My goldie is nearly two but she is still very slim. How can I get her to gain more weight. One person commented that she is ok size but we think too thin. Another who we haven't seen for a while asked if she had been on a diet because of how slim she is. She has the recommended food and if we try to give her more she wont eat it. She has plenty of treats but we are really not happy about her size. She is very slim near the back.

Thanks anyone who can offer advice.

Maybe your goldie is just built on slim lines. I am curious, if she is healthy, happy and full of energy why would you want her to carry more weight?  Carrying extra weight just puts more strain on the joints and heart.  I think the problem is that people actually get used to seeing dogs that are fairly well padded and think "fit" dogs are thin.  Don't forget that your dog may not necessarily gain weight just in the places you want.................

If you really want her to put weight on then you need to feed high calorific foods with plenty of fat, and/or you can add oil to her food such as Fish Body Oils, Evening Primrose Oil, Flaxseed Oil (although the latter may cause itchiness).

HTH

She is healthy, we just thought a bit too slim and don't want people accusing us of not feeding her.

We had a very poorly dog a couple of years back who couldn't gain weight and don't won't to face people's nasty comments again.

Ignore them!

If you can't see her ribs and hipbones sticking out then she isn't too thin. Most dogs nowadays are overweight (just like people!) and everyone thinks that is how they should be. Keep your bitch slim and lengthen her life!
:)

i agree with the others.  my dog, eli, is very slender.  he is part whippet and part ridgeback....making for a muscular small dog.  people say all the time to me "don't you feed that dog????".  i say back, "no, im waiting to see how long he can go with out food!!!" "of course i feed hiim! "  he eats five cups of food a day and he is only 45 pounds.  he has not an ounce of fat on him and he is quite fit and healthy.  lots lots and lots of energy and he is not malnurished.  just ignore those people or think of a smart ass answer back to them. 
you definately want a slim healthy and fit dog......she will live longer.

oh, you want to be able to feel her ribs by pressing lightly along her sides.  you should not be able to see them when she is standing straight, but feel them.....yes.

Caz I know how difficult it is to ignore them.  My interfering neighbours even reported me to the dog warden for not feeding mine.  Of course when she came to visit she went away very happy but none-the-less it is difficult.

Once I discovered Autarky dog food everything changed and although he doesn't carry an ounce of extra weight he looks very healthy and is happy.  So am I!

My two adult labs 3 & 5 year olds are completely different, 1 is quite thin, the other looks too heavy, after weighing them at the vets a couple of weeks ago  we found that the thinner one was nearly 3 kilos heavier than the 'fattie'. the thinner one is solid muscle this is where her weight is.  If your dog is healthy and happy ignore people comments. I too changed to Autarky a few weeks ago and my dogs are thriving on it.

Kay

Hi,
Seeing you havnt had many/any advice,i will try to help.
It is hard to put weight on a dog by JUST feeding kibble,so you must add fresh foods along with dry if thats what you feed.
Good foods for putting weight on are:suit(from butcher) beef dripping,fatty cuts of meat,marrow bones,chicken wings,lots of raw meaty bones,lamb flaps are excellent,corned beef/briskett,whole weat pasta,brown rice,my dogs go nuts for pork crackling.
Make sure to feed plenty of fresh meats and veggies.
One of my dogs was always on the slender side,i too asked for advice but got the same replies as you did
There is also a recipe floating around on the net called "satin balls" this mixture can put weight on a dog in a matter of days alot of show folk feed this before a show to beef up their dogs,unfortunatly if you have a slim,fit dog these days it is often overlooked for the more chunkier types :(
Type "satin balls recipe" into your search engine and the recipe will come up.My dog also didnt have a very good appetite,i tried plying her with treats and filling up her food bowl but she only ate what she felt like and left the rest,but by following the above she eventually put on weight,she is now a healthy solid,muscular dog :D Be patient tho,dont try and put weight on her too quickly or else you could do damage to her joints.
If you need any more tips/advice please ask,i have researched this putting on weight thing till my head exploded!

good luck

christine