i think my GSD is small :(

anonymusneo · 11-21-2009, 01:38 PM

hi guys afghan is 6 months old now and he only stands 18" tall hardly ..

as u all know he pulled from a terrible problem .
He seems a bit small on height at 6months old.
although he is completely fine

is there any way his height can be increased? or anything i can do?

Willowy · 11-21-2009, 10:58 PM

It's better for them to grow slowly. If they grow too fast they can end up with bone problems. So as long as you're feeding him a good, nutritious, balanced diet, he should grow properly. Don't let him get fat---that puts a lot of stress on the hips and a GSD does not need that.

Michiyo-Fir · 11-22-2009, 07:48 PM

Even purebred dogs can range a lot in weight and size! Perhaps you just have a smaller GSD.

As long as you're feeding a good food and he doesn't have any problems just let nature take its course! He'll grow as big as he's supposed to based on his genetics but some dogs are just a little smaller or bigger than breed standard. It's really nothing to worry about unless you're showing.

Binkalette · 11-22-2009, 08:17 PM

I wouldn't try changing his diet to try to make him grow faster.. large breed dogs can suffer bones and joint problems from growing too fast. And even if you did, if he DNA is telling him to be smaller, then he's going to be smaller.. There are large and small of all dog breeds. Zoey for example, is a purebred Lhasa Apso.. Typically, Lhasas weigh between 12-16 pounds.. Zoey weighs 22.6 pounds. A friend of mine's Lhasa only weighs 10 pounds.

MoosMom · 11-22-2009, 08:21 PM

Yea I would just let him grow the way he is going to grow. No magic bone stretchers.