What is a healthy Sheltie weight?

BarbV

BarbV

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A post by Ania tonight with respect to healthy weight for Shelties for agility leads to me to ask the question as to how, we as responsible Sheltie owners, can accurately assess our pups weight.

We all know the rib test. But that does not seem adequate to me as the final test.

My two pups weigh about the same and they are about the same height, but their body build is so different I cannot compare one to the other. Indy looks fat and Bacca looks too lean.

Can anyone point me to what a 16-17" Sheltie proper weight range should be? My boys are both hovering around 26 lbs. It seems heavy to me, but Bacca is so skinny I can't imagine him weighing less!
 
Lynn is 17inches and 32 lbs. she is not overweight at all, BUT she is very heavy boned. (how i like my shelties)
her legs, muzzle, etc are about twice as heavy as most of the pet shelties i see around here.

she came from a show breeder who bred the big boned tall-timber lines.
 
I've been told that Shelties can carry weight in their chest area..so feel their along with the ribs.
If you look down at your dogs back while they are standing...you should see a "waistline"...a go innie just before the hips. Easier to see when they are wet..LOL
Clancy is a BIG boy with alot of bone..he's almost 19" and weighs in at 38 lbs. He's prolly at the edge..I know if he hits 40 lbs...its time for the green beans and a stern talk with the hubby!! hehe

Abby is slightly smaller and a bit dainty..Shes 17" and weighs 20 lbs. Thats a pretty good weight for her...she tends to regulate her weight for herself...Shes not a chow hound at all...Clancy is!! LOL

Julie
Clancy & Abby
 
Waistline and rib test are really the best way to tell. My dog is 14" and weighs 15lbs, which seems just right for her. Also your vet should be able to help you determine if your dog is a little overweight. They are usually pretty good at determining a healthy weight.
 
Our Katie was 17 inches tall and weighed 25 pounds and the vet said that was a good weight as she see's so many fat dogs. Katie was not thin boned but not big boned eithter. Maggie is 14 inches and weighs 15 pounds, she is small boned and very active for her 12 years.
 
Edan's 14.5" and weights around 19 pounds. I really don't want to put much more weight that that on him because we run agility. More weight equates to more impact on the joints and I'm trying to minimize potential joint injury or damage. Edan's bone structure is also to the lighters side so he doesn't carry extra weight well at all.

I do the normal rib and waist checks to get a rough estimate of his weight. I also take him to the Vet's office every month or two to get an actual weight. (My vet has a scale just inside their door and patients are welcome to come in at anytime and use it. They actually encourage it because keeping the dog a healthy weight helps to maintain a healthy dog. They will even pull his chart and record the weight - free of charge.)

Finally, when I take Edan to the groomer, I'll ask her her professional opinion of his weight because (1) she sees him wet and (2) she breeds and shows Shelties so she KNOWS the breed. I also get advice from Edan's breeder since we see her fairly regularly when Edan goes for play dates with his family.
 
BarbV, I think Sadie is pretty close in size and height to Bacca, she's 17.5" tall, weighs 23 lbs and is on the long side. My vet told me that her body weight was ideal when she was 21 lbs, and now that she's gone up to 23 lbs that she shouldn't gain any more weight. I can just barely feel her ribs. Sadie's breeder feels that Sadie is at her ideal body weight now, although I think I'd prefer if she was a pound or two less. She does not look fat and has lots of energy, either way.
 
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It really is hard to give a real figure for a weight range. You can have a lot of dogs all at the same height, but their builds are so different that each will have a very different weight. You can also have dogs of different heights weigh the same amount, and it still be appropriate for both dogs.
All I ever go by is feeling for the ribs.
Here's a good example... Kai is 14", and rock solid. You can feel her ribs without but the tiniest amount of fat covering them. She goes on 2 mile per day walks, and is extremely muscular. She is also a longer sheltie. She weighs in at 21lbs. My 15" male Caleb is not quite as in shape as Kai, as far as muscle tone and all. You can however feel all of his ribs easily. He is a larger boned dog than Kai.... yet he also weighs 21lbs. You would not think by looking at them that they both weighed the same, and it doesn't make much sense that they should both weigh the same, but they are both at their ideal weight at 21lbs.
I then have Elektra and Athena, who are within 1/4" of one another. Athena is 13.25", and Elektra 13.5". Elektra weighs significantly more at 17lbs, while Athena, who also is rock solid like Kai, weighs in at 13.8lbs. Again, both dogs are at their ideal weights.
 
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Brighid is just a shade under 16 inches and weighs 27 pounds. She has an extra pound or so on her but her Vet says that she would have no problem if she stayed at that weight for the rest of her life. He also advises that "weight creep" is a common battle with Shelties. She is described as being of a large frame as compared to some others. I see that as well. Many other Shelties that cross our paths appear to be of a more delicate frame than our girl. In her Agility classes, she is among the most energetic of our group.
 
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