How much should my 1-year-old Belgian Malinois weigh & what to feed?

Thanks for using PetCoach! It is hard to say from the pictures (and really feeling a dog is the best way), but I would say that Diesel is somewhere between “ideal and somewhat overweight”. He definitely is not “moderately overweight” or “obese” by any means. For a little bit more accurate assessment, bring it up to your vet at your next visit and he or she will be able to give a body condition score and an ideal target weight if he does need to shed a few pounds. This is the body condition score chart I use which may help you assess at home. https://www.dogfoodadvisor.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/Purina-Body-Condition-Score-Diagram.pdf Hope this helps and best wishes to you and Diesel!

He actually doesn't appear to be underweight based on the pictures shown. I'd have to examine him to be sure, but the biggest indication that he is not underweight is the fact that he appears to have well-developed muscles. Dogs of this breed tend to be naturally lean and put more weight on their muscles rather than their ribs, or belly. If I was concerned that he was underweight, then I would first want to rule-out a disease, or parasite causing him to lose or not gain weight. It's best to have a veterinarian evaluate him, so you can ensure he's healthy and ensure that you are not going to feed him unnecessarily. Dog obesity is a big problem in the U.S., which means that the average person thinks a fat dog is at ideal weight; and a dog with an ideal body condition, or a lean body condition is thought to be starving. The truth is that the lean dogs are statistically healthier and live longer than overweight dogs. Some dogs (much like people) are able to naturally maintain a lean body condition. Leo is one of those dogs, but would urge you to have a veterinarian examine him to make that call. Below is a link to a body condition scoring guide. This is what veterinarians use when assessing whether a dog is overweight or underweight. We prefer them to be at a BCS of 4 or 5, but some are naturally at a 3. https://www.wsava.org/sites/default/files/Body%20condition%20score%20chart%20dogs.pdf At this time, I recommend feeding him normally and would not recommend a diet change until he can be evaluated by a veterinarian. I hope that helps and all is well with Leo.

A diet consisting of primarily boiled chicken is not balanced and is lacking in vitamins, fatty acids, fiber and minerals. Proper nutrition, prevention of parasites and disease and genetics are what affects the over-all adult size. She may not get much bigger due to her age (the window of growth closes). I recommend to feed her Royal Canin German Shepherd Puppy until 15 months of age and then switch her to the adult version. German Shepherds can have some unique dietary needs and the diet is formulated specifically for them to address these needs. I hope this helps and please feel free to post any additional questions.

Hello and thank you for reaching out to PetCoach. Congratulations on the puppy! It can be overwhelming to start caring for a new pup. Rather than depend on weight, we will determine if a dog is at a healthy body condition score (BCS) by using a chart that gives a dog a BCS anywhere from 1 to 9, with 4-5 being ideal. This website helps explain this system: https://www.thedrakecenter.com/services/pets/blog/fit-or-fat-your-pets-body-condition-score-bcs I recommend feeding Leo whatever the recommended amount is on the puppy food bag. Leo should be eating a kibble dog food that is formulated for puppies or "growth". As much exercise as he wants to get is perfect! Puppies are very high energy, so this is nothing to worry about. He will eventually settle down, so enjoy the energy for now! I hope this is helpful!

Oh dear! I'm afraid that Shaquille really needs a large-breed puppy food - adult dog food doesn't have the correct balance of nutrients for a growing puppy, so I wouldn't recommend feeding this. You can see if the store will accept the adult food back, and get some puppy food instead :)

I recommend Purina Pro Plan or Royal Canin, fed twice daily. The side of the bag should offer guidelines on feeding based on weight - but keep in mind these guidelines usually tell you to feed more than the dog needs. An average dog Alexa's size will take about 3 cups daily, divided into two feedings. Adjust that amount based on Alexa's activity level and individual calorie needs. Hope this helps.

He is quite thin in this picture. Poor guy. Bully is still a puppy and should be eating at least twice a day at this age, around 3-4 cups daily of a high quality puppy food like Hills Science diet, Wellness, Natural Balance, Evo, or Eukanuba. If after 1-3 months he still is not gaining weight, or if he has abnormal consistency to his stool at any point, then he needs to see your local vet to explore other possible causes to him being underweight besides malnutrition, such as intestinal parasites, an underlying malabsorption disorder or even exocrine pancreatic insufficiency just to name a few. Intestinal parasites is still a possibility if he has not have a proper fecal exam, because there are many parasite possibilities and not every dewormer will kill all the possible worms out there. I hope this helps and best wishes with getting Bully to a healthy weight soon. Take care.