Any other rottweiler owners out there? .. or large breed dog owners..

[exoticisabella]

I have a question for you...My baby rottie (well, he''s a year old now) seems so skinny! We feed him six to eight cups a day of high quality dog food (no corn, wheat, etc fillers) yet he doesn''t seem to be putting on muscle bulk - though he has grown taller/bigger. We bought him from a very reputable breeder and both the breeder and vet have said not to worry about it that he must just have a fast metabolism. He seems happy and healthy, but I just worry about his skinnyness

. What do you feed your dog and how much? Anybody else ever have this issue?

eta: and he has been checked for worms, etc.

 

[Loves Vintage]

He''s adorable, and I love that photo!

I have a greyhound, who eats about 4 cups a day, but he is obviously a leaner dog. Lol. Anyway, have you joined any Rottie forums? They may have some good advice for you. I know that the diet section of my greyhound forum is VERY VERY active. People always have questions, and are in search of the right food.

How much does your Rottie weigh?

 

[exoticisabella]

ooh, rottie forum! I didn''t even think of that! LOL

 

[Hera]

I had a fairly skinny rottweiler for a while so I wouldn''t worry about it. If I remember it might have been around 18 months to year 2 before she got her characteristic thick muscle and neck. I remember being surprised how long it took.

 

[omieluv]

I do not have a rottie, but I have a female pittie mix who just turned 11 months. After some research, I found it takes pitbulls around 24 months to fully mature. As of right now she is very lean and not thin, but not done maturing. I have been told that between 12mo's and 24mo's they fill out a great deal, which could be the case for your rottie. However, I had a friend who had a rottie (female) who was on the leaner side, so I guess it can depend on the dog.

Go ahead and reach out to your breeder, as I am sure you might get answers going that route. Also, it might be a good idea to talk to your vet, in case there is a health issue (just to be safe).

 

[NewEnglandLady]

Six to eight cups of a premium kibble seems like a good amount for a 1-year-old rottie. Before we switched to raw, our newf was on a premium kibble and when he was one we fed about 6 cups a day (with 4 hours of exercise). He was also very skinny and I was worried, but also pleased that he was so light since I didn''t want an ounce of extra weight on his joints. He started filling out when he was 2 and didn''t stop filling out until he was 3. Now I can definitely identify large dogs who are young (18 months or younger) because they have that skinny puppy look.

I would say that if everything seems fine--he''s going to the bathroom regularly, still has his appetite, energetic--then I wouldn''t worry. It''s very typical for large dogs to stay skinny until they are 2.