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by HighDesertGSD on 04 March 2014 - 18:03
My last female GSD was nearly full growth in height by 180-200 days old, finally at about 25 1/4 inches tall. (She may have grown 0.5 inches since day 180.) She was never fat as a puppy but I fed her more than I have been with the recent puppies, a brother and sister pair. This female was finally OFA Good and elbow normal.
The new pups are now 250 days old. (8 momths and a week). The boy is now about 25.25 inches (same height as the older female); the girl is only 23 inches, the girl rather small. As I said, they have had somewhat more restrictive diet, to the point of the ribs just not seen but very easily felt. This is based on the belief of slower growth for better bone structure.
The genes of the pups suggests that the boy should be 26-26.5 inches and the female 24-24.5 inches. The girl is decidely smaller than her genes suggests.
I tend to think the female will grow no more than another 0.5 inch. I have never had a male GSD before, so I don't know how much more the male will grow to, from day 250.
Practically, I want to buy a crate for the boy now if it already makes sense to suggest a max size for him now. Will he need an extra large? Large seems to be the max for the 25.25 inch female now. She fits a large, but just so.
Of course, I also am eager to know would he ever grow more than 0.5 inches to final height of 25.75 inches, at least.
I am wondering if restictive diet does reduce the final size somewhat, or does it just slows the rate of growth.
Protein and mineral should never had been too limited as the food I have been feeding them is high in protein, just restrictive calories to leanness during puppyhood.
The new pups are now 250 days old. (8 momths and a week). The boy is now about 25.25 inches (same height as the older female); the girl is only 23 inches, the girl rather small. As I said, they have had somewhat more restrictive diet, to the point of the ribs just not seen but very easily felt. This is based on the belief of slower growth for better bone structure.
The genes of the pups suggests that the boy should be 26-26.5 inches and the female 24-24.5 inches. The girl is decidely smaller than her genes suggests.
I tend to think the female will grow no more than another 0.5 inch. I have never had a male GSD before, so I don't know how much more the male will grow to, from day 250.
Practically, I want to buy a crate for the boy now if it already makes sense to suggest a max size for him now. Will he need an extra large? Large seems to be the max for the 25.25 inch female now. She fits a large, but just so.
Of course, I also am eager to know would he ever grow more than 0.5 inches to final height of 25.75 inches, at least.
I am wondering if restictive diet does reduce the final size somewhat, or does it just slows the rate of growth.
Protein and mineral should never had been too limited as the food I have been feeding them is high in protein, just restrictive calories to leanness during puppyhood.
by neuen Polizei on 04 March 2014 - 18:03
You can't base everything around the pedigree alone. If you look at Timmy and Troll or Ellute and Eros, both littermates produced dogs differently than their brothers, yet had the same genes as far as pedigree goes.
by HighDesertGSD on 06 March 2014 - 16:03
I read about "growth plate" so I inspected the front legs of my puppies.
It turns out that both of them still has a little knuckes in the front legs so final height has not been reached at 8.5 months.
The boy appears to have significant growth left, since he still has obvious knuckles and enlargement at the area (not as large as they were at 5 month) while the girl may well have tempered off.
The boy may reach an expected height of 26 inches after all, he is now a bit over 25", may be 25 1/4". Large framed, about 75 pounds now. The girl may reach 23 1/2", small for her line.
I do feed them rich puppy food, 28% protein and 20% fat, just in restricted amount so that they remain lean, ribs just barely not seen but very easily felt.
I have read that the critical nutritional factors for bone health (slower growth) are restricted calcium (from commercial dog food which is high in calcium) and calories, not protein. I cannot imagine how natural food for wild dogs are low in protein; prey animals are high in protein and likely fat, no doubt about it, just not always available. Diet rich in protein and fat has to be natural, just limited amounts.
May be diet restrictive in calcium and total calories does cause growth plates to close later.
I always measure the amount of food I feed rather precisely.
It turns out that both of them still has a little knuckes in the front legs so final height has not been reached at 8.5 months.
The boy appears to have significant growth left, since he still has obvious knuckles and enlargement at the area (not as large as they were at 5 month) while the girl may well have tempered off.
The boy may reach an expected height of 26 inches after all, he is now a bit over 25", may be 25 1/4". Large framed, about 75 pounds now. The girl may reach 23 1/2", small for her line.
I do feed them rich puppy food, 28% protein and 20% fat, just in restricted amount so that they remain lean, ribs just barely not seen but very easily felt.
I have read that the critical nutritional factors for bone health (slower growth) are restricted calcium (from commercial dog food which is high in calcium) and calories, not protein. I cannot imagine how natural food for wild dogs are low in protein; prey animals are high in protein and likely fat, no doubt about it, just not always available. Diet rich in protein and fat has to be natural, just limited amounts.
May be diet restrictive in calcium and total calories does cause growth plates to close later.
I always measure the amount of food I feed rather precisely.
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