Is my dog overweight?

takumi2takumi2
edited March 2009 in Shiba Inu (柴犬)
My 15 month Takumi weighs 34 lbs and 18 inch high (I think..., coz I am not reaaly sure where the wither is located on my dog....). I think he is quite big as a shiba inu.
I take him for a walk 3 times a day, totaling about 2.5 hrs a day, taking him to dog park at least 3 times a week to let him run and socialize with others. He eats 2 times a day, one cup of Orijen 6 Fish each time. I give him fat free plain yogurt every day about 3 oz, also some vegetables such as carrots for treats.
I feel he has been a bit lazy lately.... he does not play in the house, does not play and run in dogpark either as much as before. He spends most of his time lying down and sleeping when he is at home. I don't know if he is becoming matured or just lazy...... Is this common as puppies grow??
I am not sure but I also feel he is a little overweight, especially when he sits. He spreads his hind legs a bit to accomodate his big belly?? I notice some skin tucked around his shoulder area too. Is it normal as a shiba inu?

See his latest pics below and please give me your opinion! Thanks!!

Comments

  • tobyshibatobyshiba
    edited November -1
    hmm. He looks rather normal to me, but I guess it is hard to tell with just a few photos. Toby is 40lbs and has no fat whatsoever. n___n;
  • JessicaRabbitJessicaRabbit
    edited November -1
    He doesn't appear to be overweight. Just WAAAY bigger than breed standard. No big deal as long as your don't plan on breeding him.
  • CrimsonO2CrimsonO2
    edited November -1
    I'd say your dog is pretty fit for his build, but like everyone said, he's bigger than the breed standard.

    If you take a look at the breed standard of height to weight ratio: 15.5 inches / 23 lbs = 0.67. Now, based on your measurements of your dog 18 inches / 34 lbs = 0.53. Your dog is pretty fit considering the breed "standard". So in short, based on the math, your dog is not fat:).

    I have heard from many owners that the dogs "mellow" out at around 2 years of age. So maybe your pup is coming into that stage in his life.

    Jesse
  • tsukitsunetsukitsune
    edited November -1
    He looks fine to me! Our male turned 2 in november (we think?) and he really filled out since then! But he's still in the standard ratio that Jesse mentions above, so we aren't concerned.
    A sort of 'cheap' way to tell if you need to cut back on food/treats and up exercise is when you can no longer feel their ribs.

    Takumi looks great, and very happy!
  • wliu003wliu003
    edited November -1
    he definitely looks healthy. doesnt look over weight to me.
  • KirbysmomKirbysmom
    edited November -1
    He doesn't look overweight to me.
  • takumi2takumi2
    edited March 2009
    I have to admit when I was chosing pics to post here, I tried to select the ones in which he did not look fat...lol
    Now me and Takumi are happy, and Takumi has just got his favorite treat that he hadn't had for a while.
    Thank you all !!
  • SangmortSangmort
    edited November -1
    Looks like a stud to me ;) ~
  • lepercannlepercann
    edited November -1
    He looks perfectly fit to me. Our male Shiba is very tall as well and weighs 33 lbs. He is in perfect condition, according to the vet.
  • lindsaytlindsayt
    edited November -1
    18 inches is taller than standard, but he looks proportionate overall.
  • KFontaine04KFontaine04
    edited November -1
    That is one GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOD lookin' Shiba!
  • takumi2takumi2
    edited November -1
    Takumi and me are so happy about all the positive comments! I guess I was worrying too much. But I will keep an eye on him to keep him in a good shape.
  • SophieMonsterSophieMonster
    edited November -1
    Well the first two pictures aren't flattering but the other pics look very nice. Maybe it is like people, we don't always photograph perfectly everytime. Plus your color shiba seems to look fluffier with their fur coats than the cream or black and tan shibas.
  • jessefritschzyjessefritschzy
    edited November -1
    i have a female shiba and she was about 25. My mom thought she was underweight. I told her it was because she just blew her whole coat so i took her to the vet. Vet said she is completely fit.

    Photobucket

    ps. any of your shiba's have butt fluff like mine? haha
  • ljowen123ljowen123
    edited November -1
    Fluffy butt syndrome - Jazz has it.
  • lepercannlepercann
    edited November -1
    Where would you measure to get the height, and what is the breed standard for height? I know T is very tall and I am curious to see how much taller he is than the standard. I know that next to Sadie, he looks like a giant!
  • tsukitsunetsukitsune
    edited November -1
    You measure from the withers.
    This is the breed standard according to AKC: http://www.akc.org/breeds/shiba_inu/index.cfm

    I'm really not sure of ratios, besides figuring one out by the standard and applying it to your own dogs weight and how he 'measures up', but I just use a basic 'feel your dog' system, like this:
    http://www.placervillevet.com/canine body condition.htm
  • ngteren1ngteren1
    edited November -1
    looks fine to me, my katsu is only 24lbs and he is 16 months old but hes buff!!
  • primitivedogprimitivedog
    edited November -1
    I also have a very large male Shiba. He's 18 inches tall and 37 pounds. Solid dog. Very muscular. I'll get pics up soon.. promise! (not sure why the pictures are loading small- I hate new computers- liked my old one).. anyway-- sorry to rant. I think it's about proportions. From some of the pics, he appears to have a nice rise from his ribs to his back legs- tummy tucked in and not hanging. When you stand over him, does he have a waistline? Is his back not a coffee table? Does he waddle when walking, tire easily, etc. You should be able to make out the bones of his spine and ribs without having to search for them. And on the other end they shoudn't be visible when just standing still with a thick double coat.
    Rachel
  • takumi2takumi2
    edited March 2009
    Welcome to Jumbo Shiba Club, primitivedog! lol

    You also have made me worry again, though... :-(
    Here are the some more pics I just took, in addition to the ones I previously posted at the begining of this discussion.
    As I mentioned before, his tummy looks big to me when he sits, as shown in the first pic.

    >When you stand over him, does he have a waistline?
    He does, as you can see the pics at the begining of this discussion.

    >Is his back not a coffee table?
    Well, I don't know.....See the pics I just uploaded. Does this look coffee table to you?

    >Does he waddle when walking, tire easily, etc.
    It is true that he does not run for a long time in a dog park lately. I don't know if that's because it would make him tired.

    >You should be able to make out the bones of his spine and ribs without having to search for them. And on the other end they shoudn't be visible when just standing still with a thick double coat.

    I can feel his robs easily.
  • KaddyKaddy
    edited November -1
    I think he looks great :o)

    He kinda has a funny version of the Shiba lazy sit, maybe that's why his tummy sticks out?
  • takumi2takumi2
    edited March 2009
    Yes, Kaddy. That's what I am concerning about....
    I remember that he's been doing this once in a while since he was a puppy, though.
  • tsukitsunetsukitsune
    edited November -1
    He has the exact same body shape/type as my Kitsune. I think he looks fine!
  • brandon_wbrandon_w
    edited November -1
    I would agree that he looks to be in good shape. When a dog is overweight, it's not hard to spot.
  • tsukitsunetsukitsune
    edited November -1
    Here's Kitsu from the side:
    image
    image
    From Kitsune
    He's sitting here,
    image
    I think he looks the 'fattest' when he sits

    Him and Tsuki playing:
    image
    I see a waist line - he's also in full winter coat, so he's extra plushy.
  • lepercannlepercann
    edited November -1
    Definitely not overweight. He looks to be about the same body size and shape as Triton. The vet says that Triton is in perfect body condition. I have a little bit of experience with this because when we first rescued Triton, he was 50 lbs and clearly hugely fat. He had a bubble butt and an enormous gut. He couldn't even do the Shiba circle to lay down because his stomach was too big. After several months of lifestyle changes, he got down to his ideal weight of 33 lbs, where he is now.
  • brandon_wbrandon_w
    edited November -1
    Wow. You were able to work 17lbs off of a 50lb dog? That is really impressive, and so great for Triton. Very nice work. You should post some before and after pictures if you have them.
  • lepercannlepercann
    edited November -1
    Well, I posted before and after pics of T on picasa: http://picasaweb.google.com/ERICJESS63007/Triton#

    I never looked at the pics together before, it's pretty shocking. Oh, and I measured his height, he is about 17.5 inches.
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