# Normal Weight for a 9-month old male



## tegee26 (Apr 25, 2018)

Hello all.....new to the V forum, but not new to forums in general. So I am thankful there's a forum for my beloved new addition....our 9-m/o male V Milo. After owning labs for 20+ years, we got our first V back in November. And he's been an absolute treat. Obviously a ton more energetic than our labs, but we have plenty of room for him to run freely on a daily basis.

To that end, I have a question directly relating to his weight, especially coming from eating loving labs.....lol. Milo is not a big eater and sometimes can go with only eating once a day. Not terribly a picky eating, he'll eat mostly anything, just not a high priority on his daily list of things he likes doing. And luckily we have a very good resource with a very knowledgeable local food expert in the doggie world, so his "dog food" diet is not compromised with poor or sub-standard food.

Ok, I know now on to my question. He is 9-m/o and weighs 46-lbs. He hasn't put on any weight in weeks and I am getting nervous that his growth may be an issue if he doesn't take in more calories, etc. So is 46-lbs normal for a 9-m/o? Milo comes from a very recognized breeder (45-years breeding V's) and has great bloodlines. And I know and saw both his parents. I am just starting to get a bit nervous so i figured I would run it up the flagpole on the V forum to see if his weight is appropriate for his age. I guess in the same line of questioning, how much do V's typically get? I've read anywhere from 46-65 lbs of males, but just figured I'd ask here as well.

Anyway, sorry for the long winded first V post. Any help and insight would be greatly appreciated. And many thanks in advance.......


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## texasred (Jan 29, 2012)

Unless your seeing hip bones, or spine , I would bet he is the perfect weight for his frame.
It's not uncommon for the dogs to decide they only want one meal a day, at his age. Or a smaller meal in the morning.
Most males are 2-3 years old, before they fully develop. They stop growing taller way before that time, but chest continues gain widen. I would think your pup will atleast hit the mid 50s when mature.
46lbs is not small for a 9 month old.


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## gingerling (Jun 20, 2015)

If your perspective are Labs, you're in for many surprises...

46# @ 9 mos.sounds fine. Eating once a day sounds fine, too. Sometimes, picking at or even avoiding food for the day as well. You're not mentioning the exact food/diet, so there's a chance he's not eating b/c of that, but generally V's are very self regulating. Don't over feed him, there's absolutely nothing worse looking than a fat V.


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## lyra (Nov 2, 2012)

I would suggest you judge your V by what they look like, not their weight. Their is no 'average' weight at any age because the size of dogs varies too much. If it wasn't for the occasional trip to the vet I would have no idea how much our dogs weigh.


Vs should be lean dogs with just enough fat so their ribs are covered and they don't look bony over the hips. Their are plenty of threads about it here for you to search for as well as other sources online. If you want some reassurance, post some pics here. Best pics are side on standing straight (v important as if they are twisting to one side you can't tell how well the ribs are covered) and from the top. The biggest challange is getting the dog to stay still long enough!


Food self regulation is not uncommon amongst Vs. We have one that does and one that doesn't.


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## tegee26 (Apr 25, 2018)

Thanks so much for the follow up post and advice.

My V is definitely not showing ribs and his overall look I think is spot on. My concern was more so for his overall height and size, but in full transparency I've never had a V and don't know what to fully look for. That is why I ran this up the flagpole to make sure he is doing ok.

As been mentioned here, he definitely self-regulates his eating and does not eat on a set schedule like my labs do. I can feed him in the morning and he eats, next morning he doesn't. And the same goes for dinner. It's just a bit frustrating b/c you don't know when to feed him. I have been working with my vet and a local pet food expert who really knows he stuff, and he made mention of a hunting breed he owned many years ago eat similar to what I am experiencing with my V.

My main concern is/was, is his lack of eating stunning his growth as a pup. And all these responses reassure me that he is fine and his eating habits are somewhat normal for a V. Which is great to hear. He is so good at every level and I am enjoying him very day. He comes to work with me each days and runs for hours on the 160-acre property that I manage. He definitely gets a ton of exercise and only tires during hot days. And loves chasing geese, which is his daily mission.

Btw: someone asked regarding what I feed him. He gets 1 to 1-1/2 cups twice a day with grain free Annamaet salmon based food. 30% protein and 16% fat based. For the past 10+ years all my dogs have been on Annamaet and they've never had any issues. In fact it helped solve a severe food allergy one on of my labs had many years ago after bouncing around different food companies; Annamaet was the only one that solved it. So I've always stuck by them since. I do scramble some eggs now and again and sometimes throw in some canned tuna, etc just to add some flavor. But I do not go too crazy.

Anyway....thanks so much again for this help and now I can be somewhat relieved that my V is fine. And had to throw in some obligatory as a proud dad....lol.


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## gingerling (Jun 20, 2015)

He definitely doesn't look undernourished! There's no growth issue there, that wold require true malnourishment, which is not at all in evidence.

You might feeding only 1x/day. I'm familiar with Annamaet (It's what I use, +1)...their Aquakluk is not salmon based, but mostly farmed whitefishes. You can try to rotate the proteins by using the red meat Manitok and poultry Salcha (both excellent), for variety as well as the amino acids.


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## tegee26 (Apr 25, 2018)

Many thanks again for everyone's insight and prompt responses. It has been most helpful as well as reassuring that we on the right track on his feeding habits/requirements.

ATB


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## Gabica (Jan 20, 2018)

Good looking handsome boy based on this pictures and like the energy you describe. Great job.


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