Plus Size Doodles???

[Jennifer and Jack]

I took Jack to the vet today for a follow up appointment. He is doing great, however, he gained another 0.5 pounds bringing his weight up to 14.5 pounds... I am not in any way saying Jack is overweight but the vet said he is getting "thick"

Also when I walked in one of the vet techs first words out of her mouth was, Oh good Jack is putting on some weight!! My immediate response was "Nay, I think it is his hair making him look fluffy"

Sure enough My Chunk is gaining, He has always weighed 10 pounds and that was too little, they didn't like him that skinny, but he is now on the upper limits of what he should be. I swear he doesn't eat even half of the kibble that he is supposed to, however, I put a topper on it, give him peanut butter kongs on occasion,  I have always tried to bulk him up. Plus my mom meaning well, but not doing good gave Jack and Molly very bad treats and high calories meals when I was in the hospital, she was nervous and had to cook for someone I guess!!!

What we also realized is I  always took Jack for several walks a day probably totally about three to four miles a day. I obviously have not been able to do that since October, and that is when his weight started going up.

My very sweet and loving Vet lives close to me, she and her husband are on a walking program so Jack will be getting picked up and taken for a walk three times a week by my vet, she will walk him a couple of miles, and in between, he will walk with me the best I can do which is about 3/4 of a mile a day.

So obviously Jack is not a plus size doodle yet, but it amazed me how Jack who I always see as never eating anything, is now on the upper limits of what the vet wants for him. I am g lad to know and we will make adjustments..

I always hear how skinny our doodles are, anyone have a thicker doodle???

[Laurie, Fudge, and Vern]

I was just looking at Vern the other day and thought he was getting a little chunky. My neighbor, who walks with us, said she thought he looked good, but was just big boned. LOL  What a great vet you have!

[Lisa, Daisy & Dexter]

Me too Vern, me too!

[Jennifer and Jack]

I wish I could blame myself

[Bonnie and Kona]

Jack is adorable at whatever weight, but I can imagine that gaining 4 pounds on that tiny body would make a difference. That's almost 1/3 of his weight. If we are doing a lot of training and they are getting lots of treats then we cut back on the meal size.

Kona weighed 94 pounds at one point. My DH runs him five days a week so it wasn't that he wasn't getting enough exercise. I cut his food down considerably. He weighs 84 now. The vet thinks that is just right. He is all muscle and fur. Owen is 1 year 4 months and still has extra skin and a very puppy look about him. He's 66 pounds but shorter than Kona. 

[Jennifer and Jack]

Yes she didn't say Jack needed to,lose weight just not gain anymore!!!! Ten pounds and he was too thin ..I am shooting for 12.5 pounds for him.

I agree about the amazing people in my life, it leaves me so dumbfounded. I sure dont deserve this kind of love but I am so grateful for it!!!!

[Rose Ann and Amante]

I was concerned about Amante getting "thick", but at our last visit for KC he weighed the same as his last appointment. .When do puppies "stop" growing?

[Jennifer and Jack]

Jack was ten pounds up until he was two years old, He is going to be three in March.... He was ten pounds at six months and stayed there.

Once he hit two, he slowly started to gain a little weight.. That is also the time I pulled him out of daycare several days a week and also when I personally stopped exercising. So I don't know if he was still growing or just expanding....

[Ginny Nightingale]

That vet deserves a medal--great! But yes, I have a thick doodle. My smallest one has short legs like her mini-poodle dad and a labby body and is always overweight. She LOVES to eat, so I give her a low calorie food so she can have a bit more--but it is still too much. She should weigh 33-35 pounds and is now almost 40...ugh! I will have to work on that!!

[Nancy, Ned, Clancy, and Charlie]

That Jack is a little chunky sounds good to me because it means he is eating and absorbing what he needs.  I would think this is healthy.  Yay!

[Martha & Cooper]

Jennifer, you have a great Vet!   Sounds like Jack will be back in shape in no time.   Wish I had someone to walk Cooper when I don't feel like it.  

You are so right about the steroids too.  They do make it hard to lose weight and increase your appetite.   Been on them more years than I want to count now, but am making slow strides on the weight front.  

[Jane, Rooney & Stuart]

Rooney is my thin dood - 21.5 lbs that never changes.  I wish I were more like him - he eats good when he is hungrey but sometimes he just isn't hungrey - me - I eat when I'm hungrey, happy, sad, lonely, stressed out, etc.  Stuart looks kinda chubby but it really is his hair - you can find his ribs but there is some cushion.  Stuart is about 65 lbs now and I do have a question - he has lots of extra skin  that you can slide around - almost like he hasn't grown into it yet - but I think he is no longer growing - what is with that? 

[Bonnie and Kona]

Jane, Owen has the same thing with the extra skin... he's one year four months??? We had a Golden that didn't fill out until he was 2 so maybe that's the issue. I don't know.