Maturing and Filling Out

[MyPemCharlie]

Did anyone keep any notes on how much weight your dog gained between one year and two years? Or even one year to three years? Just curious as to what the "general" or "average" is.

Charlie will be 11 months tomorrow and is just now starting to show some signs of filling out in his hips and chest. He is still mostly "tubular" looking and well under the standard weight, at 22 pounds. He is right at 11" at the withers. Should I reasonably be expecting him to gain one more pound, six more pounds, or something in between? He looks a lot like his mom right now, who the breeder said had not gained all her weight back from having the puppies. His dad is a very fit, somewhat stocky masculine 28 pound tri.

[LaRogue]

I don't keep track, but the corgis I have had seem to reach the the 28-30 pound mark around their second birthday. I've heard some can take even longer.

[Peggy]

Originally Posted by MyPemCharlie

Did anyone keep any notes on how much weight your dog gained between one year and two years? Or even one year to three years? Just curious as to what the "general" or "average" is.

Charlie will be 11 months tomorrow and is just now starting to show some signs of filling out in his hips and chest. He is still mostly "tubular" looking and well under the standard weight, at 22 pounds. He is right at 11" at the withers. Should I reasonably be expecting him to gain one more pound, six more pounds, or something in between? He looks a lot like his mom right now, who the breeder said had not gained all her weight back from having the puppies. His dad is a very fit, somewhat stocky masculine 28 pound tri.

It's not uncommon for a corgi to be tubular and thin at 11 mos. In fact for the next 6-12 mos even. Many corgis do not mature until age 3 or 4. By mature I mean the chest drops and the rib cage springs.

Although 22 lbs for a male at 11 mos. is on the small size. I would expect that weight at close to 5 mos. A male that's 11 inches at the shoulder (and that's middle of the standard) should be closer to his adult weight at 12-18 mos old.

And yes, a corgi can be near their adult weight and still be immature. I've had several that were close to adult weight at that age but the muscle, ribs and chest change the way they look. Same weight distributed a bit differently at maturity.

I'd say Charlie is going to be on the small side.

Peggy

[Michael Romanos]

I've only had one Corgi out of six who was lean going from the transition of puppyhood to juniorhood - and he (Ricky) never came right until another Corgi came on the scene when he was aged three. But in Ricky's case it was simply under-eating. Can't recall any Corgi in the club I run who was or is underdone as a puppy.

[MyPemCharlie]

Huh. I wonder just how difficult it will be to keep Charlie at a fit weight as he matures. It seems easy enough in theory, but I just dropped Desta off at the vet for her spay surgery and as I was leaving a man was taking a Corgi into the office. He had a second Corgi in his truck. Of course I had to say, "Oh Corgis! I have one at home!" The man said his two were 3 years and 2.5 years. They both looked 5-10 pounds overweight at such young ages. In the almost a year since I've had Charlie, I have yet to meet another Corgi who didn't need to lose a few.

[LaRogue]

I wonder just how difficult it will be to keep Charlie at a fit weight as he matures.

I don't think it's all that hard and there's a difference between needing to lose a "few" and 5-10 lbs. I try to keep my eye on it so I can catch it early. When it seems some "chubbiness" may be creeping up, I cut back a little on food and treats and increase exercise. I think I've been lucky enough to catch it early, because the most Pip's ever been overweight (using the scale) is about 3 lbs.

[Peggy]

Originally Posted by MyPemCharlie

Huh. I wonder just how difficult it will be to keep Charlie at a fit weight as he matures. It seems easy enough in theory, but I just dropped Desta off at the vet for her spay surgery and as I was leaving a man was taking a Corgi into the office. He had a second Corgi in his truck. Of course I had to say, "Oh Corgis! I have one at home!" The man said his two were 3 years and 2.5 years. They both looked 5-10 pounds overweight at such young ages. In the almost a year since I've had Charlie, I have yet to meet another Corgi who didn't need to lose a few.

IMO, it's not all that hard. I have several who are not overweight. In fact none of mine are overweight. A couple could stand to gain a couple pounds.

If you watch what they eat and cut back when you see your dog looking a little pudgy you can keep them trim. It's overfeeding (usually too many treats) and lack of exercise that makes a dog fat.

(Or free feeding more than 3 cups of dog food a day, as was the case with a couple dogs we've taken into rescue.)

Peggy

[MyPemCharlie]

LaRogue and Peggy, you two are right on with my theory. I monitor Charlie's weight and feel the pad on his ribs when I brush him. I have adjusted his food quantity from time to time. Seems easy enough to keep his weight maintained. But seeing yet two more "chubbies" today made me wonder if Corgis just mysteriously "blow up" at a certain age. LOL

[Michael Romanos]

You feed a Corgi according to the amount of exercise he/she gets daily. Start with a standard eg full meal = 1 hour quality exercise, then work downwards (or upwards) from there. Too many people feed their dogs similar amounts of food daily no matter what - that is a major reason for all these overweight dogs.

[Peggy]

Originally Posted by MyPemCharlie

But seeing yet two more "chubbies" today made me wonder if Corgis just mysteriously "blow up" at a certain age. LOL

Only if their owners let them. And way too many do.

Peggy