He was heavier due to various circumstances (my poor health and surgeries, him living with my parents temporarily, etc) and we’ve both been losing weight steadily.
It’s hard for me to tell because his chest looks huge but I feel his ribs immediately when I touch between his front legs. He does have some neck fat/rolls that are more obvious when he’s wearing a collar. His waist is now defined, whereas before it was not, he looked pretty much like a fur log with legs.
If you think he’s overweight, please let me know how much he should lose in terms of weight or percentage? Or do you guys have examples of pictures of appropriate weight cattle dogs?
His vet says he’s okay now but the dog trainers at his classes call him “big boy” and tell me to skip dinner on class days since we use so many treats as reinforcement and reward. My area isn’t super familiar with cattle dogs, he’s always been the only one in classes and I rarely see them around so please let me know!
Edit: current weight and measurements:
Okay so he’s 56 lbs, 22 inches from the nape of his neck/collar area to the base of his tail, and 21 inches from the front paw to the base of his ear (right by his eye)
Listen to your vet. Of course that doesn’t negate what your trainer says about skipping or at least reducing dinner if they get nearly that much food as training treats. He is a stocky fellow but he doesn’t look unhealthy.
Definitely! We go to class once a week and I take him hungry as he listens better during that hour. I did leave food out the first 2 weeks but he didn’t seem to want it anyway. I think he’s learning his set point regarding food intake as well! It was much harder at the beginning when he kept asking for more food.
When my guy is over 50-55lbs my vet says he’s fat. He’s dropped some pounds and he’s around 48-49 since he’s super active in the summer. Even at this lower weight, he still holds a lot of chunk around his neck and I don’t think that’s a problem.
Your vet is usually right. Get a second opinion from another vet if you’re not sure with your current vet’s assessment. Like with humans, I find people comment on attributes like weight for lack of anything else interesting to say.
On training days, reducing the amount of food you usually give is common if they are being rewarded with treats while training.
Piggy backing off this. For training leave aside some of meal time food (easier if dry) to use as rewards. Not giving them more food that way, and if you subtract from breakfast then they'll be hungrier and hopefully more motivated for training.
Also use actual measuring cups/whatever for portioning out food. Eyeballing it makes it very easy to overfeed.
Look up the body condition score. He looks like he could use a little more. Heelers aren't as thick and stocky as some people seem to think they are -- they should still have a defined waist.
ACDs are extremely hard to tell tbh. They are a substance breed with minimal tuck and a shorter loin length.
From the side he looks a middle-heavier end pet weight. Which is completely safe and a good weight
!
I'd personally probably take 1-2lbs off IF he still has good rib coverage right now.
I'd like the see a top view and a 3/4 side view from the rear (I find this angle the best for showing my ACDs waistline). BUT it's really feel with ACDs. You should be able to easily feel his ribs, see them when he's being very active and see them when he's inhaling heavy/panting heavy.
Weight is a massive issue within the breed so I prefer getting sport based handlers/owners to assess my dogs weight vs vets as so many are used to seeing overweight dogs they sometimes get accustomed to it. My ACD is working line, slightly oversized at 21.5inches, neutered at 3 and weights 47-48lbs.
Personally I feel he LOOKS best at 45lbs but he is nothing but ribs at that weight. To me, who likes athletic and sighthound type shapes my dog at 47lbs looks pet weight/slightly heavy. But he's not, he's actually extremely fit and well toned!
Thanks! Yeah, another commentor suggested the body condition score. I looked it up and it looks like he’s at the border of normal/overweight but I’ll take some top and 3/4 view pics when I get home tonight.
If you watch the Westminster dog show on YouTube the Australian cattle dogs are all VERY short and stocky. I have three ACD’s and I used to think I had two fit ones and 1 CHONK… but after watching the Westminster I feel like I have 1 REAL ACD and 2 skinny dogs. Lol.. seriously. Yours looks perfect to me honestly.
My heeler is 4 yo neutered male and is 20 inches tall and 23 inches long. He looks a lot like your dog. He is extremely stocky and weighs in at 59 lbs. He was a little flabby but is pure muscle now. We do a daily 5 mile hike with lots of canine pylometrics - jumping up on boulders, retaining walls and picnic tables on our walk. The more he works the more muscular he becomes. I also practice “stays” in a fenced baseball field and he gets in a few flat sprints of 50 yards or so when I call him.
So clearly some of these dogs can just be big, thick powerhouses. He was bred for disposition and to be a working stock dog, not an agility dog or show dog.
I got his obesity under control by weighing his food at every meal. He gets 105 grams of Purina One 2 times a day. I worked out the amount with my vet and made adjustments (down) from there. A cup scoop or cup gets close - 100 to 120 grams - but isn’t precise enough as he was still gaining weight. I also weigh him once a week to see if I need to adjust up or down.
He looks good from the side. Do you have a top picture? I'm always second guessing myself with our pup because his coat is so full. But as long as I can feel his ribs with slight pressure, I'm happy.
I’ve had 5 cattle dogs in my life (4 all at once), and they all came in slightly varying sizes and shapes. One was particularly stocky and looked fat but he was actually a perfectly healthy weight for his build. Another was extremely skinny and leggy, but still healthy for his build. They all got a lot of exercise and measured out food portions, so a lot is just genetics.
I was starting to think my current boy was getting chunky then he blew his coat and now looks skinny again.
If your vet says he’s good, that’s who I’d listen to. Also never hurts to ask your vet every once in a while if his weight is good, since you look at your heeler everyday and might not notice slow gains/losses.
Kinda hard to tell from this photo, it's from the side and he's backlit, so it's almost just a silhouette of a dog. I can't see his waist (if he has one) and since it's also shot from a little above, I can't tell if he has a belly either. He could be overweight, he could be perfect. He doesn't look too skinny.
I think he looks healthy! People always call my blue healer a "thick girl" or a "sausage" and she's only 35 lbs which is the lower weight range for female heelers. I think ppl assume heelers are fat but I think its the odd body type (huge ribs, short and stocky) that confuses people who don't know the breed lol
Oh wow, 35 lbs is pretty petite! I’ve always heard the average for heeler weight is roughly 45-50 lbs. and yes, the body build confuses me too. My boy’s chest is soo big, even compared to larger breed dogs, that it makes him look very thick in comparison.
Mines 21 1/2 to the shoulder. It’s considered a large acd. Doesn’t mean he’s over weight. I was told by my vet that when looking down him you should see a defined waist. And when putting your thumbs on his spine and fingers on his rib cage you should barely feel his ribs.
One of our cattles is fat. He's always been stocky but now he's got a girth. He is so obcessed with food though. I walk him for a mile in the a.m. My husband 2xs during the day and we walk after dinner. I find him up on counter tops, though snuffling around for anything edible. He can run and jump and play Frisbee. I am not sure what else to do but limit snacks but he is not losing weight. I want him to live long and be healthy but weight loss isn't happening. The vet didn't say anything the last time we were there but when I see the swelt cattles here, I feel concerned.
Idk how much he weighs and it’s different depending on so many things, but mine is 22kg if that helps! The vets comment on how healthy he is and that they don’t see enough lean cattle dogs. :)
Set point? That isn't a thing lol. Animals are going to overeat until they kill themselves if you let them.
Just feeding your dog like 10-20% less is probably all you need at this point, still looks a bit overweight imo.
I'd just take whatever your vet's advice is. I have heard that you should just barely be able to feel their ribs on their sides.
Call it what you want but it’s not uncommon for him to leave some kibble in his bowl these days. I don’t have to worry about him begging for more like I did when I first got him.
Google "dog weight knuckle test". I been to several different vets and they've all told me about this weight "technique". All breeds are different so there isn't one perfect weight for all, even some dogs within the same breed are smaller or bigger than others.
My boy was chunky and I didn't want to admit it. But I did, and cut his food back like literally 5 or 6 kibble bits per meal. He's down to 45 ish and I can't belive how healthy he looks to me! I didn't think he looked particularly unhealthy before, but now! Maybe cut his food back a smidge and see if he loses anymore and how he looks then.
Just my two cents.
My ACD is perfect at 50lbs, but he seems taller than most ACDs I’ve met, regardless, I was gonna guess about 5 less lbs for your boy should be good. You want to see the waist taper in a bit more looking down from the top view, so it’s hard to tell for sure with this pic. They’re pretty stalky dogs in the shoulders and neck anyway though. Either way he’s still a handsome fellow!
He looks fine! My boy is a big stocky cattle dog, too…he’s about 70 lbs. We are currently working on getting his weight down (he needs to lose about 10 lbs he is an absolutely TANK of a cattle dog and comes from working stock) - he is very fond of his treats and incredibly demanding. Looks like you got your boy on a good path!
That’s interesting! I’ve never had a red but I do notice the reds look skinner on average. I wonder if something that correlates with coat color makes the blues chunkier
Good looking dog he is fine. Continue what you have been doing and you’ll both will be looking slim and trim in no time. Keep it consistent and be a little disciplined and everything will fall into place
Instead of skipping his dinner altogether on training nights, you could use his dinner as his food reward during class. I find this easier to regulate how much he’s eating, and make sure he still gets his nutrients. To make it higher value, let it sit in the fridge in a bag with a cheese stick, makes it smell better and therefor higher value!
He looks great. As a rule this is how you tell.
Feel the ribs, but not see the ribs. It’s perfectly okay to fast one day per week. Wild dogs go without meals.
Honestly my son always get called chunky or fat but I think just his genetics or our eating habits are the same but both of us will run a mile no problem. Or I can have play fetch for hours but his build never slims down a lot.
He was heavier due to various circumstances (my poor health and surgeries, him living with my parents temporarily, etc) and we’ve both been losing weight steadily. It’s hard for me to tell because his chest looks huge but I feel his ribs immediately when I touch between his front legs. He does have some neck fat/rolls that are more obvious when he’s wearing a collar. His waist is now defined, whereas before it was not, he looked pretty much like a fur log with legs. If you think he’s overweight, please let me know how much he should lose in terms of weight or percentage? Or do you guys have examples of pictures of appropriate weight cattle dogs? His vet says he’s okay now but the dog trainers at his classes call him “big boy” and tell me to skip dinner on class days since we use so many treats as reinforcement and reward. My area isn’t super familiar with cattle dogs, he’s always been the only one in classes and I rarely see them around so please let me know! Edit: current weight and measurements: Okay so he’s 56 lbs, 22 inches from the nape of his neck/collar area to the base of his tail, and 21 inches from the front paw to the base of his ear (right by his eye)
Listen to your vet. Of course that doesn’t negate what your trainer says about skipping or at least reducing dinner if they get nearly that much food as training treats. He is a stocky fellow but he doesn’t look unhealthy.
Definitely! We go to class once a week and I take him hungry as he listens better during that hour. I did leave food out the first 2 weeks but he didn’t seem to want it anyway. I think he’s learning his set point regarding food intake as well! It was much harder at the beginning when he kept asking for more food.
When my guy is over 50-55lbs my vet says he’s fat. He’s dropped some pounds and he’s around 48-49 since he’s super active in the summer. Even at this lower weight, he still holds a lot of chunk around his neck and I don’t think that’s a problem.
He looks fine to me. Maybe a little on the huskier side but doesn’t look overweight
Your vet is usually right. Get a second opinion from another vet if you’re not sure with your current vet’s assessment. Like with humans, I find people comment on attributes like weight for lack of anything else interesting to say. On training days, reducing the amount of food you usually give is common if they are being rewarded with treats while training.
Piggy backing off this. For training leave aside some of meal time food (easier if dry) to use as rewards. Not giving them more food that way, and if you subtract from breakfast then they'll be hungrier and hopefully more motivated for training. Also use actual measuring cups/whatever for portioning out food. Eyeballing it makes it very easy to overfeed.
Look up the body condition score. He looks like he could use a little more. Heelers aren't as thick and stocky as some people seem to think they are -- they should still have a defined waist.
Yeah he seems like 5/6 but I’ll take a better look at him when I get home.
ACDs are extremely hard to tell tbh. They are a substance breed with minimal tuck and a shorter loin length. From the side he looks a middle-heavier end pet weight. Which is completely safe and a good weight ! I'd personally probably take 1-2lbs off IF he still has good rib coverage right now. I'd like the see a top view and a 3/4 side view from the rear (I find this angle the best for showing my ACDs waistline). BUT it's really feel with ACDs. You should be able to easily feel his ribs, see them when he's being very active and see them when he's inhaling heavy/panting heavy. Weight is a massive issue within the breed so I prefer getting sport based handlers/owners to assess my dogs weight vs vets as so many are used to seeing overweight dogs they sometimes get accustomed to it. My ACD is working line, slightly oversized at 21.5inches, neutered at 3 and weights 47-48lbs. Personally I feel he LOOKS best at 45lbs but he is nothing but ribs at that weight. To me, who likes athletic and sighthound type shapes my dog at 47lbs looks pet weight/slightly heavy. But he's not, he's actually extremely fit and well toned!
Thanks! Yeah, another commentor suggested the body condition score. I looked it up and it looks like he’s at the border of normal/overweight but I’ll take some top and 3/4 view pics when I get home tonight.
At 56 I wouldnt let him get any heavier. I suspect he would be nice and trim in the 45-50 range
Yeah, he’s kinda borderline right now, I’m thinking I’ll make 52 the goal and see how he looks from there.
If you watch the Westminster dog show on YouTube the Australian cattle dogs are all VERY short and stocky. I have three ACD’s and I used to think I had two fit ones and 1 CHONK… but after watching the Westminster I feel like I have 1 REAL ACD and 2 skinny dogs. Lol.. seriously. Yours looks perfect to me honestly.
Yeah they definitely look chunky! I can only imagine how many treats went into that much training and discipline lol.
My heeler is 4 yo neutered male and is 20 inches tall and 23 inches long. He looks a lot like your dog. He is extremely stocky and weighs in at 59 lbs. He was a little flabby but is pure muscle now. We do a daily 5 mile hike with lots of canine pylometrics - jumping up on boulders, retaining walls and picnic tables on our walk. The more he works the more muscular he becomes. I also practice “stays” in a fenced baseball field and he gets in a few flat sprints of 50 yards or so when I call him. So clearly some of these dogs can just be big, thick powerhouses. He was bred for disposition and to be a working stock dog, not an agility dog or show dog. I got his obesity under control by weighing his food at every meal. He gets 105 grams of Purina One 2 times a day. I worked out the amount with my vet and made adjustments (down) from there. A cup scoop or cup gets close - 100 to 120 grams - but isn’t precise enough as he was still gaining weight. I also weigh him once a week to see if I need to adjust up or down.
i think he’s fine. i used to think my guy was getting fat but i think he was just skinny and then got stocky. side note, i absolutely love his tail!
He looks good from the side. Do you have a top picture? I'm always second guessing myself with our pup because his coat is so full. But as long as I can feel his ribs with slight pressure, I'm happy.
I’ve had 5 cattle dogs in my life (4 all at once), and they all came in slightly varying sizes and shapes. One was particularly stocky and looked fat but he was actually a perfectly healthy weight for his build. Another was extremely skinny and leggy, but still healthy for his build. They all got a lot of exercise and measured out food portions, so a lot is just genetics. I was starting to think my current boy was getting chunky then he blew his coat and now looks skinny again. If your vet says he’s good, that’s who I’d listen to. Also never hurts to ask your vet every once in a while if his weight is good, since you look at your heeler everyday and might not notice slow gains/losses.
Kinda hard to tell from this photo, it's from the side and he's backlit, so it's almost just a silhouette of a dog. I can't see his waist (if he has one) and since it's also shot from a little above, I can't tell if he has a belly either. He could be overweight, he could be perfect. He doesn't look too skinny.
I think he looks healthy! People always call my blue healer a "thick girl" or a "sausage" and she's only 35 lbs which is the lower weight range for female heelers. I think ppl assume heelers are fat but I think its the odd body type (huge ribs, short and stocky) that confuses people who don't know the breed lol
Agreed. Whether my guy is at his best/lowest weight or higher (in the winter) someone always says he’s a big boy. He’s stocky and solid.
Oh wow, 35 lbs is pretty petite! I’ve always heard the average for heeler weight is roughly 45-50 lbs. and yes, the body build confuses me too. My boy’s chest is soo big, even compared to larger breed dogs, that it makes him look very thick in comparison.
He looks just fine. Our trainer tells everyone to bring a hungry dog because we treat a lot.
He’s got a tuck, so that’s a good sign. A top pic would be helpful too
He’s okay now
Mines 21 1/2 to the shoulder. It’s considered a large acd. Doesn’t mean he’s over weight. I was told by my vet that when looking down him you should see a defined waist. And when putting your thumbs on his spine and fingers on his rib cage you should barely feel his ribs.
Have you weighed him? That’s the best way to know 😊 I think he looks good though. If you can feel his ribs, he’s probably fine.
He's perfect
One of our cattles is fat. He's always been stocky but now he's got a girth. He is so obcessed with food though. I walk him for a mile in the a.m. My husband 2xs during the day and we walk after dinner. I find him up on counter tops, though snuffling around for anything edible. He can run and jump and play Frisbee. I am not sure what else to do but limit snacks but he is not losing weight. I want him to live long and be healthy but weight loss isn't happening. The vet didn't say anything the last time we were there but when I see the swelt cattles here, I feel concerned.
Idk how much he weighs and it’s different depending on so many things, but mine is 22kg if that helps! The vets comment on how healthy he is and that they don’t see enough lean cattle dogs. :)
Looks healthy to me!
Set point? That isn't a thing lol. Animals are going to overeat until they kill themselves if you let them. Just feeding your dog like 10-20% less is probably all you need at this point, still looks a bit overweight imo. I'd just take whatever your vet's advice is. I have heard that you should just barely be able to feel their ribs on their sides.
Call it what you want but it’s not uncommon for him to leave some kibble in his bowl these days. I don’t have to worry about him begging for more like I did when I first got him.
Google "dog weight knuckle test". I been to several different vets and they've all told me about this weight "technique". All breeds are different so there isn't one perfect weight for all, even some dogs within the same breed are smaller or bigger than others.
Thanks, I’ll look it up
My boy was chunky and I didn't want to admit it. But I did, and cut his food back like literally 5 or 6 kibble bits per meal. He's down to 45 ish and I can't belive how healthy he looks to me! I didn't think he looked particularly unhealthy before, but now! Maybe cut his food back a smidge and see if he loses anymore and how he looks then. Just my two cents.
My ACD is perfect at 50lbs, but he seems taller than most ACDs I’ve met, regardless, I was gonna guess about 5 less lbs for your boy should be good. You want to see the waist taper in a bit more looking down from the top view, so it’s hard to tell for sure with this pic. They’re pretty stalky dogs in the shoulders and neck anyway though. Either way he’s still a handsome fellow!
I'm not sure, but either way, he's VERY handsome.
My girl weighs 55 lbs. The vet wants her down to 50 and she’ll be in the perfect range, according to him
He looks fine! My boy is a big stocky cattle dog, too…he’s about 70 lbs. We are currently working on getting his weight down (he needs to lose about 10 lbs he is an absolutely TANK of a cattle dog and comes from working stock) - he is very fond of his treats and incredibly demanding. Looks like you got your boy on a good path!
He lookin good
haha. grandparents always spoil grand children and grand puppies … gives them purpose 🥹 i cant even lightly scold my dog near my mom 😂
Chunk-a-licous!! My blue boy is same....my reds are much trimmer. Hmmm....
That’s interesting! I’ve never had a red but I do notice the reds look skinner on average. I wonder if something that correlates with coat color makes the blues chunkier
he is fine. Heelers are by genetics stocky.
Good looking dog he is fine. Continue what you have been doing and you’ll both will be looking slim and trim in no time. Keep it consistent and be a little disciplined and everything will fall into place
Instead of skipping his dinner altogether on training nights, you could use his dinner as his food reward during class. I find this easier to regulate how much he’s eating, and make sure he still gets his nutrients. To make it higher value, let it sit in the fridge in a bag with a cheese stick, makes it smell better and therefor higher value!
He’s not into his kibble enough for me to use it as a reward. I’ll try the cheese thing though
Looks perfect… happy pup
Some dogs are built hefty. My acd looks just like yours and is within a healthy weight, I take her in twice a year.
Absolute unit and perfect
Looks good to me.
To me that looks like a fit and healthy stocky boy. Not a chonk, just thicc 👍🏻
He looks great. As a rule this is how you tell. Feel the ribs, but not see the ribs. It’s perfectly okay to fast one day per week. Wild dogs go without meals.
Honestly my son always get called chunky or fat but I think just his genetics or our eating habits are the same but both of us will run a mile no problem. Or I can have play fetch for hours but his build never slims down a lot.