paul_bear666
Posts:2
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| 10/14/2008 9:57 PM |
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I recently received a GSP as a gift for my birthday. I had one when i was growing up and i loved him, but he passed away last summer. He is 5 months old to the day, and he weighs 46 pounds. He seems large for his age, Does this sound right? |
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auwallace
Mobile, AL
MH
Posts:235
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| 10/15/2008 5:34 AM |
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| some gsp's never get any bigger than that, Lola is a smaller GSP, she'll probably max out at 45lbs. Your boy sounds like a big one but as long as your dog looks healthy and isn't getting fat then he's probably fine. Although I think with their energy levels you could feed them 10 cups a day and they'd still burn it off. |
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Texas Belle
Austin, TX
MH
Posts:7839
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| 10/15/2008 5:40 AM |
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It varies by dog. Males are bigger than the girls most of the time. The standard says:
Weight of dogs 55 to 70 pounds. Weight of bitches 45 to 60 pounds.
My male, Ringo, weighed in at 40 pounds at 4.5 months. I am guessing he will end up around 65 lbs. Your boy sounds ok as long as he is not overweight. Just know he will probably be a big boy when he is full grown. |
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Bev Quarles, the Pointer Sisters (Belle and Halo), the Outlaw GSP (Johnny Ringo) and the little Princess (Fauna)
Yellow Rose GSPs
   
"A dog has the soul of a philosopher." - Plato |
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pixie bee
MH
Posts:4450
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| 10/15/2008 6:03 AM |
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It all sounds good,depending on the height of your puppy. Height is measured at the withers and for this weight he ought to be about 22".
A dog will grow as much as a dog will grow. If he's big now it doesn't guarentee he will be much bigger as he gets older. How big are the parents and grandparents?
Congrtas on your gift. Hope it was what you wanted.
Francine
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"Time with my dogs clears my mind, renews my faith, and lets me see the world as it is. My only regret loving dogs as I do, is the misery of their early departure." Robert G. Wehle
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rockspring
maryland
MH
Posts:62
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| 10/15/2008 6:46 AM |
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I just had my boy at the vet's for shots and he was 41.5lbs. He'll be 5 months on Oct 20. His father is about 70 lbs and mom around 60. I also have a 3 yr old female who's a petite 49.5 lbs. |
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Deets
Santa Fe, Tx
MH
Posts:76
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| 10/15/2008 9:08 AM |
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| Tug (Ringo's bro) weighed 37 when he was a few days shy of being 4.5 months old. |
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carlower1
Kansas
MH
Posts:1253
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| 10/15/2008 10:03 AM |
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The best description of a healthy weight that I have heard on this list came from someone's vet.... "Ribs I can handle... but when I see spine is there is an issue." If you can see your dog's ribs but not the spine knobs then you should be fine. I have to admit I am just now getting the spine knobs to not show on Wachter... but it has taken me reducing his exercise and adding eggs and other sources of fat to his diet. Mind you he was in the 40 lb range between 4 and 5 months 50 lb range between 5 and 6 months... got to the 60 lb range then started growing tall and dropped back down to 50 lbs... I am hard pressed to keep weight on him at this time, so I wouldnt be too worried about an overweight 5 month old... they WILL need the weight when the next growth spurt hits.
Carrie |
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TessaGA
Georgia
MH
Posts:2387
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| 10/15/2008 12:53 PM |
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For 5 months that sounds big to me but weight and growth rates are so erratic during the first year. I once read one way to guesstimate final weight is weight at 4 months (16 weeks) x 2 plus 10 lbs.
My Tessa is 28 lbs at 15 weeks. Say she hits 30 lbs next week, per above formula her final weight should be 70 lbs (30 x 2 + 10). That would be 10 lbs over the maximum allowance for a GSP female and I doubt she will be that big, but I am pretty sure she will reach 60 lbs. She's got big paws and lots of skin  |
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To live without dogs would mean accepting a form of blindness. [Thomas McGuane]
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Ace1cappuccino
Carp Lake, Michigan
MH
Posts:1618
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| 10/15/2008 1:28 PM |
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| I have 3 females that are 45, 53, and 60. I have my male Hunter who is never still and he is 65 pounds. The male pup from him we kept is only 45. So you see there is a huge variance depending on bloodline and how they are raised. If they are fed correctly and look good that's all that matters!! |
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Cornell's GSP'S- Mocha cappuccino, Lili Belle Lotte, Sir Leopold Vom Hunter 1, Lil Miss Lotte Doddi, Ace Hunter Twisted Mister(GSP'S)  
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cdansan
Northwestern, Vermont
MH
Posts:130
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| 10/15/2008 8:48 PM |
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8 1/2 months, 52 lbs at the vet today. My guy is little on the small size, very thin 24 inches tall at the shoulder.
Dan |
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Marie
Wisconsin
MH
Posts:2721
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Marie
Wisconsin
MH
Posts:2721
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| 10/15/2008 11:57 PM |
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| If you have a big full size male shorthair, like Rocky you will have other GSP shorthair owners stopping commenting "What a big beautiful GSP you have, I never saw one that size.' My GSP is only 45 lbs!!" Donot let it bother you, take it in stride. Be thankful you donot have to bend over like others do when you have to hang onto his collar. Make sure you train him to heal at your side when on leash as he will be powerful and may pull you to china if he sees a squirrel!!! I started heal at my side when on leash from day one with Rocky and soooo glad I did because of his powerful muscle GSP body. I would not be able to walk Rocky on leash if I didnot have him trained. My arm would be pulled off. Good luck you your boy GSP. He sounds like he is off to a right start, good for goose or duck hunting!! |
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Marie and Rocky, a tall, high energy GSP
http://i845.photobucket.com/albums/ab18/Annette_Merryfield/100_0285.jpg?t=1287205231 |
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Marie
Wisconsin
MH
Posts:2721
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Marie
Wisconsin
MH
Posts:2721
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| 10/16/2008 12:08 AM |
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Lastly, an advantage of a bigger solid male GSP, they can plow thur deep snow. No need to snow blow a path for them  |
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Marie and Rocky, a tall, high energy GSP
http://i845.photobucket.com/albums/ab18/Annette_Merryfield/100_0285.jpg?t=1287205231 |
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canter21
SH
Posts:43
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| 10/16/2008 5:44 AM |
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talking about homegrown snow plows.... several years ago, i was visiting my mom in upstate new york after a sad death in the family, there was a big snow storm, a couple of feet...i had to go out to feed the horse, goats, chickens to help out mom, hadn't brought snow clothes since i went up so quickly.....
luckily Duke & Lance to the rescue!....her 2 gsp boys, both about 70-75 lbs each.... always happy to go go go.... so i pointed to the barn, 'let's get the horses', they ran there, and back, and there and back, voila a nice path for me to walk!... then again to the chicken coop, then again back to the house...... such good boys |
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pixie bee
MH
Posts:4450
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| 10/16/2008 7:00 AM |
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| Full size GSP? No such thing. Fact is, there are few 80+ lb dogs that can hunt all day at a gallop. yeah, maybe for a day they would be fine out there for a few hours but they would not be able to keep the pace for days in a row. Hunting is hard work and is nothing at all like chasing tennis balls all day or jogging 10 miles. The amount of energy expended during a hunt is emmense. |
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"Time with my dogs clears my mind, renews my faith, and lets me see the world as it is. My only regret loving dogs as I do, is the misery of their early departure." Robert G. Wehle
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everbell
Kanata, ON
MH
Posts:3164
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| 10/16/2008 10:10 AM |
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Ya .. Bo is near the top of the range (67 to 70 lbs) and he definitely gets smoked by the smaller GSPs we know. (not that he doesn't give them the good ol' college try)
Having said that, even tired, he moves A LOT fast than the labs and goldens we see at the dog park. |
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Joce and Rich
Bogart and Shiraz (GSPs)
Roxane (RIP: 1995-2009) and Tiger Lily (Cats)
The Everbell Adventures |
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pixie bee
MH
Posts:4450
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| 10/16/2008 11:06 AM |
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| Labs and other retreivers can't hold a candle to a shorthair. |
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"Time with my dogs clears my mind, renews my faith, and lets me see the world as it is. My only regret loving dogs as I do, is the misery of their early departure." Robert G. Wehle
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Marie
Wisconsin
MH
Posts:2721
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| 10/16/2008 11:08 AM |
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| The most surprising fact of life when first taking Rocky on all day hunts where he ran miles and miles, my husband said Rocky didnot want to quit while heading back to the truck. When Rocky came home, I thought to myself, "Good, Rocky is going to be tired from hunting all day and want to sleep'. Wrong Wrong was I , Rocky in has dog language said , OK Mom now it is time for our tennis ball session. Outside for another hour and half for tennis ball time. GSPs no matter what size or shape can be full of spit and vinegar and high energy!!! Also cannot believe the heighten energy our GSPs have when out in a hunting invironment. It is awesome to see. Not only that our GSPs can hunt in all types of terraines and never give up till the dropped bird is found. Rocky is one of the lucky GSPs who has free birdie field running sessions 7 days a week as the fields are right out our backyard!! Owning a high energy GSP like Rocky has been a true education for me. Our first GSP, Poge was not a high energy GSP. In fact when people would tell me GSPs were high energy, I could not believe it. |
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Marie and Rocky, a tall, high energy GSP
http://i845.photobucket.com/albums/ab18/Annette_Merryfield/100_0285.jpg?t=1287205231 |
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