My puppy is skinny with long legs?

Hello everybody.

It's a pleasure to be part of the Staffy community. I have a 7 month old female brindle staff. Even though she seems more than happy some people say she is skinny & is far to lanky to be a staff? She weighs just over 11kg & her scalp is yet to split. Others tell me not all staff puppies are short & stocky especially females pups. As you can imagine I am in a void in regards to which is right? I don't want to over feed her but I also don't want her to be underweight if this is the case. I feed her webbox dry food & go by the daily recommended amounts as stated on the bag. This is adult food so could this be a factor? She also goes number 2 alot for such a small dog? I had boxers when I was younger so I am used to big dogs & am still in the learning stage in regards to my little Bella. I hope I have made sense & any advice will be more than welcome. Many thanks.

Hi &

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hello and welcome, i believe only time will tell as to whether she is or not, did you meet her parents first? or was she a rescue dog?

Without papers it will be impossible to know if she is pure Staffy. Going by the recommended amounts on the bag is okay but puppies should be on puppy food. They have different nutritional needs and tend to burn more calories than adults. As long as you can't see more than two ribs she isn't underfed.

Seven months is still very young. My dogs head didn't 'split' until he was eight months. Females are generally smaller then males.
Webbox is a terrible food and if your feeding her the adult version she won't be getting the important nutrients she needs for development. I would switch to someone more nutritious like Royal Canin or James Wellbeloved. This low grade food is most likely what it causing her to go to the toilet such a lot. Its a bit like feeding a year old baby constant mcdonalds and wondering why it has diarrhoea.
Most staffies do not put on muscle until their second year, during the first year they gain in height.

Thanks for the help. She wasn't a rescue dog but was in need of a home due to her owners other dog being epileptic so I was more than happy to give her a home. I don't know anything about the parents as the person I got her from only had her for a short while herself so the poor little puppy had 3 owners before she was 5 months old. I have heard before that Webbox is a bad food. I only got her it as I remember my parents feeding our Boxer Webbox food but I had an idea it was probably better to feed her puppy food so that's what I will do as of tomorrow. Thanks again everyone. I feel alot better knowing I have people that know about Staffy pups to help me.

Hi & welcome.

Yes, I'd change her food to a better puppy food - here's a link that may help you choose...
https://staffy-bull-terrier.niceboard.com/t598-dry-food-recommendations

She may just be a terrier type staff, in which case she'll remain a bit leggy. But at 7 months she still has an awful lot of growing to do & she could change dramatically over the next year or so!

P.S. Staffy heads don't 'split'. They just form two bands of muscle that leaves a 'furrow' on the top of their heads.

My girl looked quite lanky, it's like 1 part if them grows and it takes a while for the rest of her to catch up !

I feed mine on Wainwrights complete puppy food. Very reasonable price from pets at home. And it's hypoallergenic so u shouldn't have to worry about sensitive tummys or skin.

Good luck with her, once she's on proper food I reckon u will see a bug difference.

X

Hi and welcoem to the forum from Rocky and me.

Rocky is on James Welbeloved kibble. There are several good foods to choose from:

http://staffy-bull-terrier.co.uk/dryfood.html

She should be eating a puppy food as they have higher nutrisonal need, I was told that the head should split later. She has alot of growing to do. Personally i found they sometimes go through a dangly stage. Try not to worry to much. You could take her 4 a check up if your concerned about her weight. Keep us informed.

Hello Our Rolo is on the Arden Grange puppy food, he's growing rapidly and it suits his digestion really well... he changes height and direction every other day, but I believe its normal for pup's to grow upwards in their first year and then fill out in the second. Good luck.

Don't stress too much. Vlad was skinny with long legs for a while and now he is a boof head! He certainly became a big boy!

kenny d wrote: I was told that the head should split later.

Their heads don't split!

Their heads don't split!

I know they don't split! But sometimes its easier to say 'split' then people know what you're talking about. It amazing the amount of people that still think a staffies skull actually cracks open and splits-but then look at how many people think they can 'lock' their jaws!

shakespearesdog wrote:

Their heads don't split!

I know they don't split! But sometimes its easier to say 'split' then people know what you're talking about. It amazing the amount of people that still think a staffies skull actually cracks open and splits-but then look at how many people think they can 'lock' their jaws!

That's exactly why I don't like the terms being used! It's so misleading!

To me it's easier to say that their head muscles develop & produce a furrow on the top of the head where the muscles meet.

I gave her some puppy food yesterday (Wainwrights) & not only did she love it she also ran around the flat for a good 5 minutes...lol! Her stool seems a little more normal today as well. I only use the term 'split' because that's how I was described it. I must admit I did think at first it meant her skull would actually split, which concerned me a little but with knowledge comes experience...lol! Thanks all & I will keep you posted on her progress. I'll also post a picture when I have taken one. Thanks again.

I have a female staffy, she is now 1 year and nearly 6 months old.
her weight is 3stone (i think thats like 19. something kg)
shes 17 inches tall.

im constantly being told shes too skinny and lanky to be a staffy, but she is.
she isnt very bully (although shes starting to bulk out now, slowly).
saying this she may be skinnier than some, but her body is extremly muscley. i have put this to the fact that from 11 walked, ran and grown up with my lurcher (greyhound x deerhound) and has learnt to keep up with and play with my lurcher and her two lurcher friends.

some staffys arnt all short and stocky, and it might just shes going to do her growing outwards abit later on like mine.

Hi Johnny, slighly off topic, but your Bella could easily be sister to my Dora. She looks very similar to one of her sisters!
Dora is also lanky and a bit skinny. We try to feed her up but she still looks a bit skinny and leggy.
Is that definitely her birth date? Dora's is 24/7/2011, we got her from a family in Aylesbury. She was one of 11, I'd love to know how her brothers and sisters are getting on.
Bit of a long shot I know...

Btw, we also feed james wellbeloved

Hi. Yeah I see what you mean about them looking alike! The paperwork I have is just a vet registration card with injection dates on it & it states her birthday being 17/8/2011. Not sure where she is from as I got her from her second owner. I'll see if I can get any info from the previous owner but I doubt she would've got birth date wrong. You never know though...lol!

Well they are certainly very similar, that'd be great if you could get more info - maybe they are cousins or half sisters (though I know Dora's mum has only had the one litter)! I'd like to see more pics of Bella to compare.

You can see lots of pics of Dora here on her website www.benoldinggames.co.uk/dora

I just checked out your pictures. Our puppies could be twins...lol!!!

Yeah they are very similar

if it' goes to have a no 2 more then 3 times or 4 to much food i think its 3 the most hope that helps someone

You're great with Bella, and you have a point. At 7 months, she might still get more extensive and filling out, especially as female Staffies can be slim and long-legged. Since you're giving her adult food, this might be why she isn't gaining much weight as solid as most puppies; propelling their growth needs puppy food specifically made for their age. High-quality puppy food could be the solution to both her weight problem and her bathroom habits. Another important step is to keep tabs on her weight and change her food accordingly.

My Bluebell is big for a girl she is KC registered with excellent pedigree she weighs 22 kg and is 17 inches tall

Bluebell's size seems healthy for her breed, especially with her strong pedigree. If she's active and your vet confirms her weight is appropriate, there's likely no need for concern. Just continue providing a balanced diet and regular exercise.