Anyone ever had a slow growing bernese mountain dog?

Question

My puppy is 4.5 months old and around 30 pounds. He's lanky but on the thin side. He just doesn't seem very beefy, but his body is quite long with long legs

Answer 1

He's right on par!  At 4.5 months, he should be long, lanky, and still very much the pup!  He's not behind the growth pattern for a large breed :)

Answer 2

Slow growing is FAR preferable to overfast dumpy growth that leaves the dog dysplastic.  Keep feeding him a high quality dog food either for adult dogs or specifically for large breed puppies.

My Bernese tend to be rather weedy looking and underweight at young ages compared to the average show Bernese.  As adults mine tend to be in the middle for for height and weight.  (males 110 lbs, females 90 lbs)  Please realize in the past 10 years the breed for the show ring has EXPLODED in size (by about 15 lbs) this is NOT in the dog's best interest.

You also need to be concerned about whether your pup came from parents who are within the standard for size--- talk to your breeder.  There are some backyard breeders breeding quite small Bernese.

Answer 3

You actually WANT a slow growing berner.  Large breed dogs can develop skeletal and joint problems if they grow too quickly which can literally cripple them in adulthood.  Your dog is still a baby, he really shouldn't start to seem "beefy" until he's much older...closer to 1.5-2 years old.  Expecting him to be "beefy" at this age is kind of like expecting an 8 year old to look like a high school quarter back.