How Can I Judge a German Shepherd’s Weight, Fat or Thin?

A fit Shepherd looks lean with tight muscle; from the side the abdomen tucks in, and from above the waistline is smooth and slightly narrowed. A very deep tuck means too thin; no tuck and a round body means too fat.

By touch, a fit dog has a little subcutaneous fat, firm elastic muscle, hard-to-feel ribs, and a round tail. Too little fat, little muscle, and a protruding tail bone means too thin.

Too much subcutaneous fat and muscle with no felt ribs means too fat.