NetNews Usenet Archive 1992 #31/NN_1992_31.iso/spool/rec/pets/dogs/15557

Internet Message Format | 1992-12-30 | 1.7 KB

Path: sparky!uunet!elroy.jpl.nasa.gov!decwrl!vixie!vixie!not-for-mail
From: [e-mail] (Anne P. Mitchell JD)
Newsgroups: rec.pets.dogs
Subject: Is She Done Growing?
Date: 29 Dec 1992 23:26:15 -0800
Organization: Knapp & Viola, Attys. at Law, San Mateo, CA
Lines: 31
Message-ID: <[e-mail]>
NNTP-Posting-Host: gw.home.vix.com


So, our *newest* foundling [what?  I haven't told you all about Nika
yet??..oh dear..I must do..she is an incredibly sweet lab/akita
cross...
the poor thing's name was *Potlicker*..but now it is Nika.  She
was an outdoor-back-up-in-the-mountains dog until now..she seems to be
*very* happy to have a nice warm loving (and dry!) home to sleep in,
and she and Tazi have become fast friends in the space of about 2
hours]
..anyway, Nika is about 8 months old, and as I mentioned, she is a
lab/akita cross...her mother is the lab...her father is a 100lb akita.

She is already about..er..I think it was 64 pounds...both her previous
owner (for whatever *that's* worth) and a fairly dog-knowledgable
friend of mine seem to think that Nika is done growing.  *I* think
she has a ways to go yet, if the paw/body ratio is a true indicator..
her paws are still quite large compared to the rest of her body...
her ears, which are lab-style, seem to be in proportion.

So what I'm wondering, is there some kind of general rule of thumb, or
even some kind of breed-specific rule of thumb, as to when a dog will
have pretty much stopped growing by?


Also, if she *is* possibly still growing, what should I be feeding her?
Right now I am feeding her what I feed Tazi [who is about 18 months
old or
so], which is Science Diet Light Maintainance, along with some kind of
moist chunk things and some milk or broth mixed in during the dinner