# On the topic of sighthounds..



## Unosmom (May 3, 2009)

I was looking at some videos of azawakh and I know they are naturally very lean dogs, but this dog just doesent look healthy to me, hip bones sticking out, all ribs visible. 

silly azawakh again - YouTube

I would much rather see this:
Azawakh Naala beim Schulprojekt / in school - YouTube










Whats your take on sighthounds and their physique? I think its normal to see some rib when they are running and maybe a slight outline of last 2 ribs when not moving, but I dont like the look of the first dog in the video at all, its way too skinny even for a sighthound.


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## lauren43 (Feb 6, 2011)

I agree with you. I do think that sighthounds are generally skinny, esp to non-raw feeders. But the dog in the first video is too skinny. The hip bones for me are what make it too thin. However sometimes it is hard to put weight on certain dogs, perhaps that is the issue here?


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## Tobi (Mar 18, 2011)

Appears too skinny to me as well, the photo that you've posted looks nice to me. I don't like to see the dogs hip bones, i think that is the point when you know they need some weight put on :lol:


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## Porphyria (Jul 13, 2011)

Azawakh tend to be thin, even for sighthounds. It is normal to be able to see the ribs and hip bones on an azawakh, but I agree, the dog in the video is a bit _ too_ bony. But it can be difficult to keep weight on very active sighthounds, which azawakh tend to be.


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## Caty M (Aug 13, 2010)

A lot of the sighthounds have very high set hips and a high croup so you can see the hips even if the dog is almost overweight. I have heard also that their spine vertabrae are shaped differently, more convex, to allow a wider range of movement, so they appear a lot more visible. In my opinion for sighthounds you SHOULD be able to see more than one or two ribs like you would judge a regular dog... they genetically have a much lower body fat percentage. You can see the outline of all Tess's ribs plus her hips and I don't think she is too skinny- just the way she is built. She eats more than my sheltie who is twice her weight. She is also much heavier than she looks- she is almost 10lb but most people guess in the 5lb range. She has quite a bit of muscle.

Azawakh are obviously not unhealthy in their low body weight- they have been clocked at faster than a greyhound. They are built for the job they were bred to do. That first one might be a little too thin, but I'd say the second one is above peak weight.


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## runwiththewind (Aug 19, 2011)

Maybe he's not as fast as he should be to the food bowl & the others are eating his food. He looks healthy & has a nice temperament. Both my boys lost weight on Wellness Reduced Fat and then I switched to Wellness Core Original. The older one still hasn't gotten his weight back now that I switched to Earthborn Primitive. I read others also couldn't keep weight on with Wellness. I'm wondering the age in the video.


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## rannmiller (Jun 27, 2008)

I agree that the dog in the video is _very_ bony. Although I know that the breed is supposed to be especially thin and the bone structure is supposed to be visible according to everything I've read and the one azawakh owner I talked to (years ago), but I feel like that dog is just a little too thin. But as was previously mentioned, maybe it's a younger dog and harder to keep the weight on it at that age. I can certainly sympathize with that since I'm constantly struggling to keep weight on Peyton.


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## Unosmom (May 3, 2009)

ranmiller, from what I researched it does look like they are a lot bonier then other hounds, but the dog in the video is just too thin even for that standard, though I can sympathize if its a metabolism issue vs actual amount fed (and food quality) issue.


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## minnieme (Jul 6, 2011)

HA! 

The dog in the first video has the SAME EXACT build as Minnie right now (she is putting weight on slowly but surely though). Now do you know why I had trouble even looking at her?!


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## catahoulamom (Sep 23, 2010)

I think the brindle dog in the picture you posted is MUCH healthier looking than the one in the first video. I don't care what the breed is, you shouldn't be able to count all of the bones in the dog's body.

Not that I am blaming the owner - (slightly OT) but my coworker/close friend has a chinese crested that she cannot put weight on. The dog has been tested for everything, thyroid, worms, blood tests, EVERYTHING... and the dog is skin and bones. Anyways - I would never want my own dog (sighthound or not) to be as thin as the dog in the first video.

Edit: Here is another video I found of a thin Azawakh... you can see some ribs and hip bones but you can also see the muscle tone. I feel as though the dog in the first video has very little muscle, this one looks much better to me. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=go0ScJgqWy0&NR=1


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## catahoulamom (Sep 23, 2010)

minnieme said:


> HA!
> 
> The dog in the first video has the SAME EXACT build as Minnie right now (she is putting weight on slowly but surely though). Now do you know why I had trouble even looking at her?!


Can't wait to see her all filled out! If she's that beautiful now - think of how GORGEOUS she's going to be all filled out.


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## 3Musketeers (Nov 4, 2010)

I think that dog is a little too thin, I don't doubt he's being fed, it's probably just the food not putting weight on him. Even by sighthound standards. 
Taking Salukis as an example (since it's a sighthound I am more familiar with and easier to find photos):

Too thin:



















Good:





Overweight:


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## RCTRIPLEFRESH5 (Feb 11, 2010)

i dont hae any opinion on this, but i wanted to say that the pic you posted is very beautiful.and this coming from a guy who hates borzois, and tall and lanky dogs.


Unosmom said:


> I was looking at some videos of azawakh and I know they are naturally very lean dogs, but this dog just doesent look healthy to me, hip bones sticking out, all ribs visible.
> 
> silly azawakh again - YouTube
> 
> ...


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