NJFishRGuy
Posted : 3/6/2011 1:04:21 PM
Thanks to everyone for their comments!
First, we know he's overweight. The shelter was very open and took responsibility for that, saying that they just couldn't exercise the number of dogs that they kept the way they should, especially in the winter. Bailey got a lot of knuckles and other fatty foods. But I can't fault the shelter; they fed and housed this dog for 18 months and kept him alive so we could adopt him, for which we are grateful.
They did say that his ribs were showing and he was very thin when first rescued, and weighed 65 pounds at the time. They estimated that 75 pounds is his "correct" weight. (According to the vet, he is down from 90 pounds to 86 in three weeks. We've been walking together 1 1/2 to 2 miles per day.)
It also crossed my mind that maybe the "Husky" was actually "Malamute", which would explain his being 75 pounds.
So maybe he's a border collie/malamute with a little English Setter thrown in... We're just treating him as "Bailey", and we'll work it out from there. It's just nice to have a possible explanation for certain behaviors.
Thanks again for your comments, and for making me feel welcome on the site!
Charlie