How much are you feeding?

25 lbs for a 16+" sheltie with good bone is a good weight, how old is Darcy?
The best ways to tell good weight:
-Feel the ribs to see how much of a layer is between fur and bone. You should still be able to "count" the ribs but there should be a meat and fat layer between bone and fur (when we got Sasha she was dry crusty fur over dinosaur fossil feeling bones...no padding at all!).
-Look at your dog from above, the body should have a definite "waist", ie narrowing after the chest and flaring back out at the hips
-Look at your dog from the side, the belly should "tuck up"
-Look at your dog's running style..is it "effortless" or does he avoid running at all costs
-Ask your vet about the weight

 

I keep my two thinner than average because they are so active. For the average house dog, the "ribs, waist, and tuck" method is sufficient. But if you have an active dog or do any training/trialling, then there are a few other criteria that should be met. I like to be able to feel the pin and hook bones (the top and rear points on the pelvis) as well as feel the spine, though not necessarily be able to count the vertebrae, and find a noticeable groove between the shoulder blades.

Metabolism varies between each dog so there is no way to say that a dog weighing X lb should eat X cups per day. Likewise, the food you are feeding and the feeding routine that you are following plays a huge role. A dog eating something like Orijen will need much less food per day than a dog eating something like Purina.

 

Edan is 14 5/8" and we just increased his food intake to two 1/3 cups of food a day because he got too skinny. Last time I had him on the scale, just a few days after increasing his food, he was 14.5 lbs. I'm thinking I need to get him closer to 15 but no more than 15.4 or 15.6 since I'm training him for agility and don't want to damage his joints.

Honestly, I get worried because when I look at him he looks like a "Sheltie log" but when you feel him through the fur, you can feel each rib and the hip joints easily. His fur obscures the up tuck in his belly but I can feel it when I'm double checking his weight between monthly runs to the vets office to borrow their scale.

 

Age is a factor to consider, for sure! How old is he? My pups are both almost 11 months, both 16+ inches and weigh about 21 and 26 lbs each. The 26lb boy is longer and bigger boned that the 21 lb boy.

I use the same criteria as Granite. It seems like Darcy is in range.

 

that does not seem like to much at all.