I need help breaking my lgd from social eating

[tk10]

an important thing to remember is, you WANT him to be a bit on the thinner side. Not knowing his actual body condition it's hard to say but I know that the majority of people think that pups should be round little butterballs. Actually, they should be on the thin side. A growing pup will go through stages where he looks downright starved but they don't last long. It simply means that more energy went into height/length and less into actual body.
Adults should actually have ribs visible, not like a washboard but defined definition.

So true. I have 2 border Collies. I always thought the girl, Alice, was too skinny and Rory was just right. The vet corrected me and we reduced Rory's caloric intake until he was where he needed to be. Alice was spot on and the vet told me this perception is really common.

 

[dainerra]

here's a handy guide since "hands on" is really the only way to know. Especially for dog breeds that tend to have heavier coats.
Pups are a bit harder because many times they will be a bit skinnier than this and sometimes a bit heavier. Check at the base of the tail/bottom of the spine. If there is a padding there, the dog is likely too fat as this is one of the first places it's stored.
Once the majority of growing is done, the fast puppy-pace of it, the back of the hand test is a good guideline. I check weekly to bi-weekly and adjust the food as needed.
Pups will go through phases where they will eat more if going through a spurt and less for a few days if they've just finished one.
The amounts listed on the bag are a starting point but not accurate for many dogs. Some will need more, some less