skinny german shepherd

Question
hello,  
i have a male 2 yr old German shepherd and i was wondering if there was a safe way for him to gain a little weight.  i keep track on how much he eats and he seems to eat pretty good.  but he just seems too skinny.  his dad was the same way and i was told that he looks exactly like him.  someone told me to make and mix corn meal in his food three times a week and i will notice  a difference but i want to make sure that whatever i give him is healthy and safe for him.  thank you and i appreciate your time

Answer
Have you had the vet examine him and make sure there are no health problems? Evaluate the dog as illustrated in this link, http://www.longliveyourdog.com/twoplus/RateYourDog.aspx You may want the vet to confirm your judgment. Adjust the dogs food and exercise as needed to reach its ideal body condition. Some German Shepherds and other breeds may refuse to eat enough to completely hid their ribs. As long as you are feeding a concentrated, meat based chow, the best thing is to accept it.  If he is too thin, I would first try offering him more of his regular chow.  It would be much better than corn meal.  Corn meal is a common component of dog chows and the only thing wrong with it is that dogs don't make as efficient use of it as other ingredients.  A given quantity of a dog chow should have more usable calories that the same amount of corn meal.