GOLDEN RETRIEVERS

Question
wE JUST GOT A 14MO OLD PURE BREAD GOLDEN. HE LOOKS VERY SKINNY. HE IS VERY LONG AND HAS HUGE PAWS. wHAT SHOULD HE WEIGH AND HOW DO I PUT SOME MEET ON HIS BONES. HIS NAME IS SAMMY.

Answer
I can't say what he should weigh. The first step is to evaluate him.  Your dog definitely should be narrower at the waist than the hips and chest. You should be able to easily feel the ribs, but not see them. Each dog is different. Standard recommendations are a good place to start, but each dog must have its food and exercise adjusted to its individual needs. Here is a link to a good illustrated guide, http://www.longliveyourdog.com/twoplus/RateYourDog.aspx

If you haven't already, it is always good to take a new dog to the vet for a check up.  Have the vet confirm your judgment of his body condition. If a dog is too skinny, it could have a worm problem.  

If he is too skinny according to the link above, I would start feeding him 4 cups a day of a regular dog chow.  If you know what he was eating before, usually it is best to stick to it.  Most dogs will thrive on most chows. Keep track of his weight.  As long as he is gaining steadily, stick to the 4 cups until he reaches his ideal body condition.  Then cut back to 3 cups.  If you don't see a gain at 4 cups, go to 5.  I once was given a Lab with her ribs showing.  It took 7 cups a day before I saw much difference.  Most Goldens and Labs will eat all they need and look for more.  Unfortunately that often leads to overfeeding and shorter lives due to overweight.  A healthy dog may be leaner than the average ones you are used to seeing.