Maybe I am paranoid. We have Bramble, who is a tall young lab, now 8 months old. 9 months next week. She weighs 30kg already, and looks very slim, you can easily pick out her ribs when she stretches. She met a gun dog trainer last week, who advised us to watch her back end, he thought she still had more growing. She is taller than both Casper and Benson. Her hips are taller than her front, she has a very long back! She does look to have straight back legs, sort of tippy toes, I don't like it. She has only limped once, that was it. Saying that she sometimes looks stiff all over, sort of gawky looking. She is booked into an orthopaedic vet next Monday, to make sure everything is OK, her Xrays will be done routinely at 12 months anyhow, because I like to get a good idea of what they look like. My question is..does anyone have experience of very tall labs and growth?
How tall is she at the shoulder? My first Lab, Nicolae, was tall (61cm at the shoulder and around 36kg) and his back legs were too straight. He was on his back toes all the time, like he was wearing high heels. He over-used his lower back when walking (moving his hips to swing his legs forward rather than bending his knees or hocks). He lived till 14 and did Flyball for many years and never seemed to have any negative impacts from his tall/straight leg confirmation. He moved pretty well right up until when he was 13 or so. So, while that conformation is definitely not the ideal it won't necessarily have much negative effect. It didn't have any in Nicolae's case that we could ever see.
Nicolae does sound a lot like Bramble. She does the hip sway when she walks too. When she trots or runs she looks fine and agile, although she doesn't pick her hocks up like the other two. I think she is so different from Benson who has a beautiful, cute trot, knees carried high. Although when Bramble then stretches into a run she covers ground very, very quickly, without seemingly breaking into a sweat. I am thinking of taking her swimming once or twice a week to help build muscle and flexibility in her backs/hips.
I was going to suggest some swimming to help her as it seems to me that good muscle can help a multitude of sins (Bramble's obviously not a sinner *cough* ) but I didn't have anything to base that on other than some received wisdom about dysplasia and I do try not to just hurl random advice about
61 cm is only 24 inches (@Oberon) and in Canada the standard states 22.5 to 24.5 inches is allowed. So I have to wonder what people mean by tall? Because that is the high end of what's allowed here but lots are over standard. Does your standard state lower heights?
In the UK, the height on the breed standard for bitches is 21.5 - 22 inches. For dogs, it's 22 - 22.5inches.
Bramble is already over the breed standard for height in the UK..at 8 months old, her growth spurt upward was around 6 months old, she has always been a heavy pupster though. Took her to Widgets at the weekend where she met Maisie and Milo with @Fwhitt246. Our puppy trainer at Widgets asked , who was the tall lab? Couldn't believe when we said that's Bramble!
I'm so sorry, I forgot Bramble is female and put in the male height. Here's the correction: Height/Weight Dogs will stand from 22.5-24.5 in (57-62 cm) at the shoulder and weigh 60-75 lb (27-34 kg). Females are slightly smaller at 21.5-23.5 in (55-60 cm) and 55-70 lb (25-31.5 kg). FRom: http://www.ckc.ca/en/Choosing-a-Dog/Choosing-a-Breed/Sporting-Dogs/Retriever-Labrador
There is a guy who walks his chocolate lab by my place a few times a day. This lab is very tall and so one day I asked him if he was mixed with anything and he said, "Nope, got him in Texas so I guess everything is bigger in Texas." I'll have to ask him if he will allow me take a picture and measure him because he really looks like a dang Moose.
Snowshoe, the standard heights in Australia are the same as in the US. [Edit - that's a typo - should be 'same as in the UK ]Because we were used to a relatively tall dog, when we got Obi (regulation height) he seemed tiny! I don't think height in itself is an issue. Straight back legs are the factor to watch (and 'shorter' dogs can have that too). Nicolae was a very athletic runner and jumper. Although he had a bit of a funny walk (and also tended to pace rather than trot) his run was very fluid. Does sound a lot like Bramble. Does she tend to pace (same side legs moving together?).
I think height can be an issue if it's because the dog was neutered before puberty and the joint angles are off from prolonged growth. However I'm not sure how much of that extra growth one can see just by looking and not knowing how tall the dog would be if it hadn't been neutered too soon. A village Lab here had incredibly straight hind legs. I have never seen another dog with NO bend at the hock at all when viewed sideways. We had the same Vet who by mistake shook his head when I mentionned we'd been running together, she, the dog, wasn't supposed to run. But her owners competed in ironman and ran marathons and the dog did some training with them, running no more than 10 km, but that was 10 more than the Vet wanted her to run. She did break down in old age, her back went out from the pounding and strain but she was old, 12, and they medicated her for pain and dropped her exercise and she lived till 14, a pretty good life.
That's interesting, I hadn't considered that shorter legged labradors would have straight legs. The standard also calls for a "level topline" I am assuming that means level from withers to hips. Brambles hips are 2 inches taller than her withers. I am hoping that is just the way they grow..back end first.. Bramble doesn't pace..but her gait look more natural once she starts to trot. Just hoping I am paranoid!
I think that the back end being higher is a developmental stage and that front ends are typically slower to catch up. I'd guess that she'll level out to some degree at least. I'd say that level topline means level from wither to the base of the tail. Not that common though - most dogs have some gentle hills and valleys.
That's quite a big difference between the breed standard in the US/Aus and the UK. Luckily Ella's an Aussie because she fits perfectly into our standard but is too big for the UK standard (59cm and 26kgs)!
and Huh? Oberon must mean the UK standard 'cause here is the US standard: Size, Proportion and Substance: Size-The height at the withers for a dog is 22½ to 24½ inches; for a bitch is 21½ to 23½ inches. Any variance greater than ½ inch above or below these heights is a disqualification. Approximate weight of dogs and bitches in working condition: dogs 65 to 80 pounds; bitches 55 to 70 pounds. The minimum height ranges set forth in the paragraph above shall not apply to dogs or bitches under twelve months of age. P FRom: http://images.akc.org/pdf/breeds/st...ever.pdf?_ga=1.162593717.847287018.1473203696 The AKC heights are the same as CKC but they let their males start and finish 5 pounds heavier. Both AKC and CKC give weights and I think the UK doesn't, but the weights are practically useless as they are supposed to be "in working condition" something that is not defined and as far as I know never checked in a conformation show.
