Awhile ago I posted we were going to give our puppy to a rescue bc he was too much for me with the baby and work etc etc. We ended up keeping him and everyone else (kids, hubs) is helping me more so things are getting better. I am just curious though, bc everyone who sees him says labs are bigger than this. He's about 5.5-6 months now and is pretty short, I guess you'd call it, in comparison to purebred labs I've seen. The vet thinks he's mixed with chow and possibly German Shepherd. So is this normal size or he will probably stay this "short"?
Hi, I can’t see your pictures (Photobucket no longer supports sharing on third-party sites unless you pay for the privilege. Imgur,Flickr and others still work). He will almost definitely grow a bit taller than he is now. However, the breed standard for Labs isn’t as tall as many people think. Labs are supposed to be pretty short! Many field and pet bred Labs are very tall, which is likely why people are surprised when they see one that is “proper” size. Not to say that all show bred dogs conform, either - my Luna’s Daddy is a successful show dog and is big. She is a lovely petite size, though, taking after her mum. What is his height, measured from floor to withers?
It's very hard to judge by those photos. How big is he? Like how much does he weigh? He's only 6 months, so he could still grow quite a bit. I know some labs who are done most of their growing by 6 months and others who continue to grow a lot.
Labs can be very diverse , there really is no right or wrong unless you are aiming for a high end show ring ! My late boy was extremely big , tall , call it what you will , he weighed in at 40 kilos but didn't carry fat, it was all dog ! I`m pleased that you are working through your previous worries, he is gorgeous .
He's super cute and still looks very puppy to me. I think they grow the entire first year unless he's mixed with a small/medium breed. It's hard to put a finger on his mix- OH once had a shepherd x lab and his ears were just like that, but totally different face. Only way you will know is if you DNA him!
He doesn’t looks particularly short - and nothing like a chow or German shepherd! It’s lovely to hear that you’ve weathered the initial problems and your family are helping out. He’ll make a wonderful family pet. Keep in touch.
Beautiful face and coat, small paws and slender legs, so most likely a working/field style Lab, which are much smaller than the show type. He isn't likely to have stopped growing yet, though. German shepherds are rather larger than Labs, so that seems an unlikely cross. I don't know about Chows, but those just look like "rose ears".
Our little Joy is coming up for 13 months now and she's tiny, dainty, perfect and beautiful. She's 18 inches high from floor to shoulder, 27 inches long from nose to base of tail and weighs just over 16.5 kilos. Lots of people ask if she is all Lab. We met both parents, who both looked all Lab, but were both small, father being slightly smaller than mother. We didn't mind, as they were both such sweet natured dogs. Joy was the smallest in the litter. A couple of months ago Joy and I met a chocolate Lab who was 6 months older than her, male, very similar build and not much bigger. I asked his owner if he was all Lab and he said 'Yes, as far as i'm aware, the breeders were Kennel Club registered, the parents were working stock and small.' Your gorgeous little boy looks all Lab to me, from his pictures. I think, in the end we put so much into them and end up loving them so much that they could be half Martian or whatever and it wouldn't really matter, given the love and rewards we reap in the long term. So glad you've kept your little lad and that everyone is sharing and enjoying him more. It's all going to be truly worthwhile, whether he's a cross or not.
Harley grew quite a bit between 6-12 months old then filled out a bit with muscle for a few months after that. She’s short compared to some labs, but is a perfect size for me I’m glad you kept your boy and that your family are helping out
Amber stopped growing in every direction when she was over a year. Her head was the last. She had a thick neck and slim head for a while. She looked really quite odd but then her head caught up and now she looks like a tall, beautiful lab and is the most gorgeous lab in the world!
Mine grew some more after 6 months iirc(although certainly in girth) . Glad you kept him, how are both dogs getting along? I found at this age taking my dog to a dog park(a good one with lots of rules) created a very well rounded and very tired puppy. It was a godsend to me. I also took him to puppy day care 4 days a week to give my parents a rest while I was at work. There he played all day and I was able to watch him on a live feed while working. It wasn’t all a bed of roses though. First few weeks on ownership of him I got some super infections to both my hands caused by his bites that required every other day for me to go to the hospital to receive IV antibiotics for a few weeks and my hands had to be wrap in thick bandages, but I managed somehow I’m getting a new puppy in 5 1/2 weeks and will soon to be in your shoes although I don’t have all what you have going on. It will be for me, just work then puppy time. I have an 11 year old and her friends to tire him out hopefully some but it will mostly be all me and my mother helping. Did you get him altered? You mentioned wanting to do it in another post. Dogs fixed at early ages grow taller if done so then they would have otherwise been genetically programmed to do which isn’t a good thing. One should wait til their growth plates in their bones to close first. Personally I plan on not fixing my new one til he’s 18 months and then going to have him have a vasectomy instead of the usual way of fixing him. I feel in the long run this will be better for him.
We had him neutered last week like four days ago. He is about 5 1/2 months now so I wanted to wait until almost 6 months although I know that's still somewhat early
Oh well, what’s done is done, you did what you felt was right. It’s just you should expect then for your puppy to be taller than those that are fixed after puberty and potential for other health issues if sprayed before 1 year of age. It’s because the hormones necessary to stop the growth in their bones (the bone plate remains open for longer)isn’t there anymore. Hopefully that won’t be the case and it’s not my intention to scare you. My first dog was fixed much earlier than yours and lived to be almost 14 years old. He did have hip issues the last couple of years though I’d like to add again how happy I am that you kept him, he’s so beautiful❤️.
I also have a 5.5 month old black lab mix who is only about 33 lbs and about 19 inches I am curious what you guys think he might be mixed with and if he’ll get any bigger. He is truly the sweetest pup.
Hi and welcome . He is lovely , and yes, he has some growing to do yet ! Males don't stop growing until they reach around 14 months or so , although they might slow up in the growth stakes after around 10 months , just adding bulk . He looks all Lab to me !
