Hello fellow lab fans! We have recently got a fox red Labrador puppy who we specifically asked the breeder if he was an English style lab (read: chunkier, stockier), as we have a 4 year old black English lab from show stock already. I’m concerned that he is absolutely not English type! And more the thinner leaner American type. He weighs 4.17kg at 9 weeks old, which doing some googling is very small! His frame is lean and bony rather than the tubby little barrel I remember our black lab being at that age! How do I post pictures on here please so I can show you all? Our new puppy’s parents are working dogs on a farm - does that automatically make him American type? Is there a way of finding out this information from Kennel Club, or can anyone provide some insight into if he might grow to be stockier or if he will always be lean? Also should I be concerned about his weight? Thank you very much for any advice
What do the parents look like. That is the big clew about the pups. If they look like bench dogs, the pups probably will too. Field dogs aren't necessarily light, (Cooper is about 80 lbs) but they are thinner and generally more athletic . FWIW Cooper was about 10# at 9 weeks, and was gaining almost a 1/2 lb per day. She started out small, 6.5# at 7 weeks. You probably won't get any useful info from the Kennel Club, unless some of the ancestors have bench or field titles, which might be a clue.
Thank you for your response Ski-Patroller. When we went to see parents we were quite unknowledgeable about the English/American lab difference, I just remember thinking the mum was thin (breeder said it was because of 7 hungry pups suckling the life out of her!) but Dad was big and more powerful looking - perhaps though he was only muscular due to his farm work rather than his natural frame, and therefore not the indicator of his offspring’s size that I originally thought? I don’t know! Forgive my ignorance, is # a symbol for lbs? What do you think from seeing my avatar picture? I will obviously love him and care for him just as much regardless of how he turns out, I’m just really not used to having a slim Labrador and feeling a bit confused by the breeder seeing as we specifically asked for the English type. I’m more used to plumper puppies turning into stocky adults (within healthy weight range) rather than thinner puppies turning into lean adults. Cooper is a beautiful dog by the way!
My puppy is thin and gangly, I've been advised by the vet to keep him like this, and that he is likely to begin "filling out" once he is done growing height-wise and that this is healthier for his joints. Only since having Hunter have I noticed how most Labs around where I live are overweight, I used to think it was "normal" and I too was used to/expecting chubby little puppies.
Ah ok, thanks Andrea 0408! Glad that vets would approve of that way round of growing. I think it just makes me more cautious/scared about his fragility as he isn’t as robust looking as my other dog - yes I’m a silly worrier!
Yes # is used for Lbs. FWIW Cooper is 24+ Inches at the withers, and actually a little taller in the rear. She does not look fragile at all, with big paws and big leg bones, but she is tall and fairly thin, with a much bigger chest than waist. Tilly looks English, and is small, 21" at the withers and 65 lbs.
Interesting, thank you Ski-Patroller. Good to know that the American/English lab stereotype is not always indicative of size. All labs are great aren’t they!
Sounds like you've bought a field/ working Labrador?. Our Honey weighs 25kg at just short of 1 year old, she's a field Lab. I prefer the lean dogs personally.
