Sam, now three and a half years old, had lots of spare skin as a puppy which he grew into as he filled out . However , one area where he still has excess loose skin is on his neck under his chin and above his chest where he has folds of skin , you truly don't notice it, it isn't hanging down but it is evident when you feel around his adams apple area . It can be a blinkin nuisance at times because when he gets wet swimming, if this area is left damp , it sometimes causes mild infection in the moist folds . Our Vet gave me some special shampoo , just to use on his neck a couple of times a week if I notice it feeling unpleasant , recently he needed antibiotics as it got infected . I guess the only way to deal with this is to make sure he is thoroughly dried off after swimming , just wondering if anyone else has this problem ?
Re: Loose skin I thought this was normal on some labs? Some male dogs do seem to have the appearance of extra bulkiness from sort of "extra" skin and fur around the neck area - Charlie does. I often notice it, particularly when I compare him with lighter built bitches. It means flat collars don't look quite right on him. I'll see whether I can find a pic.... you might mean something different though...
Re: Loose skin Yup, loose skin and a LOT of fur around the lower neck....definitely a Lab double chin going on here - hold your head up, Charlie! double chin! by hj.clayton, on Flickr
Re: Loose skin Do you think it's more common in the show type labs as they are bulkier and as a result need more skin?? Sounds silly.... But Penny is working type and is slimline all over. She had a little wrinkly head and neck as a pup but very quickly grew into it. With stockier labs I think they also have thicker fur which perhaps contributes to the 'double chin' appearance?
Re: Loose skin Yes, I think so - at least based on my own observations, I've never seen anything written about this though. I think the show line labs tend to have more skin and fur around the neck to give them the appearance of bulk - you do not see it in the standard show photos because the stance is to raise the head upwards. And it's sadly true that some working labs just don't have decently thick fur coats, which makes up a lot of the double chin effect. I do think though it might also a male / female thing, comparing Charlie with his litter sister, she has less bulk and less fur around the neck, as does Charlie's mum. His dad and uncle (both still intact) have bigger necks, bigger shoulders, and more of this double chin stuff going on.
Re: Loose skin Looking at the photos , Sam has a little more loose skin than Charlie but hasn't any on the back of his neck, just the underside . Ironically , his brother is the same, as is his sire, but his female siblings don't have it so maybe there is something in the male make up . Sam is pure working lines, a proper skinny Minnie , big but slim , so I don't know about the show/working lines having a bearing, never mind just have to keep it extra clean .
