Another confession: you know how most people look in the mirror and think they look fat, when they're not. Well me and my husband would think we were thinner than we really were!!! And then eat with gay abandon. You are absolutely right that people assume Labs should be fat, they assume they're built that way. We are also guilty of thinking Snowie looks too thin, but compared to other non-Labs, he's fine, or bigger. It is a mindset, you are right.
I would too! I feel a bit sad sometimes for overweight friends, but I feel really sad for overweight dogs. Humans (most?) have some sort of choice over what they eat, a lab leaves that choice in the responsible hands of its owner. I saw an overweight Dachshund recently. It's belly was literally scraping along the gravel track, that can't be comfortable. It's owners were rounder than normal too. I felt more sad for the dog than the owners. I wondered about saying something, but I wasn't sure it would have done any good.
I fat my dogs arent. Yes it is about choice but please don't make assumptions people's lives can be very complex and health can sometimes be an issue.
I'm also overweight, I eat too much, nothing mysterious about it, and I know what's healthy and what I should do to lose weight, but it's hard, simple as that. But my son is slim and Plum is slender and I won't let her get fat. Fat mum doesn't mean fat dog!
Hmmm.. lot's of food for thought (sorry). I;m over weight myself, but I have my own issues with that, indeed have lost weight since Cass came into my life. But my children, my dogs and our horses never are.
I'm a very weird shape my arms and legs are not fat in fact my legs are so well muscled I won the office legs competition recently. (Its a silly thing we do), And my fat bum is so muscly that it recently bent a needle during a bma. The nurses even do the bma even have a special technique to deal with my super dense muscles But its my stomach is strange. Because of my condition I get a pot belly my face gets puffy and my kneck has swollen areas. Yes I'm fat and that's my fault but it is a by product of complicated life.all my animals have been the perfect weight. I can forgive myself and know what I live with and am proud that I survived so long and lived so well but I try to loose weight eat well and be as fit as possible.
I have absolutely zero willpower when it comes to food. I've been on a diet since January for our holiday - we go on holiday in 3 days and I'm the exact same weight as when I started! Luckily, I have a good metabolism and can eat quite a lot without putting much weight on, but on the other side I'm only 5ft2 so any weight I do put on is quite noticeable. But I don't think it's the same with dogs. I can control what Stanley eats quite easily to ensure he doesn't put weight on. He's going for his annual health check at the vets today and I'm going to check his weight with them to ensure they're happy. I've been telling OH off (he's the sneaky extra feeder) saying Stanley doesn't seem to have much of a tuck anymore, but then I realise he's got what is called a skirt (I think?). So if you lift that up he has a cracking tuck poor OH
I don't say anything when I hear (from other Labrador owners) "oh yours is so nice and slim!" I just joke about Xena being my "microdor" but inside I'm screaming. Once I met an elderly chocolate biscuit barrel on legs, only she wasn't elderly (3 or 5 years old, I can't remember). My face must have betrayed me because the owner very quickly said "oh she just put on weight over winter". My foot she did. This poor dog was waddling along like senior lady, she wasn't just festively plump, she was obese!
I have been thinking about this but the other way round. I am very petite, 7 stone at 5 ft 4" and always have been. Years ago when my children were at the village primary school a lady that I only knew to say hello to came up to me and asked me was I anorexic, I was shocked and horrified but I had the wherewithall to say "no I'm not, are you fat" (she was) she looked moritifed and hopefully felt how she had made me feel. I never spoke to her again. I have had friends with fat dogs tell me that Hattie & Charlie are too thin, really, my vet is always thrilled to tell me that both Hattie & Charlie are perfect weight and fitness, and she wishes more owners took their dogs health as seriously as I do. My vets has started running an obesity clinic My point is, people have no problem commenting on how slim animals or humans. xxx
Yes, when will people realise that being called "skinny" is not a compliment, and whose business is it of yours to comment on it, anyway, hmm? Not that I'm in any danger of being called skinny at the moment! But, once upon a time!
It is absolutely not a compliment. I have been called so many names all my life due to my size/frame. I could have a medical condition (I don't) that rude people don't know about just as an overweight person might. I don't think I have a friend that is NOT overweight and I wouldn't in a month of Sunday's ever comment on it unless they asked me for my opinion and I would be honest. It seems perfectly socially acceptable for anyone to comment on skinny people but it's not PC to comment on overweight people. xx
I suppose it's because most people are overweight, and for them, being called "skinny" would be a compliment, so they don't see it as a bad thing. For others, it might be a bit passive aggressive because they wish they were thinner. I would never comment on a dog's weight unless I knew the person very well and knew it wouldn't just get their back up and fall on deaf ears.
