I also thought that the dog in the photo looked overweight, and I believe that show labs are heavier -- a contentious issue that annoys many people who know that slimmer dogs are healthier and that the dogs winning shows create a bad benchmark. I've changed my avatar to a photo taken a few days ago. I don't think Snowie is overweight and he has wonderfully muscled hind legs, yet his tummy line does look like the lab in the that photo, ie tending to overweight. The anatomical picture shows a magnificent specimen, although to me that looks more like a GSP than a Lab (I do think that GSPs are the ultimate doggy-looking dog!). I also think the anatomical picture doesn't account for the layer of fat, then a layer of skin, then a layer of fur. Oh well, might need to take Snowie to pilates! Now... can you imagine what our dogs are saying about us on The Labrador-Mad People Forum? "My person needs to go on diet big time! And I've booked her in for Boot Camp. But get her up in the mornings? Hah! And she's always saying, It's just a snack, it's nothing. But get her to acknowledge the scale reading and the denim shorts that don't fit this year..."
I find it difficult at times to manage Harley's weight, especially with all the injuries she picks up. Recently we have got her weight down to 27.5kg and she looks good in my opinion. I do find that sometimes she only needs to look at food to put weight on, other times I have to up her food as she goes too skinny. It does depend on her exercise levels too. She is super fast when running and doing agility and is muscular. She does have a deep chest which can make her look bigger as she has shorter legs. I think every dog is different.
Sorry - but just take a look through the forum pictures. There are several very heavy weight working line dogs in front of your eyes. I know this is direct, but I am now absolutely sick of hearing 'all show labs are like this'. That is not true, and there are plenty of Flabrador working line dogs around. One or two at the training I go to, are an absolute disgrace.
I think it can be argued that most show-line dogs, at the time they are shown, are what should be considered overweight. Not all, certainly, but definitely most. It doesn't mean that a) they should be that weight, b) it's limited to show-line dogs, or c) any show-line dogs that aren't competing in the show ring are the same. We have the full range on here. Slim working lines, overweight working lines. Slim show lines, overweight show lines. Slim pet bred, overweight pet bred. My slim "worky" Shadow and Julie's slim "showy" Charlie look very different, certainly, but they both still have good up-tucks, and defined waists. If they were chunks, regardless of breeding, they would have neither. I think the only differentiation in how heavy a dog should look really comes in, as Julie asked earlier, with the "skirt", which some dogs have (I believe more in show lines than working lines, but I'm more than happy to be corrected there). This is just a piece of skin that is at the top of the rear leg which can "disguise" the up-tuck to a certain extent, when looking at the side view. It's nothing to do with being fat (it really is just a triangle of skin), and it can be held up with a hand, but can give the impression of a heavier dog when viewing from that angle. I believe our @Oberon has a fine skirt. But I may just be remembering his tutu...
American Field dogs tend to be taller and slimmer, (US breed standard is an inch taller) I don't think color has anything to do with it. All of our Labs have been Chocolates, and none have been really over weight. We did slim Tilly down from 67 to about 62 this year. I read here some time ago that labs lack a gene that tells them they are full. Consequently it is really up to the owner to control how much they eat, and ultimately whether they are overweight. Since they can't go to the pantry and load up like we can, it is really pretty easy to control their weight. Of course whether they get enough exercise is a little more work. Cooper could never get enough exercise on lead, unless I was a serious runner, but off lead she can run and also cover a lot more ground than we do. Tilly (l11y) doesn't run hard anymore but she still walks a lot further than we do when we go hiking. Some dogs seem to control their weight on their own. My second dog was a Malamute, and he was not food driven, at least not for kibble. We always left kibble in his bowl and he ate enough to maintain his optimum weight and that was all. Our first Lab, Ginger would have eaten herself into a barrel shape if given a chance. We let her free feed for a week or two (she was a rescue) and it became obvious that it was a bad idea. She was a big dog, and we kept her between 75# and 80# (less as she got older) Tilly could have been a free feeder. She would often leave her food in the bowl 1/2 the day and eventually finish it. When we got Cooper we had to start feeding both dogs at the same time, and make sure they both ate, because Cooper would finish anything that Tilly left. She would wait for a while but if Tilly left her food to long Cooper the Hoover would finish it up.
I've just been inspecting Stanley after reading this thread and now I'm unsure of if he could do with losing a few pounds. His waist is very defined from the top, but he doesn't seem to have that much of an up-tuck. What's everyone's thoughts? Does he need a pre-xmas diet?
I actually think it is a wonderful lesson to learn from our dogs. Snowie doesn't care what I wear, what my hair looks like, if that other walker is prettier than me; he adores me no matter what! Not to say we shouldn't be concerned about their health, but I think I would be less anxious about Snowie if I paid less attention to the minutiae. Anyway this thread has inspired me to book into a month-long boot camp. Starts Monday. I probably will be too stiff to make further posts from Monday!
I know that some are built differently, but them main problem is people,we've been feeding them. i keep my dogs thin its hard due to age injury and scavenging. I don't weigh often but judge by eye. it is s constant battle with moo now she's less active she's fatter than I'd like but I've had to make allowances for her age. Ive seen a lab so fat that could it could not breathe to walk up a hill it made me cry, but I've also had some moron tell me that they are going to report me to the rspca because my dogs was thin. My vet Said they were great.
If you want to start talking fat, check out the wrists and legs on the mini-human in the photos Ella says we should start giving her some of his food allowance
@JenBainbridge he looks good to me - he's still a pup so will likely thin out next growth spurt. I found over the first year, there were times Quinn grew taller and would look much too thin, get a little fuller then grow up again. She's currently on the thinner side - she is always the slimmest lab at the park and we rarely see any obese or heavily overweight labs in our area.
Ella looks smashing. Slim, but plenty of muscle bulk on her rear and shoulders. Charlie says she's looking good - for a girl.
Ella says thanks Charlie I think the muscle is more to do with all of the tuggy-catch we play rather than general exercise. We love tuggy-catch in this house
Well, I saw the fattest little Tibetan terrier yesterday, at my SIL's! Apparently, by the time I see him again tomorrow, he'll look slim (rather than like a foot stool) because he's having a hair cut...
