Shadow's ears (yellow doggie) look fine to me. Triangular in shape and pointy on the bottom. They are not too far forward - you don't want them actually on the back of the head Willow's ears (black doggie) are maybe a bit big for her head, possibly more so in length but hard to say from one pic. A side on pic would be good.
Hehe, don't worry, you're not going to offend me by saying my dogs aren't attractive by Lab standards - I know they look nothing like they should, but I'm their mum, so I'm going to think they're beautiful whatever! I love her huge ears. They kinda remind me of a little girl wearing her mum's floppy sun hat. Her eyes are completely different from Annie's and her mum's. They both have very almond-shaped eyes. I forgot completely that I said I'd try to get side-on shots for putting dots on. I'll get on the case
A bit, not too much. The first time my family owned a working line Labrador, we couldn't believe his ears! We called him "the black pig" for ages because his ears were so long they flopped forwards over his face like a long eared pig! We loved him dearly, and his ears were the best for stroking!
HaHa - just popped up on facebook. Triangular Lab ears and round hound ears....dimond Lab eyes, and round hound eyes - all lovely.
Shadow's ears look totally fine and Labrador-like to me. I don't think they should be further back. When I say that I'm talking about where they are attached to his head. Is that what you guys are talking about?
Yes, that's what I meant. Some of the show champions' ears seemed set a little farther back than his - certainly farther back that old floppy-ears, Willow Is that Charlie and your dog walker's girlie, @JulieT?
That's true, unfortunately. True of all breeds I think. Fat dogs is certainly not a Labrador only problem! Recall is tricky for Beagles but Peanut is good.
I'm not sure about hound but you can see the big eyes, big ears in many of the spaniel and HPR breeds as standard. Maybe there are a few sneaky crosses in there somewhere. Although the need for a strong retrieving drive is so imperative on the working side and you hear so many people struggling with that vs the hunting desire in the hunting breeds you wonder anyone would take the risk. Before anyone takes offence I know loads of hunting dogs that retrieve amazingly
It's not uncommon for working line labs to have (what seems to me to be) quite weak retrieving drive and strong hunting drive though.
I'm not sure about that. I think we impact desire to retrieve quite considerably. I know I did with Riley through inexperience. Whereas I know more spaniels who solely get used beating as they won't retrieve than I do labradors farmed out as pets because they won't retrieve.
But I guess the same is true for spaniels retrieving and as they have an alternate option in beating people don't worry about it so much. All pure speculation on my part
Yes, maybe spaniels. I don't think that having a dog that needs to be encouraged to retrieve at first necessarily makes them a poorer working dog than one (like Charlie) that is absolutely and utterly bonkers about retrieving.
I would agree with that. There was definitely a light bulb moment for Riley and it was after he'd got his head around actually going shooting and retrieving freshly shot game when he kind of went "oh THIS is what you've been banging on about" and apart from the occasional, minor hiccup we've never looked back. Before that I was never sure which dog would get out of the car - can't be bothered Riley or lovin' it Riley. Even on his worst, most distracted days now I can still get some kind of work and progress from him
