A step in the right direction in my opinion, well done to the breed club http://slimdoggy.com/update-fat-labs-at-westminster/
Re: Update on the slimdoggy blog about overweight show labs Yes, absolutely!! Great to see. The pics of the recent show winners....errgggh!!!! Stumpy little legs. Glad the breed club drew attention to the issue of proportions - it is not just about fat, it's about underlying confirmation.
Re: Update on the slimdoggy blog about overweight show labs Is this actually an update from slimdoggy? The letter slimdoggy is quoting is dated April 2014, the date of their main "campaign" last year. And the pictures are the same that we saw before...
Re: Update on the slimdoggy blog about overweight show labs Oh I didn't register the dates.....it was new to me on one of my friends timelines on FB and I couldn't recall seeing it her so thought I'd share :-\
Re: Update on the slimdoggy blog about overweight show labs I hadn't seen the letter before so thanks for posting the link
Re: Update on the slimdoggy blog about overweight show labs I won't be holding my breath expecting to see show Labradors in 'working condition' at Westminster or Crufts.
Re: Update on the slimdoggy blog about overweight show labs That is interesting though. On the back of this we measured Lilly. I am not exactly sure where the "shoulders" and "rump" are defined as, but Lilly was interestingly 60cm in both dimensions which surprised me as I would have said she was too leggy and tall. 8)
Re: Update on the slimdoggy blog about overweight show labs [quote author=JulieT link=topic=9459.msg136192#msg136192 date=1420923369] Is this actually an update from slimdoggy? The letter slimdoggy is quoting is dated April 2014, the date of their main "campaign" last year. And the pictures are the same that we saw before... [/quote] I had another look and the comments are dated this year and they mention the upcoming Westminster dog show which is in February this year so perhaps they posted now because it's a timely reminder reminder regardless of when the letter was sent......I guess it will become apparent if the judges paid attention when they got the letter as the dogs judged through the year will appear at Westminster. I quite like the dog in the B&W picture
Re: Update on the slimdoggy blog about overweight show labs [quote author=drjs@5 link=topic=9459.msg136197#msg136197 date=1420924843] but Lilly was interestingly 60cm in both dimensions which surprised me as I would have said she was too leggy and tall. 8) [/quote] This is 4cms too tall for the UK breed standard (not that it matters for Lilly who looks like a lovely proportioned and slim girl). The figures in the letter are for the US breed standard (defended by the Labrador club calling for these to be upheld) which specifies much bigger - and much heavier - dogs than either the UK or Australian breed standard. It always surprises me each time I check that Charlie, a moderately heavy show line dog exactly on the height standard in the UK, falls below the minimum weight of the US standard so far as to be disqualified (not that he'd qualify for a show in the first place, but you know what I mean).
Re: Update on the slimdoggy blog about overweight show labs He'd agree. Or, slimdoggy should be calling on the labrador club to revise the standards, not support them in saying one bit of them should be upheld. The other part of the US Labrador Club's guidance that could be looked at is " The underline is almost straight, with little or no tuck-up in mature animals."
Re: Update on the slimdoggy blog about overweight show labs [quote author=JulieT link=topic=9459.msg136202#msg136202 date=1420926583]The other part of the US Labrador Club's guidance that could be looked at is " The underline is almost straight, with little or no tuck-up in mature animals." [/quote] Definitely. Can't see how a dog could look like this and not be overweight. Obi would be disqualified in the U.S. too. His parents both have their Aust Ch show titles.
Re: Update on the slimdoggy blog about overweight show labs Yes, I don't want to appear to attempt to divert the issue completely to the US - Charlie's UK show ring sister would be 5 to 6 kgs lighter if I'd have taken her home instead of Charlie, but the US breed standard need examining I think. You can trace the "straight underline" requirement from the letter quoted by slimdoggy. I think the slimdoggy campaign is "lightweight" - haha (pun intended ;D ;D ;D) and plays to existing biases without enough analysis of the issue, or engaging the show community in the debate.
Re: Update on the slimdoggy blog about overweight show labs We could all enter our fit working labs into shows, that will give the judges a good run around!
Re: Update on the slimdoggy blog about overweight show labs Er....fit show labs - of which there are plenty - might have a bit more of a chance though. ;D ;D ;D
Re: Update on the slimdoggy blog about overweight show labs I'm throwing a cat amongst the pidgeos but...... Why should there be any difference between show dogs and working dogs? A labrador is a working dog by definition, in a dog show should the judges first criteria be "Is the dog on show fit for the purpose of the working breed" ?
Re: Update on the slimdoggy blog about overweight show labs I’d love it if there were no difference between show and working Labradors – I’d love a true dual purpose Labrador. So you ask an interesting question – although you ask it with a heavy bias towards working line Labradors. The thing is, that working line Labradors often (but not always by any means) have very poor conformation. They often lack characteristics that to some people “make” the Labrador what he is – including the Labrador double coat, the Labrador otter tail, the Labrador expression looking out of a Labrador shaped head, in a medium weight substantial (not fat) dog with good shaped fore and hind quarters, and properly shaped legs. Just to stress – not all working line Labradors have poor conformation, and almost all are lovely, lovely dogs anyway regardless. So, if you presented a dog, that bore no physical resemblance to a Labrador at all, but was an excellent working dog, and asked “is this dog fit for purpose?” the answer would be yes. Then you find out he’s a whippet/greyhound/newfoundland cross. And in a way there would be nothing whatsoever wrong with that. But for many people, this is not the point. I have a fit, thin, 100% show line dog – that can run rings round many a porky pet working line dog that we see on our walks each day. He has a slight…er…”issue” with OCD about dummies, but apart from that, could retrieve the pants off a lot of pet working line dogs too. He is fit for purpose, my dodgy training aside, as are many, many, show line Labradors.
Re: Update on the slimdoggy blog about overweight show labs [quote author=Jes72 link=topic=9459.msg136433#msg136433 date=1421010969] I'm throwing a cat amongst the pidgeos but...... Why should there be any difference between show dogs and working dogs? [/quote] In theory there shouldn't be any difference, IMO. So throw that cat! At the moment, neither the show extreme nor the working extreme fit the Standard. To my eyes that bitch that Julie posted here in another thread... [quote author=JulieT link=topic=9322.msg136292#msg136292 date=1420971656] [/quote] ....is pretty much what Labradors should look like - working and show. She is the type of dog I think of when I read the Standards. Maybe with a touch less weight but hard to judge that from a photo. She's not perfect (back too long, tail verging on too short) but she is a really lovely Labrador type. You would never mistake this girl for any other breed of dog. And she looks able to do a day's work.
Re: Update on the slimdoggy blog about overweight show labs We have 2 labs...both show line...both could easily work all day, of that I have no doubt. Interestingly, after much digging, I found this photo of the grand dad of our rescue show line lab. He is previous winner at Crufts. He also spent time in Norway and competed successfully at their open trials, demonstrating that a show lab can work too sh ch llanstinan llewelyn jw by kate_beanwood, on Flickr
Re: Update on the slimdoggy blog about overweight show labs I would question whether we should perceive Show Labs and Working Labs as the same breed. Spaniels come in all shapes and sizes from Cavalier King Charles to Clumber. They are all still recognised as Spanials, but their differences have been recognised Possibly the breed could become "Labradors" (show Labs) and "Labrador Retrievers" (working Labs) Personally I welcome anything that dissuades people from over feeding their dogs. I believe it is almost abuse, dogs need to be able to enjoy their bodies, to run, jump (but NOT at people or worktops). For far to long there has been an image of the fat, lumbering, Labrador and people think that is the way Labradors should be. They are big, muscular dogs from their hard working origins. What they don't need is to be covered by a layer of unnecessary fat.
