My Dog Is Not Too Skinny!

[dee lee]

When we adopted Honey we were told that when she came in she had been overweight. She had been on a diet and looked ok but did have some fat on her.

Apparently she had lived most of her life in the yard and was not taken for walks.

We are not the family for couch potatoes though!! From day one she has been in bootcamp- I wanted to get back into jogging so took her with me.

On jogging days we jog and (less and less) walk for an hour. On my non-jogging days it is an hours walk and offlead ball session.

She was reluctant at first but we both got fit together and now she is full of beans and a very fit dog - if only it was that easy for me!

At one point I wasnt happy with her food, I felt she was losing weight too quickly, so I changed it (another Artemis convert here! ) and she is thriving.

She is small for a golden retriever, has completely dropped coat and she is very lean, BUT ... I am having people comment with a frown on how "skinny" she is. ;)

This morning I met another goldie and the owner didnt say anything but I saw her feel for Honey's ribs! ;)

I do feel she is in perfect shape, which is backed up by 2 compliments on her condition I got at our dog training club. I figure these people would have a good idea.

Its making me feel so cranky- I felt like saying to the woman this morning- "well your dog is fat!"

This is a pic of Honey about a month ago (am trying to upload some from this morning but having technical difficulties), what do you think? Too skinny?

Edited February 17, 2010 by ✽deelee

[poodlefan]

Most pet GR's are overweight. Unless you can feel her spine easily, she's probably fine.

They were meant to work all day in the field.. imagine some of the Oompa Loompa ones you see trying that!!

[Golden Rules]

Well my Goldie isn't overweight but he is a big dog and looks FAT compared to your girl

She is so much better off being on the lean side as opposed to being heavier, you are doing her hips and knees a great favour!!

[Nic oh lah]

Deelee I get this all the time aswell - mainly from GR / Lab owners that have turned their dogs to kegs-on-legs. Whereas at obedience everyone comments on her beautiful condition. It gets hard to ignore though doesnt it!

[RallyValley]

The leaner a dog is the better for it. Just ignore them. I have a friend with a healthy sized lab and he gets comments from people with thier fat labs all the time (btw the lab in question is 9 years old and has never been sick/had a joint problem/slowed down)

[Gilypoo]

From the 1st photo, she looks a little thin. its a bit far away to judge correctly thou. People always tell me from my danes numbers that she is too heavy, when in real life she looks very healthy. You know your dog better then anyone. So trust your instinct. What has your vet said?? They will give you an honest answer. Have you spoken to a registered breeder?

[TeamSnag]

I get that too with my dogs... As i say to them.. Its cos u are used to looking at ya own Fat dogs...

[pie]

It's hard to tell from a photo, better to feel, but I like my dogs on the skinny side anyway, especially since they jump a lot.

Ignore them, if you are happy with their condition then that's all that matters! Better to be on the lean side and sounds like she is healthy and happy

[puggy_puggy]

People are used to seeing fat dogs. When they come across a fit lean dog they can't quite get their heads around it.

In my breed, the pug, people think that it's normal for them to be fat pigs who can't breath. When they come across a fit, healthy lean pug they are shocked.

It saddens me as I have two rescues, that came in on the weekend, that are at least 3.5kg overweight each. They both huff and puff like steam trains from doing nothing when it's only 22 degrees. People think this is a typical pug when infact they are morbidly obese and heading towards heart attacks. My own pugs and Frankie, our demodex mange rescue, are all fit and lean and show no signs of distress even when it's 30 degrees. The two obese pugs are inside with the aircon on whilst my own lean pugs have just gone outside to sunbake with the current temp being 31 degrees.

[Nic oh lah]

Volunteering at a shelter hydrobathing dogs for fundraising, i find it really hard to bite my tongue with people and their FAT dogs. I just make a joke about "you haven't been missing many meals have you, you poor starved creature!" and if i get a giggle or similar response, I generally say to the dog "you mummy / daddy had better put you on a diet so you keep coming to see me for baths for lots more years!" That generally gets the point across. People are killing them with kindness, so i make a point of jokingly calling their dogs "fat-ass" or something like that. Funny - but not for the dog.

[HugUrPup]

You're feeding her everyday and giving her exercise and love and attention.

Ignore the know it all's if you can.

[sas]

A Labrador or Goldie who is actually in condition is a sight to behold and many people will think they are overweight.

[Snout Girl]

I have been told by some people that not only is bert 'a bit skinny' for a pug, that is also 'a bit tall'.

drives me nuts.

he actually weighs 11kg, people are shocked when i tell them, even the vet weighed him 3 times.

my little man is a lean mean muscle machine. he is very fit and active, keeping up with our border collie. he walks, swims.

there is not an ounce of fat on my man. one breeder even commented 'what a fit little guy' so i choose to pay attention to those who know and not those who expect to see a roly poly pug.

[macka]

Has she been clipped or is she wet? I thought GRs had more hair than I can see in your photo. If so that will make her look skinnier.

[raineth]

I think she looks lovely deelee - what a great waist line!

if you get comments I would just set about politely educating the people who make them.

with points like:

that feeling ribs is a good thing, protruding hips and spine are what indicates a dog is too thin.

that thin means a healthier heart and healthier joints.

[Baby Dragon]

deelee if you're unsure, I'd take her to the vet to be weighed and get their opinion. Then at least you can respond to people that actually the vet says she's in the ideal weight range (assuming she is!)

I'm a relatively new Lab owner and I've been very careful not to let her get overweight. She gets weighed every couple of months to be sure. She's a small girl and people make comments that she must still be a lanky puppy, just because they're used to seeing labs that are so overweight. I love it when I see Goldens and Labs at the correct weight - unfortunately it's not that often!

Edited February 10, 2010 by Baby Dragon

[Tapua]

She looks OK to me. You should be able to feel easily but not see the last two/ three ribs on her flank and as long as you cannot feel her spine or hipbone then that is a healthy weight for any dog - aprticularly the large breds.

As everyone says you are doing the hips/elbows as favour. BTW how old is she.

[poodlefan]

A Labrador or Goldie who is actually in condition is a sight to behold and many people will think they are overweight.

If you're talking about the show ring Sas, I think some of them are. Fat is not a substitute for muscle and a Lab shown in "hard working condition" does not lack a tuck or a waist.

A Lab should be fit and lean enough to do this:

[RallyValley]

Lincoln (Chesapeake) will have the weight issues like a lab when he is older, but my agility instructor has eyes like a hawk and will notice when Toby has put on a few hundred grams, so no doubt he will help me with Lincoln too. I think if you can feel the ribs but not see them thats fine (well for Toby who has no coat, might not work for a coated breed)

[Bjelkier]

I have a very slim Lab and I get comments all the time.

Just ignore it Deelee, people are more use to seeing fat dogs then nice healthy slim ones