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Is This Dog Too Skinny?


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I think she looks fine.

I get ALOT of comments about Jager. Being a pug everyone thinks they are supposed to be built like a barrel. He is really muscley at the front, has no ribs showing but has a nice waist. When we go to the park we often have people saying how skinny he is, suprisingly though, other pug owners are the ones that tell me how good he looks even when their pug is a little nugget.

My vet is really good and tells me how great it is to see a pug that actually has a waist. So that is encouraging.

I think people get used to seeing a breed a certain way and that becomes the norm. Imagine seeing a porky greyhound. People would be disgusted cause they are used to seeing them as lean, fit dogs.

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. Imagine seeing a porky greyhound. People would be disgusted cause they are used to seeing them as lean, fit dogs.

I dunno...i've often been told over the years my Whippet/Greyhound needs feeding cause they're too skinny :laugh:

To some, ribs/spine = starved, regardless of the breed!

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I think she looks fine.

I get ALOT of comments about Jager. Being a pug everyone thinks they are supposed to be built like a barrel. He is really muscley at the front, has no ribs showing but has a nice waist. When we go to the park we often have people saying how skinny he is, suprisingly though, other pug owners are the ones that tell me how good he looks even when their pug is a little nugget.

My vet is really good and tells me how great it is to see a pug that actually has a waist. So that is encouraging.

I think people get used to seeing a breed a certain way and that becomes the norm. Imagine seeing a porky greyhound. People would be disgusted cause they are used to seeing them as lean, fit dogs.

I recall a DOLer taking her Whippet to Million Paws Walk a few years back and being reported to the Inspectors on the day for having an emaciated dog.. and more than once too!! :(

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Labs should have muscle definition a definite tuck and a waist. She's a dog, not a beef cow. Your average member of the public doesn't seem to realise that. ;)

Bahaha that's so true! Most of the Labs I see are pretty darn hefty and overweight. I'm no expert, but from that pic i'd say you Lab is fine :)

They look even worse when you're used to looking at skinny, tall dogs :p

My ex's father had a lab- arthritis at 18 months old and she looked like a barrel on legs. They'd kept her overweight since she was a young pup and were honestly baffled as to why their dog was so unwell.

Too many people are used to fat labs and anything that isn't tripping over its third chin looks starved to them.

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My mum is the same is use to seeing the keg on legs labs and goldens and thinks thats the way there meant to be. I keep telling her if she keeps feeding Shelley more food she could end up dieing from a heart attack, MY mum then says at least she will die happy. I normally just walk away saying my dog my rules. My mum also keeps saying Shelley is straving the food I'm feeding isn't good enough, I keep telling her goldens will continue eatting as much as you will feed them. I even said that they will eat till they end up throwing up and then they will probably eat more if you keep offering food.

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Looks like a beautiful healthy animal to me. So refreshing to see a lab that doesn't have a back flat enough to be a table top as they are such guts!

Edited by Gillby
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I have a fat lab in my care at the moment. Two years ago he was 54kg!!! We've been doing weekly weigh-ins at the vet since March and today he was 36kg :thumbsup: . My original goal for him was 35kg, but now I'm thinking maybe 30. At least he has a slight waist now :)

I don't think Jack will ever look as slim as your girl (she looks fabulous to me) but at least I can improve his quality of life.

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My girl is lean for her breed too so I know how you feel. Some people don't believe she's an Aussie. Although having a long coat certainly helps as she only looks slim from above or when she's wet :laugh:

post-24815-0-13630200-1305883278_thumb.jpg post-24815-0-25008500-1305883288_thumb.jpg

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I have a fat lab in my care at the moment. Two years ago he was 54kg!!! We've been doing weekly weigh-ins at the vet since March and today he was 36kg :thumbsup: . My original goal for him was 35kg, but now I'm thinking maybe 30. At least he has a slight waist now :)

I don't think Jack will ever look as slim as your girl (she looks fabulous to me) but at least I can improve his quality of life.

54kg! Holy crap! :eek::eek::eek:

My girls only get to about 32kg with a belly full of pups!

AL I think Mindy looks great. As long as you can't see her ribs I'd stick to what you're doing. She'll appreciate when she's older and hasn't had all the extra weight straining her joints. I bred a litter from lines which also produced this style of lab. They are lot more agile and easier to keep trim than their stocky counterparts.

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I think she looks great and I've seen her in person. ;)

There's a couple around here that have labs and their younger girl would be close to the same age, I think, maybe a wee bit younger, and if anything she is even slimmer. She looks fantastic. The guy jogs them through the park every day, they are well trained, not an ounce of excess flesh on them, well defined muscles... such a joy to see them. Just yesterday I saw the lady in the park with a new pup, just sitting quietly under a tree and holding pup when there were a few dogs around and letting the pup meet dogs when they came by in ones or twos. They do such a great job. I'm looking forward to watching this one learn the ropes. They had their younger girl turning on a pinhead when recalled when she was still a gangly youngster. Warms my heart. :)

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Hi :)

My labby girl is over 5 years old and she is a similar build and always has been (apart from the chubba puppy stage). She has muscle tone and is a fit dog, just does not have the extra weight you see with a lot of labs. She has always been in great health and have never had any problems with her that are common to the labs.

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Mindy looks beautiful, and she is still young- that lovely supple body will no doubt ease into a lovely strong, but lean shape as she matures. Good work Aussielover! :thumbsup:

I started a similar thread about a year ago after being told by heaps of people my goldie was too skinny.

Bah to them, I say! :D

Honey is very very fit & healthy, and being a rescue dog, I feel strongly that I need to keep her like this to give her joints the best chance they can get, as I have no idea about her parentage. I just feel sad for the shuffling fat retrievers I see around everywhere. :(

This is Honey earlier this year at the beach with my daughter.

post-18684-0-32601500-1306287016_thumb.jpg

Edited by dee lee
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I think it looks a perfect weight. I see SOOOO many overweight dogs that apparently it's become the 'norm' now to own a dog that looks like a whale. People now probably think working dogs look "emaciated". I don't know what the solution is but poor dogs :(

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I was asked several times if my now 9 month old dog Phoenix (I don't have a good pics of her size when she was young) was a greyhound X when she was younger LMAO. Nope she just shot up and got leggy really quickly, I don't get asked anymore she is actually putting weight on now and starting to get boofy but is still thin but not underweight.

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Looks fine to me, so many dogs are over feed. I watch friends over feed and try to tell them about it but they seem to be locked into that "love them so much with food" pattern that they ignore the advice. At GSD Obedience the instructors have to regularly explain that the dogs should have a waist to newcomers. I keep an eye on ours and if need be make changes if they are stacking on the weight. Unfortunately the public don't really now what fit dogs look like. I'd ignore comments or politely correct them. :)

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