Skinny? (Not dipper… more general)

My 4 month old Springer pup shows rib some days at the right angle. Dogs should be lean, not fat. I like to see 1-2 ribs on a working dog that is fit. Maybe let them carry a touch more over summer but never lose the waist or tuck.
 
Pearlsasinger said:
He looks absolutely fine to me. Pups have growth spurts and go in phases of looking quite chunky and then leggy. So long as they are within the recommended weight parameters, no-one should worry while they are growing
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That’s it completely, he looks like a skinny rake one day and a bit stout the next.
 
Trust in yourself Clodagh. He looks fit and healthy. Has someone else said people are so used to seeing over weight dogs when they see a fit dog they think skinny. Since being speyed I’m am constantly watching our ESS weight ?
 
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Hasn't he grown?! If he is skinny then Buddy is borderline emaciated... He looks spot on to me (and gorgeous as well).
 
Im sure you know enough about dogs to know he looks fine. Trust yourself! Our lab was a very hefty 40kg two years ago. We had got him down to 37kg by last Autumn and then he ruptured his cruciate. Our vet and the referral vet who did the TTA both issued us with dire warnings about not getting his weight down a lot more. Anyone with a lab knows about weight battles, but we took heed of the warnings and last week he was 31.4kg. Not too far to go now! It does feel a little odd to feel his ribs and spine so prominent though. Co-incidentally yesterday I saw a picture of one of his litter mates who is a champion show dog in the Far East. I was horrified at the rolls of fat just about everywhere. I couldn't help but feel sorry for him with the joint problems he is likely to be facing.
 
he's fine. My JRT is going through the teenage phase growth spurt and "is he getting a bit thin?" at the mo.

It'll settle down. Plus people are used to seeing fat labs so........
 
meggymoo said:
Im sure you know enough about dogs to know he looks fine. Trust yourself! Our lab was a very hefty 40kg two years ago. We had got him down to 37kg by last Autumn and then he ruptured his cruciate. Our vet and the referral vet who did the TTA both issued us with dire warnings about not getting his weight down a lot more. Anyone with a lab knows about weight battles, but we took heed of the warnings and last week he was 31.4kg. Not too far to go now! It does feel a little odd to feel his ribs and spine so prominent though. Co-incidentally yesterday I saw a picture of one of his litter mates who is a champion show dog in the Far East. I was horrified at the rolls of fat just about everywhere. I couldn't help but feel sorry for him with the joint problems he is likely to be facing.
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Actually, I have never had fat Labs, even though I have had show-bred pets. I feed and exercise them appropriately, as I'm sure Clodagh does.I am horrified at the thought of a 40kg Lab. Our Rotts were about 40kg each
 
Pearlsasinger said:
Actually, I have never had fat Labs, even though I have had show-bred pets. I feed and exercise them appropriately, as I'm sure Clodagh does.I am horrified at the thought of a 40kg Lab. Our Rotts were about 40kg each
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I’ve got a friend who’s lab, an ex guide dog so show bred, weighs over 40kg. It is disgusting.
Tbh I struggle keeping mine not too thin when they are working but they look different when they are muscled up. Mine (spayed bitches apart from Scout) have so little to eat. He’s having twice as much as them.
 
Clodagh said:
Three people this week have told me how thin Scout is. ‘Skin and bone’ I got told today.

Im not seeing it but am starting to doubt myself. He is bony in a teenage boy sort of way and yes you can feel his spine and ribs.
Sorry for photos but if you can see his head he won’t stand side on and pose! So the last pic is so you can see he does have a head ?
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Bleddy PERFECT!! So nice to see a fit for function lab rather than a hiffing puffing barrel on legs!! My Springer is similar - I have been told he's "starving" and is a "whippet cross not a spaniel" by an elderly owner of 3 very overweight show cockers!!
 
He's fine & would still be fine even a little skinnier than he is. Puppies go through various weird shapes anyway as they grow (my idiot spaniel beast seemed to vary from week to week whether he looked a bit chunky or a bit thin & leggy & he did have a butt like Beyonce for a bit but seems to have settled on a more normal shape now)
 
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