Tell me this is fake news?

[Clodagh]

Has a better quality of life than a brachy dog like the Bulldog.

I walked through the village this morning and a French bulldog was chasing up and down the fenceline barking at my lot. I ran to get away from it, it sounded like it was going to drop dead and I'd have had it's death on my conscience. The coughing, snorting and gasping...frightening. And it actually wasn't fat.

 

[CanteringCarrot]

Goodness, that dog is too fat and not the best example of the breed.

Of course not all American Labs are like this and not all support this!

There is someone in my neighborhood that refuses to believe my Lab is not a mix. Someone else was surprised the other day too. She's small, she's fit, and she's trim. She actually eats a fair amount of food, but we walk her, we run with her, we play fetch with her, and we take her swimming. She's active. She is a bit on the smaller side but I don't want a huge dog. My vet always comments that she's perfect, so I think she's alright ?

To me, she's got decent proportions for a Lab and would make an ideal hunting partner for someone. She'll go all day, but she will also chill. She's driven toward water and ducks, but obeys commands well.

The dog in the OP is obese. Not healthy or functional, IMO.

Said dog that obviously isn't a Lab because she's small:

 

[skinnydipper]

It is American but still. Too much corn oil?

We don't have to look to America to see fat labs, I can't remember the last time I saw a trim one.

I see two labs that would break any dog lover's heart. The eldest is so obese and joints f*cked that he is pushed about in a pushchair and the younger one, also a shapeless big blob of fat, labours along beside the chair. They don't get out much (at all?) in the winter because the owner can't push the chair in the mud.

I know that some labs have a genetic predisposition to obesity but they don't shop for their own groceries.

 

[Clodagh]

We don't have to look to America to see fat labs, I can't remember the last time I saw a trim one.

I see two labs that would break any dog lover's heart. The eldest is so obese and joints f*cked that he is pushed about in a pushchair and the younger one, also a shapeless big blob of fat, labours along beside the chair. They don't get out much (at all?) in the winter because the owner can't push the chair in the mud.

I know that some labs have a genetic predisposition to obesity but they don't shop for their own groceries.

Thankfully I rarely see a fat one, except for the odd one in town. There really is no excuse for it, I so agree about not doing their own shopping. Although mine would love to!

 

[SAujla]

Goodness, that dog is too fat and not the best example of the breed.

Of course not all American Labs are like this and not all support this!

There is someone in my neighborhood that refuses to believe my Lab is not a mix. Someone else was surprised the other day too. She's small, she's fit, and she's trim. She actually eats a fair amount of food, but we walk her, we run with her, we play fetch with her, and we take her swimming. She's active. She is a bit on the smaller side but I don't want a huge dog. My vet always comments that she's perfect, so I think she's alright ?

To me, she's got decent proportions for a Lab and would make an ideal hunting partner for someone. She'll go all day, but she will also chill. She's driven toward water and ducks, but obeys commands well.

The dog in the OP is obese. Not healthy or functional, IMO.

Said dog that obviously isn't a Lab because she's small:


View attachment 74121View attachment 74122

She's beautiful! Perfect tuck she looks very fit and healthy

 

[Mrs. Jingle]

I don't think I have seen such a 'fat' show lab ever, but then I do not follow any dog showing as a deliberate decision these days.

I have both a very well bred show Labrador, bred purely for the showring that we acquired age 3, and also another working field trial Labrador of the same age.

The catwalk Queen is beautiful and was only retired from the show ring as she apparently decided to take strong objection to showing, which now we know her better probably was code for she bit the judge when he manhandled her lol! She is a very stocky build and would easily run to fat if we did not watch her diet and exercise very closely.
I can see she well might have been shown at the weight in the pics above, I like to think not but who knows?

The other one is built like a whippet, naturally far more mobile and active than her showring buddy, we have allowed her to gain a little weight deliberately, but still ensure she has a clearly defined waistline.

Those pictures actually upset me, how they would all scream if a half starved dog was lead into the showring, but seem to ignore equally abusive care of the extremely overweight labs in the pursuit of frillies and a bit of kudos.

 

[TheresaW]

Friends of ours have 2 pet labs. They are huge compared to Clodagh’s, who’s I’ve met in real life. They are not fat at all though.

So sad seeing that photo.

 

[Books'n'dogs]

I don't know why show dogs in America are all so fat but it seems to a huge issue here; I stopped watching the televised dog shows because I found it to be too depressing to watch obese dog after obese dog waddle around the ring. Most pet dogs I see aren't even as fat as the dog in the original post, I can't understand why people who claim to be dogs' champions can allow their dogs to look like that, I was mortified when my elderly GSD gained 10lbs last summer!

 

[Christmascinnamoncookie]

Wasn‘t there a blind double Merle collie at Westminster a few years back? People were talking about using him as a stud?

Those labs are an abomination. ?

 

[Clodagh]

Wasn‘t there a blind double Merle collie at Westminster a few years back? People were talking about using him as a ?

Oh my, I do hope not.

 

[ester]

It was intentionally generating a double merle stud- his offspring then at westminster
http://www.border-wars.com/2012/02/westminster-rewards-cruelty.html

 

[P3LH]

Wasn‘t there a blind double Merle collie at Westminster a few years back? People were talking about using him as a stud?

Those labs are an abomination. ?

There are a few very prominent US rough collie breeders with such dogs used vicariously at stud over there. Hideous.

 

[Christmascinnamoncookie]

It was intentionally generating a double merle stud- his offspring then at westminster
http://www.border-wars.com/2012/02/westminster-rewards-cruelty.html

Disgusting ?

 

[maisie06]

I saw a couple of posts saying this bitch had had a litter a few months prior but even allowing for a bit of saggy booby undercarriage doesn't change the fat deposits on the neck, chest, shoulders and the overall complete lack of definition. She also didn't stand alone:

View attachment 74114

Cripes on a bike!!! Imagine sending that after a runner!! I suppose it could work the beating line - it could flatten all the brambles by rolling over them!!

 

[gunnergundog]

Jesus wept!

 

[Moobli]

That poor dog!

 

[IveRunOutOfNamesToThinkOf]

Anyone breeding any animal for show purposes only, without caring about the health and longevity of the offspring should never be allowed to own an animal.

There’s too much breeding specifically for designer pets of all types. With zero care for the animals well being.

I fear COVID and people’s desire for the perfect companion may have made this market worse though.

 

[GSD Woman]

The Lab in the OP looks like a hog. It is embarrassing. Labs, Rotties, Clumbers and I'm sure more breeds can't win if showing in good shape. I used to hang out with a woman who bred Rotts. She told me she had to add at least 10 lbs to her dogs before showing.

And, that lab would sink a boat just getting into the thing.

 

[Clodagh]

I had a very interesting discussion on fb with an American woman about show labs, and that one specifically.
She didn't think it was at all fat so we weren't going to agree on that but points she made which were interesting were that the labrador was designed as a water dog in extremely cold water areas, far colder than where most people would work their dogs nowadays.
To that end they were designed with a short, deep torso that would put fat on easily and therefore would be more resistant to hypothermia. Also the tail being so wide , which I knew, as a rudder.
She said that the modern trials type labrador was bred for speed and flash and actually would not cope in Canadian waters.
I thought they were valid points and it was a good discussion, no one got ratty!
I know friends that wildfowl over here, and the dogs have to sit in water for hours on end, not as cold as Canada but they do tend to want big dogs, partly for tidal retrieves and partly so they don't get so chilled. I don't know many wildfowlers though, so my case study of two is not extensive!

 

[blackcob]

For me that's uncomfortably close though to the excuses offered by e.g bulldog breeders who will claim that the facial wrinkles are to channel the bull's blood away from the dog's eyes, and that the hip joints are lax so that the dog is uninjured when the bull throws it around. I accept there's probably some validity to the argument re: hypothermia resistance and swimming ability but I bet the contemporary dogs still didn't look anything like the dog pictured here.

I am very glad there was able to be a balanced discussion though, any criticism and you normally get accused of breedism or told you can't possibly know anything unless you own one, it usually ends badly!

 

[druid]

I've worked Labs in NA and up into Canada. Hell, my Spaniel had to complete a water retrieve (break ice) at -15c in a trial over there. None of their working labs are vaguely that heavy. The wild fowlers go for heavier set dogs with a proper double coat and otter tail but not show cob worthy.

 

[ester]

FB showed me the group judging the other day and it was interesting that nothing else stood out as looking fat like the lab.