Natural History

Posted in Labrador retriever | Tagged English Labrador, Labrador retriever | 15 Comments

15 Responses

1. on April 27, 2013 at 9:07 am Kali

   That’s the new Black Angus Labrador, right?

   
   
   • on April 27, 2013 at 9:08 am retrieverman

     Yes. Famous for its finely marbled meat.

     
     
2. on April 27, 2013 at 12:34 pm Jen Robinson

   So, someone over feeds their dog and the dog is happy to overeat. If you took 20 lbs off that dog, in basic body outline, he would look a lot like the Chessie in the waterfowling video. Personally, I like to see substance on a Lab …although It is unfortunate that some show judges like Labs overweight.

   
   
   • on April 28, 2013 at 8:18 am bearcoatpei

     It would look a damn sight better with at least 20 pounds off, but it would still be proportionally out of balance. As well as overangulated stumpy legs, it’s too long in the body and neck.

     Did you see the lab that was BIS at Crufts? It was so fat it rippled when it moved. It was embarrassing to even the show judge that is one of the presenters of the TV coverage who had to make excuses for what was staring him in the face when one of his fellow presenters brought up the subject. All the worse as they’d been going on about canine obesity the day before.

     
     
     • on April 29, 2013 at 11:40 am M.R.S.

       Actually, the Labrador was Reserve BIS — the PBGV took top honors.I did think that that Lab was a bit better than what we so often see at shows in the US.

       
       
       • on April 30, 2013 at 1:31 pm Jen Robinson

         Long neck is desired … Much better for hauling a goose or other large bird. Yes, that particular dog is too long in the back, and would not show well because of it. I can’t see the angulation for the fat, and the sagging belly makes the legs look shorter than theynare. But don’t knock English style Labs. A good many of them do fine as hunting dogs. The two Labs shown hunting bear in Russia a few posts down the line are English.

         
         
         • on May 1, 2013 at 6:22 am bearcoatpei

           Jen, I think when there’s one obvious fault it throws all the other proportions out. The neck would have probably looked correct if the dog was longer in the legs and balanced up the longer body. Of course, that would make the dog rangy for the show style labs. Who knows, if the gravity of his bulk wasn’t pressing down on the legs and he wasn’t stacked with the hind legs behind his body, he might look like a different dog.

           
           
       • on May 1, 2013 at 6:12 am bearcoatpei

         Oops, you’re quite right – I missed the R off the BIS. I thought he was a well put together dog other than him needing to go on a diet.

         
         
   • on April 29, 2013 at 2:54 am Kali

     I would actually love to see someone taking a fat show lab and make him loose some weight. The dog still would not look like a fit working lab. This is not only too much food, it’s genetics too.

     
     
     • on April 30, 2013 at 1:40 pm Jen Robinson

       BS. Have you ever heard of a dual champion? The Lab breeders I most respect aim to achieve top ratings in both the show ring and the field. Many Labs from bench stock transfer well to hunting. Yes, there are show Labs who won’t retrieve, or who hate water, or who are gun shy. You can find the same problems in poorly bred American dogs. But don’t condemn all “English ” Labs in the same breath or assume that a stockier dog with a bigger head and a bit more bone is incompetent in the field.

       
       
     • on April 30, 2013 at 10:25 pm Losech

       Though not a full Lab, my Border Collie X Labrador Retriever Sasha used to be 20 pounds overweight. She looks a hellova lot better now that she’s not super fat. She’s got the English Lab build, and despite that, looks quite athletic. It could be the BC talking, but she does not resemble one as closely as her sister Juneau, if you take away her white markings.

       
       
3. on April 28, 2013 at 12:23 am Anna

   Where are its legs? And that rear end will never hold up in the field. WAAAY overangulated. I hate a too-straight rear as much as the next person but their hind feet are supposed to be under their pelvis, not way behind them in the next county. Even if one were to take 20 pounds off, this dog is not going to be very athletic.

   
   
   • on April 28, 2013 at 4:21 am megrim43

     Not sure whether he`s over-angulated or just sagging with all that fat. I see so much of this, and have no time for people who can`t tell the difference between fat and muscle. This is not the only breed with this curse, but Labs seem to be one of the easiest to pile fat on.

     
     
4. on April 28, 2013 at 7:55 am chervilmeadow

   There seems to have been a trend away from fat labradors, at least outside of showing, although I don’t know if this is having much effect on the breed’s health and mortality?

   
   
5. on April 29, 2013 at 3:09 pm Jessica

   The more obese they are, the better family pets they are (because they’re too fat to do anything)

   
   

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