# How do YOU think she looks?



## Javadoo (May 23, 2011)

*How do YOU think she looks? Breeder says TOO THIN.*

I need honest opinions.....
Moka is my 2 year old lab...she is an English/Bench/Show lab, so she is supposed to be short and stocky. 
She's short all right, she's 17" tall at the withers and weighs 50.4 lbs. 
Standard height for a female is about 20-21" tall, 55-70 lbs.

I had a breeder comment on her picture, that if the owner of one of her pups brought her pup weighing 50 lbs, she would call the humane society on them.
Seriously? Does Moka look like she's starving to death? Does she look emaciated to you?
It offended me quite a bit. I'm becoming convinced that breeders of show labs just like their dogs FAT.


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## lucky (Jan 8, 2011)

She looks in great health, perfect size for her body/height  In fact she looks stunning


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## DeekenDog (Aug 29, 2011)

Gina,
I stay out of those threads because I am entirely convinced that most of the bench breeders DO like their dogs fat. Moka looks great, you can see the muscle definition in her shoulders and haunches rather than just have a fat pad there. I admire you for having two well bred labs and realizing that the heavy look is often just because dogs are overweight. Moka's body looks well proportioned and she looks fit and healthy. I happen to think the dogs of the person who made those comments are too heavy and I think most dog people who don't own labs would agree.


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## Javadoo (May 23, 2011)

DeekenDog said:


> Gina,
> I stay out of those threads because I am entirely convinced that most of the bench breeders DO like their dogs fat. Moka looks great, you can see the muscle definition in her shoulders and haunches rather than just have a fat pad there. I admire you for having two well bred labs and realizing that the heavy look is often just because dogs are overweight. Moka's body looks well proportioned and she looks fit and healthy. I happen to think the dogs of the person who made those comments are too heavy and I think most dog people who don't own labs would agree.


Thank you Melanie.
I definitely like the bench bred lab BUT I don't agree with how they look. I like them stocky and boxy, but not with that fat look. I like a more athletic look.
I have gone to shows and I have been appalled at some of the labs I see. They look like coffee tables on legs....but then I have seen athletic looking show labs. BUT-those athletic looking show labs rarely win. The coffee tables win. Why? I don't know. Like everything else is America these days....bigger is considered better I guess.
Breeders breed show dogs to win, so.....

Lab standards say 55-70 lbs for adult female labs...yet all the breeders seem to have 85 lb females. You rarely see a show female or bench female within standards.


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## nikkiluvsu15 (Jun 9, 2010)

You already know what I think Gina! I love Lab midget Moka - she's the cutest thing ever <3 I think she looks absolutely fantastic!

(BTW - I may have some Chocolate Lab pictures for you tonight... you will not believe how big my Aunt's Lab has gotten in a few weeks.)


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## kady05 (Jul 29, 2011)

I think she looks great! Some breeders get so stuck on breed standards, and forget to look at the individual dog. Just because it SAYS they should be 55-70lbs., doesn't mean they'll all fall into that category. Like, Sako and his siblings are in the 45-50lb. range, yet one of the females is hovering around 30lbs., and one of the males is 58lbs. 

I was at an AKC last weekend and OMG the Labs were just obese. They looked like little seals plodding around the ring. It happens in a lot of the breeds in AKC, unfortunately. Amstaffs are another one where some keep them pretty fat. I told my breeder when I got Sako that I absolutely refused to make him fat just for the sake of showing in conformation.. if they don't like him because of that, so be it. Luckily, she doesn't just breed show dogs, she wants them to be able to work too, so none of her dogs are fat!


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## leilaquinn (Sep 7, 2011)

I think she looks great! I don't know much about show labs, but ultimately it's a DOG and that looks like a healthy one to me.


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## Javadoo (May 23, 2011)

nikkiluvsu15 said:


> You already know what I think Gina! I love Lab midget Moka - she's the cutest thing ever <3 I think she looks absolutely fantastic!
> 
> (BTW - I may have some Chocolate Lab pictures for you tonight... you will not believe how big my Aunt's Lab has gotten in a few weeks.)


Thanks Nikki-I wish we lived closer, I think Moka and Harleigh would be best buds!! They seem to have the same energy level-all in, all the time!!

Can't WAIT to see baby chocolate picks!!
Murphy, right?


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## Love my lab (Dec 9, 2010)

She looks great! Dont let anothers opinion irritate you, it is not worth your energy worrying about stuff that is nonsense. So if I were to go buy "standards"...my girl would be over weight at 78lbs...and honestly I think if I dropped her another 8 she would for sure look under fed. I tend to agree that society is used to seeing fat labs and then to see one that is fit you get told they look to thin. My mom doesn't own and never has owned a lab and yet she thinks mine is too skinny....she dont like dogs looking like that....were her exact words.


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## NewYorkDogue (Sep 27, 2011)

When I went to a Westminster show in 1996, I was shocked at how huge the Labs were--- and yes, they all kind of waddled around the ring. Big, barrel-chested things with no real definition to their waist. 

My Black Lab, Luke, (below) was also an English type/Show bred dog, and I tried REALLY hard to keep him within a good weight range, but at times, he packed on a few extra pounds (my fault!). 

I think your girl looks great-- kudos to you for taking such good care of her- not easy to keep a lab trim and in shape (not to mention to turn a deaf ear to those critical and ignorant...)


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## Liz (Sep 27, 2010)

You said she is 17" that is three inches below standard and only about 4 pounds less than what standard calls for. Actually she is probably exactly proportionate. If she were 20" then she should probably weigh 4 or 5 pounds more but at her height she would be obese. She looks lovely, has great muscle tone and looks like she can actually work the way she was bred to. Lovely girl. I get the same on my smooth collies but they can run all day and be happily tired in the evening.


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## Sprocket (Oct 4, 2011)

Fat dogs are my biggest pet peeve. 

She looks perfect and I think it's terribly sad what that breeder said to you.


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## Malorey (Nov 11, 2011)

Though I am not too sure how Labradors should look, as others, I think she looks good .... especially seeing some alot of Labradors out there.


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## Scarlett_O' (May 19, 2011)

She looks AMAZING!!!!

My boss has 2 Labs, and I have seen how VERY VERY hard it is to keep them at a decent weight(I havent been around a Lab a ton since I was about 12, so I didnt remember that) but MAN....she is a GOOD looking girl!!!!

And EXACTLY what Liz said about her being perfect for her height!!!:thumb:


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## MollyWoppy (Mar 19, 2010)

I think she looks great as well, perfect in fact. 
To show what a moron I am, when I first read what you wrote about what that breeder said, I automatically assumed she was saying your pup was too fat, so I was looking at the picture thinking, huh, are you kidding me?
You know your pup, you know she is obviously well cared for, exercised and loved, you unfortunately now just have to ignore the ignorant people out there.


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## twotonelover (Jan 10, 2011)

She looks great to me! Very proportionate and toned  

I didn't know what a bench lab was, so I googled it. Now I know what you guys mean by breeders liking their dogs just plain old OBESE. Apparently this dog was a champion, but her body condition makes me want to barf :/


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## first time rescue (Nov 12, 2011)

I, personally, think she looks amazing. I love dogs like that. She obviously is not starving or she would not have that great athletic look and muscle definition. My dad got a Leonberger about 3 years ago. Since she is a bigger dog he keeps her thin and in shape to help keep future health problems from developing. I agree a lot of breeders seem to have their dogs weigh more instead of muscular.


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## cprcheetah (Jul 14, 2010)

She looks awesome! I personally hate going to dog shows and seeing all the chubby labs, it makes me feel so bad for them. Personally I like to see them leaner.


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## Sprocket (Oct 4, 2011)

twotonelover said:


> She looks great to me! Very proportionate and toned
> 
> I didn't know what a bench lab was, so I googled it. Now I know what you guys mean by breeders liking their dogs just plain old OBESE. Apparently this dog was a champion, but her body condition makes me want to barf :/
> 
> View attachment 4834


That is even worse than I thought it might be! How can a lab retrieve ducks if it weighs heavier than water!? Hesus Christopher! 

Drew plans on getting a lab or a flat coated retriever (my pick) for a duck hunting dog. It would never look like that.


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## Janet At Nutro (Mar 11, 2011)

Moka's weight looks fine to me too.
She is very beautiful!


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## Javadoo (May 23, 2011)

Thanks guys...I keep my labs lean (Java is bigger than Moka and weighs 58 lbs) to avoid joint issues (Java also had bilateral ACL repairs) but also to avoid the dreaded obese lab look.
I like them to look more athletic. 
I was just shocked that someone would think Moka was too thin. 
She's 17" tall, any more weight on her and she would be a bulldog


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## Khan (Jan 17, 2010)

Wow! Muscle Tone, Lean, Fit, Shiny Coat...Yep, all the things a you want to avoid with a Show Dog...NOT!!
I think people are so use to seeing FAT dogs, that when you see a dog in excellent physical condition you automatically assume it is starved! 
I'm sure when people see Khan they think the same thing. He is respectively 120# but he is by no means as big as most bullmastiffs you typically see.


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## NewYorkDogue (Sep 27, 2011)

> I'm sure when people see Khan they think the same thing. He is respectively 120# but he is by no means as big as most bullmastiffs you typically see.


I think Khan looks great at that weight. I am asked all the time, "how big is Mateo going to get?" I say maybe 120/130 pounds. Yet, his father was over 150 (but definitely carrying some extra weight on him.) All dogs with extra weight are just, "ugh", and with a huge dog, there seems to be this idea that the bigger, the better. 

No way am I going to let my Mastiff pup get chunky. Not healthy or attractive...


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## Dude and Bucks Mamma (May 14, 2011)

I love the stocky, english labs but I don't like the fat, english labs. Why would you want a dog that has a padding of fat over the muscles???

Dude is 78 lbs and is large for a collie (but still within standards) but just because he has some extra weight to go with his extra height doesn't mean he is fat. Moka is 17 INCHES!!! She SHOULD weigh less than the standard lab. She looks STUNNING.

I absolutely dislike labradors. I have had terrible experiences with them that probably aren't the fault of the dog himself. Out of the retrievers, I prefer Chesapeakes, but the labs here, especially yours, make me rethink my decision about labs. Most of the labs on here make me drool over the beautiful body condition and sweet faces. Haha. MAYBE one day I will end up with a lab... either black or chocolate.


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