# Do you any of you get...



## nikkiluvsu15 (Jun 9, 2010)

"Your dog is to skinny!", "You must never feed her", "Skin and bones, a little extra fat is good for a dog", etc?! 

Oh. My. Goodness.

I am quite aware of the fact that Harleigh is skinny. She always has been and probably always will be. They seem appalled that you can feel her ribs, let alone see them at times!

Maybe if they would take Harleigh for a day or two, they would realize why she IS on the skinny side. The dog is always going and even if I wanted her to gain weight, I probably couldn't get her to.

But, honestly, does she really look like death is claiming her (as I've been told)?! To me she looks like a fit and active dog.

























Okay. Rant over :biggrin:


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## DaneMama (Jun 27, 2008)

All the time. Most people don't know what an in shape dog looks like. It's pathetic and sad. Don't listen to them because they have no clue.


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## k9capture_16 (Aug 23, 2010)

I get this all the time...sigh. Even my vet thinks my dog is underweight, but was perfect when he was 10 pounds over weight


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## Unosmom (May 3, 2009)

She looks perfectly healthy to me, most people are used to seeing obese pets, so overweight is considered the norm.


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## Khan (Jan 17, 2010)

She looks great!! Not sure what the percentage is of the population that could stand to lose 10,15,20+pounds; but I'm sure whatever it is it's high! I would also bet that their dogs are in the same boat!! 
Funny how many things "we" have to be duck about. Smile and nod, and let it roll off your back!


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## 3Musketeers (Nov 4, 2010)

I agree that people are just used to seeing overweight and obese pets. If a dog is underweight the spine would probably stick out a lot, but Harleigh looks very fit and definitely not too skinny.


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## cast71 (Sep 16, 2010)

Why must they make these stupid comments. It's not like your going to listen to them anyway. It's almost like they enjoy telling you that your dog is starving. Your dog looks perfect:wink:


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## stajbs (Jun 5, 2010)

Harleigh looks wonderful and healthy to me. Sad but so true that people don't realize what a healthy weight looks like on a dog, as we all know too many are overweight.

One of our sibes had what I affectionately called "skinny dog disease". No matter what we did her metabolism, and build were such that she always looked skinny. You couldn't see her ribs due to all the fur, but you could tell she was slim. She has always been very nimble and slim. She still leaps on top of a dogloo and can manage to balance herself on the small circle on top of the roof. She is now about 12 and can still do this. When she runs into the house she leaps over the couch or coffee table and clears them with much room to spare. 

So, whenever we were in public at events I made sure people saw how well she ate and that she was actually fed more than the others and this was just who she was. I would just grin, smile and say she's my girl with skinny dog disease. It's been that way this long and I doubt it will change. Although I did notice since her dad is feeding at night right now she does look the teensiest bit chunky. I keep asking my skinny husband how it is our dogs always gain weight in the winter, he jokingly says I starve them the other times of the year since I do most of the feeding.


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## SerenityFL (Sep 28, 2010)

When I think, "skinny, starving dog", I do not think, "rippling muscles".

When I see pics of your dog, I think, "Wow! Look at those rippling muscles!"

Obviously your dog is very healthy.


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## Jacksons Mom (Jun 13, 2010)

Obviously Harleigh is super in shape and healthy! I love Harleigh so much and I think she is one of THE nicest looking Labs I have ever seen. I wish they all looked like that. 99% of Labs I meet are totally overweight. I much prefer the look of a lean dog than a round dog. 

My dad always tells me to "feed that dog more!" because he thinks he's always acting like he's starving. No, he eats the perfect amount of food and the reason he acts "starving" around my dad is because he knows my dad gives him table scraps and treats galore! LOL.


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## wags (Jan 31, 2009)

It gets sickening when insulting people inject there two sense in your personal business! Tell them to but out! The old if you can't say nothin' nice ~ don't say nothin' at all comes to mind! Everyone try's very hard here and are very concerned with their dogs health and well being! Why should anyone comment on a dogs weight. They should comment on how nice the dog looks how nice a personality the dog has how wonderful your taking care of it. All else need not be said!


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## cast71 (Sep 16, 2010)

Jacksons Mom said:


> I wish they all looked like that. 99% of Labs I meet are totally overweight. I much prefer the look of a lean dog than a round dog.


Here's A pic of my sisters lab. I'll make sure he's not going to be a fatboy:wink:


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## RCTRIPLEFRESH5 (Feb 11, 2010)

ur dog looks MUSCULAR to me...


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## RCTRIPLEFRESH5 (Feb 11, 2010)

wags said:


> It gets sickening when insulting people inject there two sense in your personal business! !


wags ur posts always make me laugh


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## wags (Jan 31, 2009)

RCTRIPLEFRESH5 said:


> wags ur posts always make me laugh


You mean that in a good way right Heehee!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!:biggrin:


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## ruckusluvr (Oct 28, 2009)

my dog is quite a bit thinner than yours.
so of course i get the snide remarks all the time about starving my dog.
but he has a bad back end AND a bad back.
he is under weight, but its best for him. he is healthy


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## Guest (Nov 22, 2010)

Jacksons Mom said:


> 99% of Labs I meet are totally overweight.


My Gunther falls in to the other 1%, being a Lab and being slim & trim (well exercised and fed proper nutrition). Labs and Goldens do have a tendency to be overweight and owners of these breeds need to be careful because these breeds are also prone to hip dysplasia.

I have to say, Harleigh looks wonderful.


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## rottensheperd (Oct 27, 2010)

She looks to be in great shape! I get too skinny a lot too, except from my vet, who says he's perfect. Actually she said, "I don't what you've been feeding him, but its certainly agreeing with him!" The other thing I get is that people are horrified that I only feed him twice a day. They think his bowl should be full all day long. People, THIS IS WHY YOUR DOGS ARE FAT, AND OUR DOGS ARE IN GOOD SHAPE!!

So I've started telling people with overweight dogs that _their_ dogs are a little beefy, my dog is the ideal weight for his body size:biggrin:.


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## 3Musketeers (Nov 4, 2010)

Is it just me or do a lot of "show" labs look sort of fat? I always thought they looked unusually thick. Not to bash the breeders or anything, but they just don't look "quite right" in my eyes.


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## wags (Jan 31, 2009)

Those labs in the pics look fine to me! My one yellow lab is muscular so I think it depends on the mom and dad dogs! My chocolate one is smaller!

When I talked to this one man who bred shar~peis, he said they can be from 50 to 80 lbs. He has had them all sizes depending on the parents. He's a breeder so maybe he either does the standard or doesn't depending on what people tend to want.


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## Unosmom (May 3, 2009)

theres a difference between show and field labs, show dogs are generally a lot stockier. I prefer to more athletic looking dogs.


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## nikkiluvsu15 (Jun 9, 2010)

Thanks everyone! It just gets so annoying hearing it ALL the time  Even if I did want her to gain weight, I just couldn't get it one her I know it. She is already eating 3-3.5% of her body weight most times just because she burns it off SO fast! LOL


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## 3Musketeers (Nov 4, 2010)

:O didn't even know there were field labs, they do look much different weight-wise. Guess it's that they're big-boned compared to some other labs.


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## Guest (Nov 22, 2010)

I should have mentioned my Gunther is a field Lab. That explains his slim build and energy level. I've learned that the short, stocky show Labs are much more mellow. My Gunther is anything but mellow (most of the time. however, after a long exercise session, he is very mellow.)


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## spookychick13 (Jan 26, 2010)

I think she looks the picture of health...perfect!!

People like their dogs fat, I don't get it. 

I don't think I have seen a fat raw fed dog yet!


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## MollyWoppy (Mar 19, 2010)

Ahem, blush, um, mine has packed on the beef a bit lately. A bit unusual for us I must admit, so we're on a joint diet of less food, more exercise.


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## RawFedDogs (Jun 16, 2008)

spookychick13 said:


> I don't think I have seen a fat raw fed dog yet!


I think its because raw feeding people are more concious of weight and more knowledgable about what a dog should look like. My dogs will get fat if I'm not careful.


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