Labrador colours, a guess anyone? Discussions

If you know what you are looking for, you can actually tell straight off from a side on view of a labrador whether they are carrying too much weight or not because they have a very defined side shape.

If anything, my yellow girl is the one who struggles with her weight more - not because I feed her too much or exercise her too little, but because she has this ridiculous insatiable thirst for food which has seen me having to place locks and hooks everywhere to stop her.

Her tally to date includes

• Dead fish off the beach
• Boxes of chocolates
• Loaves of bread
• Over-ripe bananas
• Out of date salad
• Chinese meals
• Indian meals
• whole packets of polos
• Whole packets of sherbert lemons include wrappers
• Packets of wine gums
• Pistachio nuts IN their shells
• Whole packets of closed tripesticks
• SEALED tins of dog food
• SEALED packs of Naturediet out of the cupboard

She will literally eat ANYTHING - she simply doesn't care and she is so darn fast - blink and you can miss it.

Conversely, she's a fantastic, intelligent, intuitive girl with a a love of life unrivalled in any dog I've ever known - definitely a once in a lifetime dog.

She literally can go ALL day without tiring and will never give up, despite badly injuring her leg last year - she must be the only dog I know who howls in excitement when she goes to physio and can still beat every single one of my dogs if their is a reward at the end of it

Many a time on this forum, I have read people 'say' show dogs are not loved pets, they can't enjoy showing.
Yes they do suffer from health issues. The most common. PLL,PRA and Glaucoma. Although I know ours aren't suffering as are all tested hope that helps.

Ps swarthy she is a beautiful girl. You must be proud.

No one on this thread, DD was just being flippant, ;-)

She probably feels as many show dog owners do, that she is being bashed on the head at every opportunity.. by some .

Do you realy think fat unfit dogs will do well in the show ring???

Well we all know of a VERY unfit peke that did rather well!

rune

You really don't understand.

No one is 'bashing' anyone about showing. It is a great hobby. Unfortunately it seems that some people involved in that hobby are unable or unwilling to accept that maybe the sort of dog their hobby requires might not be the sort of dog other peoples hobbies (or livings) require or want.

Their way has to be 'correct'.

It ain't!

rune

Personally I have never said they don't enjoy showing----I expect they love all the extra attention from their owners. IMO anything anyone does with their dog can help the relationship and the dog's quality of life.

My problem comes when the owner decides they have had enough of that relationship and they rehome the dog so it will have a 'better life'. What they mean is that they have no time to give that dog any more to give it that attention as their time will be spent with newer dogs who will win for them. That dog was not loved it has been used.

No one says everyone does it but a lot of show people defend that and have done so on other threads. Rather than condemning it.

I would condemn anyone in my chosen activity who did anything I felt was detrimental to the dog or who dumped it for a newer version. I wouldn't defend it.

rune

DD has explained herself thank you.

rune

Yep I saw.............. thank you !!

Struggling to find any side on pictures - but would be interested in you opinion on this girl (weight wise - not colour)

And???

thats like saying a porsche suits my lifestyle and a people carrier suits yours!!:?

I dont think anyone has given that impression at all.

Horses for courses!!!

The point beign made is not against the dog that loosely resembles the breed standard, but those who fit it , can equally do said job!

Because the view is held by some YOU HAVE TO SPLIT a breed for it to be able to do what its bred for!

You obviously don't have to but as the working one came first (before the KC as you pointed out on another thread) then if I had to choose I'd come down on the side of the majority of working ones being more 'correct' than the majority of show ones----same with collies.

However the hobby of showing dictates the look of the dog and the hobby of working dictates the abilities.

I object to show hobbiests saying their dog is the 'correct' one!

rune

I think the problem is, and you've made two very good points, but the bit I've stuck in bold, I don't think people view you have to split a breed, many unfortunately hold the view that there is no split, their side is 100% right, despite any evidence to the contrary. It's not the breeds that are split, as such, but opinions by people dead set on a very small focus, be that working or showing.

Your point above that, I entirely agree with, many, many of the dogs that fit the breed standard are disregarded entirely, because they don't fit it in the interpretation in a person's head knowledge and experience, which differs depending on what you do with your dogs.

You really need a side on view - but from what I can see she looks to have a significant 'tuck in' around the waist which is correct (the depth of the chest is rib not fat) - you would expect to be able to feel but not see the ribs.


RUNE - Breed standards were written by predominantly WORKING FOLK - and take into account the condition and angulation the dog requires to do a days work - the standard was NOT solely written for the showring -yet - amazingly, in some instances, it is the showdogs that meet those breed standards - but there ARE also FT CH that meet the breed standard for Labs - proving it is possible to do.

I really am struggling with what there is to understand on that ?

head against a brick wall and all that!


Take a look at some of the early working ones, they resemble the breed standard, they do not resemble the tall leggy light boned ones we see in the working field of today.

The breed that was developed to do the job is the dog that resembles the breed standard.. NOT one that has been bred without any thought to its conformation.

You seem to think the Lab for instance has evolved into two types because one thinks the other is not capable of working.

The split has come by default NOT design

Your wasting your breath.

Its not hard to understand, unless you have a preconceived idea that you dont want to see fault in!

That seems to be the bit you misunderstand. The show type IS the working type, the working type split off AFTER the breed standard was created.This is because the breed standard was created by people who used their dogs as gundogs and then drew up the standard to describe the blueprint of the breed. Think about it, a dog cannot be shown without a blueprint to judge it against. Therefore it seems obvious to me that the blueprint/breed standard drawn up is of the correct breed type that was used in the field at that time.

I own Boxers, I own Boxers for many reasons, oen beign the way they look,


I want a Boxer that resembles the breed standard.

I want a dog that has the correct conformation, one that has a correct head , with a stop in proportion to its head, not one with a head a pointer would be proud of, or a great Dane in size and bone structure, or one that looks like a large Staffie.

You may object to me wanting a dog that fits the breed standard, but if everyone took your view, my Boxer and my neighbours Great Dane/pointer /staffy would become one and the same

I beg to differ, I think there was a greater range of Labradors, all of which fitted the breed standard, but that seems to have tightened over the years for the show ring alone.

A very quick google because I've got to go out (apols as a couple are in foreign languages but show a number of well known past champions), but these websites show some old photos of past champions, some of which, I suspect wouldn't be quite as successful in the show ring today?

http://www.thelabradorretrieverclub.com/Articles/Coulson-YellowFTKennels.htm

http://www.slav-trophy.ru/publik_hou-26.htm

http://www.retrieversport.hu/labikalauz/dual2.htm

To me, many of those historic photos could either be more substantial working dogs, or show dogs.