Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
I have a black female Labrador she is 20 month old I think she is really small for a Labrador tho.
We have had her since she was a pup.
We had her at the vet when she was 18 month old and the VET said her weight is fine for her age.
High wise she is fine she is the same high as other labs but
She has a very small head and paws for a Labrador and a think she looks a bit thin.
We also have a brown male Labrador he is also 18 month old he is really big when we got him about 3 month ago hes was very over weight he was about 60kg+ his old owner over fed him and did not exercise him much due to health problems he is now down to about 40kg and looks a lot fitter and healthier but his head and paws are massive and he is well build.
he is just a very big dog bigger then most full sized mail Labradors
I know males are bigger than females but i would like her to get a big bigger (head and paws wise) before she stops growing She almost does not look like a lab or she looks like a small version of one
she is full bread tho we have seen both her parents
She is a very active dog always running about and playing
should i just feed her more to so she has the nutrients to grow bigger and if she puts on too much weight instead of growing bigger cut her food down??
I posted 2 pics the 1st one is the female dog
the 2nd is both the male and female together
At 20 months she's not going to get bigger. I suppose you could try putting her on a treadmill or something to try to build muscle, but she's not going to have the blockier head of your male. I think she looks beautiful, and the glossy coat looks very healthy. I would just accpet her as she is.
You mentioned you saw both parents? What were their sizes? Their genes should determine your pup's adult size. Labs usually stop growing by 18 mths, but will continue to fill out until two. I had a rescue full blooded lab w/ terrible conformation that was one of the best dogs I ever had. Like your female, he didn't have that blocky head, something breeders breed for, especially the English Lab.
Both of you labs are beautiful, and your female is on the petite side. If she's a good dog w/ a sweet temperament, that's what's important.
At 20 months she's not going to get bigger. I suppose you could try putting her on a treadmill or something to try to build muscle, but she's not going to have the blockier head of your male. I think she looks beautiful, and the glossy coat looks very healthy. I would just accpet her as she is.
So you suggest i feed her more and exercise her more ?
I do accept her even if she stays the way she is forever but i would like to see her full out a bit.
You mentioned you saw both parents? What were their sizes? Their genes should determine your pup's adult size. Labs usually stop growing by 18 mths, but will continue to fill out until two. I had a rescue full blooded lab w/ terrible conformation that was one of the best dogs I ever had. Like your female, he didn't have that blocky head, something breeders breed for, especially the English Lab.
Both of you labs are beautiful, and your female is on the petite side. If she's a good dog w/ a sweet temperament, that's what's important.
Both her parents were bigger then her. her mom was about the average size of a female lab the dad was about the same size but was slimmer. maybe that's why she's a bit smaller.
She is a very sweet dog she is good with kids, other dogs even other animals . cats, rabbits and chickens lol
Some labs are smaller. My friend is a puppy raiser for guide dogs for the blind and some have been big and some quite small for labs. Breed standards usually have some flexibility in size and then you will have puppies that just do not meet the standards in size. Guide dogs for the blind likes to have some smaller ones as they make good dogs for the little 90 lbs women rather then some big lab that out weighs them. Your dogs are beautiful and if they are healthy I would be happy and not concerned about size.
Some labs are smaller. My friend is a puppy raiser for guide dogs for the blind and some have been big and some quite small for labs. Breed standards usually have some flexibility in size and then you will have puppies that just do not meet the standards in size. Guide dogs for the blind likes to have some smaller ones as they make good dogs for the little 90 lbs women rather then some big lab that out weighs them. Your dogs are beautiful and if they are healthy I would be happy and not concerned about size.
Thanks yeah they are both healthy now.
when we got the male he was over weight, scared of stairs the hoover and laminate flooring
It was bad he weighed about 60kg and would not even go up the 3 steps at our front door i had to lift him in the house twice before i taught him to go up them it took about 45 mins to an hour before he would go up them by him self.
And it took about another 2 month before he would go up the 14 steps inside our house now he is over his fear of stars and laminate flooring and down to about 40kg - 35kg
he is still a bit iffy f the hoover but not as bad as he was when we 1st got him.
Your female isn't going to get a 'blockier' head or more bone at this point. Labs are *supposed* to be moderate in build, and your girl is beautiful just as she is.
Labs have really been bred HUGE over the past 20 or so years. Labs used to be very medium build dogs with lot's of stamina for the field. I just hunted last week with a guy that has a 110lb male black lab. He simply is NOT a field dog! He was tired, slow, not healthy traits for a hunting breed. He sorta trudged around and crashed through the field.
Your female is PERFECT. Good build, good formation- that is what a lab standard should be. Not these giants we see coming out.
Heck I can remember when my buddy got a Chesapeake Bay Retriever (lab) 25 some years ago- that's a big lab! They were built that way- lot's of muscle, stamina- handle the rigors of retrieving bay birds. Now labs are the on average the same size as the Chessies!
I think your female will have a great life with a medium build. Good energy, stamina, less physical issues- she's perfect!
The reason your labs look different is they are different types of labs. Your male comes from show stock and has some English in him. As a result, he's referred to as an English lab even though he was born in the United States. Your female is a field lab, and that's referred to as an American lab. Show/English labs are larger than field/American labs. That's just a fact.
You didn't provide the weight of your female. They weigh 55 to 70 lbs. At her age, her bones are done growing. If you feed her more, she'll just gain weight. She looks beautiful. She's a perfect field lab. It makes me sad that you want her to be something she's not. Putting weight on her will not make her head more square because she's a field lab.
Your male is still overweight. 60 kg is 132 lbs. 40 kg is 88 lbs. He should be down to at least 80 lbs. 55 to 75 is the range for males. My male lab topped out at 110 lbs and looked beautiful. He didn't look overweight, but the vet said he needed to lose at least 30 lbs. or he was going to develop problems later in life. We got him down to just below 80 lbs and he still looked fantastic. It's a good thing we did too because he had degenerative myelopathy. Most dogs only live a few months to a year after diagnosis, but he lived for many years because his spine didn't have the burden of the extra weight.
Being overweight puts stress on Labrador's joints. Heavier Labradors end up with serious arthritis problems. People want BIG dogs, and it's not healthy. A big lab isn't something to be proud of. You'll end up with expensive vet bills for hip problems and back problems when they're older. Not to mention, the poor dogs suffer.
Last edited by Hopes; 10-22-2014 at 11:35 PM..
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
