How skinny or fat?

[jetjockey]

In order  to not completely sidetrack the other post, I figured we could start a post on what an inshape dog is suppose to look like.  I see way too many hunting dogs (especially labs) that are WAY overweight when they don't need to be.  Remembering that the coat can cover a lot, let's post some pictures.  Here's my 6 year old Brit at her fighting weight.  Her coat was grown out a little in the pictures, but you can still easily see her ribs and the striations of her muscles.

[Bango skank]

Here is my lean mean hunting machine!

[jetjockey]

That dog could go all day!   

Here's another during trial season in the fall.  You can see all three dogs are not fat at all. 

[scottr]

8 months old and 44 pounds. He has a narrow waist and big chest. You can just see his ribs through his coat and the muscle definition in his legs.

[Revwrangler]

My one year old lab Benelli. I take criticism all the time from people with non hunting dogs that she is too skinny. I have to remind people you don't want a fat hunting dog.

[Revwrangler]

You can't see it too well in the picture but you can see her ribs too. When I took this we had just finished a morning duck hunting, but she was convinced we shouldn't be done. So she was sitting looking toward the sky while I loaded up.

[Boss .300 winmag]

Here is my lean mean hunting machine!

That poor mutt is lucky to roll off his mat in the morning let alone going hunting. 

[Bango skank]

Here is my lean mean hunting machine!

That poor mutt is lucky to roll off his mat in the morning let alone going hunting. 

I should probably make it clear, in case anybody believed that, that is NOT actually my dog.  I googled "fat lab" and pulled that out of the images.  I'd kick my own ass if that was my dog.

[HunterStrait]

Still flushes birds.

[Don Fischer]

I don't like to see a dogs ribs but, when I run my hand over them I like to feel them. Bodie looks good but could use some mussel tune up. He can hunt a week end in the shape he's in and be ready to go a couple days later.


Squirt is a bit heavier than Bodie but he's in about the same shape. Huskey fella! I can get a couple days out of him too. Both of them will far outlast me!


Stormy is just a year and more wiry than he look's. He's noticably shorter and lighter than the other two. I can feel the ribs on all of them.

[scottr]

Good looking setters Don!