Im needing help with my yellow Labrador bitch that I am showing at the moment.

No mater how much i exercise my bitch, she never gets any tighter and rolls quite a bit (as in her body rolls, not rolling in mud). She has wonderful movement and all the judges comment on it, but i just feel that her rolling spoils her. Any suggestions?

Kind Reagrds

Pam

It's difficult to say without seeing her, but from your description it sounds as if she may simply be overweight ;) . I know many labs are shown in what, with other breeds, would be considered "excess baggage" - no offence meant!

Or have I misunderstood (it has been known in the past!)

Hi There, Thanks for your reply. Libee is not over weight. If anything, she needs a little more weight on her. No matter how thin she is, i can tighten her up. I tried taking all the weight off her, and starting for the begining again . I took her out of the show ring, got her niice and thin, and slowly increased her exercise and her feeding so she was back to her normal weiht. I increased her exercise and just kept increasing it, and nothing worked. I really dont know what else to try!

Pam

p.s no offence taken

Hi Pam,
I don't know if you already do it, but have you considered taking her swimming? That is a brilliant all-over body toning exercise for dogs. I take my young thug to a local dog therapy pool and he is shaping up very nicely without harming his joints.
Jean

A puppy I bred was too fat, and when the weight came oiff she needed toning. the lady took her swimming, and cycles with her and road walks her. It took about 6 to 9 months to get her right, but as soon as she is in season say she easily goes soft. some dogs I beleive are more wiry than others, and some are a softer sort.

Hi There again
Libs occasionally goes swimming to the Loch with me. We usually just go for a walk, but no one can stop a lab going into water!!!!!!! Now that a few people have mentioned swimming, im going to look into the therapy pool. Im sure i heard someone talking about one not far from where i live.
At the moment, she must be getting walked at least 5 miles a day, and is just not toning up very much. I do notice a big difference in her over the last few months, but she is now at the stage that nothing is helping that last wee bit of wobblyness.
I will let you know how she gets on and if she gets any more toned.

Thanks again

Pam

It could be simply that she is like the lab we used to have - we always said she'd put someone else's skin on! :D It never quite fitted her properly! But then they say a loose skin is a healthy skin (in dogs, that is!)

"But then they say a loose skin is a healthy skin"
Does that saying count in humans as well?? I think im in someone elses skin too! Too much skin round my middle! Maybe it justs runs in my family. Dogs and Humans!!!

Pam

I've got the "healthy" skin as well! :p