Am just wondering whether Darcy is just lazy and unfit or if she might have a health problem.

I have had labradors before and have friends with labs Darcys age and she is by the unfittest.

She gets out of puff very very quickly and is a lot slower when running

She is a chunky lab where as before I have had working types so I expect her to be slower but whereas they can keep going for hours she struggles after about 10-15 mins

I have tried not to over exercise her as a puppy but now at nearly a year old she gets about 3 hours a day (lots of smaller walks)
and we take her football out on some of them to encourage her to run about!!

She is best friends with a lab the same age and she just cant keep up with her, if we're in the fields Darcy will come back to us after 10 mins while Eve continues to cavort about everywhere!!

What do ya reckon????

Hi - I don't really know to be honest. I would perhaps get the vet to give her a check over if you are worried.

As you know, I have 2 danes, and Willis is by far and away fitter than Phoebe...but Willis "wants" the exercise where Pheebs is for the easy life (kipping). I also gave Willis more exercise than I should have done as a young pup, whereas I have deliberately restricted Phoebe's exercise. Therefore Willis has a much higher fitness level than her. Could this be the case with Darcy and her friend? :)

Hi Rachel and Darcy, I am soooo envious of your returning dog! Have you all settled into your new house now? Just a thought does Darcy like to play games with you and maybe play instead of running about ?

Yeah she does prefer to play more than run, her favourite game is dribbling with her football though, she's obsessed with it.

She does though absolutely love playing with other dogs, which is why we're considering getting another one, but I feel so sorry for her cos she can never keep up with other breeds her size, she's always miles behind and she gets out of breath so easily she has to stop playing when you can see thats the last thing she wants.

She had a heart murmer when she was a puppy but they said that had cleared up!

It could be that she didnt have the exercise that her friend got cos Eves mum is a dog walker and I know she took her out with her from a young age!!

Maybe I should take her to the vets, but they already think I'm a paranoid parent so I like to ask on here first.

It just goes so against the experience I have of other labradors!

Take her to the vets - put your mind at rest.

Good morning Rachel, perhaps you misunderstood my interpretation of a silver Lab, Kobie my Lab was bred by two silver I said based on what I read that they got this color (silver) by experimenting since the early 40's with a chcolate and a black lab untill they reached an acceptable shade that most breeder call silver, to me it looks more like what you guys might call (liver) although fully recognized by the AKC
as a pure bred Lab they have it ranked or listed as a shade of chocolate officialy. In the UK I believe they have the wonderful Lab in 4 colors (black,yellow,liver,and chocolate is this correct? in any case the AKC registration for Kobie has it as chocolate but certainly recognized as 100% pure Lab. go to www.dogbreedsinfo.com and you'll get a better clarification on the silver color....and perhaps you'll
get a more accurate detailed info on silver.

Sincerely

Vic Esposito

Hi Vic,
No, in the UK the lab only comes in three colours, black, yellow and chocolate (sometimes called liver).
:)

sorry I wasnt talking about your lab. I was just amazed that a black lab and a chocolate lab could ever produce a silver lab without some sort of human interference thats all

Rachael

Does she sit alot at all ?

Lucy

Do you mean does she sit a lot when out on a walk?????

If so then she doesnt sit a lot no but every now and then particularly if she's been playing with other dogs she will sit down and refuse to walk for a few minutes

we've always laughed it off as her being lazy!!
now I'm beginning to wonder
Is that what you meant???

MMMMmmmmmm. I don't mean to alarm you but I would get her to the vets and maybe get her Xrayed.

That is one of the symptoms MB has got re her dickie hips. Have a look at my post re Is MB a lazy girl on Lab rescue and I have detailed out all about what I was concerned about and the outcome.

Touch wood she will be OK but it might be worth getting her checked out as this is one of the classic signs ! It maybe though that 3 hours a day may be a bit too much for her and she is genuinely knackered !

Lucy
xx

I did wonder if we were exercising her too much but it doesnt matter if its ten minutes first thing in the morning it still knackers her out!
and its only running about that seems to do it, she'll happily walk alongside us for hours

and she's always been like this even since she was a puppy when we had her on limited exercise!

Will get her to the vets. Had you noticed any stiffness with yours then cos She looks fine in that respect

MB is happy walking as well. She is not stiff but you notice that she has difficulties. She sort of swivels round on her bum when she is sitting and also another classic trait is a sort of bunny hop type of thing when she runs. If she is just jogging then she will use the back legs seperately but if at full pelt then both legs of the ground at the same time if that makes sense ?

Lucy

will have a look when I take her ou next. I cant picture her running in my head.

Definitely going to get her checked out!!

I am sure she will be Ok it was just your message said lazy and this just rang true on how I thought and interpreted what MB was like a lazy girl but I have now found out the reason why ! At least though I know it is not the end of the world and know what can be done !!

Keeping fingers crossed all will be well with her ;)

Lucy

Sounds very much like a dog I know which has a very slight heart murmer. Vet said nothing to worry about, and even he only detects occasionally when checking her, although every visit he listens, it doesn't always come through. Best to have her checked and be prepared to run her up and down before the vet listens to her heart.

That is more along the lines I was thinking, especially since they noticed one when she was little.

They said she would grow out of it and that she had, but I'm wondering if like you suggested its left her with a slight one

hi rachael, i have four labs, three are absolutely bonkers when we go out, and race round for ages in circles and never seen to tire, but milo is always out of breath, frothing at the mouth and lying on the grass when we go out, he can't keep up with his sisters.He has had checks at the vets and there is nothing wrong with him and he has a hip score of 8.8 so try not to worry about Darcy too much.Milo is also a chunky choc boy, whereas the others are the leaner working types.Hope this helps:)

yeah Darcy has that as well a white froth at the edges of her mouth!!!! maybe its just the type then!!

will still get her checked out just to be on the safe side

maybe her and milo should get together, they'd be able to keep up with each other and disgustingly froth to their hearts content

Just as in humans, Labradors do have their couch potato's. Mine was Lucy. Used to just stand and watch Bethany, who was 3 years older running around. You may of course have a dog with a problem but you may just have a dog who is rather Lazy!!

In the show ring, amongst other things, conformation is looked for. The geometric layout of the dog. Angles of shoulders, pelvis and the like. This is to see if the dog is correctly put together. But it is not arbitrary figures, It is so the dog can move correctly. If this is not right then the dog will have more difficulty doing the job it's designed for. In a Labrador's case this is running whilst carrying a load. Incorrectly put together it would need to expend more energy trying to do the same thing.

Regards, John

ha ha,Rachael, it looks absolutely disgusting but he doesn't care and either wipes it on my clothes or one of the other dogs backs!!:)

Some dogs are just less active then others, however if she sits down after running, I would if she were mine want her hips x-rayed, at least you are ruling out one possibility. Good luck.
Dawn.

Ah ha! SO the frothing at the mouth thing is fairly common is it?! My 6 month old retriever always looks as if she has swallowed a bar of soap... until she plays with another dog and covers them in slobber that is!

yeah Darcys the same. either me or one of the other dogs we walk with somethimes comes back soaking wet!!!!