I have just been to get Tobys food today, why i was there i bought a car harness for him, hubby has a week off next week so no doubt we will be taking Toby out in the car alot, i bought him a large size, got it home and found it was too small, i had to go back and get xlarge which does fit him, i have a giant black lab :o  has anyone else had this happen with there lab,

Heidi

I have a big choccy girl Lab... She is 16 months and huge! She stands very tall and at the last vet visit she weighed 85lb, but the vet said she is not over weight... something I should be careful to watch in the future but he could feel her ribs and just said she was a large Labrador. It has amazed me how big she has grown. Her mum was quite a small lab, her Dad must have been huge (or does it not work like that?!) I only weigh 105lbs so needless to say I use a Halti on my beast! When we meet other Labs Emmy towers above them, even some males! It's only then I realise what a big (beautiful!) girl she is...

hi joules,
Toby is 1 year old on the 25th march, havent had him weighed recently, last time he was weighed was at 9 months and he weighed 37.8kg/83.2lbs and i know he is alot heavier than that now but i can still feel his ribs, he is just one big black beauty, his mother was quite small but his father was bigger than Toby is, i have never seen a lab as big as Tobys father, i use a gentle leader for Toby although he only pulls when we first go out because he is excited then he calms down, do you let yours off the lead? i would like to but dont because Toby loves people and if he sees somebody i couldnt trust him not to go bounding after them and because he is so big he could have them over or frighten them.

Heidi

Hi Heidi
It sounds like you could be writing about Emmy!!! She walks like a little angel on her halti, but looses all manners when we meet other dogs and wants to go play, so that's why I have to stick with it. When she pulls I have not got the strength to hold her on just a normal collar.

I do let her off lead but only in an area near to us that is safe. There is also very rarely any one else around except her 2 boxer friends that we sometimes meet and she is allowed to go play with. Walks to our local park mean she has to stay on the lead because like Toby she would just bound over to meet every one and although I know she's a big friendly giant , I can understand people being afraid of a large dog like her coming towards them full pelt!

I've just about got her trained to ignore people when we walk past them in the street... that is until some one stops to say hello and she sees that as an invite to give doggy kisses!

On the plus side though, I feel relatively safe when walking with her, especially at night. I know she is a big softie, but many would not risk such a big dog protecting it's master.

Toby sounds lovely. Imagine him and Emmy having puppies (although not possible as she has been spayed!) they would be super sized labs!

Hi joules,
yes Toby is the same he wouldnt hurt a flea, he loves everyone and everything a big softie, and on the odd occasion when a snarling jack russell comes bounding for him he just ignores it and makes me feel very proud of him,
and yes if our darlings mated they no doubt would be beautiful big pups but like you i had Toby castrated as we bought him purely as a family pet not to breed, i bet Emmy is just beautiful.

Heidi