Labrador owners/experts. Please read...

[IndigoSpritz]

The Labrador is one of my favourite dog breeds. Apparently they have a reputation for greediness. Is this reputation deserved or is it another urban myth ? I've seen plenty of fat dogs in my time but not necessarily Labs more than any other breed. Thankyou.

PS. Feel free to post pictures of your sleek, athletic Labs in order to puncture the myth !

We have a show type Labrador too - and she would be the size of a house, if she had her way! As a previous poster said - it is our job to control her diet and exercise to make sure she stays a healthy weight - and it is perfectly possible, though you do have to be careful about leaving food within reach, as it will get stolen in a heartbeat! The list of things our dog has stolen and eaten ranges from steak and salmon, through several tubs of butter, to ginger biscuits and raspberry turnover and even the end of a bag of flour - which was hilarious - flour plus labrador drool turns into glue, and she made some very funny faces whilst trying to de-gunge her mouth!

It didn't help when we got a second dog - a Labrador pointer cross - who is very bright and can open doors - that's how they got the gingerbread biscuits - I had shut the kitchen doors firmly, whilst I nipped to the Coop for icing sugar, but ddog2 broke in so they could both feast!!

Ddog1, the Lab, did once get into the cupboard where her sack of dry dog food was kept, and ate 4.5 kilos of it, before we noticed - and we only spotted what was going on because she was so full she'd stopped eating to be sick (and make space for more). She was a brown barrel on legs - and we didn't feed her for days!

She was fine, though - she has an utterly bomb proof digestion - she has stolen and eaten things that are supposed to be toxic for dogs (chocolate, mince pies), and not turned a hair.

This all makes us sound like very careless owners - I promise we aren't - Labradors are very clever, when it comes to obtaining food - even brown Labs, who are not the brightest animals in the world.

We had a working lab.

Barely ate. In fact could go 2 to 3 days without eating. We went away once for a 2 week holiday and she stayed with my grandparents. Refused food for the first 4 days. My grandad had to hand feed her ham as she wouldn't eat anything else.

She was a odd dog.

Lovely temperament though and used to cuddle next to me for hours upon end.

Really chubby labs are down to the owner, I think I have a relatively slim one,vet says he's a good weight, just got to make sure not to feed them too much even when they do the feed me eyes! They can be trained to not touch food that isn't given to them, but it's a hard slog! Also that they get plenty of exercise and decent walks.

Seems to be a consensus that Labradors are naturally greedy pooches and food intake must be controlled. I honestly can't imagine any dog eating a carrot but if they like them then why not ?

My dogs love carrots! We call them vegan bones

I have a gorgeous working type Labrador. He would definitely eat himself into trouble if I let him.

He's fed a good diet in the right amounts with few treats.

He's never ever fed anything during our mealtimes and so he doesn't associate humans eating with obtaining food- as a result we don't have any begging.

People often remark that he is slim. He's not slim- he's as he should be, but people are just so used to seeing overweight labs that ours looks usual to them.

His breeder and vet both subscribe to the idea that many labs are unable to tell when they have eaten enough, and that it is essential for their health (particularly their joints) that they are not overfed. Fat Labrador = owners who overfeed.

His love of food made him easy to train. He is very well behaved, loving, fun and loyal. I wouldn't change him for anything.

We have two labs. They are a bit overweight. My fault. I give them too many treats.

Gradually reducing though and they are losing weight.

They never jump up at counters for food or beg from the table. Although one did get half a Christmas cake once! They do jump up if they hear plates being scraped after certain meals as they know they get the leftovers. I’ve now started to give them that with their food but give less food.

They know when we use grated cheese and that some might drop so one comes and stares at the floor just in case.

Ditto with frozen peas. They both love them.

And they get a carrot every evening. Love them.

We also have a pear tree and one lab loves pears. She has been spotted swinging from the tree by her teeth to get pears. She climbs up on the nearby compost pile to reach the tree. Sometimes in the morning she dashes out while I get their breakfast ready and comes back with a pear which she puts in her bed to have after her breakfast. She is currently very sad as there are no more pears on the tree so she just lies underneath it looking up. She is so funny.

Yes yes to all the above! Labradors in the main have no off switch and mine is no different, interesting about the history of how this might have come about. Keeping her exercised and a good weight is hard, but she is a good weight, as someone says above you can see her bottom rib but not hip bone. It’s hard though, she begs all the time and I often tell her to lie in her basket because of this as it’s gets tiresome as she stands right behind me in the kitchen. She appears in the kitchen at all times we are cooking, definitely knows when I open the fridge ( she likes a drop of milk which is a doggie no no really ) if am chopping carrots and will toddle off with one to eat when I give it to her ( the vet says it’s good for their teeth). Sadly she will eat anything she finds which can be tricky when out on walks, she has the ‘retrieval ‘ of things down to a fine art but not the ‘letting go’ so I’m afraid so small wildlife are usually eaten as I cannot prise her mouth open ( I do try ) . She’s stubborn and clever and a joy to have though!

@Peridot1 I am loving the pear tree story - I can just imagine !

We have a lab cross, she would eat all day given the chance. We weigh her food every day as it is too easy to overfeed them if you’re guessing.

Many labs do seem to be overweight, it is sad to see and entirely the owners’ fault.

I love greedy Lab stories 😄 particularly those about dogs who have managed to gain unfettered access to their food - I have often wondered at what point my dog would stop eating if she had limitless quantities in front of her (only to be sick, as PPs have said, I suspect)

My Labrador, like others, has an insatiable appetite and has stolen a variety of unsuitable foods from the kitchen counter - a giant family tub of margarine 🤢, half a birthday cake, a loaf of fresh bread ... Recently she discovered how to open the kitchen bin by tapping the lid with her chin - it’s perfectly located at chin height - so I’ve had to turn it to the wall so she couldn’t get into it any more. The first time I did that she spent the whole evening headbutting the bin in fury that it no longer opened, and staring at me accusingly.

But she is the MOST wonderful dog, and Labradors are the most wonderful breed, and worth all the necessary vigilance around food. Are you thinking of getting one OP?

Mine is 7 months and terribly greedy. He will quite happily hoover up everything he finds in the streets and parks. We never let him eat anything we're eating and give him a stern "No" when he comes a-begging! We use a smaller kibble as "treats" and take the amount he's eaten off his daily allowance and we generally give him apples and carrots as extra treats to try to keep his weight in check. He's still 27kg and has a load more growing to do!

We have a working black lab age 2.

Although a chicken within reach or sausages will be scoffed (and no lip licking afterwards to give it away) he can be quite funny about food. He isn't keen on dry food and we left it nearly 2 days when he refused to eat it. This has happened a couple of times.He wasn't ill, my DH was about to cook a roast chicken for him 'just to keep his strength up' but I refused. He was looking for our food according to my 'google' and we certainly aren't going down that route!

He does have a look though that makes you think someone has forgotten to feed him so DH always feeds and if someone wants to do it themselves they must ALWAYS check with him first. He even does his dance around to try and convince you he has been forgotten!

This is my working lab. Middle aged and spayed, and still the same weight she was at 2 years old - around 23kg
My secret? We give her an appropriate amount of food and exercise

Labs, and particularly working lines, should have excellent impulse control so shouldn't scavenge if properly trained. Ours doesn't steal picnics, or raid the bin
She doesn't seem any greedier than any other breed we've had so I think all the "oh labs are so greedy" attitudes are self fulfilling!

When we use treats for rewards, we cut back her food accordingly

My labrador-cross was known to have eaten:
An entire plate of freshly made cupcakes
A whole chicken carcass (honestly very confusing, we could only find 1 small bone!)
Pancakes
Roast dinners
Yoghurts

Not vegetables though

She wasn't particularly overweight I wouldn't say, but yes if she was feeling naughty and the opportunity was there, she was greedy! She'd sometimes eat loads then go puke outside (nice)

I would love a Labrador in each colour, June. But, as I go out to work and live alone in a small flat, it's not going to happen.

Yes, it is generally true. Labradors are foodies. Few of them have any off-switch when it comes to food, and pretty much anything goes.

It is down to the owners though to control their dog's diet. I have a 14 year old labrador who has never been overweight. He has always hovered between 28 and 29 kilos and that is fine for him. It is me who has to control his diet, that's for sure. He wouldn't bother if left to his own devices.

It is possible to keep control of their diet and weight. I've been more successful at controlling my labrador's weight than my own.

God forbid a Labrador should find itself in an unattended butcher's shop. Mind, it would need to go to the greengrocer next door for its carrot fix !

My Lab is hugely food oriented. Kennels reported they’d never met such a food oriented dog. However she’s not fat as her diet is monitored by me.

Wish I could be so self disciplined!

She doesn't seem any greedier than any other breed we've had so I think all the "oh labs are so greedy" attitudes are self fulfilling!

Well my experiences are different for sure, my lab is much greedier than any other breed of dog we've had. I don't tolerate scrounging at all, but it doesn't mean he won't give it a try. I don't think it's much of a 'secret', you just need to ensure that your dog is appropriately fed and exercised.

I have a big stocky show stock lab, he is like a dustbin on legs. We've always kept him trim, and have really had to cut back his food these days (he's nearly 14) as he doesn't walk nearly as far. He's getting arthritic in his hips now so it would be beyond cruel to let him get overweight, we keep him as light as we can. But yes, they are SUCH greedy dogs!

We have an almost 10yr old female lab, she is a little overweight as she steals food. She frequently helps our 2 yr old Airedale out with her food and previously with old old Airedale in the months before he died and was off his food - she ate 2 breakfasts and 2 dinners - we needed to have food out for him ( to try and tempt him) .
She now has got very greedy - and starts barking for her dinner by about 3pm.
We are struggling to retrain her to less food as she is so vocal about being absolutely starving!!

Just to add it's only a little overweight- the vets aren't worried just us concerned for her health.

Our old lab used to go through the bin for food every day.

"It's only because she's bored'" my mum used to say.

But it wasn't. When I was off school and my mum went to work while I was still in bed, the first thing I would hear after she'd gone, literally 20 seconds later, was the sound of a pedal bin lid closing after a canine head had been withdrawn from it.

Bored my arse. Greedy.

We have a 8 month mini labradoodle. He wants to be greedy like all dogs do but he at least waits until we have all left the room before he will steal anything off the coffee table my toddler has left.