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Original poster

Labradors and their fascination with food

109 replies

WildRosie · 05/01/2021 08:36

This has been discussed on here before but one thing I don't understand is why Labradors in particular have this apparent compulsion to eat. All dogs, whatever their breed, size, age and so on have to eat to survive but Labradors take this to the next level. I'm not sure they are a unique breed in this respect - our show Cocker spaniels many years ago had a tendency to podginess. Thankfully they all lived to a good age regardless.

Are Labradors naturally cunning dogs with an innate ability to snaffle nosh when backs are turned ? Or do their big brown eyes overcome their owners every time ?

OP posts:
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Original poster
WildRosie · 05/01/2021 13:10

Equally delightful and disgusting dogs.

OP posts:
UsernameFail · 05/01/2021 13:17

We have a fox red. Like me she has a compulsion to eat. We are very similar. I agree with other commenters saying until you've had a working dog, you really have no idea how overweight most labs are. The American breed is much bigger to our English breed, but they all like their food.

Beagles are also notorious for over eating. My husband has always had beagles and has so many stories of beagles eating ... whole birthday cakes, food waste bins and soft car roof tops!

decadance · 05/01/2021 13:21

We have had our choccie lab girl for 7 years now, only had bichons and a westie and unfortunately we have one who definately has this hunger gene.
She has the most wonderful affectionate nature, adores children and tries to greet everyone but if children are eating out in the park she will snatch the food from their hands, so we have to keep her on the lead in summer, you cannot eat in peace as she has perfected the sad starving look and sits drooling at you, also we never have to sweep the kitchen floor, she eats the apples from the trees in autumn in the park so we have to get her on the lead and drag her home, not easy as she's 33 kgs, think she would eat herself to death if she could, the worst is the poo eating, not her own thankfully, but we have to watch when other dogs are pooing or she will eat it while they are still squatting, it is so gross, we keep breathe spray and brush her teeth every day, we love her to bits, but we have said never ever again would we have another labrador.

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sashh · 05/01/2021 13:37

They’re not off buying their own food, a human is keeping them at that weight.

Not always true, the pub my dad used to dink in a visiting lab would bring 50p, drop it behind the bar and help himself to a packet of crisps.

OK I suppose a human must have given it the coin

AlecTrevelyan006 · 05/01/2021 13:56

A friend of mine fosters guide dogs during their training

He says their constant desire to eat is the main reason why Labradors are so good for this role. They can be trained to do pretty much anything for food.

Turquoisesofa · 05/01/2021 14:29

@BoogleMcGroogle The advantage of Labrador ownership is that you so rarely have to clean the kitchen floor..

I definitely disagree with this. You may not need to clean up dropped food, but you will need to Hoover/sweep constantly to avoid drowning in a sea of Labrador hair.

tabulahrasa · 05/01/2021 14:31

[quote Turquoisesofa]**@BoogleMcGroogle* The advantage of Labrador ownership is that you so rarely have to clean the kitchen floor.*.

I definitely disagree with this. You may not need to clean up dropped food, but you will need to Hoover/sweep constantly to avoid drowning in a sea of Labrador hair.[/quote]
That’s free insulation that is...

JingsMahBucket · 05/01/2021 14:33

This thread of Labrador stories and pictures is delightful!

TheOneLeggedJockey · 05/01/2021 14:46

@Sheleg

This is why I would never have a Lab. They're gorgeous but they're also canine dustbins and I don't think I'd be able to cope!
If you don’t give them food from the table or while cleaning up (recalling the grim, licking the plates from the dishwasher threads), it’s absolutely fine.

Our lab gets two meals a day from her bowl and the odd treat. She is not a nuisance.

We had friends around recently, and their cavoodle was an absolute menace because they obviously feed her from the table.

Our lab was lying on the deck while this dog went round the family members, jumping onto seats, putting its paws on the table and begging like no-one’s business.

I wouldn’t be able to cope with that either, to be fair!

Tehmina23 · 05/01/2021 14:52

This thread brings back memories!
When I was a teen & my Nan (my dads mum) was in her 70s she had a Golden Lab called Honey who was a great fat soppy thing.

All I remember is the dog hair all over my nans sofa & carpet, the smell of dog & cigarette smoke, the constant noise from the telly and the weight of Honey sitting on my feet. My Nan was fat too with a broad Weymouth accent.
After Honey died she was so upset she never got another dog.

Tehmina23 · 05/01/2021 14:55

My friends chocolate lab by comparison to Honey is also female but a gun dog who is lean & muscular.
I don't agree with shooting wild animals but I won't be telling my friends husband that...

caringcarer · 05/01/2021 15:37

Labs are fabulous dogs but I have never met a skinny one but have met some very greedy ones. A friend had a lab who stole the whole chicken off table whilst she was sorting out veg. She said even whilst she was scolding him he looked so very pleased with himself.

LadyOfTheFlowers · 05/01/2021 15:51

Ours is raw fed, working line and slender. Will do absolutely anything for any food apart from lemon. He doesn't do lemon, but will lick it 6 or 7 times before he refuses it just to be sure Grin

Labradors and their fascination with food
sueelleker · 05/01/2021 16:19

@feesh

I’ve heard them described as having a pet stomach with legs. Seems apt.
Personally I think they've got black holes instead of stomachs.
BoogleMcGroogle · 05/01/2021 16:29

I own a fox red who is slim like his mum (although still a pup, so there's time...). She was a non-working dog from working lines. His dad was a right old porker. Our neighbour's working black labs are also slim.

It's just occurred to me, I don't think I've ever met a chocolate Lab of similar build. They really do seem to be on the chunky side, even the ones I've seen working. Is this right? Does anyone know why this might be?

Springersrock · 05/01/2021 16:47

My parents had a lab when I was growing up. He was my best friend and guarded my pram from the day I was born, but he’d nick my lunch with absolutely no regrets. He stole my birthday cake when I was 5

He was never fat, but we lived very rurally so he was walked miles off lead every day

We’ve had Springers, our old boy was also a dustbin on legs. He was fed twice a day with only the odd treat, but he’d go and hoover fallen apples from the garden, he stole strawberries straight off the plant as they ripened, raided bins, even ate grass like a sheep. He never forgot the day he found a discarded sandwich in the hedge at the bottom of our drive - he checked the magic hedge every day until the day he died. He was never fat, but towards the end he was overweight. He had cushings disease with a tumour on his adrenal gland which gave him a voracious appetite so keeping him lean was just an impossible task.

We have a girl Springer now, who actually isn’t that interested in food. I have to encourage her to eat some days, she isn’t treat oriented when training either. Her weight is bang on but a woman ripped into me back in the summer about me starving my underweight dog and how she was going to report me to the RSPCA

Yandle · 05/01/2021 17:06

I once worked with a blind lady who had a golden Labrador as her guide dog. She often jokingly wondered how her lab had passed her guide dog training. This dog would eat anything. It would go through everybody’s bag and eat their lunch (it had mine several times!) She had a rule that she would replace a work colleague’s lunch once but never again (as they should know better than to leave their lunch where her dog could get it).

I remember once on the tube the dog darted off to grab a passerby’s sandwich out of her hand. Meetings were difficult because it would always be trying to get to the biscuit tray on the table.

It was always going to the vet to have its stomach pumped after eating something it shouldn’t have. In short, this dog was obsessed with food. I have to admit it’s put me off getting a dog for life.

sueelleker · 05/01/2021 17:32

@Springersrock

My parents had a lab when I was growing up. He was my best friend and guarded my pram from the day I was born, but he’d nick my lunch with absolutely no regrets. He stole my birthday cake when I was 5

He was never fat, but we lived very rurally so he was walked miles off lead every day

We’ve had Springers, our old boy was also a dustbin on legs. He was fed twice a day with only the odd treat, but he’d go and hoover fallen apples from the garden, he stole strawberries straight off the plant as they ripened, raided bins, even ate grass like a sheep. He never forgot the day he found a discarded sandwich in the hedge at the bottom of our drive - he checked the magic hedge every day until the day he died. He was never fat, but towards the end he was overweight. He had cushings disease with a tumour on his adrenal gland which gave him a voracious appetite so keeping him lean was just an impossible task.

We have a girl Springer now, who actually isn’t that interested in food. I have to encourage her to eat some days, she isn’t treat oriented when training either. Her weight is bang on but a woman ripped into me back in the summer about me starving my underweight dog and how she was going to report me to the RSPCA

Our first Springer used to eat raspberries off the cane-it took us ages to work out why we only had fruit on the top half! Our current Springer is also a fussy eater-left to herself I think she'd happily graze through the day; the trouble is, we've also got her Sprocker son, who is a hoover! If she turns away from her bowl for half a second he's got his nose in it.
isseys4xmastinselcats · 05/01/2021 18:36

used to call ours a dustbin on four legs he would eat anything and everything

Ellmau · 05/01/2021 19:26

I usually have a biscuit for him and obviously ask if he can have it, I put the biscuit on the counter and his nose virtually dances as he sniffs it but he knows he isn't allowed unless his mistress tells him to.

What a Good, Good Boy.

lifeinlimbo2020 · 05/01/2021 20:10

I have a working black lab and she is lean and lovely because even though she tries and tries with those eyes I don't overfeed her. 🤣😂 it annoys me when I see big fat labs. It's cruel.

Quinn1964 · 05/01/2021 20:35

All dogs will get fat if they are not exercised enough! Dont get a Labrador if you can’t walk it for at least 2 hours a day same applies to all working dogs cocker spaniels border collies etc! The problem is that Some owners give treats to dogs because they can’t be bothered to walk them and think this will pacify dog!

Quinn1964 · 05/01/2021 20:44

lifeinlimbo2020

BroomHandledMouser · 05/01/2021 20:49

I had to pull half a toy out of this bastard today.

Labradors and their fascination with food
Quinn1964 · 05/01/2021 20:49

I have a working dog German shepherd I just exercise her to give her a great time and feed her what she needs (she loves life) her treat is a raw duck neck at 7.30!