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  1. #1
    Senior Dog smartrock's Avatar
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    Obesity in labs (and humans)

    Interesting article about a genetic mutation that is linked to obesity in humans and Labs! One researcher found about 20% of labs have the mutation that makes them more prone to obesity and that about 75% of a set of seeing eye dog labs had that mutation, maybe making them easier to train. How many of you think your dog would persist in trying to get the hot dog out of the hamster cage?


    https://www.nytimes.com/2017/05/16/m...ches.html?_r=0

  2. #2
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    Now I have scientific proof that English labs are fat! Just kidding. My field bred Lab would get the hot dog out I think. Vic

  3. #3
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    Mine are incredibly food motivated, so I would have thought they would persist in going for the hot dog.

    BUT ... we were doing an exercise designed to start the puppies on scent articles, which involves putting treats in a PVC pipe with caps on the end and air holes to let the scent out. The idea is they are attracted to it because of the scent, learn they can’t open it themselves and start bringing it to you to open for them, thus associating your scent, treats and a retrieve. I tried it with my guys and they gave up trying to get the treats out pretty quickly, and even when I showed them that I could open it for them lost interest very quickly (never did learn to bring it to me), so I dunno .... on the other hand, they both have a much easier time maintaining their weight than their mother does, so maybe they don’t have the gene? I think Chloe would be more persistent and we are constantly keeping her food in check.
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  4. #4
    Best Friend Retriever silverfz's Avatar
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    I have lost 23 lbs and my work out partner Gigi says me no fat.
    She has been the best thing I got. Even on a bad day she gets me going.

    The anti obesity pill .miss gigi . Gigi is food motivated but we did distraction training I which she had to ignore cookies , treats spread on the floor and had to take hand signals off leash in the middle.she did it....

    She has learned treat is only from me/person and not from.floor.

    She has never taken the apple and banana from the guinea pig cage even when open which I know she loves.
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  5. #5
    Senior Dog Labradorks's Avatar
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    I have no doubt that Linus would open the hamster cage to get the piece of hot dog. He loves a challenge, too, and would probably destroy the cage in the process. However, I'm not sure if the food motivation would be the culprit or the fact that I taught him to push and problem solve. Two or three years ago, I don't know how persistent he'd be. Sam is not much of a problem solver and I think he'd give up.

  6. #6
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    Quote Originally Posted by ZEKESMAN View Post
    Now I have scientific proof that English labs are fat! Just kidding. My field bred Lab would get the hot dog out I think. Vic
    Sophie is an English Lab, from England. She's not fat, weighs a solid 65 pounds at 5 1/2 years old, and she's spayed. I've had 5 true English Labs (from England) over the past 33 years, and not one of them was fat, or even mildly overweight. I've been back to the UK 3 times in the last five years, attended Cruft's twice, The Yellow Lab Club Championship Show, and one other. I can say from seeing Labs on both sides of the pond, we have a bigger problem with fat Labs here in the states.

    I know you said "just kidding" and I'm not trying to turn this into the "fat Lab" debate, but giving my personal observations and personal experience to a very generalized statement.

  7. #7
    Senior Dog Snowshoe's Avatar
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    Oban would probably wait till one of the cats got the hotdog out and then he'd take it.

    I think my BIL has that gene.
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  8. #8
    Senior Dog Maxx&Emma's Avatar
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    I know Maxx has that gene and keeping extra weight off of him is a battle! He is very food motivated but unlike most Labs he will not steal or counter surf. I think because of his therapy dog training, (which started very early on), he learned he could not pick up random food items and the only thing he likes better than food is PEOPLE!!
    I use the tiniest pieces of string cheese, when necessary, for any training/class work and he does just as well with praise. But, god help me, if someone else feeds him and does not precisely measure every bit of food or slips him extra goodies it becomes obvious very quickly. It is a constant fight with my adult kids and Jon, they don't think it is a big deal, it is almost a power struggle in this house. Maxx is not going to turn down a slice of cheese, a banana, half of a sandwich or licking a plate clean when invited. Some people can't get past the pleading eyes and/or drool, sigh...
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  9. #9
    Senior Dog Labradorks's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Maxx&Emma View Post
    I know Maxx has that gene and keeping extra weight off of him is a battle! He is very food motivated but unlike most Labs he will not steal or counter surf. I think because of his therapy dog training, (which started very early on), he learned he could not pick up random food items and the only thing he likes better than food is PEOPLE!!
    I use the tiniest pieces of string cheese, when necessary, for any training/class work and he does just as well with praise. But, god help me, if someone else feeds him and does not precisely measure every bit of food or slips him extra goodies it becomes obvious very quickly. It is a constant fight with my adult kids and Jon, they don't think it is a big deal, it is almost a power struggle in this house. Maxx is not going to turn down a slice of cheese, a banana, half of a sandwich or licking a plate clean when invited. Some people can't get past the pleading eyes and/or drool, sigh...
    Linus (and Sam) won't counter-surf either. I leave all kinds of fruit out and don't think twice about leaving food out while cooking and then leaving it to do something else. Just a few weeks ago, I left some cream puffs out to cool and had to run an errand before the store closed. My gut told me not to do it, but I did it anyway. Stupid, yes, but they were not touched. He's very big into asking for permission and would not open the hamster cage to get the hot dog without my OK.

    Their meals are pretty small, but I do give them lots of veggie scraps while cooking, bedtime snacks, bones and then I also make treats every week and let them lick the bowls and spoons. Sam gets treats while I'm training Linus, but Linus gets the bulk of the goodies.

    Is anyone else considering purchasing a cage and some tape and trying this?

  10. #10
    Senior Dog TuMicks's Avatar
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    Wow... it's hard to say what Rocket Dog would do. I think she would probably keep at the weenie-in-the-cage for a long, long time. But if ANYthing else caught her attention, she'd probably investigate that. LeeRoy the Mystery Lab, on the other hand would not be distracted at all until he got the treat.

    I think RD would happily let you overfeed her and would probably gain weight. But there are other things in her life. With the other dog... Food is the ONLY thing.

 



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