Is your dog over weight?

[His Wife]

Luke (our 4 yr. old English lab) is a bit overweight. He weighs 83 lbs.
I thought we lost him last week. One of the kids left the back gate open. I went out looking all over the place for him without any luck. Guess who was waiting on the front porch when I got home? Not only a handsome Labby, but a smart one too. Thank God!!!

Nice to see you, horsesense! My retriever is about 95lbs (of pure love).

I bet you were pretty worried seeing the gate. So far I've lucked out....but there's a gate I have to watch where the neighbor kids come over and open it (because they are unsupervised-ugh). They love my dog....and I've even thought about putting a padlock on it. I'm glad your dog loves you so much and had the common sense to stay where the food and love is! That would have been heartbreaking, even for me to hear, and it's your dog!

[horsesense]

I actually felt my heart hit my stomach. Luke is a huge part of me/my family. That probably sounds rediculous to some.
I have a pad-lock on the gate, but with the kids being on holiday and thier friends coming over to play I just thought it was easier to leave off. The relief I felt when I pulled into the driveway and saw him trott off the porch towards the truck cant even be discribed. Esp. after the crappy news we all woke up to on New Years day.. Alls it would take is somebody offering up a scrap, or a crumb of something once delicious and Luke would be gone. Im his 2nd Alpha, food being his 1st... Hes home where he belongs now, we even celebrated his 4th BD last thur.. I grilled him up a nice steak, and the girls bought him a stuffed duck. (He loves those things)..