Is Tilly over weight?

We went to a show yesterday where they had a special section for terriers. I just happened to say to Tilly ''you wont be able to enter this''. A man standing near by asked why and I replied that she was a cross and not one single breed. He said I could enter her in fell/lakeland/patterdale type class and he should know as he was the judge! So we paid our £2 and entered the class. When it was time to be seen by him, he asked her age and said she looked really good for her age (almost 6) then proceded to tell me that she was three quarters of a stone over weight and I was killing her with kindness!! He then pointed to a (smaller) dog and said thats what she should look like. Now Tilly is tall, and quite broad but certainly not fat. You can feel her ribs and spine fairly easily. I know he would be judging a dog on its capibility to work but he could have been a bit nicer about it! She weighs about 13 kilos and is 16 inches tall to base of her neck and the vets have never mentioned any problems with her weight so I think I'll take their views over his. But I was quite shocked by his comments. So do you see a fat terrier or is she an acceptable weight. A loss of three quarters of a stone would leave her looking like an RSPCA poster!

I would say 13kg sounds heavy for a border x parsons
but she is your pet and you know how she feels so from the photo you can't really see because of the coat. If one of my dogs get a bit heavy i notice it behind the shoulder he get a get a ring of fat around there you can feel it when you stoke him but can always still feel his ribs.

She doesn't look it, to me, in that pic.

To me, and I'm no expert obviously, I think she looks a good weight. The posters in the vets regarding weight checking that I've seen say that you should be able to feel a dogs ribs. You've already said that you can feel hers so how can she be so overweight if you can do that? Can you see her waist clearly when viewed from above? 3/4 of a stone is an awful lot of weight for a smaller dog like Tilly.

There is a huge problem with obesity in dogs now and I think if your vet had any concerns about Tilly's weight he or she would have voiced them with you.

She is taller than both a parsons and a border so I would assume she'd be heavier. Just checked for fat rings and she certainly doesnt feel like she has. Maybe I should check with my vet next time she see's him. Thanks for the reply.

Thanks. Thats what I thought.
Thank you. She does go in at the waist when looking down on her. And if you pinch her skin, it doesnt feel much at all, certainly not three quarters of a stone over! She's due at the vets in November so I will check with them then.

She is perfect Gerri! Great comments made already and I said to you about the lack of fat around her shoulders. Plus you can see her waist from above. I know it knocks your confidence when someone says something like that, but he was a prat. Just to add some perspective, this judge allowed a bitch in season (she was bleeding! ) into the ring and he gave a very aggressive Fell Terrier first place, despite the fact the dog was trying to attack the dog beside it. He even went to bite his owner when she picked him up. The whole thing was a shambles and the fact the judge said Tilly was Patterdale/Fell/Lakeland type is bizarre to say the least!

I couldnt belive the bitch in season. The owner must have known and the judge could not have missed it, it was so obvious to everyone! Well I love my chubby little fake patterdale!

She doesn't look overweight from that pic, but it is easier to judge a dogs weight by looking from above rather than side on as some have said.

13kg at 16" tall doesn't sound too bad. As a comparison Isla (I know she's not a Terrier, but it's the only comparison I have!) is 19" at the shoulder and weighs 18.5kg which is about right for her.

More importantly I'd love to know where she gets that tail from!

Thanks for the comparison. And from the top, she has a waist. She is quite broad in the chest so probably looks chunky, but there isnt fat there.
As for the tail, who knows. Little bit of pig in there somewhere I reckon!