Choc lab- 6 yrs old male-not neutered

Question
QUESTION: My lab is strictly a pet -no hunting! He isn't that active and I'm thinking that his protein intake may be too much and may be harmful at this stage of his life. He has been eating Ole Roy High Protein [27%protein] ever since he came off of puppy food. He weighs approx. 115 now- not fat -just tall. What kind of protein, fat  and fiber % food should he be getting? He very seldom gets table food scraps. I do give him the basted dog biscuits 2-3 a day. Thanks for any info  you may have for me, Rhonda.

ANSWER: Actually he is approaching the age when they recommend a higher protein senior chow.  Unless you are seeing problems, I would stick to what you are feeding.  

I am a little concerned about his weight.  Evaluate the dog as illustrated in this link, http://www.longliveyourdog.com/twoplus/RateYourDog.aspx You may want the vet to confirm your judgment. Adjust the dogs food and exercise as needed to reach its ideal body condition.

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QUESTION: My dog would be over-weight by that Purina scale slightly. He is almost 27" tall at the top of his shoulders and his front paws are as big as an average size man's palms. I was thinking about getting a puppy off him, that's why he's not fixed. Is there any particular reason why you recommend having an animal fixed at 6 mos of age? [Other than the fact some people aren't responsible with their animals] Thanks, Rhonda

Answer
I would cut back on his chow slightly until the excess fat is gone.  

I often mention neutering in other cases for several reasons.  Avoiding accidental breeding is only one of them.  Neutered males have fewer behavior problems and it avoids certain kinds of cancer later in life.  

There are many things you need to check before breeding a dog.  One of the most important things for Labs is the hips.  They should be X-Rayed.  Well informed people won't buy a puppy if both parents aren't OFA certified.  At 6 years, he might not be showing symptoms of hip dysplacia if it is a mild case.  For more on this, see http://www.woodhavenlabs.com/articles.html#breeding