My Sweet Roast Chimken: The Secret Shapes of a Chocolate Labrador

Tobby is a slim gentleman. Long legs, a narrow waist, an elegant line from nose to tail. When he walks across the room, he looks like a dog who could run a marathon, or at least seriously consider one.

This lasts exactly until he sits down.

The moment Tobby sits or lies down, something happens. The athlete disappears. The long legs fold away somewhere. The body settles, spreads, softens. And where a slender Labrador stood a second ago, there is now a good, round, farm-style roast chicken.

Look at him from above. The back legs stick out on both sides, perfectly symmetrical, exactly like drumsticks on a Sunday platter. The soft round back in the middle. Everything golden and glossy and ready to be served.

If anything, the roast is slightly overdone. He is, after all, very chocolate.

I know, I know. A gentleman should never be judged by his figure, and I would never say a word about Tobby's weight. This is not about weight. It is about the magic trick of a dog who is all legs and dignity while standing, and pure soft comfort the second he stops.

And when he really lets go, there is a third shape. Flat on the floor, legs stretched front and back, he becomes long again, impossibly long, like someone rolled out chocolate dough and forgot to cut it into cookies.

Tobby stretched out flat on the wooden floor along the wall, front and back legs fully extended

Slim. Roast chicken. Rolled dough. Three dogs in one, and I love every version.

But if I am honest, my favorite is the chicken. Because that is the shape of a dog who feels completely safe. Nobody sits like that when they are worried. You only fold into a soft round heap like that when you know nothing bad will happen, and that someone who loves you is close by.

Tobby sitting on the floor and smiling with his mouth open

So yes. He is my sweet, soft-bottomed, slightly over-roasted chimken. And I wouldn't change a single drumstick.

Does your dog have a secret shape that only appears at home? What do you call it?

Would you like to share your answer?

I read every answer myself. It stays private unless you say otherwise.

If you are in crisis or thinking about harming yourself, please reach out to local emergency services or a crisis line in your country right now. You deserve immediate support.

With love, from HerWay (and Tobby)

← Previous story · Next story → · Back to Tobby's Corner