Dogs, And Weight Control

 Here is my article on Dogs, and Weight Control.

Most of us love feeding our dogs, it gives us a fulfilling sense of nurturing to do so. 
Sharing that last piece of our daily meals or snacks  with our dogs looking up at us adoringly is really hard to resist.  I totally understand, I really do- but because I’m responsible for the dog’s care I also want to do what is best for the health of the dog.

Some dogs always seem to be hungry, and just LOVE to eat!  I think Kenji if allowed to would eat an entire bag of food, throw it back up, and eat it again.
Keeping our dogs at a healthy lean body weight is the best thing we can do long term for their joints and internal organs, because they don’t have to work as hard to support the dog.  This is especially true for older animals. 

Obese dogs often live shorter lives, and have more costly health problems during that time.
Studies have shown that fit dogs live an average of nearly two full years longer than their obese siblings from the same litter.  https://www.dogfoodadvisor.com/dog-feeding-tips/dog-ideal-weight/

There are many different views on the “perfect” weight for dogs.  I encourage people to look at your standing dog from above, there should be a “figure eight” shape made where the hips are wider, thinning at the waist line, and wider again beginning at the dog’s rib cage.  This description corresponds with all the current charts of an ideal body weight for dogs that I’ve researched .

With the many different brands of dog foods available containing significantly different ingredients and caloric counts it’s difficult to determine exactly how much each specific individual should be fed. The guidelines for feeding amount on the bag/can of dog food are just that- a guideline. This guideline doesn’t add in all the extra treats and snacks the dogs may get on a regular daily basis either.

I’ve found some Veterinary clinics will tell dog owners that their obese dog’s weight is “fine“ - I believe this is because they feel it’s not worth their time and hassle to try and get people to cut back on the dogs feeding routine, and or increase the dog’s daily exercise. 
Often there is a helpful visual guideline weight chart posted at the Veterinary clinic, which gives dog owners a good idea of what to look for in an ideal weight for their dog.

Usually if you have a purebred dog there will be an AKC ideal of the breed online showing a photo of the correct build the breed should have.  Individuals may run larger or smaller than the standard, but the shape of the dog should be very similar.

I’m personally not a fan of “diet” dog foods, as many times the fat content is too much lower than what the dog actually needs in their body, which can cause dry skin issues.  These foods are often high in carbohydrates and lower in protein than ideal for a dog. 
If owners feel their dog is still hungry, adding a few green beans to the dogs daily meals can help fill them up.   See my article on Dog Foods and Feeding for more information. 

Instead of free feeding the dog where food is down 24/7, try using a measuring cup and giving a set amount every day, this can really help.  Feeding several small meals is ideal, this also lessons the chance of bloat- which many breeds are susceptible to. 

Here are several constructive ways to use the dog’s meals, many of which I do daily with Kenji.  Hand feed it as rewards for daily basic obedience drills, confidence building, impulse control exercises, tricks, grooming, after brushing his teeth, trimming nails, and cleaning his ears. He is much happier to tolerate being handled when he benefits from it.  Hand feeding also increases the bond between the dog and it’s owner.  

Meals can be put into interactive rubber toys like Kongs, frozen, then hidden in accessible areas around the house for the dog to find. This burns calories and uses both mental and physical exercise on the dogs part.
Kenji is also treadmill trained, so he can walk off those calories every day year round. He gets “paid” with a couple pieces of food when he gets on his treadmill.  Occasionally he also gets some put into his Kong Wobbler which is inside a rubber feed tub, or on a snuffle mat too. 
Box Feeding is a great exercise which uses the dogs daily meals to help desensitize and counter condition them to fearful environmental sounds and objects. Highly recommended.

Instead of giving high calorie treats and tidbits of our own food, try using a piece of the dog’s normal meal instead.  Break large treats into several smaller pieces to dole out.
If you want to have special treats for your dog I suggest buying a high grade fully balanced dog kibble, like “Ziwi Peak”, and using that to reward them.  

Dogs lives are short enough as it is, keeping them fit and healthy will help them enjoy what time they do have with us, and by doing so we may even add a couple good years on to that.  

More detailed information on Treadmill Training and Box Feeding, as well as Crate and Potty Training articles are available on my site below- which is open to the public and free of charge.❤️🐺❤️
https://www.facebook.com/AllBasicsDogTrainingKimChappell/