How to Get an Overweight Dog in Shape

Nearly 70% of all dogs in America are overweight and almost 45% are obese (meaning dangerously overweight). Being overweight for a dog is a very bad thing. It puts more pressure on joints (which results in early arthritis and joint problems). It reduces both the quality of life and the length of a dog's life. And it costs you more in dog food plus means you have to pick up more dog poop.

Here is how to get an overweight dog in shape...

Difficulty: Moderately Challenging

Instructions

1. Find Your Dog's Appropriate Weight. You can consult breed standards, check with your vet or do a series of fat checks of your own. One test is to run your hands over your dog's ribs. If they feel like the back of your hand (ie: no obvious rib unless you push) than your dog is too fat. Another informal check is a pinch-test. Take your thumb and finger and pinch your dog's skin just above the shoulder deep into the skin. If your fingers are more than 1/2 inch apart than your dog is overweight. A third test is visual. Examine your dog's tuck-in (the space between the ribs and hindquarters). Is it level or does it "tuck in"? All dog breeds should have some degree of tuck-in (and some breeds like greyhounds and rat terriers have an extreme tuck-in).
   
   Be warned: studies show that 71% of the time a vet will assess a dog as overweight but only 16% of the time the owners of that same dog will thing their dog is heavy. Your predisposition is to assume your dog is fine and given the statistics, you're almost certainly wrong. Most people will look at a dog that is in decent shape and tell you to feed it more--because they assume if you can see any ribs the dog is emaciated and they're used to seeing overweight dogs as the norm.

2. Diet. So much to say about food--and so little space! Assuming your dog is not already on a BARF (or food you fix yourself for you dog) here are some tips for you:
   --Do NOT go on a low-fat diet. Dogs aren't humans. They process food differently than we do. A diet heavy in complex carbohydrates (like fruits, veggies and grains) which is good for humans produces a fat and lethargic dog. Fat (in the right forms) is actually very good for a dog. Low-fat foods tend to have more grain (especially corn and wheat) in them and those actually produce a less energetic dog and more weight. The only dogs which a low-fat diet make sense for are those that are aging with renal or joint problems.
   --No human food. Besides the fact that stuff that humans eat (like grapes, onions, chocolate, some sugar substitutes that are in ketchup) are toxic for dogs, much of it has corn syrup or wheat in it--and those are fattening foods (as well as allergens) for dogs.
   --Get on a high quality food. The irony about high quality foods is that while they cost more, your dog eats less (because more of the ingredients are converted to energy). Go to www.dogfoodanalysis.com to get details and pick out only a 5 or 6 star-rated food.
   --Switch from wet to dry food. If your dog is on canned food right now, that makes portion control much harder (because most of the wet food is moisture). Besides, dry food is better for a dog's teeth and reduces tartar.
   --Practice absolute portion control. Find out what your dog SHOULD weigh (not what she actually weighs). Then set that portion based on the quality food you've now switched to. You'll certainly give your dog treats--well, those come out of the portion of food. My dog is supposed to get a cup of food a day. I serve him 1/2 cup of food in the morning and set the other 1/2 cup aside. When we go on walks, I take some kibble with me and toss it to him for good behavior (such as a loose leash, heeling, focusing on me). When we work on tricks during the day, he earns more kibble. If I substitute in a higher level of treat, I take out some kibble from his set-aside bowl and put it back in the bag. No leftovers. No food from the dinner table. And if you have multiple dogs, then practice obedience. Feed the most self-controlled dog first (while the others hold a sit-stay) and call/feed in turn. Do NOT leave a dish down with food in it (as the overweight dog will scavenge food)

3. Get Active. Unless you've got an aging dog or one with joint problems, for the vast majority of breeds, a 20 minute walk and some free time in the yard doesn't count as exercise. Don't get radical right away (by jogging 2 miles a day with your obese dog). Take more frequent walks. Play catch. Start modest jogging. Set playdates with other dogs (where they can frolic and chase each other). Work on building core muscles (doing tricks with your dog, teaching your dog to crawl or beg on his hind legs are superb ways of building core muscles). Eventually you might have a jogging partner or hiking partner or a dog to do canine sports (like agility or flyball) with.

Tips & Warnings

• People think they're spoiling they're dog or being nice to their pet with extra food. Nothing could be further from the truth. Dogs are hard-wired to scavenge. And they'll eat crap or from a cat's litter box--so more food isn't spoiling a dog. What makes a dog happy is having a job and making the master happy. The best way to spoil your dog is to give her a job and give her a chance to do things (tricks, obedience, specific behavior) that wins a "good girl--well done!" from you. A dog with a job that wins approval is a very happy, content dog.
• I'm not saying to not give treats. But regardless of the size of your dog, the size of the treats shouldn't be big. Most food treats should be the size of a pea. Jerky strips--cut them so they're about an 1.5 inches long.

[designingwoman]

on 3/28/2009 Very helpful information. This tracks exactly with what I've researched online and also what my vet told me.