Food does not equal love. Most dogs are over fed – treats, rewards and meals – and under-exercised. All that food makes for expensive poo and a fat, unhealthy, unfit dog. And dogs aren’t built to say “oh, no thank you; I’m as full as an egg” so it will always seem they “want” more. Dogs, like most animals, are built to gorge themselves – they don’t know where the next meal is coming from – then starve, then hunt, gorge and starve.
As a good measure, you should be able to identify a couple of your dog’s ribs and rib cage. If you look at your dog from above, they should be curved in before the hips – more hour-glass than air balloon!
Here are some tips to keep your dog fit, healthy and in perfect shape:
- Adjust food volume and calories – if you normally give three cups of food, give two, and adjust feed as necessary.
- Increase the exercise – create more opportunity to run around, like by playing retrieval games, or go on longer walks.
- Only give food treats if you’re teaching a new skill and need to provide a “jackpot” reward. If you’re always handing out the treats, they’re not really treats!
- Ignore the begging! Don’t respond to the soppy eyes and annoying behaviour. Walk away, make yourself a cuppa – but don’t cave!