Dogs
Part 2 Discover The Facts About Your Overweight Dog
This is the continuation of the article “Part I – Discover The Facts About Your Overweight Dog”. The facts provided in Part II will continue to give you important information about helping your beloved pet maintain the proper weight level for maximum enjoyment of a healthy lifestyle with you.
Before getting to the new facts let’s quickly summarize the facts you learned in Part I.
FACT 1: You, the owner, are primarily responsible for your “best friend” being obese.
Most dog owners do over feed their pet by 20% or more.
FACT 2: Table scrapes are not the right kind of food for your favorite beloved canine.
Most table scrapes contain an inordinate high calorie count, because of large amounts of fat, starches and sugar.
FACT 3: The unburned calories will be absorbed into your pets body and turned into “fat”.
Keeping your dog active will help burn up the additional calories brought on by table scrapes.
It’s now time to take a look at additional facts which will help you keep your K-9 at the proper weight level.
FACT 4: Your local veterinarian should be consulted before putting your dog on a diet.
The local vet will be able to determine if your pet is indeed over weight. Canines in one breed, e.g. Labs, just as humans, have different shaped skeletons. Although the Labrador Retriever breed will have the basic characteristics noted in all Labradors, one may have a heavy boned skeleton while another one wont have the same size bones and density.
This is turn can cause a major difference in the perfect weight of the same size Labs. Whereas one that weighs 90 pounds with large bone density, is a perfect weight and the one with less bone density that weighs 90 lbs. would be considered overweight.
The expert advice of your vet will quickly determine this for you.
FACT 5: Certain breeds of dogs are predisposed to being overweight.
Studies have shown that genetics, which contribute to forming fat in lab rats also, may play the same role in canines. Unfortunately, there are different breeds of K-9s which have a propensity to become overweight because of genes. Just a few of these breeds are, Collies, Bassett Hounds, Shelties, Labrador Retriever, Dachshunds, Cockers and others. Please understand this doesnt mean every dog, in the breeds mentioned, is going to get fat. However, it does mean you should be on guard for the possibility, if your dog is one of these breeds, may be one of the ones affected because of genetic inheritance. Once again a call to your vet will quickly reveal if the breed you own is predisposed to obesity.
FACT 6: Age is a factor in overweight dogs.
A great many dogs began to put on weight starting around the age of two years. This is generally around the age where they begin to mature and become somewhat less active. You will see this tendency to gain weight right on up into the twelve year range. As the dog becomes older this weight gain tends to level off and in fact will decline with proper diet and exercise.
FACT 7: Medications can contribute to obesity in your pet.
Just as in humans, meds mans best friend is on, may well increase their appetite and even cut down on the metabolic rate. Thus the meds may lead to eating a lot more food and depressing the burning off of calories through the natural process of converting it to energy. Again keeping your vet advised as to your pets weight gain, may result in a change of the meds to help decrease the added pounds.
These facts in Part I and Part II are just a sampling of the information you need to know to help your overweight dog. Your local veterinarian will have additional information that will help you keep your dog healthy and give you and Fido many years of companionship together.
ADDENDUM:
Frequently Asked Questions About Overweight Dogs:
1. Will having my dog fixed (neutered/spayed) cause my dog to get fat
No. Having your dog fixed is not the cause of your pooch getting fat. The real cause is that most dog lovers dont realize that their dogs energy requirements will be less and continue to feed them the same amount of food as they did before they had them fixed.
2. What is the easiest way to tell if my dog is overweight
Simply take your hands and run them along the rib cage of your dog. You should be able to count or feel the ribs quite easily. If the ribs feel as if they are padded and cushioned more than likely your pooch is overweight.
Another quick way is to look at your dog from the top, side and underside of the animal. There should be a clear definition of a waist line from the bottom rib to the beginning of the hip bone. If not again your favorite little critter may be headed for or already be obese.
3. Do I have to use a special diet to reduce my dogs weight
Not necessarily. If the dog is not way over its best weight, a decrease in the amount of the right food you provide it will suffice to help the canine lose the extra pounds. However, if the dog is very obese then a special reduction diet may be the best course of action.
Your local vet will be the one to guide you as to which is the right course of action, to ensure your beloved pooch is healthy and happy.
House Training A Puppy
Puppies are cute, and they are a favorite choice when a family is looking to get a new pet. Dogs can quickly become a part of the family, but are not quite as able to care for themselves as other types of pets. Cat use a litter box, and easily learn this in most cases. Sometimes, house training a puppy can be a long process with a lot of little messes to clean up before the puppy learns when and where to go to the bathroom. Make sure you make time for proper dog training so that you do not spend time cleaning up messes for a very long time.
House training a puppy may not be that hard if you have gotten an older puppy. You may find that they are already trained, or they are almost there. It depends on where you get your new dog. Most that come from a shelter are at least partially trained, but that is not always the case. If you have gotten that dog as soon as they are old enough to leave the company of their mother, you may have to do all of the house training on your own. Be sure to ask if they do not let you know where your new pet stands in this area. Be prepared to do it on your own. Best Way To Train A Puppy,
The first step in house training a puppy is to get comfortable with your dog. You will want to be ready to handle what comes out of his or her bottom. You should invest in some gloves if you feel that you are really squeamish in this area. It is possible to clean up mistakes without gloves, but if you worry a lot, gloves can help give you a bit of reassurance that you are not getting waste on your hands. You will also want to have what are called puppy pads, or a good supply of newspaper. The pads are better, but newspaper will work.
You can expect quite a few accidents when you first start house training a puppy. They have no idea what is expected of them right away, so they do not know that they are doing something wrong. Do not use something to hit them when they have gone in the wrong place. This teaches them to fear you, not respect you, and that is not something you want. Find tips for gently reminding them of where they are supposed to go. If you have the time, the best way to do this is to watch them for when they start to go, and then to move them directly to the right area. They learn quickly this way.
There are going to be times when you have trouble house training a puppy. Some just do not get it as quickly as others. When this happens, you want to see what you can find to help you out. There are some great resources and books that you can find online. Most books will be about overall dog training or dog behavior. These books can be very helpful when house training a dog, but are also going to be useful for other behavior problems that you may experience throughout the life of your new pet. Best Way To Train A Puppy,
Discover The Facts About Dog Aggression
You are the master of a beautiful and loving dog. Then one day the animal appears to turn on you and becomes aggressive towards you. You are completely baffled as to why “your best friend” has demonstrated this behavior. By reading on you will discover there are different types of dog aggression and the reasons behind them.
Normally when a dog becomes aggressive or more aggressive than normal, you can generally determine the reason for it. In most cases the canine will have a sense of being threatened, members of its pack (human family) being attacked or possibly in some type of pain. As an example of the pet feeling threatened, you or someone else may have made a covert move, which the dog perceives as being threatening to it’s self or to it’s human family. This covert move could be something as simple as reaching down to move the dog’s food bowl, while the dog is eating. However, when trying to figure out what has triggered this aggression, it may be more complicated than it appears on the surface, therefore requiring someone with more knowledge about dog behavior than you. There is more than one type of aggressive behavior which your pet may demonstrate on different occasions and with varying degrees of aggression. Each of these individual types of aggression can be modified, but again you must remember, you may well need the help of a professional dog trainer to be completely successful in the modification of your canines aggression. Actually, there are 3 types of hostile attitude, which may be interconnected quite closely.
1. Possessive Aggression – The dog is defending what it considers belongs to him. Things such as food, a favorite toy or some innate object. 2. Territorial Aggression – The K-9 is protecting what it perceives to be its territory. This may not be restricted to the interior of the home or the yard. In fact if you walk your animal on a leash it may consider anywhere it has marked with urine as its own territory. 3. Protective Aggression The canine will demonstrate this type of hostile behavior, towards other animals and humans, when it perceives a danger towards itself or the pack. Again remembering that the dog may well consider the family members as part of its pack.
One form of belligerent attitude which catches many pet owners off guard, when it happens, is known as domination aggression. This is when the dog feels that it is the Boss of its empire, including all the family members. In other words it feels that you are subservient to it in the overall pecking order. The behavior may well come forth as you try to move the brute, from your favorite recliner and it decides not to move. When this occurs the dog may snarl, growl, snap or even bite if you permit it to do so.
Each of these aggressive behaviors can be a danger to you and your family. However, with the proper advice by a competent authority, you will soon discover the facts about dog aggression. Learn The Best Way to Train Your Dog