Sorry folks, but there is no gentle way to put this. Letting your dog (or any animal) become this fat is the same as abuse. My veterinary has extremely strong views on this subject, having seen all too many examples of the above.
Right off the bat I am going to admit that I am not certain exactly which breed dog no. 2 is. I think it is an American Eskimo dog, but it is so fat and ill-looking that my untrained eyes just have to do their best. My head actually hurts when I think of how these two dogs must have it – wonderfully skinny dalmation and playful AE dog.
Another person with strong views on the matter is Victoria Stilwell. The chapters of her book It’s Me or the Dog: Fat Dog Slim deals in part with the subjects of
- Dogs’ Dinners: good food/bad food; what/how much should puppies and dogs eat? How to make simple dog food yourself; food for puppies/older dogs/particular conditions.
- Fat Dog to Slim Dog: what is overweight? Eating plans for overweight dogs; top tips for sticking to it.
- Problems, Problems: behavioral problems around food and Victoria’s solutions to them including stealing food, constant begging, etc.
- Walkies and Workouts: How exercise is crucial to well-being; how much exercise different breeds need; motivating reluctant exercisers; dealing with problems when exercising such as running off, pulling on lead etc.
Thankfully our Angie has never had this problem. My husband is often tempted to fall for those brown eyes, eager to catch any morsel of food that falls her way. But I am the mean one in our family and try to stop him from falling. She does have beautiful brown eyes and there is nothing quite like the look of a pleading dog. And, you know, that is why people feed and feed and feed their dogs. They just cannot stand to see that look without doing something about it.
While it is abuse to let a dog grow this fat, the people who do the deed do not have bad intentions. They just let their hearts rather than their heads speak. It’s super-easy to do, but it hurts the pet we love so much.
If you are struggling with the temptations of letting your dog have “treats” all the time, take a look at Victoria Stillwell’s home page or buy her books. It will be worth your time. Just take a look at these two wonderfully happy dogs below. Wouldn’t you rather have a dog that exudes the health that these dogs do:
THE BOOK
My parents had a Weimaraner. Before that they had a mixed breed dog. Both were the kind of dogs that would have benefitted from us learning the tricks in Stilwell’s book. They were super-gentle and loving dogs, but not very obedient and we were not very patient with them. Silly us. But we did train them to accept anything from us and they were serious cuddle-dogs. And you know, I think that is the most important message Victoria Stilwell shares with the world. Happy dogs are cuddly dogs. Give them exercise, lots of patience and a firm attitude and your dog will be happy. And there is nothing quite as wonderful as a happy dog – there really isn’t.
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