Welcome back to Talking Tails!
Do you beg for treats? Are you a “couch potato?” We don’t mean to “step on paws” or call anyone out, but these behaviors can lead to weight issues. We need to be especially aware of this with the upcoming holiday season!
Approximately, 53% of dogs are overweight. We are going to address the remainder of this blog post to your humans because they can be partially responsible for you being overweight.
Humans often overindulge us with treats, associating love with food. However, dogs are partially to blame because they often beg for treats…We do! We know dogs who beg for their own food, not liking to have their food bowl ever empty. Some dogs can be over the top with their whining and begging, so who can blame the poor human for giving in to them?
If you find you are dealing with an overweight dog, there are a variety of actions you can take. First, be strong and don’t give in to a begging dog. If you do, our begging behavior is reinforced. If you like giving treats to your dog, determine how many are appropriate for a day and stop when that many have been distributed. Exercise is also important for your dog. Walking your dog is also good for you! If you don’t have the time, you can hire a dog walker or use a doggie day care for a few days a week.
Be patient with the process…it may take several months to see significant improvement. A healthy dog is a happy dog!!
Talk to you soon!
Buster and Joey
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