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15 Tips to Help Your Overweight Dog Lose Weight
A little bit of extra weight on your dog can be detrimental to his health. Here are 15 tips to help your overweight dog lose weight.
1. Measure your dog's food. It sounds simple but most of us just fill up the bowl. Instead use a measuring cup. If after two weeks your dog hasn’t lost any weight decrease the serving amount by 25%. In other words if the dog usually gets 1 cup then serve 3/4 of a cup.
2. Treats count. Those big sad eyes just beg you to reach into the treat jar. If you do. Remember to decrease the amount at dinner by the same amount. Break larger treats into smaller portions. Another option is to give the dog’s regular kibble as a treat.
3. Some dogs need to have their bellies full or they think they haven't been fed. Add no-salt, canned green beans to their meal to make them think they've been fed more.
4. Change over to clicker training from treat training. Dogs need to know when they've done a good job. Using food as reward works well, but can add up to too much extra food. When teaching new commands use a clicker at the same time you offer the food reward. Eventually only offer the clicker to let your dog know he's done a good job.
5. If your dog eats too fast and you tend to give him more food because he doesn't seem satisfied, a slow feeder dog bowl might be a solution…and you can find out more in our slow feeder dog bowl review. They have a unique shape and force your dog to eat slower and enjoy his food. Eating too fast actually can pose a lot of dangers for your dog, so a bowl like this could help him keep safe.
6. Celery is low calorie, has lots of vitamins and minerals, and is crunchy for your dog to chew. Raw cucumbers, string beans and snow peas are other snack options. Go easy on carrots, they contain more sugar than these other veggies. While apples, pears, and oranges are fine for dogs, they are higher calorie. Go slowly introducing fresh veggies to avoid tummy problems.
7. Ignore the directions on the dog food package label as to how much you should feed your dog based on their weight. The portions are more than generous. Remember pet food manufactures want to sell lots of food, so their suggestions may be more food than your dog needs.
8. Don't overcompensate by giving your dog more food, if you've bought “fat dog” calorie-restricted dog food. That defeats the purpose of buying the weight loss food.
9. If your dog balks at eating the calorie-restricted dog food, warm up a little no or low-sodium broth and pour it over the food.
10. Don't feed your dog from the table or allow other family members to do so. It teaches the dog to beg and you don't have control over how much others may be feeding Fido.
11. Add a walk or romp in the park. More exercise means more calories burned and that means weight loss. As your dog gains muscles from the extra exercise, he'll burn more fat. The walk is good exercise for you as well and gives you some extra quality time.
12. Cut out all people food. We add unnecessary salt, sugar, and fat to our food because we like the way it tastes. Dogs don't need that added salt, fat, and sugar.
13. If you have more than one dog, watch them while they're eating. One little piggy pup gulps down his dinner and then goes over to his “sister” pit bull, nudges her out of the way to finish her dinner.
14. Mash a banana with low-fat, no sugar added, plain yogurt. Freeze in ice cube trays for a healthy snack that takes your dog a while to eat.
15. Instead of giving your dog a treat, give him some of your time. Play a quick game. Give a tummy rub or just tell him he's good.
Our dogs rely on us for proper nutrition and health. Follow these tips to help your overweight dog lose weight.
