The fat ones

There are alot of fat dogs out in the world and there is simply no excuse for it. While watching the ugliest dog contest on T.V. a lady arrived with her very distended hairless dog. They all looked about the same in the face, hard to choose. But the fact that their little faces were twisted, their teeth east and west with bulging eyes didnt' make them ugly to me at all. I think the whole contest is awful, I think all dogs are beautiful and this is just another way for all involved to make money.

The fat dog took the cake in this years contest. Did this woman with the with the winning dog try to get her dog this fat? Did she think that it would help in her attempts to win "The ugliest dog" competition? Well shame on her for not caring that her dog was dangerously overweight. When I see a fat dog it makes me sad, fat dogs cannot have the fun that they could have otherwise if they were not fat. Okay, I know I could use to loose several pounds myself but that's me. But my dogs are another story completely.

I have always kept my dogs very lean, they are amazingly healthy other than the bizarre things like spider bites on tails. So what is it in our human nature that sees a fat dog and continues to stuff it? It is that big ole heart thing. Many people feel that feeding their dog treats and goodies or even just plain overfeeding them their food is how we show our love for them.

I've seen shows on tv where the owner simply cannot stop giving her hugely obese dogs more and more food; which is adding to an already scary weight. I am blunt about fat dogs and if one of my clients has a few extra around the middle I am not shy to let the guardians know about it. Many people aren't sure how to tell if their dog is fat. Some people are in denial, some don't know and are shocked when I give them the news.

You should be able to feel your dogs ribs, they should have a nice thin layer of say "neoprene" on them. But anything more is excess. Wolves in the wild do not get fat, wild dogs either. If your dog is fat it is either a health issue or your own fault. After having your dogs health checked and getting a clean bill of health you need to look in a mirror. If you truly love your dog cut back the food and get them out of the house. Exercise is the simplest way to get rid of those extra pounds.

But be careful when you start the exercise program, start out very slow and build as your dogs ability grows. I have seen many young dogs waddle around a park; gazing at the running dogs wishing that could join in. It may not be easy for us to stop reaching for those goodies but we have all the control when it comes to our dogs weight, use it.