# So many fat dogs



## Chris McDonald (May 29, 2008)

What do you consider minimal exercise for dogs? I put in another post pictures of my two dogs running alongside my truck (a Dutch and a Greyhound). The road is about a ½ mile long and my dogs will run back and forth several times. If the weather is cool they can easily keep up a fast run for 10 or 12 trips. Totaling 5 or 6 miles then I let them just do what they want for a while to cool down. If I have time they have done triple sessions in one day for a few days in a row. And even after this the Dutch can still drive the family crazy at night. 
At the end of this road are usually a few people bringing their dogs out to exercise, the levels go from just letting their dog walk around at its own will to someone throwing a ball for 15 minutes to a ½ hour. Lots of really fat labs and owners! I have seen on TV labs that have retrieved over 200 ducks for 4 hunters in one day. The dog did not stop running for 10 hours. Two weeks ago a friend called me to help him track a deer he kind of got the night before. I took my Dutch and we searched for 5 hours. The terrain was thick brush and trails. I will guess I averaged a slow walk of 2 or 3 miles an hour. I will guess my dog who was running everywhere averaged about 10 miles an hour for 5 hours for a total of 50 miles. He was actually tired that night but ready to go the next day. 
I would think two of the most active activities for dogs are actually being a real herding dog or a sled dog. I don’t know anything about actual herding. How much and for how long do or did these dogs actualy work?
This whole question comes from people I meet who say there hunting/ herding breed dog is a pain in the ass. But I think they got the wrong dog to sit on the couch all day. The only ones who don’t complain are the ones with dogs so fat they can’t move. These dogs are typically owned by people with “treats” in their pocket…. And no thank you my dogs don’t get “treats” ! Please don’t give them any, usually doesn’t work. These people all treat their dog like a kid why do they insist on killing them with food? And like many here we have been told “your dogs are so skinny” by the fat lady with a coke in her hand. 
I’m done venting…


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## Ashley Hiebing (Apr 6, 2008)

I work at a big chain pet store so I CONSTANTLY see fat dogs. I have a nice long shift today, maybe I'll actually do a count. Mostly it's labs, but I've also seen lots of fat Rottweilers, pugs, shepherd mixes.... tons of fat Dachshunds and Corgis, too (I think people like that "tube dog" look!) I even got to witness an overweight Greyhound yesterday, that was a new one! We have a fat St. Bernard that comes in sometimes and it's absolutely heart-breaking to see him hobbling around with both hip dysplasia (not even that old, either!) and all that extra weight stressing his joints.

And the thing is, not all of their owners look like lazy slobs, either! In fact, many of them look like they're in pretty good shape! Why can't they exercise with their dogs? I'm guessing because they're all gym moms who have never walked any distance that wasn't on a treadmill.

Tons of them are even well aware how fat their dog is... but oh, he just loves food and we can't deny him when he begs and gives us those eyes. He must be starving, right?! #-o

Fat dogs and people bringing in their BYB/puppy mill puppies (some as young as 5 weeks... can you imagine all the diseases we have in that store?) are the two big things that make my job difficult at times.


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## Lee H Sternberg (Jan 27, 2008)

My 2 Duthchies are young, particularly the 8 month old. I keep it limited. They play almost nonstop in the yard all day long. That helps a lot.

I play frisbee with them on a grass surface 2 times daily until they wear out. It takes about about 20 minutes of steady throwing.

In the summer they swim (really good exercise for younger dogs).

The approaching winter will be a exercise challenge until the snow gets deep enough so I feel comfortable again to play frisbee. I don't do any racing around stuff on hard icy surfaces. I let their nails grow out longer in the winter for better traction. It's kinda like studded tires.

I can't wait until they are old enough to really put through the paces they are capable of doing. The male is almost there.


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## Gillian Schuler (Apr 12, 2008)

I asked my breeder if 45 minutes exercise walking (fast) plus training, i.e. schutzdienst training is schutzdienst training and not possible to simulate, maybe a bit by football for reactions. Hide training, jumping, etc. rounds up the exercising. Tracking is strenuous, especially when it goes over 1 mile and over.

He said, more than enough.

I used to bike through the woods with my Briard and walk at the weekends about 2 hours a day. This was for me not the dog:-# but the dog enjoyed it nevertheless. We sneaked out at 6 am and and left the Fila Brasileiro and it's handler in snoring bliss.

More "Kopfarbeit", (brainwork) less physical training is maybe good. The poor canines can't tell us when they've had enough.


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## Chris McDonald (May 29, 2008)

Gillian Schuler said:


> I asked my breeder if 45 minutes exercise walking (fast) plus training, i.e. schutzdienst training is schutzdienst training and not possible to simulate, maybe a bit by football for reactions. Hide training, jumping, etc. rounds up the exercising. Tracking is strenuous, especially when it goes over 1 mile and over.
> 
> He said, more than enough.
> 
> ...


Yes I would think that is a good day of exercise. I think a dog running along a bike or horse for an hour or two is about as good as it gets. If you are going a slow 10 miles an hour on a bike the dog is still covering 20 miles in two hours. You got to through a lot of balls to cover that. Along with tracking etc. that should do a dog in. This may be a stupid question but are there many dogs out there herding for real every day? That’s got to be a calorie burning life and there also thinking. How many hours are they working for? I just a few articles in a magazine called “Garden and Gun” that were about fox hunting. Those hounds run down foxes at full speed with horses in chase for what I think may be a few hours, only to do it again later the same day. I find it hard to believe this kind of activity to be negative? At least for the particular breed. I guess it’s got a lot to do with the breed. When I take my dogs running the jump out and go, some days are totally different than others. On a cool day I think they want to go for ever, on some warm days they give me the big FU after a lap or two and just look at me. Anybody ever harness their dogs to a scooter? That also seems like a good exercise, for the dogs at least. Does anyone think tossing a ball for 20 minutes a few times a week is enough for a physical exercise for a working/ hunting dog breed? Or is it a joke?


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## Chris McDonald (May 29, 2008)

Ashley Hiebing said:


> I work at a big chain pet store so I CONSTANTLY see fat dogs. I have a nice long shift today, maybe I'll actually do a count. Mostly it's labs, but I've also seen lots of fat Rottweilers, pugs, shepherd mixes.... tons of fat Dachshunds and Corgis, too (I think people like that "tube dog" look!) I even got to witness an overweight Greyhound yesterday, that was a new one! We have a fat St. Bernard that comes in sometimes and it's absolutely heart-breaking to see him hobbling around with both hip dysplasia (not even that old, either!) and all that extra weight stressing his joints.
> 
> And the thing is, not all of their owners look like lazy slobs, either! In fact, many of them look like they're in pretty good shape! Why can't they exercise with their dogs? I'm guessing because they're all gym moms who have never walked any distance that wasn't on a treadmill.
> 
> ...


I like when you guys hand out free treats at the counter for the fat boys!


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## Michelle Reusser (Mar 29, 2008)

I road run my dogs too Chris on most days. At one point my old dogs (1 dead) would run about 6 miles a day behind my car, now Bax at age 8 is only good for a couple miles at a time but will gladly go out 2 or more times a day if I have the time to take her. My 2 year old isn't one for speed running or the pounding pavement considering he is close to 100lbs. I take him out for ball play a few times a day until he is foaming at the mouth and wants to drop, while out we also do some OB to work his little noggin. 

My boyfriends dog is a (morbidly obese) female black lab. She has been here just short of a month now, on a diet and now running a mile plus with my dogs once a day. When she first got here she couldn't make it around the park 4 times at a human walk speed. She is still fat but in much better shape already. I find it facinating how quickly dogs can shape up. My boyfriends mother couldn't graps how to keep her out of the other dogs food dishes. She wasn't lsitening that all of the dogs are over fed if they are not imediatly eatting their food and leaving it sit in the bowl.

I have never lived or even in real life seen a dog this fat and lazy. She lived on a ranch but inside the house unless on potty break. Pisses me off to no words, my dogs would be so happy and so in shape, if we lived on a ranch of 300 acres. Even worse my boyfriend didn't even think his dog was that fat, mine are just anorexic. I'm sorry but when a dog lays in 1 spot for 5 hours durring the day and looks like a fat sow, I swear she has utters hanging, it's nasty. I introduce her as our hog not dog. Not only is she fat but her teeth or horribly caked with dog food, getting slowly better with raw, which she reffused to eat until she was starved out for about a week.


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## Chris McDonald (May 29, 2008)

Lee H Sternberg said:


> My 2 Duthchies are young, particularly the 8 month old. I keep it limited. They play almost nonstop in the yard all day long. That helps a lot.
> 
> I play frisbee with them on a grass surface 2 times daily until they wear out. It takes about about 20 minutes of steady throwing.
> 
> ...


My yard isn’t really not that big, when they rip it up in the yard the lawn is full of divots because they need to turn so often. Swimming is great stuff, and I agree with the longer nail thing. It also helps for climbing; the last time my dogs nails were cut was about a year ago when my wife took them to the vet, and there really not that long at all. I ask the vet to not cut them, he’s ok with it.


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## Chris Michalek (Feb 13, 2008)

Chris McDonald said:


> Does anyone think tossing a ball for 20 minutes a few times a week is enough for a physical exercise for a working/ hunting dog breed? Or is it a joke?


I toss a ball for about 20 minutes at least once a day and some nights twice. I do this with my three rotties and having all three go for the ball creates more intensity with the competition. I have a 30" jute tug and usually end the session with tug o war. Sometimes its me vs all three dogs or the two females during the male or me vs my male while I put the other two in a long down. The tug game makes them burn a lot of energy. My male also gets worked 3-4 days per week and it's obvious how much better in shape he appears.

I have a small yard too and if I'm sick or in the case when I had a broken foot earlier in the year, I did well using a flirt pole in the back yards a couple times a day


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## Chris McDonald (May 29, 2008)

Not only is she fat but her teeth or horribly caked with dog food, 

Thats great!


My dogs did at least 8 miles along my truck this morning then some obedience. My Greyhound is out cold and my Dutch is staring at me board! Then walks around tries to wake up the Greyhound to play, gets snapped at by the Greyhound (he is a real bitch when he wants to sleep) then comes and stairs at me again. This dogs got to get a real job, he is currently a working dog on welfare


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## Chris Michalek (Feb 13, 2008)

You can give your dog a job by putting out a bucket of birdseed and teach your dog to keep the birds away. I did that last year when I planted grass and didn't want the birds to eat the seeds. The dogs did a great job and seemed to love it.



Chris McDonald said:


> Not only is she fat but her teeth or horribly caked with dog food,
> 
> Thats great!
> 
> ...


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## Anna Kasho (Jan 16, 2008)

Chris Michalek said:


> You can give your dog a job by putting out a bucket of birdseed and teach your dog to keep the birds away. I did that last year when I planted grass and didn't want the birds to eat the seeds. The dogs did a great job and seemed to love it.


I didn't train this, but Candy actually catches and eats the birds... And if I'm not looking she munches some birdseed, afterwards...:?


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## Anna Kasho (Jan 16, 2008)

Does anyone else's dog hold his breath while running? When I throw the ball for Cyko, he doesn't breathe while he sprints for it. If he's competing with my other dogs, he holds his breath on the sprint back to me, too. I have taken lots of videos and gone over them slowly, to see this... As a result, he wears out and overheats faster. I make him stop and rest, or do OB, or hide/throw something and send him to search. He seems to cool faster when he is running and panting, vs. sitting still..

The best way to tire him is to do something intensely mental (learning new commands or behaviors), something that teaches self-control (controlled climbing down the ladder does the trick, lately) or something intensely physical, like throwing a crazy-random bouncing nubby ball, that makes him go slower with twists and turns to catch it. After 20-30 minutes of that, he will be calm for the rest of the day.

At a jog/trot/run, he will keep going and going. I have biked with him for an hour, brought him to the park, and he was full of energy as always - pushing me to play bitework, or throw a ball, or anything else fun. I like this dog.


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## Lee H Sternberg (Jan 27, 2008)

Anna Kasho said:


> Does anyone else's dog hold his breath while running? When I throw the ball for Cyko, he doesn't breathe while he sprints for it. If he's competing with my other dogs, he holds his breath on the sprint back to me, too. I have taken lots of videos and gone over them slowly, to see this... As a result, he wears out and overheats faster. I make him stop and rest, or do OB, or hide/throw something and send him to search. He seems to cool faster when he is running and panting, vs. sitting still..
> 
> The best way to tire him is to do something intensely mental (learning new commands or behaviors), something that teaches self-control (controlled climbing down the ladder does the trick, lately) or something intensely physical, like throwing a crazy-random bouncing nubby ball, that makes him go slower with twists and turns to catch it. After 20-30 minutes of that, he will be calm for the rest of the day.
> 
> At a jog/trot/run, he will keep going and going. I have biked with him for an hour, brought him to the park, and he was full of energy as always - pushing me to play bitework, or throw a ball, or anything else fun. I like this dog.


My dog hardly ever breathes when he is underwater!


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## Gerry Grimwood (Apr 2, 2007)

Whenever I see someone with their ass glued to the drivers seat and the dog running alongside the vehicle, I get this urge to stop them, pull them out of the vehicle,take the cigarette from their mouth and slap them in the head till they pee their pants.

Road running..[-X if you can't at least bike or run with your dogs I am ashamed of you, suddenly that fat lady with the coke seems strangely familiar  EH ??


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## Chris McDonald (May 29, 2008)

Gerry Grimwood said:


> Whenever I see someone with their ass glued to the drivers seat and the dog running alongside the vehicle, I get this urge to stop them, pull them out of the vehicle,take the cigarette from their mouth and slap them in the head till they pee their pants.
> 
> Road running..[-X if you can't at least bike or run with your dogs I am ashamed of you, suddenly that fat lady with the coke seems strangely familiar  EH ??


Gerry I hate to admit it, if I want to run the dogs my ass is glued to the driver’s seat. Jogging and pedaling for a long distance doesn’t do me well, spinal fusion and a few other back issues cause me to have to exercise like the people I used to laugh at in the gym. All this low impact stuff. But, I don’t smoke and only drink coke with rum. Besides even in my best days I sure couldn’t keep up with a Greyhound doing 40 to stretch his legs. Maybe I got to get one of those hotdogs, I think I could run with one of them. I might be the fat lady with the coke someday, but then I’ll just blame it on a slow metabolism or thyroid issue


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## Michelle Reusser (Mar 29, 2008)

For me it's a time issue, you can only run one dog at a time safely on a bike and I'm usually running 3 or more dogs at once by car. I'm stuck with kids 12 hrs a day doing daycare and I can load all my kids up and throw the dogs in the back and they all get a kick out of it. I like to work my times in after dropping kids off at school or picking them up.

We are already to that time of year when it's dark before I'm done working. Besides I don't own a bike anymore and would feel pretty silly on my daughters, knees up in my chin and all. I power walk on the weekends and long summer nights with my dogs but that just doesn't push them as hard as they need or seem to want. They really love hauling balls to the wall at 30mph. Sorry I just can't keep up with that.

Besides who cares what method people use as long as they keep their dogs healthy?


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## Chris McDonald (May 29, 2008)

Hey, Michelle were good at these excuses already, that Gerry guy had to call us out, dam him


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## Gerry Grimwood (Apr 2, 2007)

Chris McDonald said:


> Hey, Michelle were good at these excuses already, that Gerry guy had to call us out, dam him


You'll get the last laugh I'm sure, at 53 my knees sometimes crackle like cedar burning when running and the shin splints are just exquisite :lol: 

When I can't run or bike anymore, I'll probably drink alot of rum n coke.


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## Chris McDonald (May 29, 2008)

Gerry Grimwood said:


> You'll get the last laugh I'm sure, at 53 my knees sometimes crackle like cedar burning when running and the shin splints are just exquisite :lol:
> 
> When I can't run or bike anymore, I'll probably drink alot of rum n coke.


Your doing better than me ill be 38 in a few days, 
I was hoping things went numb by 50


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## Ashley Hiebing (Apr 6, 2008)

Chris McDonald said:


> I like when you guys hand out free treats at the counter for the fat boys!


Not me, I wouldn't give those treats to anything! Yuck!


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## Chris McDonald (May 29, 2008)

*From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia*


Jump to: navigation, search
 
Aliy Zirkle's dog team on Anchorage's Fourth Avenue at the start of the 2003 Iditarod.


The *Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race*, usually just called the "*Iditarod*", is an annual sled dog race in Alaska, where mushers and teams of typically 16 dogs cover 1,161 miles (1868 km) in eight to fifteen days from Willow to Nome. The Iditarod began in 1973 as an event to test the best sled dog mushers and teams, evolving into the highly competitive race it is today. The current fastest winning time record was set in 2002 by Martin Buser with a time of 8 days, 22 hours, 46 minutes, and 2 seconds.[1]
Frequently teams race through blizzards causing whiteout conditions, and sub-zero weather and gale-force winds which can cause the wind chill to reach −100 °F (−75 °C).


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## Kristen Cabe (Mar 27, 2006)

I really hate the time change in the fall (except for getting back that hour that was lost in the spring), because it's dark within 30 minutes of getting home from work. By the time I change clothes and get them in the car, there's only about 15 minutes of daylight left. In order to adequately exercise my dogs, I HAVE to load them up and take them somewhere, because I really can't do a lot with them at the house, other than playing two-ball. I need to get a male so I can let them run and play with each other for a little while each day. It sucks having a house full of bitches that can't play nice together! :lol:

None of my dogs are overweight, though, and never have been. I've always been told I need to feed my dogs, even when I only had Gypsy. She was at a perfect weight for her size and body type, and people were all the time asking me if I'd had her long and if she'd been neglected or something before I got her because she was 'so skinny.' 

I used to try and explain to people how to tell if a dog was the right weight, but now I just ignore comments like that. 




My in-laws have a chocolate lab that I gave to them just over a year ago. She's about a year and a half old now. Her ideal weight would be between 50-55 pounds. Six months ago, she was 67 pounds. She was a foot across, if you were to measure the width of her back. The vet told them she needed to drop some weight, and she is down to 60 pounds now, but she is still too big. If you look at her from the side, she looks fine, because she has this insanely deep barrel chest, but from the top, you can clearly tell she is overweight, though there is a _hint_ of a waist there now. Every time we are over there, I hint that she is a little on the portly side, but they just don't see it. They DO exercise her every day, so that helps a little, and I've suggested that they cut back on the amount they are feeding her (3 cups a day plus table scraps), but, being a Lab, she is always begging and acting as if she is starving to death, so that doesn't last long. When I gave her to them, I told them a little bit about dog foods, and why they should keep her on what I had her on instead of buying store brands or whatever was on sale, ect. They did that for a few months, but that's gone out the window as well. I noticed last night that she is eating - brace yourself - Retriever brand dog food from Tractor Supply.


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## Michelle Reusser (Mar 29, 2008)

What's with Labs and that eternal starving thing? Are they missing the chemical that tells their brain they are full?


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## Kristen Cabe (Mar 27, 2006)

I think they're missing several things in their brains. :-\" :lol: J/K


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## Greg Leavitt (Aug 31, 2006)

Michelle Kehoe said:


> What's with Labs and that eternal starving thing? Are they missing the chemical that tells their brain they are full?



Labs have that in common with goldfish, i think. lol


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## Gary Garner (Jun 30, 2007)

A lean dog, of any breed, is a much happier and healthier dog. It's just plain cruel to allow a dog to become unfit for it's health, let along purpose.

Walking is a very good exercise that is often left out. I'm as guilty as anyone else, of perhaps throwing a ball for half hour instead of taking the dog for a long walk.

On a long walk it's surprising how far your dog actually walks/runs. Especially, if like Xena, she's running ahead, stopping, looking back at me. Running back to me, rounding me up and then running on ahead again.

Another exercise I like to have her do is hill running (uphill). I throw her ball on rope up a grass hill near my home and it's a great way of not only keeping her fit, but improving the muscle tone in the rear quarters.


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## Amy Swaby (Jul 16, 2008)

Worst I have seen in person is a pug so fat you KNEW he didn't move as his TOENAILS had started curling over. There was also a corgi so fat it's belly almost touched the ground, she had a younger corgi with her tooo and it made me sad thinking it was going to get like the other. I see fat dogs all the time, Usually accompanied by owners saying my dogs are too skinny.

Worst I've ever seen is the rottweiler Beau from the show Fat Pets ](*,)the owner was utterly insane. it was a female rottweiler in the 200 lb range or something. (14 stone it says)








Yes that is a real photo of the actual dog

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fftuJITo6cE

Most of these below are real and it very very sad:
http://static.iftk.com.br/mt/2008/05/incredible_fat_pets_18_pics.html


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## Chris Michalek (Feb 13, 2008)

Holy shit that pic makes me sic


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## Howard Gaines III (Dec 26, 2007)

You can beat fat dogs are a product of fat people. If I'm eating snacks, Fluffy needs them too. Ever wonder why Americans have big rears and guts? Look to the "all you can eat" lines and see the rounded plates and the half a pie placed on their lap. Now Fluffy can enjoy the disorder too! :-\"


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## susan tuck (Mar 28, 2006)

That picture of that rottie is gross. My brother in law has a 4 year old weimariner bitch (spayed) that is almost, but not quite that fat. Her back is like a table and her eyes are popping too. She stands 26 inches at the withers and weighs 130lbs. My GSD in my avitar is almost 28 inches and weighs about 85lbs. 

They say they feed her all the time because otherwise she stands there and barks at them. This is what happens when the dog's IQ is higher than the collective IQs of the owners.


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## Howard Gaines III (Dec 26, 2007)

Chris this dog isn't fat. It just has *big bones*...Rotties have them you know!!!!:twisted: 
And the look on its face says, "Gas pressure..."
One Macey's Parade K-9 Float...coming up!


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## Howard Gaines III (Dec 26, 2007)

susan tuck said:


> That picture of that rottie is gross. My brother in law has a 4 year old weimariner bitch (spayed) that is almost, but not quite that fat. Her back is like a table and her eyes are popping too. She stands 26 inches at the withers and weighs 130lbs. My GSD in my avitar is almost 28 inches and weighs about 85lbs.
> 
> They say they feed her all the time because otherwise she stands there and barks at them. This is what happens when the dog's IQ is higher than the collective IQs of the owners.



Funny stuff Susan. :twisted:


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## Chris Michalek (Feb 13, 2008)

Howard Gaines III said:


> Chris this dog isn't fat. It just has *big bones*...Rotties have them you know!!!!:twisted:
> And the look on its face says, "Gas pressure..."
> One Macey's Parade K-9 Float...coming up!


You're right howard, it was just gas. I found another pic after the owner fed it some beano.


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## Amy Swaby (Jul 16, 2008)

If you watch the youtube video you can see how nuts the woman is. She goes to the butcher and buys a crapload of meat for the bitch, and she screams at people who say her dog is fat, disgusting etc. I don't know if they included it but at one point when a groomer tells her the dogs weight is appaling she tells the woman a VET said there's nothing wrong with the dog.

If this is true i would like to introduce that vet to a spork to the abdomen


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## Melissa Hoyer (Aug 28, 2006)

Howard Gaines III said:


> You can beat fat dogs are a product of fat people. "



Hey now, I'm a kinda fat person and my dogs aren't fat at all lol.  Though they don't get as much exercise as some mentioned in this thread...we do bike in the summer, but can't do much of that with the snow.


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## Maren Bell Jones (Jun 7, 2006)

Amy Swaby said:


> If you watch the youtube video you can see how nuts the woman is. She goes to the butcher and buys a crapload of meat for the bitch, and she screams at people who say her dog is fat, disgusting etc. I don't know if they included it but at one point when a groomer tells her the dogs weight is appaling she tells the woman a VET said there's nothing wrong with the dog.
> 
> If this is true i would like to introduce that vet to a spork to the abdomen


Actually, if I recall, she said her dog is healthy because it regularly goes to the vet, not that the vet said there was nothing wrong. A vet would be committing malpractice to suggest there was nothing wrong with that dog. Although it's kinda funny...there are vets who don't want to offend clients because they'll take it personally, get huffy, and leave, :roll: but there's many clients who turn around what their vets (or physicians or dentists or whatever) actually say and sometimes say that their *fill in the blank here* said x, y, and z that was almost the complete opposite of what was actually discussed. Happens all the time. ](*,) IMO this is why it's really important to give the client written instructions and a written summary of what was discussed during the exam.


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## Amy Swaby (Jul 16, 2008)

I by the BMI scale am obese, non of my dogs are fat. Also I have never seen a fat owner with a fat dog other than on tv. I know athletes who have overweight dogs So no i wouldn't agree with that blanket statement. all the fat dogs I have ever seen belong to average to fit individuals. I think people simply don't understand their dog is fat. Again many people tell me my dogs are to thin and you can just BARELY feel ribs when you press.


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## Howard Gaines III (Dec 26, 2007)

Melissa Hoyer said:


> Hey now, I'm a kinda fat person and my dogs aren't fat at all lol.  Though they don't get as much exercise as some mentioned in this thread...we do bike in the summer, but can't do much of that with the snow.


Okay Melissa, I'm not here to attack the thick in a thong or anyone else, yet...and it's not gang Gaines day...but most of the overweight people I see also have fluffy animals. Instead of push ups, I do push aways. Stay away from the table and work twice as hard to get into my Skinny jeans, size 26 waist and use a crowbar!  \\/ 8-[ 
And if you buy that line...I have some PRIME waterfront property with big buck futures for ya...


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## Gillian Schuler (Apr 12, 2008)

I thought with a name like that you'd be rather plump - Howard Gaines 3 pounds a day sortathing but then I saw your photos\\/ \\/ \\/


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## leslie cassian (Jun 3, 2007)

Plump here, too, but my dogs are not fat. No problem with portion control for them, wish it was as easy for me to control my own intake.

As far as vets... I agree with Maren, lots of them are reluctant to tell clients that their pets are fat because the clients get really upset. It was like pulling teeth to get my vet to tell me my dog should lose weight - I had to ask directly and he was seemed to wince before he said, yes, maybe 5 pounds (off an 80 lb dog), while out in the waiting room was a hugely obese shepX. 

Last time I looked at the body scale chart in the vet's office, showing silhouette views of dogs from emaciated to obese, both my dogs would have rated "thin", while "ideal", the next size up, looked pudgy to me. No wonder people can't tell that their dog is fat...


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## Chris Michalek (Feb 13, 2008)

I'm fat but my dogs are in very good shape... My wife is very skinny, a runner, and her pugs are fat. :-k


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## Kristen Cabe (Mar 27, 2006)

aren't ALL pugs fat? :lol:


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## Connie Sutherland (Mar 27, 2006)

Kristen Cabe said:


> aren't ALL pugs fat? :lol:



No.

I agree that many Pugs are fat, and that they are the original chow hounds (plus low-exercise velcro dogs, for the most part).

I, however, have adopted/rescued Pugs who eventually were/are slim and trim and in excellent shape on raw food and appropriate exercise for a flat-face short-legged dog.

And this is despite their lying. "I haven't eaten in three days and I'm going to collapse if I don't get just a bite to eat."

Except for the amount/duration of exercise, they are not treated differently from the real dogs.


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## Chris Michalek (Feb 13, 2008)

our oldest pug 12yrs doesn't get much exercise. He pretty doesn't much care, sometimes in a spry moment he'll run with the young dogs in the yard but that isn't too often. We try our best to control his weight with food intake

Our other pug 10yrs - runs with the big dogs every morning and she's still fat. I feed her about 3/4 cups of food per day...she's just kinda chubby. She's also the dominant one of all the dogs, its funny to watch her tear after the rotties who are seemingly afraid of her wrath.


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## Anne Vaini (Mar 15, 2007)

leslie cassian said:


> Plump here, too, but my dogs are not fat. No problem with portion control for them, wish it was as easy for me to control my own intake.
> 
> As far as vets... I agree with Maren, lots of them are reluctant to tell clients that their pets are fat because the clients get really upset. It was like pulling teeth to get my vet to tell me my dog should lose weight - I had to ask directly and he was seemed to wince before he said, yes, maybe 5 pounds (off an 80 lb dog), while out in the waiting room was a hugely obese shepX.
> 
> Last time I looked at the body scale chart in the vet's office, showing silhouette views of dogs from emaciated to obese, both my dogs would have rated "thin", while "ideal", the next size up, looked pudgy to me. No wonder people can't tell that their dog is fat...


My dogs are a 3.5-4 on the Purina body scale (5-6 is "ideal"). I've only once had a vet say one was too thin (by 5 - 8 lbs (!) ). It was midway through his high jump / disc season, so the thinner the better! Funny how 2 other vets though a slightly lower weight was "perfect." His healthy weight range was 37-39 for jumping and approx 46 - 48 for being a mostly outdoor kennel dog in winter. He was close to 60 when I adopted him from a shelter.

When I do high jump with a dog, I keep the dog super-thin and document the dog's weight with health exams 3 - 4 times per year. (on and off season weights). 

I haven't gone back to the vet that apparently didn't listen about the dog's activities, diet and physical conditioning, for other reasons too... apparently working with rescue dogs make me have a "disposable" attitude about dogs. 

Most of my grooming and training client's dogs are chubby to seriously fat. And a couple have asked what I think about it... It's hard to say "You're loving your dog to death" without offending.


Anyway - here's the super thin disc dog at 37 lbs.


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## Connie Sutherland (Mar 27, 2006)

Chris Michalek said:


> Our other pug 10yrs - runs with the big dogs every morning and she's still fat.


I would cut down the food by 10%.

Senior even more than younger dogs suffer from extra weight.

The amount of food is not really what to look at; it's the amount _for that dog_. If the healthy dog is chubby, the dog is eating more calories than she is using.


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