5 everyday practices That help keep Your canine Fit
Last updated on April 18, 2019 By Puppy Leaks 9 comments
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We all know the secret to losing weight, right? eat less & exercise more. but sadly it’s not always quite so simple, but when you break it down into smaller small goals it’s much simpler to manage.
Just like us numerous of our dogs are suffering from obesity. In the U.S. pet obesity has gotten to the point of being an epidemic with 50% of dogs & cats being overweight.
Obesity leads to numerous health concerns, and it can ultimately end up shortening your dogs lifespan. but there are a few easy suggestions that can help keep your canine fit and active. If your canine needs to lose a few pounds here’s 5 practices that will help keep your canine fit.
1. Feed less if Your canine needs to lose Weight
I used to be by the book when it concerned feeding Laika; but somewhere after her 1st birthday she started to get a little plump. turns out just following the recommendations on the back of a food bag can result in overfeeding. because Laika isn’t a working canine she doesn’t need all those extra calories to keep her going all day.
Throughout a dogs life they’ll probably require different amounts of food. Laika certainly needed much more food to keep her going when she was a growing pup, but because she’s turned 1 we’ve decreased her food to a point where her weight is now consistent. overall she eats about 15% less than what a bag of canine food recommends – but it works for her -my non working suburban dog.
One study found that feeding your canine 25% less can result in a longer lifespan, on average it extends a dog’s median lifespan by 1.8 years.
Be careful When reading canine Food Labels
Each canine food has it’s own recommendations on proportion sizes based on your dog’s weight. but there’s a problem with vagueness; some bags say to feed between 1/2 – 1 cup per 20 pounds – and that’s a 50% difference per meal. and if you have a 80 pound canine that’s anywhere from 2 – 4 cups which is quite a large difference in meal size.
Consult your veterinarian if you have any issues about making a change to your dogs diet. They can help you come up with a plan that’s best for your dog.
Feeding a canine 25% less has been connected to a longer lifespan
2. measure Out all of Your Dogs Meals
“His eyes were bigger than his belly.” If you’ve ever heard that before you’re probably familiar with how easy it is for us to take much more than we can handle. It’s easy to over estimate our measuring skills. and as humans something as easy as the color of our plating can influence the amount of food we eat.
Participants who had low contrast between their food and the plates they served themselves on served themselves 22% – or 32 grams ‘ much more pasta than participants with high contrast between their food and the plate they served themselves on. – The color of Your Plates Matter
When it concerns estimating food portions just eye balling it isn’t very accurate. An extra ounce a day might not seem like much, but over a year it comes out to 45 cups. keep track of your dogs diet by measuring all of their meals with a measuring cup or scale.
3. keep yourself motivated For Your daily canine Walk
The daily canine walk is much more than just a way to get some exercise, it’s typically the only chance your canine has each day to go out and explore. It’s such an essential part of our dogs day, yet only 60% of us taking our dogs for a walk each day.
Here’s a few ways I keep myself motivated to walk with my canine everyday:
Remind myself how much implying the walk has for my canine (physically & mentally).
Remember that the physical activity is terrific for the both of us.
Use it as an opportunity to get in some training such as impulse control or loose leash walking.
Make it exciting by exploring new trails.
Invite a pal or family member to join us.
Invest in some very comfortable shoes. (don’t underestimate the value of a good pair of sneakers)
4. engage in Some Interactive play with Your Dog
It would we terrific if we all lived best by the beach or had access to a full agility course for our dogs, but numerous of us don’t so we have to improvise a bit.
But fortunately our dogs aren’t that picky when it concerns play. My canine loves it when I blow bubbles for her, and if it were up to her she’d happily do that for hours. It’s one of the easiest ways to get some exercise in for my dog, and there’s very little effort involved on my part.
And it’s not just bubbles, to keep my canine entertained & active we play a lot of indoor games. We do some nose work, play tug of war, hide the treats and use a variety of interactive treat dispensers and puzzle toys.
Don’t underestimate the significance of play. It reduces stress, creates a strong bond and gives your canine meaningful interaction. and best of all it’s a way to give your canine their daily exercisenull