Mar 20

How to check if your Labrador Retriever is overweight

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Labrador Retrievers are amongst one of the most popular breeds of dogs, known for their soft, loyal and energetic nature that makes them an ideal dog for any family home particularly where children are involved. However they are also well know for their susceptibility for easy weight gain.

If your Labrador is carrying around excess weight this can be detrimental to his or her health, bringing about hip dysplasia, arthritis and many other illnesses if not treated. This being awful for the dog but also for the finances, due to the accumulation in huge vet bills over the years.

If you are concerned that your Labrador Retriever is over weight then the simple techniques listed below will help you decide whether or not you should consider putting your dog on a diet, and if so what the best diet option is.

Feel your dogs ribs: you should not be able to see your dogs ribs as this means your dog is likely to be underweight, however you should be able to feel them with out having to feel around too much.
Look for curvature: When overweight some Labradors will take on the form of a rectangle. The healthy form of a Labrador should be curved and tucked up before the hindquarters.
Your dog should not be out of breath and excessively panting after short walks: Labrador Retrievers are energetic dogs; hence this variable will need to be taken into serious consideration if you are considering buying one. They will need regular exercise to keep them at a healthy weight.
If you need some empirical evidence that your Lab is overweight then the ideal weight for a male dog should be between 27 – 36 kg and between 25 – 32 kg for a female. If you want to quickly work out what the weight of your dog is then use the bathroom scales, work out your weight, pick up the dog and jump on the scales again, look at the total with both of you on the scales and deduct your weight from the total, this will leave you with your dogs weight.

If you are concerned that you’re dog if overweight then it’s time you put it on a diet. Changing the feed you use will be the first thing to consider. If you are uncertain as to where to look for a prescription pet food then Hills dog food is a good place to start as Hills prescription diet is specially formulated for dogs that are overweight.

Tags: Labrador, Overweight Labrador

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Jan 24

Dog Swimming Games – Make it fun

Categories:

Dog Training

by Help Training

Its summer and I can never have enough swimming!!

Dog Swimming Games

Face it dogs love swimming. Its very rare to find a dog that wont enjoy a plunge in your pool, river or the local pond (sometimes to the detriment of the back seat in your car). But owners often forget to include simple training ideas when playing with your dog in the water.

Commands work. Don’t forget to make the occasion one also of training by including commands inside your play. Make sure you dog hears the correct “command word” when he is in the middle of his swim and returns to your side. Utilizing your reward toy and employing positive praise when they behave to your expectation is the key to ensure your dog understands your requests and has fun and learns at the same time.
Toys make Dog Swimming games work. Don’t forget a throw toy like a tennis ball, stick or a tug of war rope for playing in the water and even a long leash in case your not quite leash free yet. All these simple toys all make the playtime work for training and fun. With the right toys it can be the difference to your over excited dog romping all over the place causing havoc and your well controlled behaved dog being the envy of other bystanders.

You are getting in the water right? I used to have to wear a wetsuit with my Labrador as he would scratch my chest trying to sit on my lap in the water. You participating with your dog will be what makes the moment special. Sure it wont always be warm enough for you but romping in the water with your dog renews the bond between yourself and him. You can keep a closer eye on them from in the water than on the side. You can also direct and control the fun making it more useful for training. Shouting out words from the side of a pond is probably not going to reinforce any training benefits for you.
Safety comes first. If its somewhere with a strong current like a river or the surf make sure you consider your pets safety. If its too rough find somewhere else like a side lake or pond to play. Utilize the long leash mentioned above to keep your dog safe and safe but more importantly yourself as well. As a fellow dog owner I know in a crisis I would probably go in after my dog if he was in trouble and may likely put myself in jeopardy too.

Dog Swimming Games are for owners too.

I am a big fan of including my dog in everything I do but perhaps we should also remember to include ourselves in their games as well. I see so many dog owners sitting down while their dogs play like its all just too hard. Everything our dogs do can include training as well as fun but if your not active how can you change simply play into learning time?

***Photo thanks to dionhinchcliffe and his dog Champ***

Tags: dog, Dog Swimming, Dog Swimming Games, guide, training

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Dec 20

What to feed my dog? 5 Important things for my Dogs Diet.

Categories:

Dog Health Care

by Help Training

Dog Heaven

If you are like me, your dog is family if not more. I always want to do the best for my dog and his health and seeing him happy and healthy is good enough reason to give some thought to his dietary intake. This includes buying the best dog food that I can and asking the question as often as possible with experts and other dog owners about what to feed my dog. With so many different brands of dog food on the market, and so many different experts, opinions and theories, it’s important to do your research before buying dog food.

As a rule of thumb (and there is many rules to choose from) most dogs should be on a primary diet of dry dog food. Therefore, this article will focus on how to pick the best dry dog food for your furry companion.

Important things to decide on what to feed my dog.

There are 5 important things to think about when deciding on the best food for your dog

First, a good general guideline for a healthy dog’s diet is food consisting of approximately 50% meat and 50% vegetables. That means no or minimal grain, wheat or other filler. Sometimes this is hard to determine from the information provided on the regulated part of the label (i.e. the guaranteed analysis or the ingredient list). Don’t stress too much, just do the best you can. Reading the back of a label can be enlightening (or worrying) and I know I started doing this when I needed to work out a allergy solution with what to feed my dog.

Second, try to make sure that the protein source is from meat. On average (depending on process) It takes about 5 lbs of animal meat to make 1 lb of dog food. Some types of meat included are chicken, lamb or venison. Even if 1 source of protein is listed first, be sure to scan the rest of the list to check for unhealthy filler or substances you don’t want.

Third, grains are not necessarily bad. Any grain you feed to your dog should ideally be used in its whole form. The best grains for your dog, when used in the proper proportions, are rolled oats, barley, quinoa, millet and brown rice.

Fourth, dogs are carnivores by nature. However, a well-planned vegetarian diet can work for dogs. If you feel strongly about this, please consult your veterinarian to determine the dog food for your situation.

Fifth, there are several retail and prescription only dog foods available for specific conditions such as diabetes, skin conditions, allergies, weight loss and joint problems. Before starting your dog on any of these types of feeding regimens, consult your veterinarian on the best solution for your dog specific needs.

Last thoughts for you to remember with What to feed my dog?.

Maintaining an active nutrition for dogs does take some time, but similarly to picking out your food, you should do

You mean I shouldn’t be in here??

your research and pick out the best dry dog food. Take your budget into consideration as well. Coupons are often available in the paper, online or at your veterinarian’s office. Follow these helpful tips, and when when your stuck with the question “What to feed my dog?” when in doubt consult your veterinarian

***Photos thanks to eraphernalia_vintage & Jordan Batch***

Tags: dog, Dog Diet, Dog food, guide, training

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Nov 30

Help me my pooch is one of those Fat dogs!

Categories:

Dog Health Care

by Help Training

Help I think I am one of those fat dogs!

How unhappy do I look?

Within the last few decades, Americans have increased their diet both in quality and in portion size. With human obesity comes a host of diseases, including diabetes, heart attacks and strokes. A lesser known fact is that our dog companions can also suffer from obesity and exactly the same range of diseases affect them too. And if anything their health care treatment can come at an equal or greater cost than our own!

Fat Dogs don’t come naturally!

Some animals are naturally predisposed to obesity, while others become obese when their owners treat them a bit too often or leave out the food bowl. Being too busy to exercise your pet certainly wont help. Many Americans view their pets as their children, so spoiling them seems only natural. The problem is that with fat dogs (owner embarrassment aside) there are many health consequences and when animals become obese you reduce their ilfespan and most certainly their quality of life. As a dog owner you can kill your pet with kindness!

6 easy to follow tips to help your obese pooch

1. Take the animal to the vet. The first thing you should do is schedule an appointment with the vet to discuss your pet’s weight and how to control it. They can also make sure there aren’t any pressing issues that need dealing with before finding a weight loss solution. Together you and your vet you can come up with a course of treatment like point number 2.

2. Feed the animal a prescription diet food. If your animal is obese, the vet will likely prescribe a diet dog food. A common one that is used is Hills prescription diet dog food for your canine. Give the exact amount that your vet recommends daily. You will likely no longer be able to leave the food bowl down for your pet to eat whenever he would like. If a prescription diet is out then take the simple action of feeding your pet 1/3 less than you normally do. Just like humans you don’t want to starve your pet but reduce the weight gradually.

3. As per above some dog breeds if left with an unlimited amount of food will keep eating all day. Remember dogs can scrounge in the wild and will look for food all day. If you provide an endless supply many dogs will take advantage of that. Have specific feeding times and stick to them religiously. Let your pooch learn when feeding time is. Even build some training into your fat dogs daily routine. Let them know they need to sit,stay etc etc before feeding time.

This wont help your pet loose weight

4. Limit treats. Spoiling our animals with treats feels like a loving action but adding all those high protein tasty snacks on top of their normal diet means your only adding to the problem. Find healthy solutions to treats, do a web search for some ideas or go and look extra hard in the pet food isle or shop next time.
Try some great ideas for dog treats that wont affect their weight.

5. Let your animal exercise. Put your walking shoes on, grab the leash and take him for walks as recommended by your vet. And remember to start with steadily increasing distances dont try to for a marathon with your poor overweight dog yet. If you have a good back yard, try to get him to play with a toy that engages him. Just like humans, exercise helps those Fat Dogs burn up calories and accelerate weight loss.

Doesn’t that owner look comfortable sitting down!

6. Find a local dog park and take your pet there to meet other dogs. There is nothing like socializing with other dogs and racing around for 20minutes smelling tails and playing tag with other dogs to help speed up his weight loss. There is also the walk to the park and back to take into account with your fat dogs weight loss regime. The good news is this is slightly less intensive for you (unless you can do with a walk to help shed a few pounds too)

In the real world Americans are struggling with their weight and diet, as are American dogs. However just like you with guidance from the vet and a little discipline, your animal, too, can shed the excess pounds. Perhaps this is the time for your pre-new years resolution for you and your dog to become healthy together!

***Photo thanks to Jeremy Vandel, Normanack, Inkknife_2000***

Tags: dog, Dog exercise, Fat dog solutions, Overweight dog, training

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Nov 15