Keeping Your Dog From Becoming Overweight

Many dog owners love to spend time with their dogs, enjoy playing ball with them and giving them the occasional treat. It is important that your dog gets enough exercise to avoid becoming overweight. There are several different ways a dog can become overweight, throughout this article you find ways to keep your dog from becoming over weight.

Most importantly, diet is a serious matter. Dog food was manufactured for a reason, dogs. This is what a dog should be feed on a regular basis. Dog food is manufactured to meet the nutritional requirements of dogs. People food on the other hand are not supposed to be given to a dog unless it was specifically prepared for the dog. Dogs can eat people food but you should not add spices and such to the food and it should only be occasionally.

What foods are safe to feed your dog? You can boil chicken and make some plain white rice. Add this to your dog's food to give a little more flavor or variety. Keep the amount very small, about the same as you would give to a 2 year old child for a meal. You can do this about every other week or so. Avoid giving your dog any kind of sweets, sugar is not good for animals.

Treats are another thing that needs to be given in moderation. treats have no nutritional value for a dog, therefore they should not be considered a part of your dog's daily diet. It is possible if you give your dog too many treats he or she will begin to not eat their dog food because they are either full or they rather have the tastier food, the snacks.

You might enjoy rewarding your dog for his or her behavior and that is totally acceptable. However, even with using treats as a reward they should not be given every time the dog shows the appropriate behavior. A treat should be accepted but never expected by your dog.

Keeping your dog active is a great way for him or her to stay in shape. Many dog owners tend to forget that the dog also needs to burn off energy. If you allow your dog to lay around all day and eat treats he or she is likely to become overweight. An overweight dog is not a healthy dog for a few different reasons.

An overweight dog can have difficulties breathing. The excess fat can often make it very difficult for the heart to work properly. The weight increases the strain on the joints and can cause unnecessary discomfort and pain. After prolonged obesity your dog could very well become unable to even go outside to relieve him or herself. This is absolutely disgraceful, painful and preventable.