Do you think that your dog is overweight? Is he showing any kind of behavioral problems which seem to be getting worse with time? If your answer is “yes” for both of these questions, then your dog is obese. Today, dog obesity is one of the health issues affecting dogs around the world. Studies have also mapped dog obesity to some behavioral problems. In this article, we will discuss some of the common behavioral issues observed in overweight dogs along with some solutions.
Short temper
Overweight or obese dogs are usually short tempered, they usually snap at strangers and other dogs without much provocation in addition to barking constantly.
Reluctance to obey the owner
The tendency of obese dogs to not obey their dog is more when compared to normal weight dogs. The instances like not coming back when called are always common with obese dogs. Most of the owners who treat their pet like a baby end up making them obese. When you give additional care and freedom to dogs, they might take it for granted, which eventually leads to disobedience.
Stealing food
Obese dogs are also known for guarding and stealing food. The obese condition makes your dog vulnerable to poor quality life thereby compromising its welfare.
Reluctant to go outdoors
Obese dogs are also known to show reluctance to spend time outdoors. In some dogs, it can get worse as showing fear of outdoors. Dogs who are obese usually spend a lot of time indoors or the backyard of the house, with little or no scope for exercise. The dogs that are obese usually are allowed to sleep in the owner’s bed. Such dogs, groomed indoors can always show reluctance to go outdoors.
Preventing obesity in dogs
Setting up a balanced diet
A healthier diet for your dog is always the key to keeping his weight under check while also ensuring that he gets all the essential nutrients. It is always ideal to feed your dog twice or once a day, but not more than that. Getting your dog checked up by a veterinarian could be the ideal start to setting up a healthier diet for him. A veterinarian can give you tailored recommendations for dog diet based on your dog’s health requirement or even suggest you with homely dog food diet plans.
Routine exercise
Routine exercise is another critical factor that can bring down the concerns regarding dog obesity. If your dog is showing reluctance to spend time outdoors or to perform exercise, try to gradually get rid of these behavioral problems by rewarding them for desirable behaviors.
Be determined
As a dog lover, you find it difficult to reduce the number of times you feed your dog per day, but it is imperative for you to understand, you have taken this measure for your dog’s health and try not to cave in for any desire to feed him more than twice a day.
If you feel that obesity is causing behavioral problems in your dog or if you feel that your dog is obese but it hasn’t started showing any behavioral problems, in both the cases, it is ideal that you take your dog for a detailed check up.