We’re joining in Dawg Business’s Blog Hop to Show off Your Dog’s Waistline. We’ve shared more about Bella’s journey (she gained a lot of weight when I went away to college) and why age is absolutely no excuse for a dog to be overweight. We’ve also included a couple of more pictures to show the difference between chunky Bella and her at a more ideal weight.

Terra was a solid footstool too when I first got her. She went from being a lean and sleek adolescent to a waddling ball of fur.

Even Kronos had a somewhat overweight phase before he sprouted long legs and developed his broad sighthound-like chest.

Bella, Terra, and Kronos are kept fit a variety of ways. I am very mindful of their portions of treats and food in relation to their activity level. Their food and treats are also high quality with most ingredients that are understandable which is easier for their bodies to process and use efficiently. We go for walks, play fetch, do conditioning exercises with FitPaws and an Agility jump, and do trick training. The food puzzles we use are a combination of rolling ones and more complex ones. The rolling ones get them moving around and active while playing for their food.

Having a dog who is not overweight is important because it is about more than just looking good. Being overweight can put unnecessary strain on a dog’s joints. Exercise for an overweight dog may be unpleasant which is why they aren’t too keen to participate as much or as long. It’s definitely harder for the dog to participate. A couple of Kronos’s siblings are overweight and their owners have commented that they are very hard to motivate to go for a walk, bike ride, run, or get them moving-they take short cuts or just go back to the house, drag behind, and stop to take more breaks. It’s a stark contrast to Kronos who is up for a two hour hike and then still ready to go some more. Bella’s siblings are also overweight and waddle around which is so sad to see. Being overweight can also decrease your pet’s already too short life span because it can cause a variety of problems such as hypertension (high blood pressure), diabetes or insulin resistance, liver disease or dysfunction, and osteoarthritis.

To stay in good shape we are very mindful about the food and treats that are used to fuel the body which is the first most important aspect and we make sure to move around and be at least somewhat active.

Do you have a weight loss story with your pet to share? Or are you committed to your pet losing weight? Share your stories, progress, and pictures in the blog hop below.