Dogs can become overweight in the same way people do. Unfortunately, if canine obesity is left untreated, it can eventually lead to – or exacerbate – a number of health issues. For example, joints may deteriorate, especially if arthritis was already a problem. Digestive issues may worsen. Excess pressure might build around the canine’s heart and lungs.

There are many contributing factors, but most of them can be traced to one root cause: owners. With a few exceptions, a dog’s owner is ultimately responsible for the weight his pooch gains. Below, we’ll take a look at some of the most common reasons for the extra pounds.

Too Much Food

Every pooch is different. Some are fussy about the foods given them and others will eat everything they see. Some can self-regulate their food intake while others will refuse to stop eating until their bowl is clean. This is the reason it’s important for owners to know their dogs’ tendencies, and build their meal plans around them.

If you’re planning to make food freely available to your pooch (i.e. he has free access to it), make sure he will self-regulate his intake. Otherwise, he will likely eat too much, a sure path toward obesity.

Lack Of Exercise

Some canines are active while others lead sedentary lives. Like people, an inactive dog is more likely to have a slower metabolism. This, in itself, is fine as long he eats an appropriate amount of food consistent with his daily caloric burn rate. Unfortunately, many owners allow their dogs to eat more than necessary despite their lack of activity. Making matters worse, an inactive pooch is likely to eat out of simple boredom.

Your canine needs a regular outlet for exercise. Take him for walks twice each day and modify his diet to provide the calories he needs – and little more.

Breed Susceptibility

Some breeds are predisposed to gaining extra weight. If you own a Labrador Retriever, Collie, or Beagle, pay attention to the amount of food he eats and make sure he receives plenty of exercise. If you own a Standard Poodle (a breed that rarely copes with obesity), it’s less an issue.

Growing Older

Here too, dogs are similar to people. As they grow older, their metabolism slows. This means they require fewer calories each day. The problem is, their learned eating habits drive them to consume more food than necessary given their activity level. Unless owners proactively reduce the size of their dogs’ meals, their canines risk gaining weight.

It’s also worth noting that old canines rarely deal with obesity. This may be due to their declining appetites during their last few years.

Spayed Or Neutered

A dog that has been spayed or neutered is more susceptible to gaining weight than one that is intact. This is due to a decline in metabolism. The canine requires fewer calories each day, which means he is more likely to gain weight if he continues to eat the same amount of food. This is rarely a problem as long as an owner reduces the size of the meals he provides his spayed or neutered pooch.

Stress And Related Issues

Environmental factors can also motivate a dog to eat too much, setting the stage for obesity. For example, stress is often a trigger. If the source of stress is removed, it is seldom an issue. However, in the event the source remains (e.g. a newborn is brought into the home), it can drive the canine to seek food he does not need.

Ultimately, owners are responsible for helping their dogs maintain a healthy weight. This comes from being vigilant over their food intake and providing an outlet for exercise. The benefit for owners is that a healthy dog will make a more pleasant, engaging companion.

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Canines jump on people for three main reasons. First, it’s natural. They do it from the moment they’re born as they play with their littermates. Puppies learn early that jumping is a form of greeting; they continue to do it with people unless they have been trained otherwise.

The second reason involves how dogs interact within their pack. Jumping is an expression of dominance within the hierarchy. In your home, you are the pack leader. If your pooch jumps on you, it might indicate he wants to usurp your position.

Third, canines jump because their owners have either encouraged the behavior or have done nothing to discourage it. This often evolves over time as the dog gains confidence his jumping is not only acceptable, but welcome.

Allowing the behavior to persist is dangerous, especially if it is triggered by a desire for more authority in your home. With this in mind, we’ll provide four quick tips below that you can use to break the habit.

Get On His Level

When you greet your canine, do so from a kneeling position. That way, you’ll remove his opportunity to jump on you. If he attempts to jump, immediately tell him “no!” and block his body with your knee. Don’t allow him to place his front paws on you.

When his feet are back on the ground, command him to sit. Greet and pet him – again, in a kneeling position – only after he complies.

Downplay Your Arrival

A lot of owners encourage their dogs’ jumping by immediately greeting them whenever they arrive home. Doing this communicates to your canine that your arrival is a significant event. Through repetition, he will learn to become excited, which makes him far more likely to jump on you.

Whenever you come home, ignore your canine for at least ten minutes. Don’t greet or pet him until that time passes. During the first few days, keep a spray bottle within reach. Spray him if he tries to get your attention by jumping on you. Also, ask your friends to do the same thing whenever they visit.

Master The “Sit And Stay”

Dogs can learn to sit on command within a single day. This command is critical for discouraging your pooch’s jumping. A canine that complies when you tell him to sit is less likely to jump on you. Sitting has a calming effect. For this reason, make sure your dog has mastered the sit command.

While canines can easily learn to sit, they have more difficulty staying still. Invest the necessary time to train him. Start with short periods and gradually lengthen them, using treats as training incentives. The effort is worthwhile. Like sitting, staying still has a calming effect and subtly discourages jumping.

Avoid Competitive Games

This is another activity in which owners participate without realizing it inspires their dogs to jump. They’ll engage in competitive games with their canines. For example, they’ll play tug-o-war with a rope or chew toy. Or, they’ll wrestle with their dogs.

This leads to problems because dogs do not understand that a specific behavior may be acceptable during certain times and unacceptable during others. Instead, they learn the aggressive activity is acceptable at all times. The competition also trains them that challenging their owner is acceptable.

Look for opportunities to play with your pooch, but avoid participating in “harmless” games that pit both of you against each other.

Training your canine to stop jumping on you, your family, and your friends should take less than a week. The key is to be consistent in your approach. Consistency removes any confusion and reinforces your desired message. Your dog will quickly learn to conform to your wishes and interact with you on your terms.

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Many people claim to have all of the answers about the most effective dog training techniques. Once you bring home a puppy of your own, virtually everyone you know who has a dog will offer various suggestions on how to best care for your new pet. It is very similar to what parents go through with the birth of their first child; every person they know has to give their two cents about how to get through the perils of parenthood.

For dog training, the use of the clicker has become increasingly popular in recent years. The clicker is a small box that elicits a distinct clicking sound when the user presses their thumb down on the device; the click is a signal to the dog that he is exhibiting noteworthy behavior and that you are pleased with him. The real element of using a clicker for dog training is teaching your dog what the sound actually represents.

Obviously, the first step is to buy a clicker. It might also be a good idea to get one of the many books out there about dog clicker training. Begin slowly by initiating the process with a simple command like “sit”. Attempt to get your dog to sit on his bottom, as you tell him to “sit”. You should give your dog a little treat, and press the clicker box, as soon as he has followed the command. Do this every time the dog is given a treat – click. In short time, the dog will associate being rewarded for their excellent behavior with the click.

In you follow the competitive circuit at all, you have probably noticed that many of the dogs there are trained with clickers. Whenever you watch television, keep an eye out for a person using a clicker to help these trained dogs run through courses complete with jumps and hoops. As long as the method of “command, treat, click” is strictly followed, clicker training is one of the best ways to train your dog.

Through the use of clicker training, you are in control of letting your dog know how you feel about his behavior, along with dispensing punishment and praise when it is needed. This method helps you to develop a closer relationship between you and your dog.

It is also important to note that dogs really like and react well to rewards as opposed to discipline, so remember to use the clicker as much as you can to be effective.

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