Dog Owner Chat V. 5

[cornspurrd.]

The thing is, He doesn't have any Toy drive. I usually go run with him, Or turn him loose in the front yard so he can zoom in circles. But with the cold weather its not ideal to be outside..

And Another thing, I'll get a photo of His full body Up tmrow, But I'll need some help determining if He is over weight or not, and What i could do to loose a few If He Is overweight.

But I don't believe He is, He's A Medium Labrador Mix, Maybe some bully breed in there? I can Pick Him up very easy (i'm only 93 Pounds) And carry him for quite a long time I'd estimate him to be around 53 Pounds But he's never been weighed?

[ru.]

So let’s see some photos showing off fit or pet weight dogs? Preferably photos you can actually see their shape! What do y’all do to keep them lean?

Chewie is looking good! Very handsome fit boy you have there 😊 How old is he now??

Edgar is at a good weight despite just being a pet and not a sporting dog. There is the same trend in Goldens as you notice on Aussies too - a whole lot of overweight and obese pets!

Honestly, just like with humans it is mostly diet. You can't outrun a bad diet. Exercise is critical for maintaining health for humans and dogs but it isnt the most important part of weight maintenance.

Edgar isn't super active in the winter. We mostly play a lot of fetch and go on some walks (with a lot more indoor activities and mental stimulation added in). Even during warmer months when we go on a lot of hikes, runs and bike rides I am careful not to build his endurance too much because the last thing I want is a pup that takes even more time to get tuckered out, haha!

That being said; here are the best photos I have showing Edgar's shape (sorry that none of them are complete side view). He has a very broad chest and a strong build.
You can see through his fur that he has a good tuck. He's a very tall guy and is about 85lbs.
Ribs are easily felt but not visible. He's energetic and happy as ever which is the most important part.





I am careful not to get him too thin and extra careful not to let him put on much weight. I know how it is to be too thin and it doesn't feel very nice physically or mentally but being overweight is no better.

[BananaBean]

Skylar


willow

this is by far my favorite picture of skylar, her smile is so beautiful and you can see her happiness! Im so glad we decided to adopt her, because now she is with her daughter, and they are perfect playmates! Skylar and willow are always outside running circles around the yard!

[.Middy.]

So let’s see some photos showing off fit or pet weight dogs? Preferably photos you can actually see their shape! What do y’all do to keep them lean?

Chewie is looking good! Very handsome fit boy you have there 😊 How old is he now??

Edgar is at a good weight despite just being a pet and not a sporting dog. There is the same trend in Goldens as you notice on Aussies too - a whole lot of overweight and obese pets!

Honestly, just like with humans it is mostly diet. You can't outrun a bad diet. Exercise is critical for maintaining health for humans and dogs but it isnt the most important part of weight maintenance.

Edgar isn't super active in the winter. We mostly play a lot of fetch and go on some walks (with a lot more indoor activities and mental stimulation added in). Even during warmer months when we go on a lot of hikes, runs and bike rides I am careful not to build his endurance too much because the last thing I want is a pup that takes even more time to get tuckered out, haha!

That being said; here are the best photos I have showing Edgar's shape (sorry that none of them are complete side view). He has a very broad chest and a strong build.
You can see through his fur that he has a good tuck. He's a very tall guy and is about 85lbs.
Ribs are easily felt but not visible. He's energetic and happy as ever which is the most important part.

-snip-

I am careful not to get him too thin and extra careful not to let him put on much weight. I know how it is to be too thin and it doesn't feel very nice physically or mentally but being overweight is no better.

Thank you! He’s turning 6 next month 😭 getting so old on me!

I agree, diet is so important! I see so many dogs that are obese purely due to what they are fed. When I worked at petsmart, we’d have dogs come almost daily and play all day. With as much exercise as they got just with us, the dog should have been pet weight easily. Instead it was obese and would eat a horrible brand and a ton of it. I once had to feed a dog 3 cups of crappy dry food, a full can of wet, and a cookie twice a day! It made me want to cry.

Edgar is a cutie, so glad he’s a nice weight! I can’t imagine him as a barrel lol Chewie is honestly about 2 lbs under his ideal right now, I’ve been having a lot of trouble keeping him where I want him. Upped his food again, so hopefully he will even out soon.

[KelsieCollie]

Hello,
I hope it's ok to join discussion! ^^
I own flat coated retriever mix, Max. He just turned 4 in september. He's the best companion and friend I ever had. Thanks to him, i don't sit at computer all day all night. He probably loves any kind of activity and I love seeing him doing what he loves and enjoys. He mostly lives only for agility and frisbee, haha.




These photos were taken by my good friend, sepotka. Thanks :')

[Starwalker123]

-marking-

[.Arrow]

Marking

[Faybell]

Mostly posting to mark. Even though I don't have a dog right now (in case you missed it we gave Aika back to the shelter due to not bonding and starting to act aggressive towards us) it helps the depression by keeping up with and seeing everyone else's dogs.

It's only been a week but it's been bad going from taking care of a dog most of the day to not having one now... it's making me a bit stir crazy tbh. At the same time thinking of replacing Aika makes me have a mild panic attack. Not sure if its purely fear of going through the same thing or if I just miss her. I'm pretty sure it's a bit of both though.

We are temporarily borrowing my boyfriends parents cat for a little while to help ease the depression of not having Aika anymore (his parents insisted). Super loving cat, she loves to sit on my chest while I'm laying down watching a movie. My SO named her Jackie when she was a kitten because she sounds like she's fussing at you when she meows... it's actually really cute.

My SO wants to try adopting again... but I kind of just want to buy from a breeder. After what happened with Aika I just want a companion bred dog that bonds really well with people and craves its owners attention.

[tea!]

Mostly posting to mark. Even though I don't have a dog right now (in case you missed it we gave Aika back to the shelter due to not bonding and starting to act aggressive towards us) it helps the depression by keeping up with and seeing everyone else's dogs.

It's only been a week but it's been bad going from taking care of a dog most of the day to not having one now... it's making me a bit stir crazy tbh. At the same time thinking of replacing Aika makes me have a mild panic attack. Not sure if its purely fear of going through the same thing or if I just miss her. I'm pretty sure it's a bit of both though.

We are temporarily borrowing my boyfriends parents cat for a little while to help ease the depression of not having Aika anymore (his parents insisted). Super loving cat, she loves to sit on my chest while I'm laying down watching a movie. My SO named her Jackie when she was a kitten because she sounds like she's fussing at you when she meows... it's actually really cute.

My SO wants to try adopting again... but I kind of just want to buy from a breeder. After what happened with Aika I just want a companion bred dog that bonds really well with people and craves its owners attention.

If you want to buy from a breeder, let us know and I bet anyone here
would love to help you find a good breeder and a breed that fits your needs <33 !



I also just came back from the park with Chance. I layered up and we
went right into the bomb cyclone hitting us right now ;O ! He loved it so
much and had tons of fun enjoying the snow !! It was up to his neck and
he had to hop around to get everywhere c: ! I let him run and roll around
off leash once we got there.

[ru.]

@RWBY Rose: I second what tea said! (: Let us know and we can help you out. Whether you have some breeds in mind or you just know size and traits you would like.

Thank you! He’s turning 6 next month 😭 getting so old on me!

I agree, diet is so important! I see so many dogs that are obese purely due to what they are fed. When I worked at petsmart, we’d have dogs come almost daily and play all day. With as much exercise as they got just with us, the dog should have been pet weight easily. Instead it was obese and would eat a horrible brand and a ton of it. I once had to feed a dog 3 cups of crappy dry food, a full can of wet, and a cookie twice a day! It made me want to cry.

Edgar is a cutie, so glad he’s a nice weight! I can’t imagine him as a barrel lol Chewie is honestly about 2 lbs under his ideal right now, I’ve been having a lot of trouble keeping him where I want him. Upped his food again, so hopefully he will even out soon.

Aww! I can relate! Edgar is turning 7 in May. It feels like time just flies by. I see elderly dogs and get so sad knowing that'll be Edgar some day. But we just gotta enjoy the time we have with them while it lasts!

Oh geez! o_o It would be so hard for me to follow those directions knowing that it's certainly not best for the pup! I imagine it probably wasnt a very large dog either...
I swear I see more obese Aussies, Goldens, Labs and Corgis than any other breed. "He's just stocky/big/etc.!" No he's not he's obese and you're doing him a disservice by letting him get that way. It's sad watching owner's shave years off their dogs' lives like that...

Thank you! Believe it or not he was a barrel at one point! I went away for college and had to leave him with my parents for the better part of a year. I came back to a 100+ pound oval with legs and was not very happy about it (I'm going to have to try to find a photo from then). They had been feeding him all of their table scraps (DANGEROUS and unhealthy!!) on top of letting him free feed and constantly filling his bowl.

Edgar was bad, but their dog Toby was even worse because that little dog does not have an off switch when it comes to food.
I was able to get them both down to a good weight but it's harder to find a balance with Toby. My Dad finally stopped giving table scraps after a near-death incident with Toby which makes it easier, but like Chewie it's hard to find a good level of food for him. It seems like I'm always under or over shooting so he isn't maintaining very well and instead gets a little too thin then a little chubby. It drives me mad, haha!
Hopefully you can find a balance with Chewie a little bit easier than I have been able to with Toby! I'm sure Chewie's exercise definitely is a big help and can make it easier on you. (:

Hello,
I hope it's ok to join discussion! ^^
I own flat coated retriever mix, Max. He just turned 4 in september. He's the best companion and friend I ever had. Thanks to him, i don't sit at computer all day all night. He probably loves any kind of activity and I love seeing him doing what he loves and enjoys. He mostly lives only for agility and frisbee, haha.

-snip-

Wow! Gorgeous boy! I think you might have the first Flat Coated mix of the group. I love his expression and he has pretty colored eyes! I have a soft spot for retrievers. Have you had him since he was a puppy?