Tips to Maintaining a Healthy K9 Weight

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Training with treats is a great way to motivate a dog and to help lure and shape behaviors. BUT too many treats can lead to obesity. If your dog has the propensity to gain weight fast or over eat. Use their food as treats! 

Baked Food Treats

  • Put their kibble in a food processor until it’s a fine powder or mealy consistency

  • Add bone broth or water, an egg if you’d like and mix until doughy

  • Form into balls or press them into a teaspoon and space out on a cookie sheet

  • Bake at 350 for 20 - 30 min

Frozen Food Treats

  • Soak whole kibble in bone broth or water until soft and plump

  • Mold into balls and place on a cookie sheet into the freezer

  • Freeze overnight

You can also stuff a kong or other toy with the mixture and freeze the whole thing overnight and then give the toy to you pup while you’re gone for the day!

K9 Obesity is no laughing matter 

What you may not know could kill your dog. As of 2018, an estimated 56% of of dogs in just the USA were carrying excess weight! These percentages work out to approximately:  50 million canines are overweight or obese! 

All adult dogs have an “Ideal” Weight 

All mature dogs have an ideal weight for their breed. Up to 15% over the ideal weight is considered overweight; and more than 15% over the ideal weight is considered obese. 

From above, the abdomen should be slimmer than the chest and hips; forming an “hourglass figure” with a defined “waist.” 

The ribs should be slightly visible - and easily felt - behind the shoulder blades. 

From the side, the abdomen (just above the hind legs) should look “tucked up” compared to the chest. 

5 Tips to maintain a healthy K9 weight 

  1. Feed a high-quality food or raw diet to avoid carb overload

  2. Do not free-feed throughout the day

  3. Measure all food and treat portions instead of guessing

  4. Ensure at least 30 minutes of exercise each day

  5. Reduce processed treats 


K9 Breeds Prone to obesity 

Large and Giant Breeds 

  • Bernese Mountain Dog

  • Golden & Labrador Retriever 

  • Newfoundland

  • Rottweiler

  • Saint Bernard 

Small and Medium Breeds 

  • Basset Hound

  • Beagle

  • Cairn & Scottish Terrier

  • Cocker & Cavalier King Charles Spaniel 

  • Dachshund

  • Pugs

(Sources: PetObesityAwareness.com, DogMount.com/blog and CDC.gov/features/managing-pet-obesity-index.html) 

Nicole Pablico