Weight gain is a very typical problem in both dogs and humans in 2021. The problems that cause weight gain are numerous, and many times medical conditions will be the primary cause. Unfortunately for the majority of the population, the problem is pretty simple, that we eat too many calories and do not exercise enough to burn them off. Eating too much and not exercising enough turns to fat, which causes a cycle of being more lethargic and ultimately gaining more weight. Good health has many factors, but at the core of it all is usually diet and exercise. When your doctor tells you that you should lose some weight in order to remain healthy and avoid larger issues, they are giving you a directive that is going to be dictated by your lifestyle. It is not possible to say exactly what it is that will cause you to lose weight, because your situation is individual. If you do not get any exercise at all, then forcing yourself to walk around the block will probably be enough to take off a few pounds. If you currently walk around the block and need to lose more weight, then you are going to have to do more. Possibly starting to walk further distances or maybe even run might be the ticket. Cutting down on sugars or salty foods might help. Ultimately, losing weight means assessing the current situation and then doing more or less of the things you need to do in order to change that situation. Your dog is no different.
Your dog relies on you for everything. You provide all of their food, and are responsible for almost all of the exercise they get. Just like a human being, if you are not being required to exercise you probably won’t do it, and a dog that is not required to burn calories in order to survive will take the same path. In the wild, dogs are continually moving to find food. They hunt and run over distances to catch prey, and conserve their energy only when they have eaten. In captivity, dogs need to do none of this in order to survive, ultimately taking a machine that is designed to run and burn calories and simply providing the calories with no outlet to get rid of the energy. The result os being overweight, which leads to many health issues that can harm them and shorten their lives.
In order to have your dog lose weight, you are going to need to be involved in the process. Your dog will not run on their own, and you will probably need to have them run in order to get the pounds off. If you currently walk your dog for 20 minutes a day and they are overweight, then you are going to need to walk them for 40 minutes, or an hour every day. If they walk every day but never run at a faster pace, then you are going to need to run with them in order to burn more calories than they currently do. You can always use a service like RUN DOG Mobile Dog Gym if running with your dog is not something you can do every few days, but you are going to need to raise their heart rate up more than it currently is in order to have them burn more calories than they are taking in. It really is that simple.
Exercise and diet are nearly 100% of the cause of weight gain in most dogs. You are the only source that your dog has for either of these things.
Love your dog? Run your dog!
