I hear it all the time. Gosh your dogs are thin! Sally and Sam both often have ribs showing but they eat, and eat and eat – up to 6 cups of food over 4 meals a day at some points! I make the time to have a good long look and feel of each dog once a week and adjust diet as needed. (Oh the things Sally has taught are so  varied!)

Thea is on the right. Not our right …. her right- gotcha! She’s the tallest of her sisters and the lightest too.

You can see Sally’s ribs.

All you can see is fluff on Brody but if you get your hands on him there is no flab to tickle. The Arnold Schwarzenegger of Shih tzus – that’s how he’s known at the vets. (Even though he’s a shmaltipoo! HA take that designer dog breed name)

And skinny Sampson. Even I often think Sampson is skinny! Well he is skinny sometimes, so is Sally. But I’d much rather they were skinny (not emaciated!) than obese. Latest research indicates that longevity is tied to fitness. Obesity kills. Organs have a harder time functioning. The circulatory  system is slower. And so on.

I’m lucky in that my dogs do lots of the work to keep themselves trim but we structure their lives to allow that as well. The ‘big dogs’ get a 2 km road walk every morning, the ‘littles’ get out at least every other morning for at least 1 km. They get tons of free no demand off leash running at the house daily and we try to work in peaceful free ranging farm walks too (tho not lately). They get play training time regularly too. Every dog gets at least a short mental workout every single day. (it makes a difference – honest) They get lots of food and lots of treats – don’t think we starve them!

When a chubby little foster arrives we put them in the program, as much for their mental health as anything, it’s amazing to watch waist lines trim down and flab turn to muscle.

Little Wyn was told he was a brick of muscle when he was at the vets last week. Amazing in a puppy but oh so good for him! Do yourself and your dogs a favour. Have a good long look and feel  and decide if they are in good shape. Everything you can do to help them get in great shape helps you too!