.....and im not good at it :))) so how do you tell a puppy owner that their hounds way way way tooooo fat!!!

I think that you could economise on dog food! :)

I had a situation several months ago, where one was way, way too underweight.  I did say that I was VERY concerned at how emaciated the pup was.  Fortunately, she took him to the vet, expecting to tell me I was wrong, and the vet confirmed that he was underweight.  Thank goodness!

I personally tell them out right.... I have lost my skill of diplomacy lol

well I m the same usually tanya but because one of mine is involved im very careful not to alientate them in any way and risk losing contact....some people can get really weird if they think you are criticising and normally i wouldnt care two hoots what they think but in this case I need to retain some friendship!

How about telling them about some ficticious person and how fat their puppy has got.  So easy to let them put on weight thinking it's puppy fat etc etc.... Hope the penny drops and they ask you for some advice about how much food they ought to be feeding?  Is that too subtle?

Call it "Chunk" LOL or just tell them outright.  I went to see a girl I had rehomed and it was the first thing I said when I walked through the door.  4 months on and she is getting back to what was her usual weight.  Afraid I'm known for saying it as you see it. :-)

eta Sam if you have half way a good relationship with the owners they won't take offence at your trying to advise or help.

I would tell them out right
Be honest and tell them.

Do you actually see the owner and the puppy or is contact made by email and photos?

If the first I would just make some sort of comment along the lines of "Wow (or your own suitable word :-)  )- he/she has put on a lot of weight - don't forget they shouldn't carry too much weight as it can cause great problems with their joints etc" and then continue the conversation depending on how they take the comment. How old is the pup as you could ask them if they have started to cut back on one of the meals (depending on age of pup) and suggest that they cut down on it's food anyway so as to prevent problems occurring. How you continue the conversation really depends on what sort of person they are.

If your contact is mainly through emails and photos you could ask if the photo was taken at a funny angle as the pup looks far heftier than it should be at it's age and then see what they say to that.

And if the diplomatic approach fails you can just resort to saying it how it is :-)

I've had that -just said it straight out but made a bit of a joke out of it, had a laugh. Next time I saw the dog she was just right. :)

We have to do this a lot at work! Among the stock phrases are "He could do with losing a little weight" or "He'll be perfect when he loses the puppy fat" or "You'll need to watch his weight because this breed can get too fat very easily" ... what's important is that you don't get them feeling defensive or they won't take any of your advice.

Is it a first time owner... sometimes they appreciate a little help and things pointing out. Its those who have been in the breed for years that are hard to convince... You could ask what brand they are fed and how much, then suggest they cut it down a little as he is getting a little on the porky side... I think if you use words like porky, chunky, chubby etc it sounds a little less harsh that fat, overweight etc and they are less likely to take offence

I think tell it to them straight, it doesn't need to be done in a way that alienates them or makes them feel bad, politely, with a wry smile and some helpful advice to go with it. Have some suggestions ready to offer as to what the correct shape/weight should be and how to go about attaining it. In the long run, if it's so fat then it's ultimately a health issue :-)
Good luck!

I would probably use the tactics that Harley has suggested and I might also invite them to visit me and hopefully they would see my dogs were the right weight.

So we could persue the matter further, I might enquire for example when they were feeding their pup, how often and how much and/or tell them that for my dogs I had made changes so that they maintained a good weight, with out being over or under weight and that I was surprised to find that with the puppies from this litter they were such good do-ers that I had to alter my feeding plans a little earlier than I would usually, maybe then suggest they should consider doing the same if they thought their pup was different to mine.

thanks all. Im getting them over later in the week so they can see what normal is!! the pup is actually no longer a pup, and all 4 of theirs are looking morbidly obese in the photos (the others are not my breed)....ill just have to tell them how it is I think!

Sam you may not do tact but you are great at honest :-)

I'm ashamed to say that with the first dog I ever owned I let him get too overweight. He went back to the breeder for a haircut and she just said he had too much weight on and if he was hers she'd cut his food down.

She was really nice about it and I was really pleased that she'd told me. I made it my mission to get him perfect in time for his next haircut and I did it!

Just be nice - There's no need to be arsey about it but just say the pup is carrying a bit too much weight and they'd need to get it off to ensure it doesn't cause any problems long term.

Do you have another pup the same age that you could show them for comparison?

Doh - I missed the part where you said they were coming over to see what normal is!! Sorry! :)

When my staffy was a bit too pudgy, one of my friends came to the house and exclaimed "******* ****, she looks like a hippo!"  That was a bit of a wake up call!

I regularly have a go at my ex about the weight of his dogs :-( They come to visit me every week or two and their weight seems to go up and down like yoyos It's not the food, it's the extras he gives them. Maybe your owners are doing the same? Do they know they need to cut down on the meals if they are giving a lot of treats?

I tend to bide my time - at some point a conversation usually comes up when it can be mentioned.  I did this not long ago with an owner of an obese GR - Penny has been obese for quite a while now but I didn't want to just come out and say something (I am not good at tact and I tend to come across accusatory).

In the end her owner was asking about Remy's coat, and mentioned that she needed to find one that could fit round Penny's considerable belly - so I just jokingly said 'why not put her on a diet?'

Turned out a few people had mentioned it and she asked me what i thought - I said (as nicely as I could) that honestly, Penny was obese - we then got chatting about how much she feeds, what foods etc.  Penny is now on a diet. :-)

I do try and be careful though - sometimes it isn't as cut-and-dried as it looks. Remy has been overweight for a long time - he was obese this time last year - but it's down to an injury in 2006, and getting weight off him is VERY hard.  So if someone was to come up to me and tell me to stop overfeeding him I would be livid - he gets less food than you would feed your average cocker-sized dog (he's a dobermann).  Heck, my staffy foster was eating more than him!

I wish I could look after my weight aswell as I do with my dogs!!

Ditto

> I wish I could look after my weight aswell as I do with my dogs!!

Me too! my dogs have never been over weight, they are so toned and fit. And me....I am the total opposite! :-D

> so how do you tell a puppy owner that their hounds way way way tooooo fat!!!

If you tell the dog, rather than the owner it doesn't seem so much like you are accusing the owner of being a failure, more like you're accusing the dog itself, so less likely for the owner to get defensive.

Eg, while fussing dog & said to the dog - "You're a bit of a fatty aren't you! You really could do with shedding a few lbs, especially as it's coming up to summer. We don't want you getting over-heated and having a heart attack from carrying the extra blubber" (or anything along those lines)

You could then offer the owner some friendly, helpfull advice as to how they can help the dog loose weight. Seems to go down down better if you say it as somthing you've tried with your dog(s) - ie. "I've found that by cutting down on extras worked really well",

If you say it as though you've tried it yourself with your dog(s), it's sounds less accusing and more like it's an easy mistake to make, so again less chance of the owner getting defensive.

if you've known them for a while, and they still speak to you, chances are they're pretty thick skinned so just tell them.

Now that gave me a real giggle, Tigger2 :)

i tell them the true not to beat a round a bush

Why not, when you see these people & if the dog runs up to greet you, give it a good pat & rub and say 'Who's been eating all the pies' laughing as you say it, they may take the hint!

if you've known them for a while, and they still speak to you, chances are they're pretty thick skinned so just tell them.

Hee hee hee! :)

if any of my puppies look a bit podgy I just ask what amount of food they are feeding and what type, ask them what exercise they are having then usually this leads to the question 'why? do you think he /she is to fat? ..this then is leading you into what you really want to say. ;) (been there got the t shirt)

I knew a chap locally with a choccy lab which was, let's say, Over Rotund, and under a strict diet with the vet, although it took months to get any significant weight off.
He had a great sense of humour though, and if anyone commented on his dog's portliness, he would say: "She's not fat, she's big-furred!"

Have had this problem in past and showed them the litter brother or a dog the same age that I owned and the owner instantly noticed the weight difference themselves and he did something about it.

I think if it was me I would say that dogs are not healthy when overweight, no matter what breed, and you are concerned as you want their/your dog to have a healthy happy life!

> )....ill just have to tell them how it is I think!

Be yourself, they must know you by now. Just wait and see how the conversation goes, there is nothing worse than trying to word things in advance as it never sounds right. Just think of the dog(s) and the health issues - if they are going to take offence they will however you phrase it.

> .....and im not good at it :-))) so how do you tell a puppy owner that their hounds way way way tooooo fat!!!

You say......."Your hound's way way way too fat!!!" :)  :)

if you've known them for a while, and they still speak to you, chances are they're pretty thick skinned so just tell them.

??meaning what exctly???

Just tell them politely, saying 'please don't get upset, but....' I often have this trouble with my grooming clients bringing obese dogs in and trying to lightheartedly say how fat the dog is while not annoying them so they don't come back! But with one you've bred, you have the right to be concerned about his welfare.

You could always try my ploy, instead of talking to the owner, (who you are right may well get upset, some people do take criticism very badly even when said light heartedly and if you are not good at tact, it will probably come out wrongly) talk to the dog, when you see your pup of course you will wish to greet your pup, make a fuss and say a big hello which you can use to your advantage, in your position I would greet the dog and say "Blimey your a chubby one aren't you, have you been eating everyones portions?" Your talking to the dog so not offending the owner but they can hear what you are saying, they may make a response or even ask for your advice, but if they don't you've made your point, they will do something about it or they won't unfortunately we can't force them to take our advice.

I would just tell them, that the puppy is overweight, and isnt good for it, I'm sure they won't mind being told, atleast your care about your dogs welfare, and are passing a comment regarding it.
I tell people who bring dogs into trimmed, that there dogs are over/under weight, and they take it onboard.

I would just tell them too, they might not have even realised how overweight they are. I have had to do it on a few occasions and 90% of the time the owners were greatful and hadn't realised they were so overweight