Dogs: Their Secret Lives.

3 part series.

Episode 1. Fat Dogs - 8pm, Aug 19

"The UK faces an epidemic of dog obesity, as many as 50% of dogs may be fat.Using surveillance filming and cutting edge technology, we discover why our dogs are getting fatter and investigate what can be done to help them. Mark Evans, former chief vet at the RSCPA finds out if a scientific approach to food and exercise could help our dogs shed the pounds"

Sorry but I will NEVER again watch ANYTHING with that man in, not after his statements on pedigree dogs exposed.

Indeed, can't stand him. I don't forget. Me and my mutants will watch something else.

Right there with you - the man is a pompous self-aggrandising idiot.  I can't turn over fast enough when he is onscreen!

Just tried to fill out their survey - my breed wasn't on there!

They do however have "mongrel" and "cross breed" listed...

Both my mother & I cant stand him either but apart from one small section where he couldnt help himself slate bulldogs, this programme was interesting.

There was a section about getting folk to show how much they normally give their dogs. Like us none of them weighed the food & most gave more than what is stated on the packaging...some by nearly 50%. This is one thing that we say needs to be done by the weight of the dog, more than whatthe packet says. They(the food bofin) say we should weigh every meal!! Our opinion is, if your dog is thin feed more & if your dog is fat feed less...the packaging is merely a guideline not that is exactly what you feed.

I always weigh the food initially to know how much is my daily measure.

Different brands vary.  The food I currently feed I have to give much less by volume as the kibble is smaller and heavier  than the previous food I fed.

I then find a container that takes a daily ration.

Me to, weigh to start then find something the right size to give the correct amount.

I also found the program interesting ref: weighing food.

I must admit that I weighed the food out initially when I first started using it and was horrified to see how much 'the packet' said my dog should have! There is no way my dog could/would eat that much food a day, even split into two/three meals. I have found the right amount to keep him in tip top condition and it is much less than the packet recommends.

>the packaging is merely a guideline not that is exactly what you feed".

I don't think this point was made clearly enough or maybe I missed that bit!

>if your dog is thin feed more & if your dog is fat feed less

Exactly.

I do think that maybe an explanation on how much complete food swells, would have been helpful to those who measured out their food and then added more 'because it does not look enough'. I am pretty sure that is 'why' people top up the recommended amount. They do not realise it swells like mad in the dogs tummy. (If you have never tried it, drop a pellet into water for an hour and see what happens!)

One good thing has come out of that program for most people whom watched it - it made us all think about how much food we are actually giving our dogs and that is a good thing I think - I am happy to ignore Mr Evans 'dig' about the bulldog, for the greater good :)

Have to agree admin. I watched in horror as the labrador was allowed to hoover up the other dogs' food and then the well meaning owners didn't know why she wasn't losing weight. Big responsibility to take on a dog with such issues and well done to them for trying but surely some common sense would have been useful here?

I always say that the right amount for my breed,  will be between half to two thirds of the recommended amount on packaging.

I did chuckle when he was saying at the end that it's the dedication of the owners that have now helped these dogs lose weight but surely it's the owners that made them like it in the first place! BUT I didn't see from the beginning to know if all dogs had been with the same owners for years o taken on as over weight from rescues.

it's the owners that made them like it in the first place!
it annoys me when I see all the guff about the 'weight loss pet of the year' or what ever its called, ..............some dogs are overweight when adopted but mostly the owner is getting a holiday etc after letting the dog get so fat that it needs to diet!!!

I was surprised at the amount of exercise the program thought was acceptable for the average healthy adult dog, just two twenty minute walks per day.
Both myself, and my dog would be climbing the walls with so little !.

That would be the minimum for my dogs, including the 14 3/4 year old, but would be enough on occasion. 

Certainly not enough for some breeds, and I tend to think of any adult dog being entitled to an hour as a norm.

My 40kg boy eats 1 tin and 396g of kibble in 2 meals per day or 850g of raw and I measure daily. He would be happy with two 15mins walks a day but all of my girls, weighing between 30kg to 37kg all eat much more than him and enjoy atleast an hour of free running. It all depends on the dog. Not on the packet. I was advised that as long as there is decent coverage on the ribs and the belly comes down in a v shape, the dog is getting enough. Plus, I think my breed do better on the slightly lean side rather than hefty.

As for going crazy with only 20mins exercise, none of mine will go out for walks if its raining, and my boy will even hold out on relieving himself if its both raining and windy until he is absolutely desperate!

Nando would be worse with a 20 minute walk than with no walk! He gets do excited at the prospect of a walk it takes him a good half hour to just chill and enjoy a sniff instead of bombing around after his ball. My work hours have changed recently so I generally only give him one walk a day but we're out from about 7 until gone 10 so he has a good run about.