{"id":43236,"date":"2025-08-23T15:21:20","date_gmt":"2025-08-23T14:21:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.thelabradorsite.com\/?p=43236"},"modified":"2025-09-18T21:32:27","modified_gmt":"2025-09-18T20:32:27","slug":"managing-weight-in-food-obsessed-dogs","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.thelabradorsite.com\/managing-weight-in-food-obsessed-dogs\/","title":{"rendered":"Strategies for Managing Weight in Food-Obsessed Dogs (With Printable Progress Charts & Games)"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Weight gain is sneaky. It creeps up when we are not looking. And our dogs are no different from us in that respect. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

You live with your dog every day and you probably won\u2019t notice weight gain that happens slowly over many months. <\/p>\n\n\n

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So you mustn\u2019t be too hard on yourself if you wake up one morning and realise your slender gawky six month old Lab, is now a rather porky three year old. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Or too shocked if your veterinarian takes you quietly to one side and says \u2018we need to have a chat about junior\u2019s diet. . \u2019<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s ok, we can fix this!  <\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

We have lots of information on reducing your dog\u2019s calorie intake in this article<\/a>. But today we have some great strategies to help you, that go beyond food management. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

So let\u2019s not waist (sorry) any more time. Here are seven practical strategies for managing your food-obsessed Labrador’s weight.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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#1 Know The Score – How Plump Is Too Plump?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The first thing we need to do, is make an honest appraisal of the problem!  What are we starting with?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Is this a seriously overweight dog, or just minor issue?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Back in 1997, a scientist came up with the idea of a body condition score for dogs. Body condition scores are not new, shepherds have been using them for sheep since forever. And they are actually really useful.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

With dogs we can go further than just looking, and run our hands over the dog. But the general idea is that you can roughly gauge the condition of an animal by simply looking at their outline. And allocate that outline a score. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

On a scale of 1 to 9 a slim, healthy dog will be a 5. A starving and emaciated dog will have a score of 1. While a grossly overweight dog will be a 9<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

I\u2019ll explain a bit more about the score, but this is not about pin point accuracy, so don\u2019t agonise about whether your dog is a 6 or a 7. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Even experts will get disagree. However, the system has been shown to be reasonably accurate to the point where dogs allocated a certain score by one person, are likely to be given the same or a similar score by other people. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

So while this is a guide rather than an exact measurement, it’s a useful, and reasonably consistent one. It\u2019s also a quick way of assessing a dog at a glance. And a reference for you to judge how much progress you have made with helping your dog in the future<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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I recommend you now take a closer look at this chart <\/a>from the World Small Animal Veterinary Association, and allocate your dog with a starting score. It\u2019s pdf document so you can download and print it out if you want to. <\/p>\n\n\n

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The important thing is to make a note of your dog\u2019s score today, and come back to it in a month\u2019s time to see if things have improved. <\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

If you are confident that your dog is already a five, then our work here is done! Otherwise, let\u2019s move on to strategy number two. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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#2 Build Interesting Activity Habits<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Maybe your dog already gets a lot of exercise.  Many overweight dogs do. And the truth is, at the heart of the weight problem there is always a food problem. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

But that doesn\u2019t mean exercise isn\u2019t important.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Getting your dog up and moving regularly throughout the day is critical. Not just because exercise burns up some of that food. But also because it reduces boredom and helps your dog relax and forget about food for a while!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Regular exercise doesn\u2019t have to mean a five mile run, or a boring walk to the end of the street and back. It means getting your dog running around, on a regular, consistent basis. <\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

The idea is to create activity sessions that you enjoy too. So that you are motivated to keep doing them with your dog. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

There are even ways to exercise your dog while you stand still if you want to. Either by training your dog to fetch or run out to a target. Or by inviting another dog around for a play date. This isn\u2019t cheating. It\u2019s still exercise (for your dog at any rate)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Examples of fun ways to get your dog moving include<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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  • Playing fetch<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • Playing with another dog<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • A training session<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • Swimming in a pool or the ocean<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • An early morning run<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n

    If you live in a region where it\u2019s too hot or too cold for your dog to be outside for parts of the year, you can even buy a doggy treadmill to help your friend notch up a few miles. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Whatever method you choose, the secret is to build these exercise sessions into your routine. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Write them down, or put them in your smartphone calendar and set an alert to remind you to do them. Twice a day is great. Three times a day is brilliant. And once a day is better than nothing. But it does need to be daily.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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    #3 Make Food More Fun<\/strong> <\/h2>\n\n\n\n

    It\u2019s shocking how quickly food disappears from a hungry dog\u2019s bowl. It\u2019s there and then it isn\u2019t.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    A food obsessed dog can devour a seriously large bowl in a very short space of time. Definitely less than five minutes. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    If you feed your dog once a day, that just leaves the remaining 23 hours and 55 minutes of the day to get through until the next mealtime\u2026  It doesn\u2019t sound like much fun. <\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

    Fortunately there are lots of great ways to expand on the enjoyment your dog gets from food, including<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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    • Puzzle toys<\/li>\n\n\n\n
    • Scatter feeding<\/li>\n\n\n\n
    • Treat dispensers<\/li>\n\n\n\n
    • Snuffle mats<\/li>\n\n\n\n
    • Slow feeders<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n

      It goes without saying that none of these activities should use food that is additional to what goes in your dog\u2019s dinner bowl.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

      You don\u2019t need to buy special treats to fill a treat dispenser, just take food from your dog\u2019s daily allowance. This is a different way of feeding a dog, not a way to get even more food into them!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      #4 Train That Doggy Brain<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

      Training does far more than improve your dog\u2019s manners. It also makes dogs mentally tired and like physical exercise, helps to relax them afterwards. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

      Here are a few useful and fun ideas for things to teach your dog, from the very simple, to the more complex<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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      • To touch your hand<\/li>\n\n\n\n
      • To unlock your hand<\/li>\n\n\n\n
      • To wipe their paws<\/li>\n\n\n\n
      • To get into a crate or bed on your command<\/li>\n\n\n\n
      • To find a hidden toy<\/li>\n\n\n\n
      • To pick up your car keys<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
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        Here’s a video of the ‘Hand Touch’ game. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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