Thread: Weight Problems on working dogs.

Yes it's always easier to regulate your dogs feeding than your own.

I always prefer a lean dog, less stress on joints and longevity.

I feed my Rotty and Malinois only raw meat, raw bone, raw vegies and a small amount of cooked grains. Working very well, my Vet is becoming a stranger.

My working GSD is currently underweight due to going off his food for about 3 weeks but I agree, I don't understand why people allow their dogs to become so overweight.

Besides, now that Montu is putting some condition back on (reverted to feeding Bonny Working Dog) his drive has increased. I'm willing to put money on his performance dropping substantially if he is overweight.

That said, my Husky IS overweight. I have no idea why, he does not get overfed. Someone else is sneaking him treats -.-

I agree dogs should not be overweight. But personally I do not see the logic in not feeding your dog for 3 days .
I think it works both ways to fat cannot move well enough , no food no energy to perform either.
Come on you eat each day , so feed your dog to , he is your freind your protector, yet you guys agree to starve your dogs.
As far as putting them all together to eat , in my books that is a no no . Or putting them together with bones , I have dogs that will kill each other for a bone , in my book that is cruel .
Why submit the dogs to this . They are a living thing.

regards

Rob

Three days (must have over read that on my earlier post), my dogs would eat me on the second day.

I have 4 dogs, who live harmoniously. They get feed together in pack order, and even give them bones together.
They have the occasional squabble, about who will be were in the pack from day to day, but if it gets out of hand then i will step in and put everyone back in their place.

Dogs are a pack animal, you first have to understand your pack order, in order to have harmony. The minute u stuff around with that pack order then that is when you have problems.

My dogs are kept in lean conditions (feel the ribs but not see them). They may get fed in the morning, after breakfast, or it could be after lunch, after i eat my dinner, or maybe before i go to bed, they may even get fed twice a day, depending on what has happened during the day (eg. Training, working, what the plan is for the next day).

If it looks like my dogs are getting podgy, then i will back the amount of food off somewhat till they are at ideal conditions again, then increase the food amount slightly. I agree with the starve day once a week, then a gorge, dogs naturally do this in the wild. Ever seen a pack of pups eat?
I dont think i would go 3 days without any food due to the fact that dogs these days have been somewhat domesticated, and need the goodness that food gives them in order to create energy to get them thru a day.

I had a patient ( a 9 month old ) who had not been given the right food as a pup, fed nothing but raw meat and a few other things to provide him with goodness to grow, he was a skinny little thing. He had regular starve nights and which mostly likely contributed to his death. He had suffered for many weeks and died with the autopsy result being intussusception.

I have seen young dogs not get adequate nutrition, or to much food that end up with long term health conditions, such as liver, heart, lung and other joint problems.

Over weight problems can be just as harmful as a dog being under weight. Either way the owners are still being cruel.

Every dog we have had has been kept lean.Our current 2yr old bitch tends to fatten up if she is not out training or biking but we feed all of them the same diet,which is a mix of raw and dryfood.They fast once per week also.

My dogs all eat seperately and never have bones near each other.I don't like to compromise a happy living arrangement.They get fed at different times and are not allowed a "spot" for food.

Amy

Edited to add,

Some Rottweilers have big growth spurts and can appear thin or too fat when a growth period slows down.A Rottweiler needs careful monitoring for the first couple of years with food if you expect them to be physically capable animals ,which of course I do....

Originally Posted by maxpayne

There is a bit of discussion on diet relating to raw bones and supplements and what brand of food. I am curious what other people have to say on diet and working dogs. Recently I have seen a video of a working dog demonstration where I could not quite get a picture of what the dog was crossed with. As it turned out it was an over weight shepherd!!!


Diet I think is a cornerstone to a balanced dog, when to feed, how much, what order.

Raw bones help strengthen the jaw and neck muscles, i would never give my dogs cooked bones, as they can splinter, not only that all the goodness is taken away from a bone when cooked.
I used to feed my dogs Eukanuba - working dog, or Bonnie working dog, but have decided that Eukanuba is no longer the quality it once was, the factory is now in Ecuador which is a very povetry stricken country now, so what does that say about the quality of the food they produce.
Bonnie has some preservatives in it which is not good for those who have skin conditions, and could also create skin conditions in some, but overall is still a great food. found that i had to feed more of it tho to keep good condition.

After a lengthy trial i know use Advance (made by waltham) which is Australian made, right here in our own backyard.
The good thing about premium dog foods is that you dont need to feed a great deal of it to give a balance diet like some other foods. There is also less to clean up at the other end because the dogs body absorbs and used majority of it.
I was skeptical at first but now i would rather pay $100 for a 20kg bag of food that is gunna last me roughly 10 weeks to feed 2 adult shepherds.

As for the veggie thing, twice a week instead of dry food my lot might get some partially cooked veggies (steamed for about 20mins) with a lil pasta, rice or chicken. Dogs stomachs dont have the ability to break down and digest raw veggies, in the wild a dog/wolf will hunt or scavenge and eat the contents of the stomach, as the grains and vegetation is already partially digested for them... Worth googling!
Once a month i try give them some tasty seafood delights, like a piece of salmon or tuna, watever i can get my hands on at the fish co op at a good price.

I dont tend to give supplements unless otherwise necessary, like on hot days. Great product called Dogaide, like gatorade but for dogs...

Diet is very important, specially for young pups and pregnant bitchs. Without the proper nutrients what chance to give them of growing healthy and strong.
Feed them crap food and expect a crap dog, feed them premium food and get a premium dog!
Same as if you ate junk food all the time, you would feel pretty crappy too!

quote
Diet is very important, specially for young pups and pregnant bitchs. Without the proper nutrients what chance to give them of growing healthy and strong.
Feed them crap food and expect a crap dog, feed them premium food and get a premium dog!
quote



I tend to disagree with the premium priced making premium dogs. I feed non premium food and have tried a great many different brands of the "premium" foods and I didn't see any difference at all.I however did notice SCIENCE Diet constipated my dogs and gave less stools to pick up but left them with a dry coat.My dogs get bones and raw food also and a non premium dryfood.My dry choices are Bonnie working/Great Barko /Box1 gold and if I run low or out of dry it will be whatever my local supermarket has.

I believe the best food is what the dog thrives off,if that is raw,great.If that is dryfood great.If that food is pedigree pal or chum then also great!

Cheers
Amy

Quick question, if noone minds;

My Dobe is now 15 months. He is well muscled, and side profile looks lean/muscular. Not too much tuck-up yet, but beginning to develop that deep chest look. No underhang! From the top down, you can see his hips, but he is just beginning to fill out in the chest and accross the back- previously he was somewhat rectangular. I can feel his ribs, but not see them. HOWEVER, on my last trip to the vet he had gained 8 kg in the space of two months (last trip was to be neutered) and the vet suggested I was making him "fat". Now, I've always kept my dogs lean... but this is my first young dog, so I'm not quite sure- the breeder said "keep a layer of fat", my own experience suggests he may be about to have a growth spurt (outwards, not upwards), he's a big boy anyway, he is hungry before he eats, and I take away uneaten portions, but, compared to my parents' 2 year old Dobe, my guy looks SOLID. Never mind the fact that he is also taller than the 2 yo. We walk at least 2 hours per day, he free runs for at least 2 hours a week, and I am about to start using a doggy treadmill and have him go swimming... So he's reasonably active. He's also worn coats during winter so probably not had to rely on his body to keep him warm...

He's raw fed- chicken frame brekkie, mince + supplements 4 nights per week, bones 2 nights per and nothing one night. The night he gets nothing, he'll have a roo tail or rabbit early in the day.

Anyone out there able to de-confuse me- am I making my Dog fat???