If you want to be a responsible dog owner, then you have to make sure that you keep your dog in shape. You may well think that your dog is just fine the way that they are, but if you aren’t careful then you may find that they are at a much higher risk for health conditions, even with the slightest weight gain. If you want to do something about this, then this guide will help you to keep your overweight dog in shape.

Proper Diet

Dogs tend to gain extra weight in the exact same way that people do. It happens because they eat far too much, and they also do not exercise as much as they should. Dogs who tend to eat table scraps and who eat food from your plate at mealtimes will gain weight very quickly, and this is especially the case if they are not very active. If possible, you need to try and make sure that you get their diet under control before you start any vigorous exercise routine. If you can do this, then you will soon find that things end up improving. If you want your dog to have a good diet, then you may want to look into getting some Walmart pet food. You don’t need an expensive food; you just need to make sure that it is low in fat and high in protein.

Exercise

Exercise will help your dog to lose some weight. A lot of dogs love to go out for walks, runs or even swims, so make sure that you are getting them out there in the great outdoors and enjoy activities with them. Just make sure that you are not overexerting them, especially if you know that they have a medical condition. You also need to be mindful of the signs of heatstroke as well.

Training to Run

If you do choose to run with your dog then keep their age in mind where possible. Younger dogs can easily damage their joints by running on hard surfaces. This can include concrete or even asphalt. Many breeders will tell you that you need to avoid jogging on any hard surfaces until the dog is at least 12 months old. Ideally, you should wait until they are 18 months old, but this depends more on the breed of dog that you have.

Make it Fun

If exercise is not fun for your dog, then you will not be helping them as much as you could. You need to use exercise as a way to build a bond with them, and you also need to communicate with them too. Show them hand signals, help them to understand what you want them to do and train with them. The more you can do this, the more you can help them overall. Dog training is also a very good option if you want to help them to really make the most out of their time in the great outdoors, so keep that in mind.