Berlin at Beach

How Much Should My Dog Weigh

Great news for dog owners!

The American Heart Association “reviewed dozens of studies, and over all it seemed clear that pet owners, especially those with dogs (the focus of most of the studies) were in better health than people without pets,” states this great New York Times’s article.

Awesome!

So Healthy Heart, Healthy Dog, Healthy Owner. Got it..but do we?

Healthy Dog, Fighting Pet Obesity

Despite the American Heart Association’s conclusion,

68.8% of Americans and 53% of American dogs are OVERWEIGHT or OBESE

(according to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention and an Association for Pet Obesity Prevention‘s survey).

OUCH!!

Even more, “about 45 percent of cat and dog owners whose pets were overweight reported in the survey that they thought their pet’s weight was normal, said Dr. Joe Bartges,” in this article from Boston.com.

We are loving our pets to death!

“We can’t mistake, feeding is a way for us to show love. [But] it doesn’t always have to be through their stomachs that we are rewarding them or letting them know [we love them],” says Dr. Tanya Battiston. “Animals can have our affection shown in many other ways. Throw the ball. Take them for a little extra walk.”

With these harsh statistics, there is no doubt that improvements can be made in our nation’s pet and people population. After all just 30 minutes of exercise a day can lower you and your dog’s risk of: certain types of cancers, osteoporosis, type 2 diabetes, depression, obesity, high blood pressure, and heart disease.

Here are some dog friendly activities to help you achieve a
healthy heart, healthy dog, healthy owner

(consult with your doctor and veterinarian before starting any new exercise):

Take your dog to the local park
Walk or jog with your dog
Walk/run up and down some stairs
Do shuttle runs outside
Get into rally, canine freestyle, etc
Enjoy a workout class together

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You’ll also receive additional dog and fitness training pointers, cute and inspirational stories, and my in-person and online class and pack walk schedule through my regular Fun Feet Pawblication©.