I think there are probably only two things that cause a dog to be overweight.
1) Too much food
2) Not enough exercise
I think feeding less food is the easy one. It sounds like your pup does get some exercise.
What has always caused my dogs to exercise more is "having another dog." My two (6 mo. old Yorkie - and 4 year old Bichon) run and play all over the house (mostly in the evenings) for at least an hour - on their own.
I don't give my pup a lot of food. He gets wet dog food in the morning (not much) and has dry food out all day...which is there to keep him from starving because he really doesn't like it much. In the evenings, he generally gets people food (leftovers or other people food such as chicken, other meats, cheese, rice, eggs, etc. etc.) He also gets doggy treats.
He is very slender.
If dogs are like people - we can't expect them all to have the exact same build - but we should try to keep them from becoming overweight.
Good luck! |