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I'll start by admitting this. My Bear, he really is a bear. He's big - too big. He will be four years old at the end of May, and I fear that if I do not to something about his weight problem soon, he is going to grow up to be a sick dog. I don't know what I'd do if he had health problems from something like that.

I oftentimes see Brad on TV talking about running obstacle courses with your dogs, to give you both exercise and to work their brains and all that fun stuff. Problem is, though, is that with Bears weight, I don't think he could manage to do any of that. I'd be terrified to ever try to get him to jump down from something like a bench or a platform in a playground. Probably couldn't jump up, either. I don't want to do anything that could potentially damage his hips or legs.

Any tips for helping a dog lose weight, who isn't really built to do things like that? Especially now, that it is the winter season. This entire island is covered in three feet of snow, so even getting out to jog is difficult and dangerous.

I also have a problem with his diet, though that is more an issue with my parents than it is the dog. They allow him to finish off their meals once they are full (resulting in three or four "little snacks" a day,) and swear up and down that it won't hurt him and it would be mean to stop. Any suggestions on how to explain to them what they're doing to him would help a lot, too.

Kat, You have got to lay down the law. I know this is going to be hard but next time you are at your vets ask them what comes from a dog being overweight. Maybe trying putting it in terms of a percentage. Hearing that your dog is 30 lbs overweight may not seem that bad but if 30lbs is 75% more then what the dog should weigh then maybe this will set off alarms. Feeding your dog human food can also lead to them bumming and what guest wants your overweight dog drouling on them? Not me. Sit down with your parents and explain how important this is to. Good Luck.

Ronnie

I 100% agree with Ronnie, you have to have a sit down with your parents, and tell them what's what. You can explain to them the potential damaging things they are doing to your dog, and the consequences. Then you can send them the vet bill for when your dog has back problems, needs hip surgery, medication for diabetes, hypertension, etc etc. And that will be nothing compared to the pain you'll feel watching him go through it all. I'm sorry for being so blunt, but I wouldn't want you or anyone else to have to go through that. You ARE headed in the right direction though, by wanting to do something about it. Don't let your dog near the food at mealtime, be firm when they want to feed him off their plates, and if they say, but there's leftovers, be even more firm and tell them not to fill their plates so full next time. If they're not willing to listen to you, then take him away from the damaging behaviour by not letting him near the table around mealtime. This is your dog, your buddy and friend for life, so be sure to stick up for him, and teach him that it isn't right to eat scraps. If he begs, give him a firm "NO", along with a quick leash correction, and if he doesn't listen, put him in a time out until the meal is over and the food is cleared away. As for exercise, you can talk to your vet about the jumping and what they think he's capable of, but walking is a good start, and low impact. Also keep in mind that playing is exercise too, and it will start getting him energized again and having fun! If you're worried about snow, get him some doggy booties for when it's cold (and you some human ones), and get out there, walking through snow is a lot harder than walking on a sidewalk (for people anyway), but it's great exercise. Have a snowball fight with him, get him jazzed up and moving. Walk to different places, or drive to other locations to walk or have some offleash fun! And let us know how he (and yourself) are doing in the meantime. Good luck!

Lynne

I 100% agree with Ronnie, you have to have a sit down with your parents, and tell them what's what. You can explain to them the potential damaging things they are doing to your dog, and the consequences. Then you can send them the vet bill for when your dog has back problems, needs hip surgery, medication for diabetes, hypertension, etc etc. And that will be nothing compared to the pain you'll feel watching him go through it all. I'm sorry for being so blunt, but I wouldn't want you or anyone else to have to go through that. You ARE headed in the right direction though, by wanting to do something about it. Don't let your dog near the food at mealtime, be firm when they want to feed him off their plates, and if they say, but there's leftovers, be even more firm and tell them not to fill their plates so full next time. If they're not willing to listen to you, then take him away from the damaging behaviour by not letting him near the table around mealtime. This is your dog, your buddy and friend for life, so be sure to stick up for him, and teach him that it isn't right to eat scraps. If he begs, give him a firm "NO", along with a quick leash correction, and if he doesn't listen, put him in a time out until the meal is over and the food is cleared away. As for exercise, you can talk to your vet about the jumping and what they think he's capable of, but walking is a good start, and low impact. Also keep in mind that playing is exercise too, and it will start getting him energized again and having fun! If you're worried about snow, get him some doggy booties for when it's cold (and you some human ones), and get out there, walking through snow is a lot harder than walking on a sidewalk (for people anyway), but it's great exercise. Have a snowball fight with him, get him jazzed up and moving. Walk to different places, or drive to other locations to walk or have some offleash fun! And let us know how he (and yourself) are doing in the meantime. Good luck!

Lynne