Today we are joining the Show Off Your Dog’s Waistline Campaign. It a genius campaign hosted by Jana from Dawg Business where pet owners take a picture of their dogs waistline and share how you’re keeping them fit and trim.

I am so excited about this campaign because one of my hopes for 2013 is that we as a society can see the number of obese pets decline this year instead of continuing to rise and that people will learn that their dog is actually suppose to have a waistline rather than look like a stuffed sausage.

Before Sherman and Leroy show off their waistlines I must say that the Newfoundland breed is not particularly known for for having a visible waistline. Their thick coat tends to hide any type of tuck and dip which is why it is a must that I always have my hands on them.

Leroy has always been more of a long lean fighting machine and at his current weight of 150 pounds he is at an ideal weight. It always amazes me when people think that he weighs well over 200 pounds because my first thought with that statement is that he would be morbidly obese if that were true, but with that being said, his thick coat is deceiving.

In this picture I had Bobby gently rest his hands on Leroy’s side so that you can see where his waist is.

I wasn’t able to get a picture of Sherman’s waistline because he wouldn’t stand still long enough for me to take a picture of him but Sherman is at a good weight for his body structure at 135 pounds and most people would look at Sherman and think that he might be overweight, but believe me, it is all his thick coat.

You would be amazed at what a soaking wet Sherman looks like. Think a medium sized lab.

Seriously. One day I’ll take a picture for you.

So here’s some of the things we do to maintain a healthy waistline on the boys:

Diet:

We feed both the Newfs a balanced diet and they are fed twice a day. I’m aware of how many calories they need per day as active intact male dogs and feed accordingly. I make sure that I feed low calorie treats and calculate that into their daily calorie intake.  Is their diet pretty strict? Yes, but that doesn’t mean they don’t get the occasional ”french fry.” I mean what’s life without a french fry here and there?

Exercise:

The Newfs get daily exercise  whether that means going for a walk or playing some sort of game in the house when a walk just isn’t feasible that day. In the past they have attended confirmation classes, which was a good form of exercise and recently we started participating in draft work.

 

Weight Checks

Weight checks are huge part of our healthcare plan. Since they go to work with me at least once a month I am able to keep very good track of their weight. If they gain a pound I’m not too concerned but if it’s more than that then I make some adjustments to their diet.

Hands On

I always have my hands on them.  Making sure I can feel a tuck and a few ribs. Sometimes it’s hard to get through all their fur but over the years I have learned exactly the right area where I can get a good feel:)

My hopes are that by keeping them at an ideal healthy weight I am prolonging the time that we have together and avoiding certain diseases that are caused by obesity that can shorten their lifespan.

Now share your dogs waistline!

The linky list, I believe, is open for the rest of the year, which means that even if your just beginning a diet plan for your dog you can join in a few months and share how you and your dog took the pounds off!