PUPPY FAT?
Before we start limbering up with Lurchers and doing star jumps with Shar Peis we first have to take a look at our dog’s weight – according to the Association of Pet Obesity Prevention, 54% of dogs in the US are overweight or obese. Bodie was always quite trim in California but I must confess that since arriving in the UK he has developed a penchant for Marmite on toast (a very English savory treat you either love or hate). Concerned he’s getting a tad portly, I followed Dr. Kurt’s three checks to see if your dog is in optimal shape:
1. With your thumbs on your dog’s backbone, run your fingers down your dog’s side – you should be able to easily feel your dog’s ribs beneath his fur/overlying tissue.
2. Kneel down and look at your dog’s side profile – ideally, you should be able to see an ‘abdominal tuck’ – as in an indentation under the rib cage.
3. Viewing from above you want to see an ‘hourglass shape’ – not quite as swervy-curvy as Sofia Vergara (!) but the waist should be tapering in between the ribs and hips.