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Link between weight and undesirable behaviors in dogs
19th March 2020
Are dogs that are overweight more likely to exhibit undesirable behaviors?
The study
Over 11,000 dogs were included in a study by the Journal of Nutritional Science to investigate the link between weight and undesirable behaviors. 1,801 dogs in the study were reported to be overweight by their owners and the study found that many of these dogs exhibited undesirable behaviors, suggesting that there is a link. These owners were more likely to refer to their dogs as their ‘baby’, which could mean that they are more likely to spoil their dogs with treats, leading to weight problems.
Undesirable behaviors
The undesirable behaviors that these overweight dogs were displaying included food guarding, food stealing, barking, growling or snapping at strangers, a fear of the outdoors and poor recall skills.
SureFeed Microchip Pet Feeder Connect
Some of these undesirable behaviors can be managed using Sure Petcare products. To help overweight dogs, the SureFeed Microchip Pet Feeder Connect can help. If the dog tends to steal the cat’s food for instance, the Microchip Pet Feeder Connect can be given to the cat to give the cat exclusive access to their food, so that the dog can no longer steal it. This feeder can also be used with small dogs. Small dogs that use the feeder can be fed accurate food portions as the product has integrated scales that weigh each portion to prevent overfeeding.
Animo activity and behavior monitor
Sure Petcare’s Animo activity and behavior monitor can help to tackle a dog’s weight problems in a different way. It allows dog owners to keep track of how active their dog is each day and set daily activity or calorie burn goals to help the dog lead a healthy lifestyle. Animo also monitors how much a dog barks, sending the owner a notification when there is a significant increase in barking. This can help the owner to determine at what times of day the dog is barking which could indicate to them what might be causing it.
Combating boredom
Overweight dogs might not be getting enough exercise or stimulation. Dogs suffering from boredom can exhibit undesirable behaviors, which is why it’s important to take them for regular walks, engage them in play and allow them to socialize with other dogs and people. Make your dog’s walks varied and interesting to keep them interested.
