Ive been a terrible dog owner

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boosmummy

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Re: Ive been a terrible dog owner
« Reply #15 on: November 13, 2011, 10:58 »
thanks for all your replies, in terms of exercise he does get a daily walk but ill be completely its not enough for him, up until being able to drive ive been limited what i can do with him in terms of my m.e so i walk around the block is all he has had :( ive dug out the flinger this morning and im going to drive to the local lodge with him and see if he will chase a ball that way i dont have to walk as much but he's stil getting exercise.

We've hada minor blip this morning - both me and my husband have fed him breakfast  :nowink: no wonder hes looking so pleased with himself!!! xx

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arugula

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Re: Ive been a terrible dog owner
« Reply #16 on: November 13, 2011, 12:20 »
We've hada minor blip this morning - both me and my husband have fed him breakfast  :nowink: no wonder hes looking so pleased with himself!!! xx

 :lol: Bless him!  :D
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boosmummy

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Re: Ive been a terrible dog owner
« Reply #17 on: November 13, 2011, 12:27 »
well we've been for a walk, i did about 20 minutes walking which is enough for me, and i threw the flinger all that time for max, so he's had a really good run - i hope, he's led down absolutely shattered nw.

Ive also decided that im going to split his daily allowance so rather than one meal a day give him 2/3 of his daily allowance in the morning and 1/3 at night, working on the basis that hes going out for his walk during the day and running off energy rather than sleeping on a heavy meal at night - does that make sense? 

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ANHBUC

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Re: Ive been a terrible dog owner
« Reply #18 on: November 13, 2011, 12:27 »
thanks for all your replies, in terms of exercise he does get a daily walk but ill be completely its not enough for him, up until being able to drive ive been limited what i can do with him in terms of my m.e so i walk around the block is all he has had :( ive dug out the flinger this morning and im going to drive to the local lodge with him and see if he will chase a ball that way i dont have to walk as much but he's stil getting exercise.

We've hada minor blip this morning - both me and my husband have fed him breakfast  :nowink: no wonder hes looking so pleased with himself!!! xx

We had this problem with our cat being fed by one, two or even three members of the family.  ::)  We invested in an automatic feeder which dispenses a set amount up to three times a day.  They are ideal for the occassional weekend away so the pet sitter does not have to visit so often.

Here is a link for some similar ones to ours

LINK



Edit to fix long link
« Last Edit: November 13, 2011, 12:45 by argyllie »
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tosca100

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Re: Ive been a terrible dog owner
« Reply #19 on: November 13, 2011, 13:00 »
We know all too well how quickly a lab can put on weight! I think one of the most important things is to feed a lab, especially, as they are so greedy, twice a day as you are now doing, so they are not getting so hungry and inclined to steal. Smaller meals also means the stomach does not get stretched as much at feeding times so they should feel fuller for longer. The amount you give is crucial. Bonnie lab gets 3/4 teacup twice a day of a low calorie additive free kibble, with added veg or fish skin from our dinner, or about a dessert spoon of tinned food. Bella cross lab gets just over half a teacup. Bella is more likely to thieve if food is left within her reach, but generally we remember to push everything back off the counter. They both like apple and pear If it is offered, and Bella will eat most raw veg....mainly because she likes to chew! :D Sardines are given once a week, one tin between the two. Bella uses all the energy from them chasing the bowls around the kitchen to get the last of the flavour! :lol: Both are spayed.

 Excercise is crucial, but be wary of using the flinger too much. Labs generally have dodgy joints and too much running and twisting for balls, especially when overweight, can do damage, which you will not know about till it is a problem. We are lucky that our two spend a lot of time excecising each other, have two good off lead walks a day (unless OH is away like now, when they get a short walk in the morning and a longer walk later with limited flinging in the woods where they dash around like loonies!) :wacko:

We are lucky enough to live opposite the vet and the girls are weighed in there regularly to make sure they are ok as it is difficult to notice when they put a little weight on, as you have found out! And they do get treats, a dental chew when they are left in the morning, and the occasional bonio with broken gravy bones when training (not often enough, that) It's just being vigilant and not giving in to those big brown pleading eyes, especially when they are trying to tell you that you have forgotten to add at least half their dinner to the bowl!!!! :D

Now all I have to do is apply all this to myself! :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:

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clairebeau

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Re: Ive been a terrible dog owner
« Reply #20 on: November 13, 2011, 20:27 »
Oh bless him!!  My Labrador is 20 months old and during our last trip to the vet he was weighed at being 38kg...the vet (not met this one before) tried to convince me that he was fat.  I explained that the other vet told me Basil is very tall and instead I should watch him when he moves/runs and be able to see muscle definition and also be able to feel his ribs with a flat palm.  Also a suggestion of a waist should be visable when looking at his back from above.  We decided then that he is perfect  :) I'm glad I stuck up for him otherwise she'd have me buying expensive food that disagrees with his delicate tummy.  My usual no fuss vet had advised me 6 months ago to put him on dried CHAPPIE!!  He has 2 very small cup fulls for his breakfast and human leftovers for his tea. James Wellbeloved and Burns didn't suit him and gave him a bad bum ha ha...this cheap as chips stuff suits him to a T!

If you fancy a laugh Hun have a look at this photo I took of him after the vet said he was a fatty bum bum   :) I'm trying to follow Slimming World as I'm a right Tubster... Basil isn't that impressed with the recipes.

Oh, and Basil digs up the carrots from the garden he loves them that much.

Your pooch is a lucky pup finding someone who cares so much. x x x

Fat boy!.jpg
Claire. x


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boosmummy

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Re: Ive been a terrible dog owner
« Reply #21 on: November 13, 2011, 20:46 »
Oh bless him!!  My Labrador is 20 months old and during our last trip to the vet he was weighed at being 38kg...the vet (not met this one before) tried to convince me that he was fat.  I explained that the other vet told me Basil is very tall and instead I should watch him when he moves/runs and be able to see muscle definition and also be able to feel his ribs with a flat palm.  Also a suggestion of a waist should be visable when looking at his back from above.  We decided then that he is perfect  :) I'm glad I stuck up for him otherwise she'd have me buying expensive food that disagrees with his delicate tummy.  My usual no fuss vet had advised me 6 months ago to put him on dried CHAPPIE!!  He has 2 very small cup fulls for his breakfast and human leftovers for his tea. James Wellbeloved and Burns didn't suit him and gave him a bad bum ha ha...this cheap as chips stuff suits him to a T!

If you fancy a laugh Hun have a look at this photo I took of him after the vet said he was a fatty bum bum   :) I'm trying to follow Slimming World as I'm a right Tubster... Basil isn't that impressed with the recipes.

Oh, and Basil digs up the carrots from the garden he loves them that much.

Your pooch is a lucky pup finding someone who cares so much. x x x



He is ADORABLE!!! see max is a tall dog and he is a big lad, granted he is fat and they said he has to lose between two and two and a half stone, but im going to judge it, if at one and a half he is perfect ill maintain his weight. 

When we got him he was as thin as a whippet,he was being fed out of a cat food bowl every other day, or 'whenever he whinges' as the guy said, he had a little jack russell lead had never had any lead training, and used to hide under the table and wet himself because he was so scared of anyone, he is now still skittish if people come in the house and he barks and wee's sometimes but overall hes doing amazing.

I/ we have worked so hard to get him where he is today. he pulls on the lead without a halti but he is obedient and he is a fantastic dog, from when we first got him friends and relatives are amazed at his progress, they though he was a lost cause when we took him on, but we couldn't just leave him at the house where he was for sale, we refused to pay for him and threatened to call the police.

Looking back, at that time, we were quite silly we didnt now how he would react to the kids, he snapped at my husband through fear when they first and he wee'd on me, and at first we left him there, but we went back the night after to collect him thinking we couldnt leave him and we'll muzzle him in the house if need be until we could get a behaviourist in, but when we got him home he jumped out of the car, straight for the kids and licked them!!!! and we havent looked back since.

Granted he's got fat, but like i said previously i have worked so hard on everything else i think ive probably neglected his diet a little but and given into him thinking 'oh he's had such a horrendous past'

xx

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Aunt Sally

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Re: Ive been a terrible dog owner
« Reply #22 on: November 13, 2011, 21:02 »

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clairebeau

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Re: Ive been a terrible dog owner
« Reply #23 on: November 13, 2011, 21:05 »
Well all that proves that you're not a terrible dog owner, infact you're a responsible dog owner.  You've recognised a problem and you're going to put it right.   :)

Listen though, you mustn't feel sorry for him and his past... he doesn't even know that it wasn't like what other dogs get, at the time he didn't know anything else.

You know when you leave your pet at the vets for an op and worry all day about them.  You bring them home, put the heating on, make them some scrambled eggs for their tea and a comfy bed...fuss fuss fuss etc.  and then they just dive about the place as if they've just had a day out?!  Well it's because they're animals, they don't think the same as humans.  If a woman has a hystorectomy (spelling?) she has months off work and dare not lift the hoover  ;)  a dog will be out for a run a couple of days later!  See...they don't have the same thought process as us so please don't feel you have to make up for his bad past, you're already doing that by having him live with you instead of them.  
He sounds like a smashing dog by the way. x x x

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New shoot

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Re: Ive been a terrible dog owner
« Reply #24 on: November 13, 2011, 21:07 »
The weight problem is solvable and once you get Max's food and exercise routine down to a T, it will seem second nature to you and him.

The potential psychological problems of being unsocialised, underfed and terrified of people could have ruined his life and made him such a problem dog that he never got a good home and would have ended up being put to sleep, so give yourself a massive big pat on the back for taking him on and bringing him on so much  :D

You are not a terrible dog owner, just a slightly soft one when you get the cow eyes over the dinner dish maybe  ;)  :)

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boosmummy

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Re: Ive been a terrible dog owner
« Reply #25 on: November 13, 2011, 21:12 »

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rainie

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Re: Ive been a terrible dog owner
« Reply #26 on: November 20, 2011, 17:32 »
Boosmummy, there is lots of fantastic advice and support on her for you. I will read the links later, but would like to tell you that a springer i took on as a rehome and he was really overweight. I checked food labels on packets and found one with low protein and this I believe, helped to get his weight down, along with exercise. When I weighed it out it looked like no where near enough for him, so gave him carrots to eat too. He had no idea what one was but now he does. Sometimes they dont make it into the kitchen form the veg plot. Now he is at a good weight and still having a lot of exercise, he sometimes has half as much food again and split into two meals. I find it easier to give him a bit extra low protein food when needed, rather than change to a higher protein one.

 Good luck with getting your labs weight right, and once you have done it you will find it easy to maintain it.  :)
Be a first rate version of yourself, not a second rate version of someone else.

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boosmummy

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Re: Ive been a terrible dog owner
« Reply #27 on: November 20, 2011, 18:36 »
Thanks everyone, he is/we are doing really well. he's on between 300 and 350g of food a day on a light and tasty food, he's on low calorie treats and hes not getting any titbits or any left overs from tea.

He's going out for his daily walk which is longer than it was before generally im aiming for an hours walk with him but if im totally shattered hes getting less but still getting a good run with using the flinger.

And i have to say, i think he is looking a little tad slimmer.

xx



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