2016 New Year’s Resolution: Get Moving with Your Dog!

Jan 3, 2016Dog Health, Dog Training, Human - Dog Bond, Human Health

We often make New Year’s resolutions for ourselves, but how about making one for your dog too? According to the 2013 National Pet Obesity Awareness Day Survey conducted by the Association of Pet Obesity Prevention, 52.5 percent of dogs are overweight or obese. Obesity in dogs is caused by one or more of the following: free feeding (leaving food out all day), over feeding, and lack of exercise/playtime.

Being overweight prevents dogs from enjoying physical activities due to lack of stamina, difficultly breathing and joint pain. It may also cause more serious health problems like diabetes, high blood pressure, decreased liver function, digestive disorders, skin and coat disorders, and increased risk of cancer.

Even if your dog is at a healthy weight, exercise is critical for your dog’s mental health. Lack of exercise can cause frustration, hyperactivity, night time restlessness and behavior problems such as excessive chewing, digging, barking, jumping and attention seeking behaviors.

So this New Year’s let’s all make a resolution to get moving with our dogs. Take time every day to go for a walk, hike, or swim. Have fun getting healthy